A RIGHT ROYAL RECIPE!

Beautiful Shortbread

We were talking recently about a good recipe for Scottish Shortbread, which just happens to be one of my favorites. It only took 2 seconds for me to suggest a recipe given to our family by a lovely Scots woman named Esmae, who had emigrated to NZ some 40 years ago.

Esmae suggested we remember her name by repeating "Es mae hat on my heid"  and she and husband Jim and their Daughters hailed from Aberdeenshire and had emigrated to New Zealand.. Jim was a great boss and friend and we got along well, especially with my own Scots heritage being the catalyst for many interesting conversations. They both had lovely Scots accents and unlike some of my Glaswegian friends were easily understood!

Balmoral Castle

One day I was hanging up a new calendar in my office and it just happened to be a lovely scenic annual from a famous Scottish whisky distillery who we represented in New Zealand. The first photo was of Balmoral Castle and Jim excitedly commented "Och! That's the gardens I used to work on back home!" and it transpired that while Jim was busy working on the flower beds, Esmae was a skilled cook, who worked in the kitchens. They apparently had a cottage on the estate and had enjoyed the years they worked for the Royal Family and spoke about the many interesting things that had happened, (without of course divulging any scandal!)

The O'Brien shortbread stamp

When I spoke to Esmae one evening at a function, she said that as we had been discussing our favourite baking delights in an earlier conversation, would we like Her Majesty, The Queen Mother's favourite shortbread recipe. "I certainly would" I exclaimed delightedly and sure enough, three days later, a handwritten recipe was delivered to my desk with her compliments. Lyn has been baking this delicious recipe ever since and after I resigned from the company and bought a Coffee Lounge/Lunch Bar, it became a firm favourite of our customers. To enhance the finished product, we were given as a present a wooden stamp in the shape of a Scottish Thistle and this made the final baked delight look just so perfect!

Here is the Recipe that was so loved by the Late Queen Mother (who lived to 101 years of age) .. Surely a recommendation in it's own right!

HM THE LATE QUEEN MOTHER'S PERSONAL FAVOURITE SHORTBREAD RECIPE

8oz Butter (227g)

4oz Caster Sugar (113g)

10oz flour (275g)

2oz corn flour (56.70g)

Pinch of salt

METHOD

Cream butter and sugar well, add sifted dry ingredients. Knead well, roll out fairly thick (1/2" - 3/4"), cut into pieces, place on cold, greased trays, prick with fork and bake 20 mins at 160c.

A favourite of the Queen Mother

Then ration them out and make the lucky recipient stand to attention, while eating this wonderful Royal Heirloom!

Enjoy!

ANZAC DAY MUSINGS 2013

John Simpson @ Gallipoli

Anzac Day falls on the 25th of April and is one of those days when I reflect on what our relatives and friends did during the major conflicts around the world. I think of those friends I have met in my travels as a customs agent and business representative, especially in the Military and the many Returned Services Association clubs I have been involved in over a period of 50+ years. I was a member of a Regimental Pipe Band for nearly 3 1/2 decades and was delighted to receive a medal this year for my Army service as a Territorial soldier. My first full parade in uniform was on Anzac Day where we marched in two parades on the North Shore in Auckland and I have written previously about this time (Lest we forget )….. http://briansbash.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/lest-we-forget.html

I have always enjoyed the company of elderly servicemen and women who were involved in WW2 and I have a large collection of books on the subject. As a family we have read of our relatives who died on the battlefield and also those who were fortunate to return to New Zealand, not many are still alive and I venerate those who are.

