The rain has finally arrived. After weeks (months?) with virtually no rain, it started raining yesterday, has rained all day today, and is forecast to rain for the rest of the week. Yay.
I spent today preserving fruit. We still have a ton of apples and passionfruit to use up. I made passionfruit syrup which was very easy and very yum. Watered down it will make a very nice fruit juice for the girls. I tried making a rum cocktail out of it but didn't like it very much.
I also cut up lots of apples and dried them in the oven to eat as snacks. However I misread the recipe which I found online. Instead of baking at 200 Fahrenheit, I baked them at 200 Celsius. After an hour they were almost burnt. I did think it strange to be cooking at such a high temperature. D'oh.
Got the tractor fixed. It turned out that we were using the wrong button to stop it. Unlike a car which stops when you turn the key off, the tractor doesn't work that way. We were pulling a switch that we thought was right, that was attached to the compressor (???). And what happened was that it closed the compressor, turning off the motor, but on this occasion didn't pop back to the open position afterwards like it was supposed to. It was very easy to fix, and the guy that showed us also showed us the correct switch to use when turning it off.
Over the past month we have had a plague of flies. I think it has to do with the colder weather. Every day there are dozens and dozens of dead flies all around the windows and doors in the sunroom and the living room. I'm not sure how they get in, there must be cracks around the windows. Some days I'm literally vacuuming up hundreds of dead and dying flies. At first I felt guilty vacuuming them up when they weren't dead, but now I figure if they can't fly away then they must be almost dead anyway and I'm doing them a favour. I will vacuum in the morning, and by afternoon there are more again, lying on the carpet and the window sills. It's so gross. Hopefully the numbers will decrease when the weather gets really cold.
-M
28 April 2009
21 April 2009
Week 19
Trying to get stuck into the lavender field again. Have let the grass get too long again. Got stuck in with some weeding and weedeating / line trimming.
Finally worked out how to use the weed-eater / line-trimmer / whatever-you-call-it. Actually I already knew how to use one (duh) but have now learnt how to mix the petrol/oil and fill it up. And even managed (after much trying, swearing, cuts and bruises) to pull the cord-thing to start it up on several occasions. I hate those pull-cord-things that you use to start machines. I'm just not strong enough (even though P reckons it's not about being fast or strong nowadays).
Once again we are without a (big) lawn mower. The ride on mower has previously broken down three times so we've given up on that. Now we've been using the tractor with lawn mowing attachment to mow the lawns. Only now that has broken down too. I mowed the lawn around part of the house a few weeks ago. Next time I went to use it, it wouldn't start. We suspected it had run out of diesel. So I had to buy some of that. It was another week before I could fill it up and try again. Still no luck. P says someone said you shouldn't let diesel engines run dry as it buggers them up. Well I didn't know it was running low, did I? I haven't noticed any fuel indicators on the tractor.
So the grass in the lavender field is growing even longer, although the grass and weeds creeping over the weedmat is now cut back at least. The grass in the yard is also growing ever longer. If this continues much longer P will have to get the push mower out again.
Still haven't had any rain. My well meaning friend came over last week with some herbs to plant in the garden, which she had been meaning to do for months. I'm wary of using too much of our tap water to water the plants, given that I don't know how much is in the water tank. Will have to try out water recycling next time the girls have a bath.
Received a very large electricity bill this week. Discovered that we have two electricity meters on the property - one for the house and one for the water pump & electric fences. Unfortunately we've only been receiving bills for the pump meter and not for the house, for the last 3.5 months. So now we've been stung with an unexpected $700 bill. Ouch.
-M
Finally worked out how to use the weed-eater / line-trimmer / whatever-you-call-it. Actually I already knew how to use one (duh) but have now learnt how to mix the petrol/oil and fill it up. And even managed (after much trying, swearing, cuts and bruises) to pull the cord-thing to start it up on several occasions. I hate those pull-cord-things that you use to start machines. I'm just not strong enough (even though P reckons it's not about being fast or strong nowadays).
Once again we are without a (big) lawn mower. The ride on mower has previously broken down three times so we've given up on that. Now we've been using the tractor with lawn mowing attachment to mow the lawns. Only now that has broken down too. I mowed the lawn around part of the house a few weeks ago. Next time I went to use it, it wouldn't start. We suspected it had run out of diesel. So I had to buy some of that. It was another week before I could fill it up and try again. Still no luck. P says someone said you shouldn't let diesel engines run dry as it buggers them up. Well I didn't know it was running low, did I? I haven't noticed any fuel indicators on the tractor.
So the grass in the lavender field is growing even longer, although the grass and weeds creeping over the weedmat is now cut back at least. The grass in the yard is also growing ever longer. If this continues much longer P will have to get the push mower out again.
