Struan Farm

Goat by the Road

For years I have driven past this goat, perched atop his little house on the side of State Highway 3 south of Piopio. It seems to be a New Zealand thing, to keep goats on long leads to eat scrub on the side of the road. In one respect, it's a sustainable approach, feeding an animal while keeping weeds down and not using chemicals for this purpose. But I've also been told it's a practice now considered a bit controversial from an animal rights perspective. I guess I can see both sides of the argument, if there is one.

I must say this goat seemed quite contented.

 
 
I know because I stopped to see him this past weekend. He posed for me, even turned his head so that I might photograph his good side. I think his name might be "Billy Goat Gruff," but he's really a softie, not gruff at all. John sat in the car laughing at me while I did this. I suspect I'm not the only one to have stopped to take his picture, for all I know he's a well-known personality in the District.

John remembers that his family had (at least) two goats growing up: Millie, whom he looked after for several years, and Billy, who met his demise after getting into a tin of leaded paint. He thinks that they captured wild goats that roamed the King Country hills. They still do so.

Native Birds Heralding Spring

The native birds around Struan Farm have been out and about, more so than usual.  It seems to us they've decided it's spring, although the Shining Cuckoo hasn't arrived as yet, so it's not official. 

The tuis gorge on the camelia blossoms throughout the garden. They are content to feast, hopping from one flower to the next, while we work around them, seemingly oblivious:

 
The wood pigeons swoop overhead and then rest, perching high up in the poplars and kowhais in duos and trios. John thinks they fly low directly over his head to tease him.

 
 
The fantails flit around when we dig in the garden and stir up insects. They seem to love the sound of my camera:

 
I missed a decent shot of the kingfisher that lives at the pond and passes through the garden each morning, stopping to rest in our dogwood tree near the Pet Paddock. We see him/her so often in this tree at this time that I've decided it must be part of a daily territory flight path. Here he/she is, but I'll get a better photograph of him/her eventually:

 
Everyone needs a challenge or two.

Happy in Piopio

This winter we've kept a careful eye on the new flatto peach and almond trees we planted in late autumn at Struan Farm. John wasn't too sure how the almond tree would cope with our heavy frosts or the climate generally. But both trees have done really well and are starting to bud, an encouraging sign that spring is on the way:

 

 
It seems that John, Clifford, Woolly Joe and I aren't the only ones happy in Piopio.

 

Wandering the Farm

We've had spring-like conditions recently at Struan Farm, both before and after a recent, rare snow flurry and some heavy frosts.

 

The landscape is lush and green:

 
 
 
 
 
Blows the cobwebs out to walk the hills, really.

A Bittersweet Saturday

 
In my previous post I mentioned that it's often touch and go trying to keep abandoned lambs alive. While Woolly Joe has survived and thrived, this post is about another lamb that didn't make it.

On Saturday a.m. John and I went off on the lambing beat. After a cold, hard frost that night it was a beautiful, sunny, spring day. It was so nice that we decided to extend our walk and go down to the end of the Old Road. Lucky we did. There in the corner of a paddock we found a little lamb huddled. She'd been born the previous day, apparently through the fence, so hadn't been fed at all. She was close to death but had been kept alive by her survival instincts and the warmth of the sun.

 
John picked her up and we raced back to the Homestead to heat up a bottle of colostrum. We kept her wrapped in a blanket on the deck in the warm sunshine, feeding her milk as often as we thought she'd take it. She couldn't stand or hold up her head, but we thought she was gaining strength, particularly when she started to "baaa."  I christened her "Spotty," as you can see she had a beautiful spotted face and three black spots along the back of her spine.

 
Unfortunately at the end of the day Spotty died. She tried her best and we did too. I know that life on a farm is about life and death, but I wanted to honor her sweet yet fighting spirit.

 

Meet Woolly Joe

 
 
 
While we are never happy to find abandoned lambs at Struan Farm, we are always happy to have pet lambs, they are a joy.  The sounds "Baaaa" and "Maaaa" bring an instant smile to my face.

"Woolly Joe's" mum died giving birth to two lambs. John M., the farmer who runs sheep on our property, found them and took the weaker one home; he gave us the second one to look after.

Woolly Joe's being bottle fed with colostrum and powdered lamb's milk. While initially John was afraid that he might not survive, and it's always a bit touch and go, he is now quite frisky. He spends nights swaddled in the relative luxury of John's Hut. John R. <hubby> rang me and put Woolly Joe on the phone to introduce himself the day he arrived. No confusing a baby lamb on the other end of the phone line, I would know that voice anywhere!

 
Clifford and John alternate as mum (I'm a distant third). Hopefully Woolly Joe won't get too confused since Clifford is the one who licks him. Of the two it's safe to say that John is the better role model. 

 
Auntie Anna is lined up to look after him when John isn't at the farm. Given our logistics, it takes our extended whanau to raise a pet lamb at the moment, something we're happy to work out. Official mistresses are Ella and Millie, both aged 4.

 

One UFO Down

Given my recent spate of baby knitting it was high time for something else, and something else more interesting. So while momentum was high I tackled one of three UFOs in my knitting bag. (This has been the topic of a previous post, but for non-knitters reading this, a "UFO" is an unfinished object in knitterspeak.)

