The Fence!

A major project is now done! Rich is in the process of building the 3 gates and Luca is staining (quite the job!!!). We are thrilled with the outcome and function; it has opened up another 1/2 acre of pasture for us. I am starting to look for breeders for piglets, thinking I will go with Wessex Saddlebacks this time…. like my chooks, I am fond of the old English breeds.

I am now able to make the beehive area permanent; the lavender provides ongoing nectar and the bird bath I have filled with stones so the bees can drink without drowning during the dry months. They are doing really well, word on the street is all local hives are, here is hoping for good year, last year many hives struggled.

Spring is starting to rear her beautiful head…I took these on a recent hike, so pretty.

Each spring a friend gives me daffodils to mark the season, they fill me with joy every time without fail ❤️

The “little raptors” are greeting spring with starting to lay. They are a bit random and will often just squat and lay where they are, we find eggs in all sorts of weird places, but they are getting the hang of it 🙂 One of them is a double yolk layer, not had one of them before, she so far is very consistent with this.

The sun pours onto our 2 decks, one in the morning and one in the evening, these two soak it up. Pica reminds us, if we forget to move her bed where she wants it. She is not at all spoilt 😉

There is another 1/2 acres of land we are not touching, it is regenerating bush and provides a lovely buffer for us. There is talk from the village of an old Maori grave site here too, which makes it tapu, (sacred). I don’t know if these rumors are true, but it is enough for me to want to leave this area untouched. In the photo below I am standing in the bush looking back towards our house, cosily tucked away in there.

The lemon tree is still going strong, with tiny but tasty fruit, these were used by Rich to make poppy seed and lemon muffins, and to squeeze over fish – delicious!!!!!!!

Soon it will be time to get into the vege garden in earnest. I always have to hold myself back at this time of the year, so as not to plant or sow too early. I will be getting there today to start preparing a little.

We are still having fires, sometimes not completely necessary, but so cosy, Pica and Vida appreciate it after their action-packed days 😂….

We head into September with Luca having one more week of school, then into mock exams, a 2-week holiday break and back into the last term, which is very short one filled mostly with exams.

Rich and I are making summer holiday plans of hiking the Queen Charlotte, while Luca is on the Spirit of Adventure. Rich’s brother and wife are coming for a visit from Canada too, we are looking forward to seeing them, has been too long!

Bring on summer 🎉