Grandad from a sketch

Over the years, I have used the period around Anzac Day to pore over old photos of relatives photos or documents outlining their war service and I have always felt a huge amount of sympathy for what they must have endured not only during the war, but on their return. I have vivid memories of my Maternal Granddad, coughing violently, the result of being gassed at Mons in WW1. Although he was a serious cigarette smoker, this prior damage to his lungs, probably led to his early death, mainly of emphysema. (The Graphic sketch was drawn by his son Rick Ramsey)

This year I had a couple of experiences that made me think of Anzac Day or Remembrance Day, but two in particular struck a chord with me and I will share them. An article in the NZ Herald about a WW2 Veteran grabbed my attention as I had known one of the 94 year old soldiers personally. Major Watty MacEwan had been instrumental in the formation of our civilian pipe band becoming associated with the NZ Army. He was a Regular army officer who had served with General Freyberg at El Alamein and had been a participant at the famous break-out at Minquar Quaim, when the New Zealanders drove through the German lines to escape being captured. ( I have met a number of men who have described hair raising stories about this episode) 

Pipes & Drums Anzac Day 1981

Our band which was known officially as "The Band, The 1st Divisional Signals Regiment (Pipes and Drums) Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals. (This title was approved by the NZ Army Board in Oct 1957) … Needless to say, we shortened it to the Signals Pipes & Drums. Major MacEwan also became our liaison for the annual "Freedom of the Borough of Howick" parade which marched through the main streets of Howick each year. The Charter was a very fancy parchment document which was read out by the Mayor and contained the paragraph " … the right and privilege, without further permission, in full dress uniform carrying weapons with bayonets fixed, drums beating, band playing, colours flying, and swords drawn  ..etc… We then marched to the RSA for an excellent afternoon of further entertainment and a wonderful meal. (I am not sure if this parade is still held) Watty MacEwan is apparently in poor health, but his motto "never give up" has held him in good stead over many years.

The article in the NZ Herald is here>>. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10879167

Malta G.C Award

My Second recent experience relates to a visit to Whangarei Hospital to visit my Mother in Law who has been suffering some health difficulties. In the bed opposite Margaret was a 90 year old, white haired lady who had been born in Turkey and was able to discuss Turkish events with my Sister in Law who has recently returned from living in Turkey for a decade. This lady (Norah) asked me to pass some magazines over and we started to have a discussion. I greeted her with "Salaam Alaikum" which I knew was a traditional form of greeting and her eyes immediately lit up as she replied "Alaikum Salaam". As we talked she explained that although born in Istanbul, she had lived for a long time on Malta and was there through the terrible bombing they endured during WW2. Her stories of being driven underground to the catacombs for weeks on end and the lack of food and deprivation for a long period of time, made me realise just how luck we had been, living so far away. She told of having scabies and sore that wouldn't heal because of the lack of medication and the awful sight of her school friends bodies being recovered from the bombed out ruins of their homes. Malta was at one stage the most bombed place on earth. She had married a Royal Navy man who was a young Signaler and they finally emigrated to New Zealand. I could have talked for hours, but I could see that this wonderful lady was becoming tired, so I made my farewells and left her in peace. (I have heard that she has returned home to her own house)

I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to meet both these heroes and I only wish that we as a society take every opportunity to write down storied from this fading generation. Soon it will be too late! I hope to attend Anzac Day in Waipu, however the knees are still waiting to be surgically repaired and my marching leaves a lot to be desired these days. Needless to say, I will be up early and will be savouring every TV link to our various Anzac Ceremonies, here and overseas.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM … LEST WE FORGET.

I LOVE AUTUMN!

Autumn Delight

QUOTE:

 If winter is slumber and spring is birth, and summer is life, then autumn rounds out to be reflection. It's a time of year when the leaves are down and the harvest is in and the perennials are gone. Mother Earth just closed up the drapes on another year and it's time to reflect on what's come before.

Mitchell Burgess, Northern Exposure, Thanksgiving, 1992

Main Street Arrowtown

I love Autumn! The cool clear air, the warm, but not too hot sun and the wonderful kaleidoscope of leaf colours is  a wonder to behold. The nights start drawing in and many of our birds are busy looking for nice sheltered spots. I don't miss the intense heat of summer or the humid nights that sometime make sleeping very difficult. The noisy crickets and mosquitoes are still annoying any bare skin, but our recent rain will probably fill all the cracks in the soil and reduce the cricket population. At least the hot summer drought has meant few paper wasps to be seen and that has been a small bonus. The beach crowds are starting to disappear  and we don't have to queue for milk at the supermarket or struggle to find parking in our village. I notice that on the weekends the traffic heading back to the city has a lot of caravans and boats being towed back home, so we will hopefully start returning to normality.

