Whitebaiting

 

The first Saturday of these school holidays was spent at Grandma and Grandad's. It took a bit to convince me to leave all my bottle fed babies for a day (of course they didn't die of starvation but I was worried all the same!!). It was sunny with quite a bit of wind but tucked in a sheltered spot we all sat, just waiting on all those little fish to swim on into our nets. We had the kayak down there too because Shane had a net set on the other side of the river.

Double our luck.

 

 

Beautiful niece Heidi, there are not too many girls in this family so Cheyenne takes every moment she can with another female. She kinda smothered Heidi in attention and affection. In fact she boldly made the statement that I was not to have anymore babies unless they were twin girls. Kinda think my mum might of been quietly brainwashing her on that idea too all the same.

 

Refreshments for the gnome

 

On the lookout for whitebait with Grandad

 

Keeping themselves entertained, built a little hutt out of dead gorse. That was the only choice of foliage there was of course! Infact I dug two gorse thorns out of Cai's knee this morning. Cody had to help me hold him down!

 

Cai getting snuggles with Dad.

Now he is not shearing he can actually fit his wedding band. I am very partial to these hands. In fact they were the initial attraction when I first met him. Lol.

Enough of that, back to the fish .......

We didn't get a huge amount of whitebait, but enough for all of us to have a few patties each. We did get a nice big brown trout, who had a gut full of whitebait. Might catch some more now that we have eliminated him! He was smoked and devoured just as lip smackingly as the whitebait were. My mother inlaw makes the best whitebait patties ever and they aren't even patties, just not sure what you would call them.

But more then the food, we all had great family time.

(with no-one falling in any water and no gear lost!!)

Meet the Pets

 

Chey's little Minty, she has a tail that curls back round like a piglet when she is being fed, quite a cute little trait, makes me smile.

 

My Ida

 

Gypsy is most put out that she is not allowed in on all the action. The funny thing is the horse though. He is quite happy to drink up any left over milk. I never would of thought, crazy Neigh!

 

Moments in the sun, getting aquainted.

Spring

 

I am seriously loving spring this year.

Maybe its because we have not been here for one for soooo long, maybe its because I know I have survived a Southland winter (which has been very mild) and it feels good to be in t shirts and shorts again.

But the changes in the land, the grass has suddenly become greener, fresher, the blossoms, the flowers, fields of daffodils.

Even the gnome seems to have suddenly sprounted.

All the new babies running around paddocks.

We have scrounged up 5 pet lambs

Anzac

Minty (Chey's)

911 (Cody's of course)

Kansas

Vivid (a lil blacky)

and then my pet calf which I have named Ida, she is to be our house cow eventually so those of you that know our family history know she is named appropriately ;-)

 

NB these cherry blossoms are not in my garden sadly, I would love to grow such pretty spring flowers like these but the salt air kills anything pretty at our place. I seem to grow dandelions, daisies and puha no probs. Anything else is pushing crap uphill with a pitchfork.

I am enjoying what I do have though,

Hope you are too X

Lost at Sea

 

After our big effort yesterday, a day of R&R was required by us all today. We had a sleep in, scrambled eggs for breakfast, caught up on all the washing from the day in the tailing pen and when the tide was right we set off for a fresh feed of pauas.

This time Shane decided instead of swimming out to the right spot he'd bring Cody along in the kayak and let him paddle about out there while he dove for pauas. A first for both of them. Cody has been hankering to do this for a long time and today, conditions were perfect.

So off they set......

 

After plenty of exploring and digging and climbing and general dirty little boys stuff....

 

The big boys returned..... drowned.

Shane I knew would be wet from diving, Cody I figured could possibly be wet as Shane had threatened to push him in to show him what to do if he did fall out. Well that was not the case. They had both tipped out and lost everything!! Dive bag, knives, snorkel, mask etc etc.

I kindly did not laugh at them.

 

Home again, home again....

Very empty handed.

Plan B

to go surf casting, ok, so a quick feed into the stomachs of my great white hunters and off they rode on the motorbike down to cast the rod!! Back home again in 10mins, the problem this time being the sea had suddenly got too rough.

Plan C

off for a hunt, lets go get a deer. So far they have not returned my great white hunters. Lets hope it means they have shot a nice fresh venison and are carting it along ways back out of the bush somewhere ;-)

maybe its one of those 'to be continued' moments

There is no plan D!!

Tailing

 

Every year after lambing comes tailing or docking, which ever you feel it should be called. It is a time I have always enjoyed right from a child myself.

Now its our rats turn to grow up with the yearly routine and pitching in to help out.

A job like this is the best form of a work out too, picking up all those lambs, racing around chasing and catching. Its exercise without having to make yourself do it and you always feel it the next day. Obviously it works!!

 

These lambs are on Shanes folks farm. A huge downsize from the years gone by. One year we did over 6000 between our farm, his folks and his brothers place. Now its a one day job and very enjoyable. Nothing always runs smoothly which of course can lead to some yelling and creative language.

I very much am not a confrontational person and don't enjoy upside down faces. I put head down and tail up and get on with the job.

It always works out fine in the end so I never quite understand the tantrums in between, lol.

 

Chey with our old farm dog Brandy who is now used by Shanes Dad. She still has a special place in our hearts though.

Anyway back to colorful situations, there were no majors, no breakouts with the stock, no mix ups and no dead animals ;-)

Always a plus.

 

Cody helping keep the lambs up nice and tight for me. I was on pick up and ear marking. It helped when I didn't have to walk too far to pick up a lamb.

 

The biggest drama of the day was thanks to Cody.

We were just about to start, Shane, his Mum and I. Cody and Shanes Dad Rod, were most of the day mustering, anyways like I said, we were just about to start and Rod came blustering and roaring back down the race in his little dinky truck yelling "have you seen Cody?". Of course he was out with Rod as far as we knew, but Rod had lost him along the ways somewhere and couldn't find him when he went looking. Cody was riding the motorbike you see. We all jumped in vehicles and raced off to look for Cody. Me being Mum and a woman fearing the worst, ditches, rivers, watering holes etc.

Poor Cody though, he had run out of petrol right out the back and when we found him he was pushing the motorbike along the floodbank home.

A big sign of relief from his Momma.

And lessons learned.

 

Other then that it was a beautiful sunny day, fun with family and a good job done. As a reward the evening was spent down the river with the whitebait net in, a bonfire, bananas, whitebait and chops cooked for a feed on the hotplate.

(Why my groms like roasted bananas I don't know)

Isn't that what life is meant to be about though?

Clown Cai

 

How he got this on his head I have no idea. Its that heavy for him. He looked so funny. He'd go to look up and the weight of it on his head would throw his head back, he'd just about fall over backwards. I was in fits.

He thought he was just the part though.

 

:-)

Work

 

Everyday has work in it, just not everyday is paid work. I have been helping out at a Day Care in Invers by cooking lunches when the regular cook can't be there. Its a bit different to cooking for shearers, no its quite a bit different by crikey. With portion sizes and allergies to take into consideration. I have learnt that apart from Cai and his dairy intolerance I don't have to cut anything out of our diets. How easy do I have it, extremely thankful.

Cai gets to tag along which is great, he floats between playing with the other kids, hindering me, happy and miserable (the later purely by choice!) The more I am there, the more he relax's and joins in. I enjoy hearing other kids boss him around and shove him. He learns he's not always the boss.

He has that way with his siblings, he shoves, they cave into him.

 

My work room, I quite enjoy it, funnily enough. I find it strange that I do enjoy it I should say.

Today's meal a vege bake and eggs, with mini muffins for desert.

 

Cai enjoying todays meal.

:-)

A Sick Day

 

Cody and Chey had Monday off school (AGAIN!!)

I played the role of teacher for the morning, lots of letter writing and guitar practicing. No TV and no Lego. We made corn fritters for lunch and then headed outside for lots of fresh air and sunshine. It was meant to be hailing, must of stayed elsewhere because it never came here.

 

Cody spraying my lawn in even more mud. Only freshly mowed and all too. I actually swept out the whole car shed and concrete forecourt and then questioned my sanity in doing so as soon as Cody let loose across it. I guess its teenage training for me. And if you are wondering why his helmet always looks wonky, its the result of his big stack.

 

Gnome on the roam, as usual trying his darndest to follow big bro.

 

Then I was blessed with another gorgeous sunset out the kitchen wondow while cooking tea for my Whanau.

A Week in Review

 

We started this week with collecting a load of firewood Sunday afternoon, the weather was not the best and by the end of it we had the groms bundled back up inside the truck with a big packet of crisps, while Shane and I finished up!! We were pretty much done by the time the drizzling wet stuff had really set in. The gnome did his usual and roamed while his siblings carted and stacked. Shane chainsawed while I split. ( Iwas sore the next day!!) Not used to swinging on the end of an axe!

 

Then the school week started again, Cai has full posession of Anzac while the others are away learning.

 

As well as all the puddles created from Sundays rain, there weren't many stones left on the track or much water in the puddle by the time I decided I'd had enough!

Tuesday greeted us with the winter storm, we had hail all day long, while mostly all around us saw snow. Shane was up Mossburn on the windmills, most roads were closed. He told me that night he had to pull a handbreak slide on one corner because the car failed to turn. I DO NOT need to know those things!!

Cai & I delivered baking to cold, wet and hungry farmers trying to lamb in this weather. I do feel for them, the stress of it all, mothering on, feeding bummer lambs, picking up dead one after dead one, when it is meant to be spring!

 

Wednesday we set out to give Cai and Gypsy the experince of snow. The dog went crazy and the gnome giggled himself silly. Was very entertaining and I had a major performance trying to put him back in the truck to leave again. Another cause of I was sick of it before him obviously!!

 

Then there are these moments!!! I am afraid my kids ears are painted on, why do I have to repeat myself everytime they race out side! GET YOUR BOOTS ON!!!!

They wonder why they get coughs, or booga noses!

Why do they live like we are still in Aussie when it is very clear that we are NOT. (Although there are many times I do wish we were, many times :( )

But this is Cai and Cody, Cai trying to go on two wheels like his big bro, so I take a deep breath and enjoy their childhood fun instead of racing out ready to rip someone a new butt hole! And when they say "my nose is runny", I say "suck it up, its your fault"

 

Today being Thursday, our last day of Cody's 3 hours in Riverton for music. I have seen such an amazing improvement from this. Today we get to go watch him perform at the old folks home. He is singing a solo and playing his guitar. Never ever did I think there would be such a day. I am so proud and he sounds so cute. It is only 'Hey Diddle Diddle' but its a country n western 'Hey Diddle Diddle'. Go my son and enjoy your moment x

Anzac

 

We scabbed a pet off Grandad, she is called Anzac and Cai being the determined and ruling little brick that he is, is very pocessive of her. His gears grind if anyone else goes to feed her or touches her and I am sure if we had neighbours they'd think we were doing the unspeakable to him. He vocal levels are maxed out!!!

Needless to say Anzac is Cai's new pet, so I figure from now on it will be Cai, Neigh, Gypsy and Anzac in the line up wandering off down the farm!!

 

After setting up the new shelter and settling little Anzac in I let Cai loose in the puddles formed from the rain we finally got over night, including fresh snow on the mountains.

He was in his element as most boys are with water, they are like magnets.

Different story trying to get him inside and dried off afterwards.

:-)

Saturdays

Love having our Saturdays with Shane at home now, they have become real family time for us. Especially too seen as he was away half of this last week and will be away all of next week. Very tempted to pull the groms out of school and head off into the sunset with him for a week.

Back to Saturday though, the change of weather you could see on the horizon, the mountains had turned blue and on a whole you couldn't really see them anymore. I had to move the whole three ewes we have expecting to lamb, so got Cody out to go shut gates for me. I am impressed to see how much his confidence on a bike has grown. So naturally I went and got my camera to capture it for him.

 

 

Then Shane decided to get his bike out and a have blast too. Cheyennes hands were raw at the end of it, holding on too tight. I had to laugh, also had to laugh at her facials when Shane was doing jumps with her on but won't bore you all with all those photos.

 

Then we had to head into town to say bye to my Mum and send her off on the plane again. After that sad event of the day we trotted off down to Grandads river to set the net for some whitebait.

 

Running around in the mud and gorse.

 

Big sis putting the gnomes hat back on after stacking it in the mud.

 

Watching for whitebait in the river current.

We caught all of 25!! Cody still insisted on bringing them home for me to cook up for his breakfast. The whitebait aren't really running yet but the groms love it.