Thursday 26 January 2012

23 Jan: Monday: Piggy condos and ukulele lessons


We built the piggy condo that Jo has been talking about for a week today.  It was actually pretty easy--we just put two standards in the ground about 8 feet from the nearby structure--covering the wallowing hole.  Like most activities, she is thinking of more than one benefit--shade for her beloved kunekunes--and saving the water resource (pronounced re-zorse') from evaporation.
the completed condo

June and Ceres enjoying their new home
Other morning activities included weeding in and around the kitchen garden and the native tree windbreak on the south side.  We took a "break" to herd the neighbor's sheep from the lower paddock into the piggy paddock--because the pigs weren't doing a good enough job of keeping the grass eaten.  The herding, which was driving the sheep uphill and through a small gate that they could not see from the bottom of the hill was a little challenging.  But Jo, Jacque and I managed it as a team. Complicating factors, besides the geographics, was one lame sheep that hung back and had to be corralled, one tame sheep named Sage, who wanted to be pet, and one frightened sheep who bolted for the bottom of the hill when the herd was 3/4 of the way up.  No chance to get any pictures...

Morning weeding brought a surprise--two passion fruits on the spindly vine!  These will certainly be nurtured over the next weeks by Jo and Rex.

Another morning task, doubling the shade cloth on the shade house to protect the seedlings better over summer.

Alfalfa ( a small patch) was cut and laid to dry for special mulch.  The roots of the alfalfa, being a nitrogen fixer, will nourish the soil for another Food Forest.

Cordwood peeling continues.  The naked logs will be used to build a new studio

The sheep at rest in their new (temporary) paddock.


Jo pets the tame Sage--who was ill as an infant and hand fed--so she is the only tamed sheep.

Sage gets some lovin' from Teri as well...

:-)  Who is happier?

Dinner was a magnificent vege (note the NZ spelling of "veggie" ) stir fry

another great sunset
In the evening, I got my first stringed instrument lesson--from Rex.  He showed me how to play C, F, G7, A7, C7...and had me work strumming "Singing in the Rain".  He loaned me one of his ukuleles so I could practice in my bedroom for the remainder of my stay...and practice I did!  My fingers are getting string ridges....
The ukulele


1 comment:

  1. Really loving this. It's "Babe" (the movie) but for real. When are you applying for a green card?? Can we all come? Who knew there is still paradise on earth? Vege and all...

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