A peaceful lake

And what about that beautiful clear sky! We have been told many times that New Zealand enjoys some of the least polluted air in the world and Autumn is certainly proof that on a clear day, you can just see forever! There are numerous parts of America famous for their Autumn tree colours, but our own South Island has a number of Districts with wonderful golden leaf displays, such as Arrowtown and Te Anau. Unfortunately Lyn and I can't make the trip south this year, so I will just have to check out our local scenic deciduous offerings!

A country Road

Another aberration this year has been the poor quality and the small quantity of our potatoes, squash and pumpkins. We normally have loads of produce to store away in our old packhouse which is warm and dry, but this season a lot of this crop have either been very small or have developed mould on the skins already. I guess we will have start a new patch next year and let this area recover it's strength. The heifers were left to graze this plot and they have left a decent quantitiy of manure and this should help the recovery .. Saves buying fertiliser too! It is pleasing to see the persimmons ripening (must bird proof) the yellow and red tamarillos are colouring up and there are still a few raspberries to pick. The granny smith apple tree has shed an overlod of fruit, which has delighted the black birds and I have picked and stored the remaining pears and  our remaining red apple crop.

Of course Autumn is also the time when the weather can change overnight and what was a lovely sunny day on Monday can be a windy, wet day on Tuesday (like this week) This in itself can have benefits, today the regional fire ban was lifted and because of the steady rain, we are not encouraged to devote the whole day to outside pursuits and can catch up with a bit of home cooking (pie making) and planning the Winter garden layout. It is also a period of organising our home and business computers and making sure that updates are loaded and files are archived. It never ceases to amaze me how many files can accumulate in a season and unless you have plenty of spare time or are naturally a tidy person, it means a determined effort to get back to a manageable state.

Some years ago I joined an online website "Get Organised.com" and it has been a family joke that I have something like 1000 unread emails from this group! Get organised indeed!

Till next time.

(Click on Graphics to enlarge)

The Drought, Macadamia Treat, Nonchalant Norman & Prize Cappies

Dry Paddocks in Waipu

QUOTE… Drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply whether surface or underground water. We are having a drought! It hasn't rained substantially in our region (and other parts of NZ) for many months and as a lifestyle block farmer, with a small herd of animals, each day has brought it's share of worry and concern. As we are also self sufficient in most fruit and vegetables, the dry weather has also taken a toll on our gardening results and the plants have all suffered with the heat and lack of moisture. We may have to sell our stock in the next few weeks as they are running out of grass and we have exhausted our hay supply. Difficult Times!

Nothing to  mow here!

Although it has been difficult times for our bird life around the farm during the big dry, we try to keep the bird bath well watered and when I turn on the mini sprinkler system around the gardens, you can be sure there will be some flapping winged guest trying to get a cheap shower. We loved watching a family of Fantails. Mum, Dad and two little fellas frolicking under the whirling water. Unfortunately, when I checked one of our large water troughs that the heifers use, I found a dead Kingfisher in the water, who had possibly succumbed to the heat. Very Sad, as they are such lovely birds. The TV news had an item tonight on baby Kiwis who were struggling to find food and water and these nocturnal, flightless birds are wandering around in the hot sun during the day and their condition is serious.

Macadamias waiting for shelling

It has been a great season for some produce, tomatoes, grapes ,beans and peas have done well, but most of the leafy veggies, lettuce, celery etc have bolted or gone to seed very quickly and we have been reluctant to plant our Autumn crops until we see some rain although I couldn't resist an early planting of Brussels sprouts for Autumn. Our 1st crop of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries have been a welcome addition to our ice cream dessert treats and we have had a huge crop of Macadamia nuts this year. While we were in Australia last year, Sheree introduced us to a wonderful Macadamia dessert. You get a scoop of ice cream, a handful of fresh cracked Macadamia nuts and pour a small measure of Frangelico Liqueur over the top. Delissimo!! Needless to say we stocked up on duty free Frangelico an the way back!

Sun Ripened Sweetness!

