Well, we seem to have done it! Shutting down, keeping close, and living the simple life seems to have paid off for our country and, after pausing for a breather on Level three, we are now poised to take the dive onto (or is it into?) Level two. Here on the Homestead, we have mixed feelings but we’re rapt for those who were really suffering the effects, be it economically or emotionally, and, while we have no plans to traipse around a mall anytime soon, we’re happy for those who relish that kind of stuff.
Please, just be careful…and kind…for all our sakes.
The whole-simple-life-close-to-home thing suited us pretty well, although not seeing the Princess’s smiling face around the Homestead table has been a definite downer. Still, the royal family have had their own fish to fry as they prepare for their relocation of castle, something we’re unashamedly reaping the benefits of. Over the weekend, we took delivery of a refugee of their planned moved to a smaller patch of the planet.
The goats are very happy to babysit this beautiful shed and we humans are looking forward to a shorter trek for hay and being able to milk under cover.
This wasn’t the only truck to visit the Homestead this week although no evidence exists of the fencing timber arriving. The driver was a little more there’s-a-job-to-be-done and pretty strong in his opinion that The Milk Maid’s help was not needed (which left me pondering exactly when it was I moved from being a “love” to a “dear” and whether this a geographical or age shift) but no less welcome for that.
By Saturday evening, the first pig pen fence was finished.
And by sundown Sunday, we’re halfway there.
As par for the Homestead course, we ended up having to get a little inventive with the chicken coop extension fencing. Unfortunately, the family gave the chicken wire measuring job to the least qualified (me) who is always the optimist; no, there simply wasn’t enough. It took a while, but by utilising the cover that came with the pool (and ripped the second time we put it on), binder twine, and some rusty crochet skills it looks like we have created another temporary-until-it-falls-apart Homestead original.
This fencing lark is not just hard work, it’s all about precision, too, and with this construction happening in our front paddock we’re just hoping the black stain Farm Girl is applying between lessons goes a way to hiding our lack of experience showing.
Love from our bubble to yours; whatever level you’re at. We hope you’re finding creative ways to pass your time.
Union Homestead 
So glad to hear from you. Yes, you Kiwis nailed the lockdown thing, that’s for sure. Here in BC we did pretty well with it, albeit in a slightlly different style, and we are moving to a more social level next weekend, which is what we call the May long weekend (Victoria Day). Like you we’ve been getting things done on the farm – the project list on the fridge is actually getting things scratched off, which is a nice feeling. The red shed looks lovely and I imagine you won’t be in a hurry for it to be relocated to the new castle when it’s time. I think the pig fence looks fabulous – and we absolutely do the mend and make do style too…the fence around the big veg garden this year is from three different rolls of wire, all different heights – that’s what we had. In addition to the essential binder twine and wire scraps I would say bricks are indispensable. And by the way – pigs???? when? What kind? I’m so envious… I loved raising pigs…although my hubby would warn you of the veracity of the inebriated farmer in one of the James Herriot tales who said “them pigs is citizens”. You’ll see.
It doesn’t matter how we sort this virus, as long as we do. Yay to both our powers-that-be for steering us through it this far. The shed is wonderful; it also shows us that our dream of a two bay barn where it is sitting is a sensible, workable one. Bricks, cobbles (we moved about 1000 of them from the previous homestead ( we’d cleaned them all so I wasnt going to leave them) and the chunks of concrete someone else dumped in the old homestead goat paddock but the landlord insisted was us (hmmmmm) have proven to be invaluable😊
And pigs…always part of the plan, we trialled it whilst in the kingdom of west, now we need to walk the walk. Under our property covenant we’re allowed 2 so this is definitely a fattening/dispatching operation. We’re thinking a tried and true breed but really depends what we can find when were ready. Last time was kune kune…was ok.
I just know this latest venture will have me tearing my hair out and chasing around dark paddocks in my pjs…as if goats weren’t trouble enough🤣🤣
What a lot of work you have undertaken, do hope the pigs are a great success. Well done New Zealand for working its way out of the trouble caused by the virus.
Lets hope we’ve done enough to make the sacrifices made by many re: the lock down worth it. Im still keen to stay with my fellow bubble dwellers close to home.
We tend to chomp of way more than we can chew on a regular basis…mostly it works for us 😊
Not a second wasted as far as I can see. I hope that the pigs flourish.
I think that there will be a fair bit of blog fodder in our latest venture😁
Love the pictures & had to laugh at the shelter convo (it looks so cute, how handy) as it is quite often here, we hear our neighbours conversations whilst their trying to talk over their 9 barking dogs a ride on mower & their sheep trying to voice their opinion. lol. It must be pig pen season I have just finished building our pig pen, I am curious can you leave all the debris in their pen for foraging, it looks fantastic. I am still researching (procrastinating excitedly) lol. Have a great weekend. ( :
Great to hear from you! I cringe sometimes at what our neighbours (who are well sheltered visually but geographically quite close) hear from our place; as a family we tend to live our lives out loud 😂 the shed is awesome but that half door is just too frustrating for the goats…just what aren’t they allowed to get to?!
We’re planning on moving the shelter belt clippings – they were meant to have been shredded long ago and keeping weeds down on our driveway garden (which is currently more paddock than garden!)
Procrastinating?? Never! It’s called research😊
I love neighbours that entertain. lol. Haha keep the goats guessing. Cool just checking I wasn’t missing some extra info in my never procrastinating, always researching efforts. lol. Thankyou & have a bubbly weekend of fun.
I had such a giggle when I read you have been demoted to a dear from a love. I suddenly became a dear about eight years ago and it was a shock, I can tell you.
Good luck with the pigs and congratulations, NZ on a successful lockdown.
So the whole love-to-dear thing happened to you, too! I’m mystified by it😁
Thank you for the luck, I am definite we will need it. As for the lock down, this was the first weekend…it will be interesting to see whether there is a spike in numbers in about 10 days time.
Hi, With the move to Level 2 restrictions, I hope you will soon be able to return to the joys of line dancing complete with the fancy boots.
Not long now 😊
This quarentine stuff doesn’t seem to affect us homesteaders to much!!! Glad all is going well on your homestead! Nice work!
Thanks! We still have a long way to go but we’re proud of our progress😊