Ahhh…

It has been great timing me being off work, the harvest and fall cleanup has happened on consecutive days and I have been lucky enough for them to be amazing ones☀️️!

They are the type of days when I am outside all day and come inside at night feeling sore from all the physical work, but in a really good way 🙂

Most of the vege garden has been put to bed for the winter. However, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower etc are in the ground, my herb bed carries on in all seasons, albeit not as productive over the next couple of months.

While I am working in the vege garden these guys get as close as they possibly can, just in case I throw something tasty over the fence or stop to give them a scratch.

The chooks take the opportunity to pick lice off the pigs. I had noticed they had lice and had talked to the vet about what I could use. Unfortunately, not good stuff, especially given these boys are bound for the plate. I turned to home remedies apple cider vinegar, garlic and diatomaceous earth and noticed things were much better. I was patting myself on the back thinking I had nailed it. Then I noticed the chooks and pigs’ symbiotic relationship was actually the solution, and it was nothing to do with me at all!

The boys allow the chooks to share their food and in return, when they are resting the chooks peck off all their lice, a win win situation and most importantly, an organic one!

Our regular walk is extra pretty at this time of the year; it is rare to meet anyone else on this trail, I treasure this regular, peaceful time in nature just out our back door.

When I left my previous job one of my colleagues gave me this plant. The buds were tightly closed but they are now opening up, it’s loving the position opposite the sliding door and brightening up the living area beautifully, bringing a little outdoors inside for the colder months, thanks Jo x❤️

I came across old photo of Port Chalmers from the 1800’s, the first older than the second.

Our property marked by the blue arrow, with the old cemetery to the right. The stone Iona Church was opened in 1872, so we know the second photo was taken after that date. The first photo the church is wooden and so it is estimated to have been taken in the 1860’s.

It is very cool to have these and to see how our little homestead farm started out……