Naturally with all the ripe grapes, the birds would normally be having a field day, but I have installed a mobile "Norman" and some loose bird netting that seems to be working well. Norman is a rather "laid back" bright yellow clad scarecrow who has old DVDs hanging from his arms. The DVDs move in the wind and apparently unsettles the birds who get quite nervous at the flashing light as it catches the sun. I move Norman around, so that the birds don't get used to his presence and although I was  a bit sceptical at first. It really has made a difference this year. I usually throw a few grapes around the fence, so the birds don't miss out entirely.

Nonchalant Norman!

A sad looking Fuschia

A top grade Capsicum!

One amazing item from this Summer has been the quantity and quality of our old Capsicum plants. We planted our last commercial crop some 9 years ago and these plants have had to cope with all sorts of weather, the semi destruction of the polythene roof over the years (it is almost completely off), all manner of insect pests and bird invasion and yet we still manage to pick some excellent quality produce. The trick is to beat the birds, who just love the coloured varieties and although we don't spray for any insect pests, we continue to be amazed at what these old varieties still produce. The next decent frost will almost surely see the demise of most of them and we have carefully saved some seed for next year, just in case.

My Scottish Genes are in an excited state when I realise how many thousands of dollars we spent every year digging up all the plants, sterilising the soil and then replanting a new crop each year at a cost of $1 for each seed. (we had nearly 3000 plants) You certainly "Live and Learn!"

Full of Vitamin C too

 Capsicums (or Bell Peppers in the USA) are renowned for their Vitamin C content. They are great in stir frys and stews, stuffed with a rice combo or with salami,cream cheese and avocado on a roll. The reds are delicious when roasted or after searing the skin on a BBQ. There are heaps of recipes and you will find this recipe a delicious treat, using green capsicums
.
Baked Fish with Tomatoes, Olives and Garlic Bread
http://recipefinder.msn.co.nz/article.aspx?id=727804

You can access more recipes from our Bream Bay Trader website
www.breambaytrader.com and click on the recipe link. ENJOY!

(Click the photos to enlarge)

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ”

― Norman Vincent Peale

Pohutukawa - NZ Xmas tree

This little quote is one of my favorites and it helps take away some of the drama that seems to envelope most families at this time of the year.  Many questions can make Christmas stressful and not exactly the most enjoyable of holidays. "Have you got the presents organized and wrapped",,, "are the cards posted in time",,, "have we missed the overseas mail",,, "do you think this will be the right size",,, "have they already got one of these" ,, "can we afford a turkey that big or will we get a large chicken",,, "watch out, she's eating the decorations" ,,,"what do you mean THAT wrapping paper is for birthday's only" etc, etc.

I LOVE Christmas, because it gives us a chance to think of family and friends and to look forward to all those familiar Christmas habits that have developed over the years. I used to look forward to the Christmas Carols, but in recent years these have been broadcast in the shops from the end of October and they lose some of their magic. I was in a choir in my youth and we enjoyed singing the old favorites at the end of the school term, but then you wouldn't hear them again until Christmas Eve. Lyn and I have agreed that of all the most recent offerings, "Snoopy's Christmas" is the best commercial offering and tells us that "Christmas is not far away".

 I personally have always enjoyed "White Christmas" but only if it is sung by Bing Crosby and it has been a tradition in our house that the old carols are to be heard on Christmas Eve and in the morning before the traditional lunch time feast is started. In recent years I have enjoyed listening to Josh Groban and his rendition of "O HOLY NIGHT" which has become an annual favorite. There is a clip taken at the Vatican http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx0C5ZDi1rs and there are others.

I have often wondered what it would be like to have a "WHITE Christmas" although the weather this year in some parts of the world coming up to the holidays, leaves a lot to be desired. TV news has shown us storms and bad weather in many Northern countries and the idea of freezing cold temperatures, heavy snow and rain with transport delays in the USA and general mayhem would not be a nice way to start the holiday season.