Still haven't had any rain. My well meaning friend came over last week with some herbs to plant in the garden, which she had been meaning to do for months. I'm wary of using too much of our tap water to water the plants, given that I don't know how much is in the water tank. Will have to try out water recycling next time the girls have a bath.
Received a very large electricity bill this week. Discovered that we have two electricity meters on the property - one for the house and one for the water pump & electric fences. Unfortunately we've only been receiving bills for the pump meter and not for the house, for the last 3.5 months. So now we've been stung with an unexpected $700 bill. Ouch.
-M
15 April 2009
Week 18
Not much going on on the farming front over Easter. Mowed the lawn again with the tractor. Started weed-eating / line-trimming the lavender as the weeds are starting to take over again.
We had a little bit of rain last week. Not enough to fill the water tank but enough to make the weeds start growing again. It's been relatively quiet for the last month but the vege garden is now a sea of green weeds again.
On Saturday evening we attended the Lift Off Levin hot air balloon festival. It was awesome. 20 (well 19 actually) hot air balloons inflated in the showgrounds while we watched, but stayed tethered to the ground. Then as darkness fell they all turned their burners on and off to light up the balloons in time to music. A really awesome spectacle.
I managed to successfully make some apple jelly this week. It was a lot easier than making passionfruit jelly. I learnt from my past mistakes and when it seemed to bubble differently I took it off the heat and poured into preserving jars. It didn't jell like I thought it was going to, but once it cooled down it looks and tastes like I would expect apple jelly to. Didn't make this with our own apples though. We don't have apple trees. These apples came from an organic tree at AgResearch in Palmerston North.
-M
We had a little bit of rain last week. Not enough to fill the water tank but enough to make the weeds start growing again. It's been relatively quiet for the last month but the vege garden is now a sea of green weeds again.
On Saturday evening we attended the Lift Off Levin hot air balloon festival. It was awesome. 20 (well 19 actually) hot air balloons inflated in the showgrounds while we watched, but stayed tethered to the ground. Then as darkness fell they all turned their burners on and off to light up the balloons in time to music. A really awesome spectacle.
I managed to successfully make some apple jelly this week. It was a lot easier than making passionfruit jelly. I learnt from my past mistakes and when it seemed to bubble differently I took it off the heat and poured into preserving jars. It didn't jell like I thought it was going to, but once it cooled down it looks and tastes like I would expect apple jelly to. Didn't make this with our own apples though. We don't have apple trees. These apples came from an organic tree at AgResearch in Palmerston North.
-M
07 April 2009
Week 17
When we first moved in here, I was very worried about living off tank water and the possbility of running out of water. After a wet summer with rain every third or fourth day, I stopped worrying. I eased up on the self-imposed water restrictions - started leaving the tap running while washing hands, filled the bath slightly fuller than before, even let the girls turn the tap on for themselves when teeth brushing (with water gushing out FAST).
Then a week or two ago we heard the announcer on the radio saying that Levin township was facing water restrictions due to not having had any rain for a long time. That's when I realised that it hadn't rained for ages. I can't remember the last time it rained. The big storm of three weeks ago was all wind and no rain.
Now Levin township is indeed on water restrictions - no watering of gardens, no washing of cars or buildings until further notice. This doesn't apply to us as we are on tank water not town water. However it does mean we have to start conserving water. K and V are happily doing their part - no baths for four nights in a row.
It was supposed to rain today. I was going to mow the lawn but instead stayed inside cleaning and sorting out stuff. The rain didn't arrive till 6pm. It won't be enough to fill the tank back up.
Last year when P and I attended the Lifestyle Farmers Fieldday we joined an organisation called Farmers Unlimited. Last weekend we attended our first event, a visit to a nearby member's property to see what they had done with it and what they were growing (over 100 different types of apple!). We all went along as a family, however K and V quickly got bored. I ended up taking them away while P stayed on. He said it was very useful.
I don't know if it is representative of the group, but most people there were of an older age group (50's & 60's?) and I get the impression they'd were all experienced lifestylers/farmers. Apparently the group is having trouble recruiting new members. This is a shame as the group is exactly what P and I need - a chance to mingle with experienced people who are happy to share their knowledge and to answer our stupid questions.
Some time in the near future the group may come and visit our property to give us some hints and tips, advice and ideas.
The organisation will be having another table at the Lifestyle Farmers Fieldday this year and P will be manning the desk for part of the time, hopefully drumming up some new business to keep it going.
-M
Then a week or two ago we heard the announcer on the radio saying that Levin township was facing water restrictions due to not having had any rain for a long time. That's when I realised that it hadn't rained for ages. I can't remember the last time it rained. The big storm of three weeks ago was all wind and no rain.