I'd been working on Coco Knits' Everyday Wrap in Rowan Kidsilk Haze for quite some time (okay, truthfully: one year). The free pattern is available on their website, also via Ravelry. I found it fiddly and monotonous but only had a few inches left to go on the main body of the wrap itself on my needles. With renewed enthusiasm I knocked it off quickly. After blocking, folding and seaming I knit the short little ruffle by picking up stitches along the seam. Fini!

 

John is wondering where I am going to wear this little number. He has a point, although it does look cute on, is light and airy. One in black would be quite useful, but I just don't know if I can manage another year long odyssey to get there.

First Daffodils of the Season

Have I told you I'm so over winter? The lambs are here, now the first daffodils of the season are up, and I'm appreciative:

 
Of course I've got some hellebores in there as well, I still love my delicate "winter roses" too. Now if we could just change the time and "spring ahead" an hour, if it's not asking too much?

The Lambing Beat

Yep, they're starting to arrive on the scene.

Clifford is restricted to base at this stage of the season to make sure he doesn't frighten anyone (while he may think he's a sheep dog, he really isn't). John and I walk the paddocks to make sure the ewes are okay and lambs haven't been abandoned. John's dad Maurie always called this "The Lambing Beat," so we do too.

 

 
 
 
 
 
I love this time of year.

A Canine Legend

It seems our dog Clifford has developed a bit of a cult following, particularly with a number of my male colleagues at work. The tales of his escapades and misadventures keep everyone entertained. Most recently he was seen by a neighbor running down the main road in morning darkness in pursuit of heavens knows what, when John thought he was sitting on the deck while John had breakfast. Suffice it to say that panic ensued, both the neighbor and John went off in chase. The dog came home before they did, looking exceedingly guilty.  Now that he's established that he can't be trusted to stay off the road, his liberty to wander around the farm has been curtailed for his own protection.

Clifford misbehaves but is lovable and loved, I guess that resonates with most of us looking for unconditional love! Most recently he had me laughing myself silly as I watched him jump four feet up into the crotch of a tree to chase a turkey roosting above. I had never seen a dog climb a tree, and had to call him down or he would have kept going and hurt himself, he was so determined to get that turkey.

 
 
 
My dog has heart.

Beanies for Charlie

I decided to use up the rest of the skeins of Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK and whip up a few quick beanies for Charlie, our new kid on the Robertson block. Sublime's Rosie Posey Beanie from their book #606, The second little Sublime hand knit book, is a "one night wonder." I was able to knock out two in two days in my limited spare time.

I also made the Vintage Racing Helmut from the same book in a larger size (3-6 mos.). The ear flaps are a bit fiddly to knit but it's an easy pattern and looks cute.

The challenge for me was not in the knitting but in the photography. Rosie Posey can look a bit like a breast from the wrong angle given the little tip on top, so I shot those on a stone Buddha head for a different look, while the Vintage Racing Helmut looked best flat.

 
 
Note to self: enough with the baby knitting, move away from the beanies and the blankets. Maybe think about those UFOs?

 

 

Artistic Talent in Our Midst

Piopio artist Jo Gallagher is exhibiting in the Auckland area this upcoming weekend here. This past week Jo emailed us some of her recent work, which she has kindly given me permission to post:

 
 
The top work is titled "The Hills of Home," the bottom "Serenity."  Jo's website can be found here with her contact details and information about obtaining her work. Images are copyrighted to Jo, and should not be used without her prior permission.

Follow the Yellow (and Red) Brick Road

We're amassing recycled bricks at Struan Farm. Right now we've got piles in several places:

 

  
 
Yellow Huntly bricks from a deconstructed old chimney that will be used for our reincarnation of the pool area, and red bricks to be used for my veggie garden paths. Even some fire proof bricks that I suspect I'll use for a bread or pizza oven base at some point.

At the Pond

It's amazing what we see walking around Struan Farm. These images are from down at the pond this past weekend. I love that the garden sculpture made by Anna has acquired a patina of moss and lichen:

 
 
 
 
 
And then of course there's always someone who decides it's time to disturb the peace and tranquility:

 

 

Knitters Going (Somewhat) Wild

 

 

Needed to share these You Tube videos of a flash mob of 600 knitters, mostly women of a certain age, at the recent Sock Summit. Ladies, you rock and inspire, of course with wool in hand!

Back to Beanies

After two baby blankets I'd had enough, so shifted back to beanies for Jamie and Marlo, new baby boys born recently to our nieces Angela and Megan and their respective spouses.

Delivered Jamie's this past weekend, but just finished Marlo's:

 
"Rosie Posey Beanie" in Sublime baby cashmere merino silk dk from their book 606, "The second little Sublime handknit book." 

Official Tree Planting Ceremony

Good news, our two bare root quince trees arrived and got planted this past weekend on the edge of our orchard at Struan Fam. One "Smyrna" and one "Giant of Gascony."

(Please ignore my helper, he doesn't like having his picture posted on the blog.)

 
 
 
 
Thanks Mapua Country Trading!

Winter Farmscapes in Piopio

 
John and I had a good walk around Struan Farm this past weekend, the weather was beautiful and we wanted to check on the pregnant ewes.

 
 
 
 
I love the subtle texture of the bare trees against the green at this time of year.

Almost Lambing Time in Piopio

Very pregnant ewes in evidence this weekend at Struan Farm and around the hills of Piopio. Lambing should start any day!

 
 
 
 
It's my favorite time of the year.