Thursday, February 23, 2012

Guilty Wrap-Up of 2011 - Part 1

Sorry folks, for being such slack-asses over the mid-end part of last year. It was another wet, cold winter - endless days of leaving for work and arriving home in total darkness and a freezing house. Once our grand fire got roaring, the news was on, and a stockpot of pig peas cooking on the
stovetop for the following morning - it's easy to figure that going into our 12ft high hall into a freezing unlined bedroom to update this blog (with not very many photos due to endless early dark days) became low priority, and all sorts of trivia and programs on strange TV channels suddenly became compulsive viewing ... I think you get the picture.

Over the next few days, I'll just do quick progress updates of the remainder of 2011 to catch us up to almost March. Shame on us!!!



At last, Jennifer has worked out the framing for the new wood shed. A happy smile hopefully means she has all the measurements and levels sussed
No, this is NOT the same day. We don't work that fast as we both regrettably work full time. I think this photo was originally taken as there was an early morning hot air balloon in the sky (just above the willow trees, centre photo), but was clicked just a little late. Anyway, a photo of the north side of the woodshed and the washing (NOT the same washing as the photo above). We live in a region very popular for hot air balloons in the earlier part of the new year, with an annual festival. Unfortunately, this year's festival will be marred by the horrifying crash of a balloon earlier this year - which balloon we saw from our bedroom window just 15 minutes before it crashed into overhead power lines further north. The wood stacked on the grass is from an old macrocarpa tree we had taken down from one of our paddocks last year that we got a very kind, very reasonable, chap to split in the paddock for us
The new woodshed that Jennifer built being 'stacked to the gunnels'. (There is still a door to be made)



In late August, we had the surprise of all surprises (well, not really if you watch our TV weather forecasts) of SNOW. There actually was an element of surprise, in that nobody could believe the amount of snow that fell. It fell in town, where the older folk say they haven't seen such for over 40 years. The Rimutaka Hill was closed for over 3 days. Jennifer was one of the last few cars over from the Wellington side before they closed the hill, and reported 'It was just like a postcard from an english countryside at the top of the hill, with the boughs laden with snow'. (Jennifer hasn't actually been in many english countrysides ... it could have been anywhere at all in the northern hemisphere - take your pick)



Denise and Tansy 'frolicking and jollying in the snow'. Photo taken from our back porch An impressive, broody, moody, monochromatic photograph showing the entrance to FOSSILS RETREAT. Those are the hills (hillocks) of Gladstone showing snowy crescents



We had enough hay to get us through winter with some bales to spare. It became rather a pain with day after day of wet weather, trying to break paddocks for stock and avoid pasture being trod into mud. Over the very bad months 0f June-August, we spent a small fortune replacing leads. Main culprits appeared to be Zelda and Zita, our weaner heifers from last winter.







We have had a break from pigs for a couple of months now, but with food source coming back onstream, we will be getting another two gilts very soon. Poor old Patsy and Penny had a bit of a rough time coping with day after day of mud in their yard until one of us was home to get them out into a paddock (where, as the ground was so wet, they proceeded to plough up ... grrr!) but they were very placid complainers.


Patsy and Penny out in the winter sun, counting down their final days




Cutting up head meat (Penny's, actually, for the curious ones of you) for brawn





And ... voila ... the finished product - without the diced carrots, peas and corn so favoured by supermarkets to pad out the weight





Patsy and Penny are remembered fondly and often by us - each made such tasty bacon, ham and pork products.


Remember Flossie and Rosie? Our two renegades from last year (i.e. not Dorpers)? This is a roast from one of them.