Saturday 17 January 2015

October to January wrap up

The time from mid-October was as busy as it usually is, if not more so.

There were extra rehearsals as it was leading up to RAD exam time. There were also competitions over Labour weekend so rehearsals for the comp.

Brains also had rehearsals for Pump Dance, plus Maureen Ax School of Dance in Palmerston North.

A good friend of Miss Lisa's died suddenly on 28th of October. We knew her as well so it was a shock for all of us.

Our exams were held on 31st October. The day went well, and I was there for the whole time as Miss Lisa needed some extra support, plus someone to pick up and return the examiner, and do a few other jobs during the day.

The Maureen Ax show was the weekend of the 15-16 November and the Pump show the following weekend. So there was a fair amount of juggling schedules and extra travel involved.

Oh, and Pa's car blew it's head gasket. We were without it for almost 5 weeks!  :-w

I was busy with costumes for the Pump show, and then our show. I was also going to be making some costumes for Rachel Compton Dance Studio which a friend's daughter attends.

The weeks flew by but everything got done. Our show was on the 14th December which was the same day as the WSBN Christmas meet. I wasn't able to get to the meet but I did get the Secret Santa gift made that I needed to. You can see it and read about it here if you would like to.

In the week after our show I finished the costumes for Rachel Compton Dance Studio. They were very happy with them and I'm hoping to get some photos from the show soon.

I went with a friend to see a show the week before Christmas which we both really enjoyed.

The following week, on the 21st Dec, my younger brother, Perry, came to stay for a couple of weeks over Christmas and New Year.

I managed to get all the shopping done a few days before Christmas so it wasn't too frantic in the days leading up to the 25th.

On 24th we had lunch at Ab-Prof and Moneypenny's along with Moneypenny's family. Even though we were happy to help out Moneypenny wanted to do it all herself. She did, and a fantastic meal too!

Then it was the big day, Christmas Day. It started out really well with Smurfette arriving early to open presents with us. A lot were going to be taken over the hill to Featherston where Butcher and Chuckles were hosting the Christmas dinner.

Boar, Pa and Perry headed into the service at CTCC. We went to the Christmas Day service at NBC and then headed to Johnsonvale to see Ma. She was very sleepy and not really able to be woken so we only stayed a few minutes.

Then it was home to gather up all the things we needed to take to Featherston. We'd just driven down Earp Street when Locket suddenly complained that her neck was really sore. And a few seconds later that her chest was hurting. A bit strange. We were home in two minutes and I asked a few more questions once we'd got inside and I'd sat her down. I also gave her a glass of water to sip as she was feeling nauseous. Yes, both neck and chest were still sore, and her arm and left side "felt funny, tingly." She also looked pale and just not quite right.

Decision time - I wasn't happy to travel over the hill with Locket displaying the symptoms she was. So we packed all the things needed in Smurfette's car, plus Brains, and they headed to Featherston. We headed to Kenepuru After Hours clinic. Among other things Locket commented that her head felt really "spacey".

We were seen quite quickly. The doctor at Kenepuru decided it was best we go through to Wellington Emergency Department so he gave us a referral letter. I knew we could probably kiss good-bye any chance of going over the hill, but health is more important. Her symptoms were some of the ones that are displayed with a stroke or TIA, but I was sure hoping it wasn't anything like that!!

We were seen fairly quickly at ED. Locket was given a thorough examination with all the neurological observations, plus a chest X-ray and an ECG. The strange feelings in her arm slowly disappeared too. All the tests were o.k. so she was discharged with the instructions that we come back if the symptoms returned. Thankfully they didn't  :)


During this time Boar had dropped Pa at Johnsonvale to have Christmas Day lunch with Ma at the home, and he - Boar - and Perry had gone to join everyone else over the hill for dinner.

We were out by around 2:45pm  . . . too late to go over the hill. We'd kept in contact with the rest of the family who were understandably worried about their daughter/little sis. They were all glad to hear that nothing serious had been found.

Although we were both gutted that we had to miss the family dinner we were just glad she was o.k. We briefly considered heading to Charles and Lynne's, Boar's side of the family, in Miramar, but when Locket asked what we'd do for the hour we had to wait and could we wait at home, we made the decision to just go home. I really didn't think she should be out, and she was pretty wiped. Poor girl almost fell asleep on the way home from the hospital because she was so tired.

