We’re not quite sure where that week went, but one thing we do know is that we didn’t spend it posting blogs. Anyway and whatever, here we are again where we last met, Sage Word Sunday, with one of us a year older, one of us finished school for the year, one of us with a new trick mastered, and the Homestead radiating that self satisfied glow reserved for those with most of their shopping for The Man in Red done and dusted.
On reflection, our week started like they all generally do with Monday All-In Housework day, Tuesday’s visit to the feed place to keep our menagerie happy over the upcoming festive season, and Wednesday spent in the garden. There was a small blip on the radar, unfortunately the one being wielded by a fledgling policeman as the Homestead Mobile flashed through a 30 kmh roadwork zone at 39 kmh, but it was a fair cop of irresponsible driving and graciously accepted…although I an un-named Homesteader would like to say in my their defence that (okay, it was your scribe) I was too intent on negotiating cones, arrows, signs and the like to tear my eyes off the road and check I had slowed to the correct speed. Okay, weak I admit, but I feel better for saying it
On a happier and less embarrassing note, The Bean Counter celebrated a significant birthday on Thursday. As is typical, we Homesteaders managed to negotiate the entire day which included cake for breakfast, a few well chosen gifts, and a meal out at his favourite restaurant (South of India) without one iota of photographic evidence being captured.
He very sportingly agreed to pose with his gifts as proof that we didn’t forget him.
Friday is always shopping day and we returned from this weeks wander around the metropolis of New Brighton to absolute mayhem in the goat paddock.
Someone had learnt a new trick, and not everyone was happy about it.
Farm Girl is now anticipating a long stretch of lazy morning sleep ins and a great many surfing safaris in the company of fellow surf-chick, Princess Nikita, now that school is out for summer.
Six weeks of empty lunch tables at The Kingdom of Nova
Tui Flower’s Friday was parked for this week in favour of a visit to Henry’s (our lovely, local chippy) but the book did get an airing as The Bean Counter undertook her Choc-o-hop Cake (a chocolate cake made with beer) to accompany his Sage Words and blast from the past song accompaniment.
Then, just as we were searching for a suitable ending for our week of silence the clouds rolled in, the temperature dropped, the thunder roared, the skies opened, and a storm rivalling that of The Shepherd’s Crown finale turned the rather arid Homestead into, in a matter of moments, a winter wonderland.
![DSCF4572[1].JPG](https://unionhomestead.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/dscf45721.jpg?w=516)
Union Homestead 
Happy belated to Bean Counter. Chocohop cake – what a fabulous idea, and very fitting. Sir Terry Pratchett. Brilliant man – I can only read so much of him at one go, because the complexity of his characters, plot, worlds, make my head spin. But I always end up going back for more. Jean Michele Jarre – wow, haven’t heard that stuff in a couple of decades – that was hubby’s study music when he was at uni – and hours and hours of it drove me up the wall. Farm Girl is a surfer chick? Cool. Do they surf at your local beach? or does it not get the rollers they need? We’re on the side of our Island facing the mainland, so we don’t get that kind of surf nearby (but just a short 1 or 2 hour drive is a good surfing beach). On our side, the kids/teens all do skim boarding. I’ve tried it, and I’m here to say that after a certain age, there are some activites that middle aged women of a certain build should not attempt in public, and most certainly not when their offspring are there to witness them and chortle with glee and a complete lack of sympathy. However, I have sympathy for you and your ticket – I got ticketed for speeding in a school zone once, and found out years later I could have contested it, as it was July, our summer holidays – and our school zones are only in effect when school is in session – but at the time I was both mortified and disgruntled. Some of those road construction areas can be horrible mazes with cones and barricades and people standing where they shouldn’t. Christchurch does have more than it’s fair share of those zones too, due to reconstruction. Seems to me they were having one of those letter of the law moments, since 39 km/h is really pretty slow. Hail! Maybe you’ll have a white Christmas!
Both Princess Nikita and Farm Girl are surfer chicks in the making; they’ve had a taste and this is their summer. Our beach, while not world renowned for its waves seems to serve the purpose for a great many folk.
The Bean Counter and Goat Herd are great fans of Terry Pratchett. My head just doesn’t do it but I love his word plays, characters (they often liken me to Nanny Ogg minus the multiple husbands – something I have mixed feelings about), and plot lines.
At the moment they have only a four km tolerance in our speeding laws and I totally get it. Those construction areas are everywhere and motorists get a little blase around them. That they weren’t actually working there (there were no workmen on site) and it was so obviously a training exercise for newbies was a little irksome, but bottom line was I did go too fast…blah.
We’re meant to be in the grips of Al Nino which equals drought for us so where this hail came from is a mystery. Luckily the sun blasted out shortly afterwards, melting the hail and filling our water tank proving the whole every cloud/silver lining deal 🙂
Sage words indeed.
Great quote… still crying about Sir Terry
Poor ducks with cold feet…Howver congrats for the Bean Counter and I am so happy to discover that his taste in literature is reassuringly better than his taste in music ;0) Sir Terry Forever, right?
Happy to share your week. And I share your knack for collecting embarrassing tickets and police reprimands. Joy to the world and happy surfing! Xo Johanna
The ducks are very funny – they don’t seem to bother about the cold at all, but are less keen when the temperature climbs a bit.
Yes, the music portion was a bit from left field 🙂
x
It is hard to think of a better present than a Terry Pratchett.
He was very very happy with it and spent his day sipping coffee from his oversized Liverpool mug, deep in Disc World
Happy Belated Birthday to the Bean Counter and Happy Holidays to Farm Girl. I am sorry you got the speeding ticket but I know how difficult it is to look at the speedo and steer round obstacles. I love the Sage Words and Oxygene brought back so many memories – I hadn’t heard it in years!
thanks for your understanding re: the speeding ticket 🙂 Oxygene was indeed a blast from the past…it definitely met mixed reviews from the Homestead!
Oh dear if the Bean Counter has had a significant birthday must be us next!!! Still only feel 20 but the thought of running onto a soccer field these days … not sure the more that 20 body would cope. Understand your frustration re the speeding ticket, I recently got a parking ticket because I could not read the signs!!!!
love to you all
Time marches on but we’re all still fit young and gorgeous – on the inside at least 🙂 Love to you all as well xxx