Now Levin township is indeed on water restrictions - no watering of gardens, no washing of cars or buildings until further notice. This doesn't apply to us as we are on tank water not town water. However it does mean we have to start conserving water. K and V are happily doing their part - no baths for four nights in a row.
It was supposed to rain today. I was going to mow the lawn but instead stayed inside cleaning and sorting out stuff. The rain didn't arrive till 6pm. It won't be enough to fill the tank back up.
Last year when P and I attended the Lifestyle Farmers Fieldday we joined an organisation called Farmers Unlimited. Last weekend we attended our first event, a visit to a nearby member's property to see what they had done with it and what they were growing (over 100 different types of apple!). We all went along as a family, however K and V quickly got bored. I ended up taking them away while P stayed on. He said it was very useful.
I don't know if it is representative of the group, but most people there were of an older age group (50's & 60's?) and I get the impression they'd were all experienced lifestylers/farmers. Apparently the group is having trouble recruiting new members. This is a shame as the group is exactly what P and I need - a chance to mingle with experienced people who are happy to share their knowledge and to answer our stupid questions.
Some time in the near future the group may come and visit our property to give us some hints and tips, advice and ideas.
The organisation will be having another table at the Lifestyle Farmers Fieldday this year and P will be manning the desk for part of the time, hopefully drumming up some new business to keep it going.
-M
01 April 2009
Week 16 - Making Jelly
We have a passionfruit vine that is taking over the staircase to the deck. It has been growing like crazy since we got here. The passionfruit are finally ready to be eaten. But I can't bring myself to eat them. Apologies to all passionfruit lovers but I find them so ugly (both on the outside and inside) that I just can't bear to eat them.
But I also can't bear the thought of them going to waste. So I came up with a solution. While I don't like the look of passionfruit, I do like the taste. So I decided to make up a batch of passionfruit jelly. That would use up a kg of fruit and I'd be able to eat it no problems.
Making jelly is very time consuming. Cutting up the passionfruit and scooping out the pulp was the most time consuming, followed by waiting for the juice to drip through the muslin.
The process is pretty simple - boil the fruit in water then strain the fruit out so you've just got fruit flavoured water. Then add sugar and boil again until it turns to jelly. Sounds pretty simple.
I followed all that pretty easily. Until I got to the last step (admittedly this was at 10pm so I was a bit tired).
Here's the instructions from the book: "Jelly should foam up high in the pan ... when the mixture jells, allow bubbles to subside".
It also said to boil for a minimum of 10 minutes. Well after 20 minutes it was still bubbling and I couldn't tell if it was jelling or not. I got the impression that I was supposed to wait for it to stop bubbling. That was wrong. It did not stop bubbling.
I finally took it off the heat when it started to darken as though it was burning. And I discovered I'd made a really nice batch of ... passionfruit toffee!!!
We have enough fruit out there that I may try again now that I know what I did wrong. Or I might make passionfruit ice cream topping instead. Or juice.
In other news P bought a chainsaw and put it to work this weekend cutting up the tree which fell down in the big storm. Great work!
Picked another couple of pumpkins and gave them away. Both weighing around 3.7kg. Definitely Crown pumpkins and worth $3 each in the local supermarket. Not saving a heck of a lot of money on those.
-M
But I also can't bear the thought of them going to waste. So I came up with a solution. While I don't like the look of passionfruit, I do like the taste. So I decided to make up a batch of passionfruit jelly. That would use up a kg of fruit and I'd be able to eat it no problems.
Making jelly is very time consuming. Cutting up the passionfruit and scooping out the pulp was the most time consuming, followed by waiting for the juice to drip through the muslin.
The process is pretty simple - boil the fruit in water then strain the fruit out so you've just got fruit flavoured water. Then add sugar and boil again until it turns to jelly. Sounds pretty simple.
I followed all that pretty easily. Until I got to the last step (admittedly this was at 10pm so I was a bit tired).
Here's the instructions from the book: "Jelly should foam up high in the pan ... when the mixture jells, allow bubbles to subside".
It also said to boil for a minimum of 10 minutes. Well after 20 minutes it was still bubbling and I couldn't tell if it was jelling or not. I got the impression that I was supposed to wait for it to stop bubbling. That was wrong. It did not stop bubbling.
I finally took it off the heat when it started to darken as though it was burning. And I discovered I'd made a really nice batch of ... passionfruit toffee!!!
We have enough fruit out there that I may try again now that I know what I did wrong. Or I might make passionfruit ice cream topping instead. Or juice.
In other news P bought a chainsaw and put it to work this weekend cutting up the tree which fell down in the big storm. Great work!
Picked another couple of pumpkins and gave them away. Both weighing around 3.7kg. Definitely Crown pumpkins and worth $3 each in the local supermarket. Not saving a heck of a lot of money on those.
-M
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