We curled up on the bed and watched a movie  :D 

Pa arrived home and sometime soon after Jester, Frosty and Mr Magoo came to see Locket and deliver some food to us that they'd all saved.  :)  Ab-Prof and Moneypenny had been going to visit as well but the girls were cranky so they headed home. 

Boar & Brains called in briefly as they were dropping Perry back here before going on to Miramar. They had Butcher with them as the family needed transporting over. So Butcher popped up to see Locket as well. And I handed over the Pamol that had been requested by Chuckles as Half-pint wasn't too flash! Chuckles and the boys were travelling in Smurfette's car to Chuckles' dad's home. 

Thankfully Locket hasn't had any more of the same symptoms. At least the episode is all documented should anything like it happen again. Which I sincerely hope doesn't!

The next day, Boxing Day, my older brother, Vidor, arrived to stay. He lives in Opotiki and came down to be here when we went away. He's pretty cruisey and was happy to sleep on a couple of mattresses on the floor in the lounge.  

30th December I spent most of the day with my friend from college days. I blogged about it here so won't again! 

On New Year's Eve Brains and Locket went out with a few friends, Estelle included, into the central city and then after the fireworks at midnight headed home to Estelle's for the night.

All of us at our place just had "A quiet night in"  :D 

The next few days went by quickly as we organised things to go away. Stocking up on food and supplies, checking the lanterns, batteries. I also tidied out my chest of drawers so I could put the one from Pa's place in my room. Especially since we needed the space in the van for packing  ;)

Saturday 3rd January we started sorting and packing the van. We planned to leave on the Sunday after Boar got home from church.

Friday 16 January 2015

A bit of planting done.

The next day, Sunday, we got a bit more done in the afternoon.


Boar got the steps all cleared and a lot of the back area cleared on Saturday. The steps look lovely and clear now. Much easier to get up. When the children were little we had a gate between the two walls at the level of the second step. It meant they could play in the front yard and side path but I didn't need to worry about them going up the steps and falling down when they were too small to manage by themselves.


We got the greenhouse cleared and the tomato plants in the ground. These are the Money Makers, full sized tomatoes.


A close-up of one. I hope they grow well.


The cherry tomato, and the bucket at the back of the photo holds . . .


 . . . an onion! I need to do a bit of research on them to find out when to harvest etc.


Boar also cleared the ground at the top of the first step. The chooks manage to get all sorts of stuff there and it builds up over time.


A view of the pergola. The areas beside the steps need a fair amount of work too.


The Sycamore tree just coming into leaf. We may have to cut it down as it is getting pretty big. It grew from a seedling. It was planted over Fleabags, the sheep we had that came as a chattel when we bought the house!


We'd been pretty busy and got thirsty. So I went in to make us a cuppa. On our property this is the easiest way I have found to get the cup of tea/coffee up the back without a fair bit of it spilling on the way up. Whatever is needed in the cups, and the boiling water in the flask. If it's just me I'll take enough for a couple of drinks  :)


Boar was busy clearing the patio area. All the bushes around this area need clearing up too. I think I need to come up here each hour from around 7:00 am to take a photo of where the sun is so I can work out the best plants for here. It gets a fair amount of shade. Especially in winter.

Soon after this we headed off as we wanted to return the weed-eater to Jester. He sometimes works for his mate and needs his tools for the work.


Mr Magoo was there to greet us  :)


The beautiful Kapiti Island in the distance is a nature reserve. We went on a trip here when Locket was around 9 months old! I carried her in the backpack to the top of the hill. I'd love to do another trip here one day. Think I need to be a fair bit fitter though.  :-?

Pa came with us on the visit as he had not seen where Jester, Frosty and Mr Magoo live. We had a lovely time before heading home for some tea.

Clearing the branches

The weekend of the 11th October, after the trees were dropped, I was deciding what I'd do for the day on the Saturday when around 9:00am I heard Jester's and Frosty's ute pulling up outside. They arrived with Jester's big chainsaw to help us clear the branches lying around. 

Jester was not impressed with what he saw. Having worked in the forestry department when he was younger he knew that it was possible, and usual, to drop the branches without any damage or even having them land on our side of the fence.

So we got to work.


Jester starting to trim branches off the main stem before cutting it up. All the safety gear.


Co-operation, Brains helping Jester, and Boar trimming smaller branches off with the loppers. I'd been busy using the loppers as well.


Frosty came up and took over from me.


One of the girls coming to have a look, they always like to see what is happening.


I was relegated to Mr Magoo watching duties  :)  Advantages to being a grandma!


