Fall 2023…
The Fall is definitely here and we are having a wonderful weekend weather wise! We have had a few days of rain, so we are soaking it up. This was taken yesterday on a hike. Fall is my favourite time of the year, the days are generally clear and blue, (the last few days not withstanding) and they still have a warmth to them, but as soon as the sun goes down you can cosy up by the fire, perfect way to end the day.
The build is slowly but sure taking place, and it is now resembling the potential of a house, it is very exciting. I come home from work in the dark now, so have to wait for the weekends to see all that has been done.
Luca had an awesome time at camp! The first thing he said to me was “well I would do that all again!” We did get a call mid week at about 8pm. This is unusual, when I answered the phone and they said it was the school, I immediately said what’s wrong?! The response was “it’s OK he is alive, but there has been an accident”, of course my heart was in my mouth as I waited for the explanation! Turns out he had been doing the treetop confidence walk and slipped. He ended up hanging by his leg upside down unable to untangle himself and the circulation was being cut off. They had send a rescue team up to cut him out. The poor teacher who rang me sounded highly traumatised by it, Luca however when we spoke to him, was very matter of fact, calm and certainly did not want to come home. It all added to the excitement of the camp it seems 🙂
Last weekend was Easter, which coincided this year with the ending of the first school term. Luca has another week left of holidays, before starting back. I spent most of the Easter break in the garden and sorting the produce collected, freezing, pickling, bottling, baking etc
We have so many tomatoes but I could not leave them in the garden as with the weather like it has been, they will rot, so I spread them out on the outside table…
then as they ripen I bring them inside….
I put them on the windowsill to finish off ….
Then I make sauces with all the ones we don’t eat for salads etc…
This is super simple, I roast then mash it all up and portion it up freeze or bottle and use them for meals over winter.
I sold our sliding door on trademe last week, I got $455 for it which made me very happy..
between that and the windows that are coming out ,(they are being replaced with double glazed ones), we are putting the money towards our new feature door leading out to the deck. We are really looking forward to having it this, it will make our day to day so much easier. Our current door, (seen below), has never been user friendly, we have made it work, but this new one will be wonderful! It is the little things that bring you joy …. 🙂
The fire pit area really comes into its own at this time of the year, the kids are planning another sausage and s’mores evening up there…
Speaking of the kids, they were up at the tree house yesterday and discovered the latest hoard of eggs that I had been unable to find. I knew she was hiding them somewhere, but she was so clever at evading me!!!
Sixteen of them! All still good to eat. The chooks are all in major molt mode at the moment and look terrible but are enjoying all the work Rich is doing on the front paddock, (in preparations for my pigs and sheep 🙂 ). Physically it is such a mission, so much work and effort. The girls hang with Rich as he works there, picking out all the grubs to eat, he says as soon as he picks up the rake, they know where he is heading and come running.
This area was completely overgrown and unusable, he is working his way up the hill and across, until the entire paddock, (about 1 1/2 acres), is clear for the fencers to come in. As I said, such a mission!!!! There is a hive of wild bees or wasps that have taken up residence in one of his piles, he has been stung more than once trying to move it! He is working on other strategies…
Today was another gorgeous day and it coincided with the Town Belt Walk ,(they same one we did just before Covid hit), this is the first time they have held it since those days and the turn out was awesome, the day of course helped! It is just on 10km walking across the green spaces of Dunedin City, with pit stops at various locations along the way . Ted and my brother joined us…
First pit stop – Mornington Park with the old cable car, beautifully preserved..
Second pit stop Olveston House – check out this historic home in the link below, it is lovely, beautifully preserved..
Rich and Nige checking out the 102 year old car, in the garage…
The walk ended in sausage sizzle in the park close to my brothers home, so we hung out there for a while after, the kids playing with his new kittens and collecting buckets full of his fallen walnuts. We brought a few home, this lot should keep us going for a while!
Luca does not like to eat them so much but loves to crack them!!!!!!
So here we are mid April, this photo always makes me smile, Luca enjoying wholeheartedly one of his first Falls in his birth place, Manitoba, Canada. May we all experience this much joy with the simple things in life 🙂
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