A White Christmas

 Our New Zealand day is often very sunny and quite warm as it is early Summer, but that doesn't stop us from sending cards with lovely snowy scenes and Santa riding a sleigh through a white wonderland. I love the old traditional card scenes with Carolers wandering the streets or gathering under flickering gas lamps to sing their carols, wrapped up in thick jackets and scarves and with brightly lit windows in the background with a roaring fire visible from the street. I guess it is the tradition that I like, mainly because I remember Christmas when I was a child, when these were the norm  for cards.  Christmas Eve was always a difficult time to go to sleep and excitement reigned supreme! We woke on Christmas morning to check our pillow cases on the end of our bed, sometimes accompanied by a  nylon stocking with a few edible goodies such as nuts in the shell, but ALWAYS with a nice orange at the bottom of the stocking. When we were young the family wasn't terribly religious, but as children we attended bible school and when I was a Cub and then a Boy Scout, we were involved with groups at St Mary's Anglican Cathedral in Parnell, so the full meaning of Christmas was well known to us all. As a baptised Catholic later in life I really enjoyed the church rituals and Midnight Mass was quite an experience, but as I was extremely busy during the Christmas period, I was usually very late getting home and fairly exhausted!

Waipu Cove@ Xmas

Another feature of Christmas that I enjoy, is watching little children participate in the family rituals, be it helping to decorate the tree, or on the day itself, opening presents. It makes me smile when I see expensive presents pushed to one side while the recipient spends more time with the wrapping or the container the present came in. As my own family grew up, we spent alternative Christmas's visiting the farm at Waipu, where it was common to have 19 seated for lunch! I remember one year when we purchased a remote controlled plane for my eldest son and my Father in Law, Henry, who was a keen model maker insisted that he show Gary "How to fly the plane properly once assembled" Oh what a hilarious time (which I managed to capture on video) as Henry assembled the plane quick smart and then proceeded to head for the house paddock to show us how it worked. He managed to get the plane off the ground and flying in a circle, but because the plane was tethered to the controller, it meant Henry had to follow the plane as it whirled in a circle above his head. He was last seen whirling down the hill until he got so dizzy he fell over! What a delightful memory!

If we had Christmas at home in Henderson, it was an early morning ritual before the regulation bacon & eggs to extricate a red vinyl plastic record and put it on the turntable. This wonderful Christmas collection of old and modern popular music hits is still in my keeping and I might just play it for old times sake this year, as long as the ancient gramophone player works.

A Kiwi Santa

As I get older, each Christmas becomes a period of reflection and a time to think of family members who are no longer with us. Recently we lost the Matriarch of our family who passed away following a short illness in September. The year will be the first year Auntie Ngaire won't be sending a card or having a conversation on the phone on Christmas Day and we will miss her terribly. I hope that this year our Christmas will be filled with laughter and memories to add to my collection and I look forward to sharing it with my family and their families. I hope all my friends will enjoy Christmas as much as I do and will endeavor to generate the warm feelings of Christmas throughout the following year! 

Merry Christmas everyone!

UPDATE# Pouring with rain tonight. The Annual Christmas Parade in Waipu (possibly the only one in NZ on Christmas Eve) is probably cancelled.

A Fiery Start to Summer

Fire!

Summer officially started in Waipu on the 1st December, but it will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. I had been working on the front paddock clearing away branches that had overgrown our electric fence system causing a drop in the effective power being carried and also because of any annoying click on our phone line that picked up the fence shorting out. As I was finishing this job, I noticed a large amount of smoke appearing from further down the highway and at first I thought it might be dust from a large cattle truck maneuvering up the unsealed road that runs off the highway or perhaps a neighbour had started burning some foliage that had accumulated in the paddock. (we are expecting a district wide ban on open fires this month as it has been quite dry)

More water arrives

To my horror I heard a loud bang and then the smoke changed colour to a dark grey. I started back to the tractor and suddenly a fire engine came racing along the main road, so I knew it was bigger than I thought. No video camera handy, but I hopped in the car and drove down the highway. As I came around the bend about a 1km away I could see a house burning fiercely and two appliances in attendance. There was a group of people including children outside the gates and I could see that they were distraught at what was happening while a number of volunteer firemen were running hoses from two fire engines.

