Pics of the Beach at Collingwood, with a flock of oystercatchers flying across to the river mouth
The polytunnels arrive next week, so there goes next weekend, setting them out, and levelling up the frames and bases. Chiquita and Wills down at the store have offered to come and help put the ploythene covers on, depending on how busy they are during the week. Even one person to help will be good, it is simple enough but a hell of a struggle on your own, and with 8 metres of the stuff to lift up and over metre high frames I can see myself using a bit of language.
I’m working my way through a list of phone numbers of people to contact for part time and seasonal work, from the kiwi fruit orchards, they start in a month or so, to part time at the Senior Nett Community Centre in Takaka with computer courses, as well as the TOPS Courses at the Golden Bay Work Centre Trust.
The other thing I have going is setting up a lawnmowing and garden Maintenance round here in the Aorere Valley, the closest other person comes from Parapara, the next is based in Takaka, so their prices reflect the distance to get to any work here in the valley. I pick up a trailer from Motueka on Tuesday, found it on Trademe, ex lawnmowing contractor, so it is fitted out with ramps for a ride on mower, and a secure lock box for fuel and those items that go missing, like chainsaws, hedge cutters etc.
I haven’t done anything further to the house, other than patch up a few places where some idiot brushed against the cream walls with black paint on his arm/shoulder/jeans, and finished the trim off. I’m starting a garden out the back door, a large square of grass, that I don’t need, and it gets sun most of the day, other than mornings, so it is going to be the veg garden.
I was outside cutting back the trees on the road edge earlier today, some of the calves in the paddocks at the top of the hill have just been separated from their mothers, and put into other paddocks. I put a few back in the paddock on Thursday when I went to Collingwood, they were outside the fence on the road trying to find mum. Anyway, went into Takaka this morning, and there were another 8 or so out, so stopped, chased them back up the road, put them through the gate, carried on to Takaka
Came back about 3 hours later, they were out again, so drove down to the store, told Chiquita, and she was going to ring around the neighbourhood to find the owners.
Where was I? Oh yes, cutting the trees outside. The calves decided to come down the hill to pay a visit, I suppose they had me down as an easy mark by now, when the guy from the farm down the road came past on the quad bike. So we stopped and chatted as you do in the middle of nowhere and the good side is they weren’t his calves, but he chased them back up anyway, and during our conv, he asked if I was doing anything yet. Said not yet, and he is going to see about getting me working in the dairy in a week or so when all the cows come into full milk production. 700 of them, 5am starts, and 4.30 afternoons. About 3 – 4 hours at a time, so I’m hoping it comes through. Asked me if I’ve milked cows before, said not for a long while, like 50 years, but if he was going to pay me, I’ll learn bloody fast.
Here are a few pics of the Aorere River and what is left of the James Road Bridge from the flood in January. They have a walkway over the river now, until Council can find the money to replace the road bridge.
There is gold still in the Aorere, a mile or so upstream are areas where panning is allowed, I may get a licence and have a go one day.
Quick *hi* to Mike, John, Pete and Katja, Libby, Hogan, Mary, Al, take care
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