Thirsty work this!


The damage to the tree, Jester removed the branch and the tree will be ok.


Locket came up to help as well. 


Mr Magoo decided he'd make his way closer to the action. Climbing the steps I made years ago. After a while we headed inside as I needed to get Brains to a dance practice.

Locket went to the loo and I heard a yell/squeal . . . turns out unbeknownst to her she'd brought in a 
spider. And a good sized one too. Brains caught it so we could release it outside. None of us were keen for it to stay inside!


We headed off to the dance practice, and I decided I'd do some more weeding when I got back removing more of the lilies.


This was what I was planning on weeding and what it had looked like a couple of days before. I'd cleared a very small patch. One of the girls was quick to hunt for grubs!


Later I found that Boar had got busy with the weed-eater and whacked the lot of it. Helpful, albeit a bit messier. It does make it easier to see where the garden is though  :)


A good days work, all the branches cleared away. Times like these I really appreciate the family coming to help. We all work in together and the children work hard to help out. A wonderful blessing  :) 

The Wilderness Garden - Part 7 - Devastation!

8th October 2014 - the day started well. I was busy doing some cutting out of fabric upstairs. After a while I became aware that I could hear what sounded like a motor that had been going for a while. Close, and behind us. I went out the back to listen and realised it sounded like a chainsaw. Heading up the back steps I was greeted by the sight of the huge Macrocarpa next door, plus another pine, being cut down. I quickly used my phone to take a couple of photos.



The trees are on the other side of the fence - so it is legal for them to be cut down. Still, I was shocked as we had not been informed it was going to happen. We have a a fair few structures up there, the chooks roam all over, plus it was where we had been the day before with Sunshine. And Half-pint on the weekend. I could already see that there were a lot of branches on our side of the fence.

I went up closer to find out a bit more. It took a minute or so but I did eventually get their attention. That was one thing that concerned me - I got all the way up to the back fence, when no chainsaws were running, but they still had no idea I was there!

I asked what was happening, i.e. why branches were being felled on our side of the fence. The guy up the tree said not to worry as the owner of the other property was going to come over and clear the branches. I replied, "No, he's not!"

Next the guy was yelling, "Get out of our work site!" To which I replied that I was on my own property, not their work site. At which point he turned on the chainsaw, lifted it - lopped off a sizable chunk of limb. I just stood there, well out of harms way. That whole scenario was repeated, except he cut off a larger chunk of limb, and the woman cutting down the other tree chimed in with the fact that they were going to fell the other tree, which I could see.

By this point I'd had enough, especially of the guys rudeness and threatening manner. I did leave, but only to go inside and get my camera to take more photos.


By the time I got back the smaller tree had been felled.


In the one above the white arrow is pointing to where one of the chunks of limb has fallen and probably rolled.

The next photos show the tree and limbs against the fence.








Watching this giant tree come down upset me a lot. It wasn't the tree so much as we'd known for years it was likely that it would be cut down. It was the attitudes of the people! The previous owner could be a bit of a crochety old guy, but he always called or came to tell us if he was going to cut any limbs off. Because he didn't want the children to get hurt if by any chance they were up the back. These people seemed to think it was fine to go ahead with no notification whatever. To me it shows they have a distinct lack of respect for other people and their property.

I decided to find out if there was a company name anywhere so headed back down to the house. 


Well, look at that! All nicely lined up. I also left a note in the neighbour's letterbox letting him know I was not pleased that we'd had no notice at all. 


By the time I got back up there the big tree was down. A little while later the neighbour saw me up the back and told me, "I didn't think." Seriously?! I said we'd keep the wood on our side. He said he'd be moving the branches on his side that were leaning against the fence "soon". 

That evening I decided to try and shift some of the branches from the fences as there was a lot of weight on them. Brains and Locket gave me a hand.








This branch was a big one and fell a long distance. Plus damaged one of our trees. I know it is possible to fell branches with no damage to neighbouring places or foliage. Just beyond where this branch fell was the tree Locket and Sunshine were sitting in the day before! 


Starting to pile some of the logs together.








Some of the branches were too big and heavy so we'd have to wait for Boar to help us. Most likely with a chainsaw. 

Remember that the neighbour said he'd move the stuff against the fence "soon"? Well, I took a couple of photos today - 15/01/2015 - which is three months later. And guess what?



Nothing against their side of the fence seems to have been moved. I think he plans on either selling or chipping the wood!