Hillbilly Hot tub

Have been playing around with this for some time now we call it our “Hillbilly Hot tub” 

There is no doubt we have had loads of fun with it and we no wish to own a conventional hot tub as we are just not wired that way, so my brief was, spend as little money as possible, and recycle or upcycle where possible. As we decided to move it to make way for the pizza oven, it’s time to improve the design and make it look neater and worker more efficiently. I have been playing around with Rocket mass heaters over the last few months so that may well feature and some secondhand plastic solar panels from a sons old pool so there is an idea forming in my mind. 

Again I have my eye on some nice free bits, but am willing to spend a little on insulation as the basic design works well but will be better after some little changes. Environmentally all the water is untreated and is then used to water our veg garden so it is by no means poisoned  and wasted 🙂

Pizzzzzzzza

Oh yes it works  and I have the photos to prove it 🙂 Oh just put the one in of the local airport as we dropped off the hire car after Jane’s trip to Auckland.

Well it was an early start for a Sunday morning as we needed to light a long slow fire to finish the drying process but just way to excited to wait any longer, and to be fair you must wait. So we started with pizza the dough I made a day ago which was delicious. The first pizza went in and slide off the peel nicely, now a word to the wise pizza must slightly lift off the stone a little before you try to turn, if not it sticks and rips, oh and makes a mess 😦  So patience young padawan. The up side was the dog got the first pizza and it was lovely say the doggy.

Once the pizza was done in went the roast lamb for dinner all eaten outside as the last sun of winter set very nice. We then took out the coals and baked a loaf of bread followed by two trays of Anzac biscuits all from the stored heat from the fire, wonderful, finished off the process by putting the next lot of wood in to dry out with the last of the heat in the oven 5 hours after the fire went out it is still 90 degrees C in the oven so today has been a great day only would have been better if the other son Could have been home too, oh well can’t have everything, still life is rather good today 🙂

Mission possible

Well It’s done the oven is ready or should I say it’s ready for its first fire. If it was a lady it would be dressed but not ready to greet the world but still perfectly functional.

The final render coat was a comedy worth watch. It seems that you create like a candy coat that is not really connected to the oven so there is movement from the heating and cooling effects. Building up the thickness to the 5 cm required on an oiled surface was a challenge but seemed to be more about learning a technique which worked for me. I tried slap it on and watch it slip off, or drop it on and off all in one easy move. I settled for the smear and fear of failing technique, not saying this is the way to do it but it worked for me and happy with the results.

So tomorrow is fire time 🙂

Blooming catkins

Spring is not here yet officially someone please tell the fruit and nut trees in the garden the Apricots, peachycotts, Hazelnuts plums and peaches have blossom, and with clear skies frost could be a problem tonight.

14 raspberry cane planted, this is the third attempt to grow raspberries. First time the goats ate them, second time the chickens got them third time I want to eat some fresh raspberries 🙂 We have paid for the others and these were a gift from a local garden so heres hoping.

The black currants we have 12 bushes I got them a trade me (NZ ebay) for $10 from a commercial grow utter bargain this year should see the start of a crop.

Red currants we brought one bush it was all we could afford at the time, but we figured they take a long time to crop well so better to have one than none, I have taken 6 cuttings so far which have taken and are growing well

5 gooseberry bushes with armour that is thick as the spikes are brutal but the fruit is lovely they survived the goats

7 red grape vines brought one took cuttings and am in the process of covering an ugly fence line with edible loveliness. We have 1 white grape we got last year for a $1 on the crap pile I am not sure it has survived it was very poorly when we got it, but only time will tell.

The bees are starting to get a wiggle on and are very busy which is nice to see 🙂

Winter greenhouse

Still in the firm grip of winter but with spring around the corner fresh salad is always in the greenhouse last year we overwintered all our chilli plants with great success but for some reason forgot this year think it could be an age thing 🙂

 

So whats growing

From saved heirloom seeds we have

• Broad beans
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Onions 6 varieties
• peas 5 varieties
• chillies 4 varieties
• peppers 6 varieties
• tomatoes 10 varieties

Then heirloom seeds

• celery
• Pak choi
• Spinach
• brussels 2  varieties
• Tatsoi
• Lettuce 4  varieties
• Radish
• carrots
• beetroot
• fennel
• kohlrabi
• Brassicas 10 varieties
• Swede
• Salsify
• Turnips
• Cucumber
•  Coriander
• Garlic
• