I’m not a great fan of maintenance. It’s a bit boring, usually a tad depressing because something is broken or rapidly heading in that direction, and it takes funds that could be used for new, exciting projects…or, at the very least, treat.

Still, life ain’t always a bowl of cherries and so teeth had to be gritted and, in this case, the plumber contacted. That occasional drip in the waterline into our tank had, over summer, turned into a pretty rapid drip-drip-drip; this I discovered while stacking the firewood in close proximity to said waterline. So a halt was called to the firewood chore to preserve it’s bone-dryness, the tarpaulin covering the remaining pile tucked in a little more securely, and , because this is the way life rolls sometimes, in the interim another maintenance task reared it’s ugly head.

This time it was personal – to The Bean Counter, that is. At about the same time the firewood arrived he began walking with a bit of a limp. The timing was commented on, don’t you worry! The limp was accompanied by a bit of an ache which slowly but surely grew in intensity so that, by the time a medical professional was involved a couple of days later, he was not enjoying life. It seemed that while he was wrangling some hay out of the back of the barn for the hungry goats, his foot had slipped between a couple of the bales he was standing on resulting in a painful bit of damage to his hip labrum.

More maintenance, this time in the shape of physio appointments and prescribed exercises but, as these things are wont to do, this all unfolded whilst his paid employment required his absolute presence. The two of us, therefore, retired to The Urban Outpost with its geographical benefits meaning an easier morning routine and I became his chauffeur for the few days it took for him to become a little more able.

This let me spend time getting the place ready for more of a project than maintenance: the painting of the bathroom and spare bedroom. The Engineer’s pre-purchase check had uncovered a leaking shower tray which had to be repaired before settlement. Over the intervening months, our dehumidifier and the warm summer have completely dried everything out but the bathroom and bedroom backing onto it needed a bit of freshening.

We’re really pleased with the results of our Easter Weekend investment.

Of course, all this was not allowed to get in the way of the annual Homestead Easter Egg Hunt

albeit without the assistance of The Farmer or Princess this year who spent their weekend meandering their way via the West Coast to do some plane spotting in Wanaka. We did save them some, though.

If the week prior to Easter was one of chaos, this has been one of resolution. The plumber has repaired the dripping pipe and The Bean Counter is now moving freely enough to return to normal duties – he may even be able to assist with stacking the remainder of the wood pile!

Life is looking good but there’s always some potential disaster lurking in the wings requiring a bit of the dreaded M word.

What do you reckon:

I’m sure the decision will be made for us before too long.