The Wonderful Wairarapa

We have just returned from two days "over the hill" in the wine growing region of the Wairarapa. It has been very hot and we got home only to find it was even hotter here. Only one out of three cats has shown up so far, but it is so warm, I suspect they are dozing in a cool corner of the paddock - we will of course be cold shouldered for several days until they realise we are home for good.

This is the first time we have returned from the Wairarapa without purchasing furniture. I splashed out on some overpriced wooden spoons and a spatula - definitely a downgrade from the previous three visits which eventuated a French Dresser from the Loire valley, an American day bed and a 3m long table from France!

The amusing end to the expensive wooden items was that our friend who house sat left an apologetic note that she had accidentally set fire to my wooden slotted spoon on the gas stove. On its burned remains she had written "Honestly there are some people you can't take anywhere". I wrote her an email to beg her not to replace it, as I appeared to have had some kind of foresight and had already purchased its replacement.

Well, I'll let the Wairarapa photos speak for themselves. They include a few from Mt Bruce Wildlife sanctuary.

Greytown

Martinborough vineyards

The invisible chicken & a recipe that came home to roost.

Pepper has 5 progeny and she keeps well to "her" side of our border. She thinks I don't know she's there. But her clucking is very different to Brown hen and her 13 rowdy nuggets (bigger than pom poms now).

Here she is hiding from me and playing statues in the undergrowth.

And completely off the chicken topic, this morning a university friend sent me a photo of her recipe book with my mum's recipe for Golden Crunchie biscuits in it. My mum gave it to her about 30 years ago, and somehow had omitted to give it to me. My friend sent a message with the photo "am about to make these again for the millionth time". Well she has 4 children, and I think the quantity isn't so far off... so today, I made them too and am delighted with the result.

In between baking and chasing chickens, I have been unpacking boxes with items from the UK. I feel that finally all of my history is safely tucked up with me in the mountains, and the feeling is very good.

Paddock Diary

The foxgloves are sprouting everywhere, and the plum trees have some very delicious new leaves right at the very top. One of our local Kereru just chomped its way through some as a "side dish" with me underneath the tree telling him off!

The boys heard me giving the pigeon a telling off and came to join me. Mango got a bit stuck in the "V" of the plum tree branches, so decided the fence post was a better option - just; he is rather large!

Both boys are now patrolling the rest of the garden, checking for pheasants, chickens, rabbits, mice and rats. Her ladyship is resting in a box from the supermarket - clever girl.