Fire taking hold

By this stage the flames were very fierce and had broken through the roof and a couple of loud bangs were followed by more flames. The two appliances ran out of water very quickly and it was obvious that the house was going to burn to the ground if more water didn't arrive. Then I heard more sirens as other district engines arrived along with a milk tanker filled with water and the fireman started to gain control of the fire.

Once we had ascertained that all the family had managed to get out, I began to think how quickly a fire disaster can happen and it was a reminder that although we love living in the rural countryside, it comes with a warning that without sufficient water close by it doesn't take long for a house to be reduced to rubble, especially if it is a timber house (as this one was)

Fast moving traffic

One of the really appalling sights, was the speed of the traffic on the highway, especially as the smoke at one stage was very thick and covered the road completely, making visibility almost nil. Cars and trucks continued to drive past at 100kms per hour, until a very angry Fire Chief posted a fireman and some accident cones further down the road. Even when a fire engine came racing towards the fire, with sirens and horn blasting, some cars refused to pull over quickly and it was lucky they didn't get sideswiped as the engines overtook them. Pathetic behaviour!


This certainly was a wake up call and I am determined to keep our own dam from ever being completely dry. Fortunately we are close to the Ahuroa river, but it would be time consuming to run hoses to the river and back up to our home if required.

SLOW DOWN!!

#UPDATE. The parents who own a local restaurant
were at work and the young family members were being cared for by an Au Pair and were apparently having breakfast and it must have been a very frightening episode. Thank goodness everyone got out safely. The fire apparently started in a 4 year old fridge and fortunately  the house was insured. It was not a nice start to Summer!

Command Centre

Fire Brigade arrives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Help arrives

RABBITS,RATS & ROSES

A view from the window

One of the benefits of working from home is that the Office can be situated to enjoy the landscape instead of the side of a concrete building or lines of traffic winding their way into the city. Our current home Office looks out on a delightful rural view of grass paddocks, trees and hills which has been enhanced with the addition of a shady wooden deck to lessen the heat from the Summer sun which used to make the room extremely warm especially in Summer. We don't have to walk far to another window which has a view over our dam and a wide range of Native evergreen trees and many deciduous trees which vary from a delightful fresh green in Spring through to beautiful Autumn tones and then bare branches in Winter. I used to worry that our property had too many deciduous trees (looked like a bomb site in Winter) but after 20 years of growth, the Oaks and Liquid Ambers are a fantastic sight to behold.

A tiny bunny that will grow big!

But I diverge! This week I spied a baby rabbit feeding on the lawn and in our experience, one rabbit spells disaster for any new growth in our vegetable plots. Two rabbits usually mean an influx of these long eared louts and in recent years they have been quite prolific in our area and when you get rabbits and possums on the prowl, beans, peas, lettuce require extra protection. I won't get the rifle out just yet, but if I spy more than one over the next few weeks, they had better look out! Unfortunately our local council insists to apply for discounted rat or possum poison funding, we have to have a written submission for contestable assistance by joining large commercial operators also seeking funds. We haven't got close, even though we can show them $100s of dollars of already purchased and plenty of containers of products used in the past. Anybody would think they are OUR rats and possums!

Macadamia rat collection

Two weeks ago our nostrils told us that there was a dead animal somewhere close to the garages and Lyn and I searched close by, but couldn't track down the source. Overtime the smell disappeared and I forgot about looking any further. In recent months we have experienced the character building experience of completely upgrading our kitchen, which has not been a totally enjoyable period. Lot's of disruption and the complete destruction of the old farmhouse kitchen meant heaps of broken timber and surplus cupboards, doors and other items which will need permanent disposal. (This experience could involve a future blog or two once we have recovered!) I managed to save a couple of undamaged drawer units and decided to replace a rather tatty arrangement already installed in the garage. As I dragged out the old unit the door swung open and to my surprise the body of a very LARGE, very DEAD rate hove into view! I gathered together a bucket and spade and shoveled these remains out of the way (now buried under the Tamarillos) Once I had removed this unit outside I could see that the rat had been very industrious and the area under the cupboard was covered in a collection of Macadamia nuts! They had settled into a very neat tidy pattern (see photo) and reminded me of a Chinese abacus. The replacement drawer unit has been vermin proofed!

