Day 306 of 2025

Early morning feed time.

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 305 of 2025

 
Gosh, I go away for 2 nights and the garden explodes into colour!

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 304 of 2025

 
The start of a busy day.

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 303 of 2025

Set up day for Festival of Quilts in Auckland.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 302 of 2025

 

Athletics day at the local primary school.

Saydee throwing the discus.

Interestingly, this time, both (identical) twins tied for first place in overall points.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 301 of 2025

This rather random looking photo represents such a lot....!

At 5am I was down the road rounding up a mob of calves that had got out of the neighbours during the night - getting them off the road before traffic started up was my main concern.

(They'd walked/run 4.5 kms!!)

At 6am, on my way back from said neighbours to let them know their calves were out but safe, I encountered their cows on the road - an open gate meant they were streaming out everywhere! More stock control needed to 'contain' them.

At 6.45am on my way back home, I encountered two more of their calves on the road, so walked them back to our yards.

Phew.

At 7.30am when feeding OUR calves my phone flipped out of my pocket into the paddock.

At 9.30am we had our annual Shed Inspection - lots of paper work and compliance involved. However all went well. Phew.

10.30am MOML and I were back in the calves' paddock looking for my phone.

YAAAY He found it - I was so relieved that I promised him scones for lunch.

We deserved that after the morning we had!!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 300 of 2025

George did really well on his wee trail bike.

He rode all the way out to the runoff and back, then to the back hills over the river.

(With Dad and sister behind him.)

Probably about 9kms altogether.

He was ready for a fluffy and cake by the time they'd finished!!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 299 of 2025

The milk from the new calvers is not keeping well at all now that the days are a lot warmer.

Lately I've made yoghurt, cottage cheese and mozzarella (!!!) when adding hot water to warm it up for the calves.

What the calves won't drink, the chickens definitely will!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 298 of 2025

My whiteboard in the calf shed is pretty full but Lily managed to find an empty spot to write up some (more) calf names - love the theme of this batch of names!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 297 of 2025

When you live just down the lane from Ganma's work at the quilt shop and feel you just have to go home with her to have a sleepover!

It was quite a walk (apparently) carrying a car seat, a bag full of soft toys AND a bag of gumboots and farm clothes!

See you tomorrow, 

Raewyn

Day 296 of 2025

The local beekeepers have been busy overnight transporting hives.

These arrived last night and it looks like the bees are getting down to it straight away.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 295 of 2025

 

Lovely to see my ever-faithful wee Fuchsia blooming!

(Candy Bells)

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 294 of 2025

Another wee mob of calves sorted for weaning.

GD#2 giving them all a drench.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 293 of 2025

Happy cows on a sunny day!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 292 of 2025

And just like that, two spoilt-pet-calves are back on the farm and having to deal with being run-of-the-mill-farm-calves again!

(The centre two with yellow tags.)

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 291 of 2025

Another school Ag Day.

Woohooo, overall Champion Calf went to Lily and Licky!!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 290 of 2025

The calf shed is filling up again with this week's influx of late calving cows.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 289 of 2025

Oh dear...Rotary cutters needs to be kept away from children - and cats....

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 288 of 2025

The chooks haven't slowed down in their laying while I've been away and someone even managed to lay this Double Yolker for us.

It's a meal and a half!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 287 of 2025

While I was away, the men weaned another mob of calves and my little calves became big calves!

(74 calves have been weaned now!!!!)

We just have this mob of 29 out on the farm now and another handful at the calfshed.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn 

Day 286 of 2025

Finally, after nearly 2 weeks, we have had another calf.

We have 14 cows who still haven't calved, which is too many for this end of calving.

Hopefully this new little girl is the start of an influx!!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 285 of 2025

Apparently we were visiting Dino Park!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 284 of 2025

Agricultural Day at the local school has arrived.

Xavier and his little buddy, Rocky, won ribbons for leading, rearing and calling.

One very happy 7 year old.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 283 of 2025

Not a bad morning for my last beach walk for now.

And, yaay, the coffee caravan was set up!!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 282 of 2025

I had to look twice - I thought this was an oddity but maybe it's not?

