Calendar girl.....

Living the Good Life Calendar 2013

 Front cover

We're already into February and back in January I had intended to show you the calendar I had printed up and sent back to the UK as gifts. I was pretty pleased with how it came out and it would seem so are the recipients. I doubt if it will be a regular thing, unless I can find a much less expensive way of doing them. Actually getting them made up wasn't too bad to be honest it was the blimmin' horrific postage! The reason that I rarely send things back is the cost, I don't send Christmas cards either, what a total waste of time, money and resources they are, but anyway that's my pet hate and not why I'm doing today's post. In order to catch up I'll put January's picture first, which is made up of Raglan views ......

January

....and February's is of Hamilton gardens

Spot anyone else you know?

Hopefully I'll be better at posting March...don't hold yer breath!

We had rain last night, we actually really needed it, it's amazing how quickly everything dries out. I know there are many parts of New Zealand that is very dry and desperately needs some so I hope they get some very soon, it's a worry when you have livestock and no grass to feed them with.

We're doing alright regarding the grass..for now, we had brought back two steers from our old neighbourhood where they had been grazing. We needed a couple of extra mouths to help tidy up the rapidly growing and scrappy paddocks, we have Isobel and Cara here and the plan was to let them all run together, one of the steers was her son but she wanted nothing to do with him and some scary looking argy bargy began as soon as they were put together and as her boy still had horns they had to be separated. He was homekilled* today, he'll come back in a couple of weeks all nicely packaged for the freezer. The other steer Frisket went in with Isobel and Cara soon after the butcher left and they are all happily munching away on the grass. Sorted.

*Homekill - The animal you have raised for meat is able to be killed on your property. We have a mobile butcher who shoots the animal in the paddock where it stands, it is quick and they know nothing about what is happening. For me this is a much more acceptable method than sending them away on a truck to an abbatoir. They are partially processed here, and then taken away to be hung for at least a week, the longer the better, it makes for much more tender meat.

I know how my animals have lived, I know they have had a happy life and a quick death.

Do you know where your meat comes from?

Joe's off work as of tomorrow for a week and so there will be lot's going on, the top house was advertised for rent in the local paper on Saturday and the phone was ringing of the hook all that day and into Sunday too. I've even had one today. We had an older couple come out to view it on Saturday morning, we spent a couple of hours chatting and had them come in here for a coffee. They are a really nice couple and we shook hands on an agreement, they move in in three weeks time. 

So we need to get the last few jobs finished and we have 3 weeks to do it. 

Also the barn needs to be washed down inside and then we can start dressing it ready for my party. Yesterday we had a blockage in the upstairs bathroom drainage which meant Joe had to stop chainsawing firewood and started digging trenches instead. It was starting to look like Tony Robinson and the Time Team had moved in with the trenches Joe was digging!! Anyway the problem was located and sorted, except that now it all needs filling back in again lol.

I'll keep you posted, I better get back to my cleaning, I'm not getting very far with it today, my get up and go got up and went!! Until next time...