My love is like a red,red rose ...

On a lighter note, but also involving the use of nostrils, is the wonderful scent of our roses. We planted some new varieties last year and Lyn insisted they were of the scented type and we don't regret this insistence. Although they don't last long roses are just one of those "must have" flowers in any garden. My personal favourites include Fuschias and the huge variety available these days mean you can have them in pots as well as in borders etc. I have plans to clear a larger area and Fuschias are top of the list. Of course the fruit tree blossoms are a delight and our Puriri and Bottlebrush trees with their red flowers and berries make our resident Tuis very happy and we can sit in our lounge and watch the Tuis feeding close by the window. A glorious sight indeed and my aim is to try an attract some wood pigeons (Kereru) which have been decimated by the possum damage to our native trees.  

 I can recommend working from  home!

Cherry tree blossom

And the scent is fantastic!

A 3 point Landing or how Pirate caused my downfall!

Henry Moje - Sheep Farmer & Lion Tamer!

My late Father in Law, Henry Moje from Waipu was a sheep farmer and one of his memorable sayings was "Farming would be great if it wasn't for the Animals!" Henry was a quiet unassuming fellow, but he had a dry wit and he was an excellent stockman who worked his entire life on farms and was an inspiration to all his family and I often think of the memorable times we shared. Henry seemed to spend an awful amount of time repairing fences in his retirement years and he would often be away from the house for hours, not returning to the house until late afternoon.

I didn't realise how important maintaining secure fencing around a property was, until I bought our own lifestyle block and over the past 20 odd years, my Wife Lyn and I have spent a considerable amount of time replacing damaged fence battens and repairing broken electric tapes and wires on our property. Our animals get quite large over time and after they have leaned on a fence to get that "delicious piece of grass on the other side of the fence" the fence sometimes break and repairs are necessary. Our border fences are five wire high and the internal fences are controlled by an electric current that sends alternating pulses throughout the system. (Well that is if we remember to switch them on at the controller!) The Heifers become very wary of getting a shock and in some cases, even if the reel comes off the fence and is laying on the ground, they will not cross over the tape, which is white and easily identifiable.

A Lone Pirate

Except for our "Pirate"! This is the heifer I wrote about in a previous blog who had to have surgery to remove an eye after getting an infection as a calf. She has coped extremely well and is now equally as large as the remaining 11 animals. In recent years we have tried to keep the stock away from our boundary river and I have erected a series of boundary tapes to keep them contained. So far we have only had the odd incident where stock have breached the tapes and we allow the stock to graze the area around our dam, which would become a weed infected eyesore otherwise. I have heard that even string can be used in an emergency, but my lot always seem to know when the fence isn't connected properly!

Pinnochio & Innocent Friends

Somehow, sometime, during the day, somebody managed to open the large metal gate and 11 happy heifers gained access to the forbidden area. Lyn and I rushed over to try and herd them back through the entrance and away from the danger area, but just as we were gaining control, the wind blew the gate half shut. The herd then turned around and tried to run back, so we had to run towards them and hopefully turn them back again. I didn't see the Totara tree branch hidden in the grass and the next second I was doing a heavy three point landing (my two knees and my nose!) I lay on the grass momentarily stunned and realised that I had also damaged my hand on the tree and was bleeding profusely. Lyn rushed over to help me and was worried that the galloping herd would run right over the top of me. They suddenly stopped about 10 metres away and according to Lyn almost looked as if they were concerned at my welfare. Once I got back on my feet we quietly turned them around and they calmly went back through the gate. I hobbled home and spent the rest of the day on my LazyBoy chair!

Maybe a rest after all that excitement!

It took a number of days before I could use my right arm and shaving or combing my hair was a painful experience and light duties prevailed. Yesterday, Pirate got tangled in the newly erected fence and demolished it before we could get her out.

Today, the whole herd have been moved to a safe paddock with double wire surrounds! Lesson Learnt!

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!
Today, the neighbours calves managed to get out of their paddock, cross over a supposedly safely wired off culvert and are now grazing our paddocks. Reminds me of the old saying "Rust Never Sleeps!"