Two days ago, I got a tiny three day old Jersey calf for ‘my very own self’!! I’ve been wanting to get a calf that I can hand rear and train to be my own house cow for a while now. None of those stroppy cull cows for me! I want one that is as steady and as calm as a rock, and here she is.  Okay, she’ll be… read more | 3 Comments

Well, this afternoon I milked a cow for the first time all by myself! I have had the odd attempt at milking Blossom (may she rest in peace), but was always a bit nervous of her somewhat stroppy ways. Actually I think she was the proverbial ‘one-girl cow.’ Anyway, we have Penny’s house cow down here while … read more | 5 Comments

Today Sam and I worked together nailing the last hundred and fifty battens on the pool fence, while the rest of the children stained them. Another big job finished!!We really got into the swing of it! It’s very exciting. We are on track for… read more | 4 Comments

I’ve just dropped my sister Penny and her husband Dave off at their airport on their way to London. Pen was very excited but a bit apprehensive…it reminded me of when I was an eight-year-old in Popondetta, New Guinea. Every few months the whole mission station would make a special outing to the Samboga river - a beautiful wide, deep… read more | 1 Comment

Today at 11am Milly, Penny and I went up in the freezing rain to move the horses. It was bitterly cold as we rode the quad up to the cabin. Our hands were painfully cold. Then suddenly Milly squealed, “It’s snowing!” Sure enough snowflakes began falling around us!! Okay, it didn’t look like the snow… read more | 3 Comments

Milly’s milking cow Blossom has been losing weight for some time now and has also had a bad hip which has stopped her from being able to get pregnant. So finally today Chris made the call that she needed to be put down.
Dear Blossom – she’s nourished our family for  a long time now and has supplied us with… read more | 11 Comments

We had fun in Tauranga last weekend. I was speaking at a women’s camp in Papamoa, so the whole family (other than Ellie who stayed behind for a friend’s celebration) decided to come down with me and spend their weekend with the cousins at Welcome bay. We picked Josiah up on the way and Kate drove over… read more | 7 Comments