Not seagulls on the beach but doves and pigeons?!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 281 of 2025

 
Show and Tell by an Aunty.
Still needs lots of embellishing but looking good!!
(Fungus, a Sue Spargo design.)

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 280 of 2025

 
A deserted beach this morning; obvioiusly I didn't get the memo to stay away....it was very bracing but a good walk. Sadly the Coffee Caravan didn't set up because of the wind!

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 279 of 2025

 
I've been going for my daily beach walks again while down visiting Mum.
I love seeing this cache of toys near one of the paths.

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 278 of 2025

 
Who would have thought it?
Three weeks ago we did not think this day would happen.
Celebrating Mum's 88th birthday with a lovely gathering of family.

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 277 of 2025

 
While it looks really lovely, the Wisteria has got well out of control!
It needs some serious trimming done on it this year!

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 276 of 2025

Just another scenic shot.

#3 mob are now on this part of the farm.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 275 of 2025

The two cats mostly get along now. 

This is the closest they've got to sleeping next to each other, which was very cool to see!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 274 of 2025

Just for a bit of fun, I tried.

It's very hard to get a selfie with a calf.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 273 of 2025

A big day for Ganma today with three energetic kids for most of the day.

Loads of fun.

We all slept well.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 272 of 2025

A visit with the kids next door.

Xavier shows me how much Rocky the goat has grown.

The girls have pet calves, Maple and Autumn - Highlander cross - which are extra cute and fluffy!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 271 of 2025

It was time to bring that huge mob (shown yesterday) to the shed and sort out the next weaning mob.

In the end, only four smaller ones (green spray paint) were deemed not quite ready for weaning.

So after their feed, the 40-to-be-weaned were drenched, vaccinated, etc, in preparation for going out the back of the farm (the runoff) in a few days time.

(EDIT And just to get the story right; there is another mob of 30, one of 15 and 12 calves still to be born!!)

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 270 of 2025

While I was away, half of #1 mob was weaned.

The rest of the mob was put with #2 mob - which has made it huge.

Even though the feeder has 50 teats, 44 around it is too many......one calf steps sideways and it creates a domino effect with the calf at the other side getting bumped off!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 269 of 2025

GD#2 was a great help while I was away.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 268 of 2025

So nice to be back home again.

One little pussy cat was pleased to see his Ganma too.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 267 of 2025

Things weren't looking the best for mum but amazingly she has been making a good recovery.

Here she is enjoying my sister's Banana Bread.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 266 of 2025

I finished one ball of yarn - one cat 'blanket' and started another!!

Very easy and mindless hospital crocheting.
(Apologies for the delays in posting!)

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

 

Day 265 of 2025

In contrast, my brother went to a lot of effort to describe his menu of Pumpkin Soup and Garlic Bread!
(Gluten is poison for me!)

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 264 of 2025

 

The one who's on nights at the hospital organises dinner in the afternoon.

So I wasn't home when the others ate my offering from last night.

I discovered a bit of judging went on in my absence!!

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 263 of 2025

It was my turn to prepare dinner tonight. Meatballs.

We've set up a roster for dinners, etc, while we all spend time with mum.

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn

Day 262 of 2025

My aunty's garden must be looking beautiful right now!

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 261 of 2025

My sister-in-law and I found a Spotlight...and some yarn for random crocheting while sitting around!

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

 

Day 260 of 2025

 

Back down in the Bay of Plenty spending time at the hospital with Mum.

A bonus is also spending time with all her siblings who also visit.

We also enjoyed massive muffins and scones for lunch at a nearby cafe!

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 259 of 2025

Yaay - more signs of springs -won't be long and the wisteria will be a buzzing and a humming in a mass of blooms!

See you tomorrow,
Raewyn

Day 258 of 2025

 

A view I don't usually photograph, looking back up at the sheds.

Mr Bull just hanging about.

See you tommorrow,
Raewyn

Day 257 of 2025

As would be expected at this time of the year, it wasn't great weather for beach activities at Russell. It was very windy. Surprisingly it was smooth sailing on the short ferry ride back and forth!

See you tomorrow,

Raewyn