Christophers Comment

Posted by Christopher on 30 July 2010 | 2 Comments

Thank you for all the positive comments about the web site, lovely to hear from you all. It seems unbelievable that here we are already into August. Where has the year gone? It wont be long before we see the shops on the countdown of "only so many shopping days till Christmas".

July has been more like a winter month with a string of frosts in the first half followed by a wetter and milder second half. The frosty days though cold to begin with produced the most stunning days especially when the Waikato basin was shrouded in fog and we, being up in the hills could look over it seemingly forever. Only nine recorded rain days giving a total of 59mm for the month.

On the farm we completed our mid-winter shearing of our 4tooths and 4yr ewes - a total of 450. Cover combs were used to minimise the risk of winter shearing and the whole job was completed in three and a half hours. The ewes clipped a shade under 2 kgs and the wool will be sold in the auction on the 19^th August. We have also vaccinated and administered a pre-lamb parasite control to all the ewes prior to their being set stocked for lambing.

Grass growth has obviously slowed with the frosts but has picked up again in the latter half of the month. Grass cover is lower than we would like so strategic use of urea may have to be considered when the soil temperatures are adequate. However judging by the antics of the birds, hawks in particular, they believe spring is here!!

Its always lovely to catch up with friends and especially those ones we haven't seen for many years. Gary, who used to fence for us in the 1980's, eventually went sharemilking on various farms around the Waikato. It was with him that James did his one year practical dairy farming experience as part of his degree. Gary now has his own farm in the Catlins region of Southland and it was so good to catch up with him,  daughter Rachel and son Milton when they were up here. We will be hoping to see them on all our annual South Island trip this coming year in February.

Another visitor, John who originally migrated from the UK and worked for Janet's father on their farm in the late 1950's before embarking on a career in real estate. He has now retired to a 10 acre block in the Hokianga area where he and his wife Sue are clearing gorse and planting native trees to encourage the bird life to return. It was most appropriate to see John again this month because this weekend is our wedding anniversary and it was 39 years ago that John's father Norman walked Janet down the aisle of Shalford Church in the UK. Such memories!!

Last but not least it was lovely to see our dear friend Lois who now lives in the Sir Edmond Hillary retirement village in Auckland. Lois and her late husband Owen lived across the road from us at Whangamata for many years. It was so good that their daughter Jill, who now lives in Australia, was able to take Lois on a trip around the Waikato and BOP visiting old friends.

Finally two special little birthdays. Thomas who turned three on the 8^th July and to show how big he is now goes to kindergarten three afternoons a week and Charlotte who turned four on the 16^th celebrated her day by being with Willa, her new little cousin in Sydney. Don't they grow quickly??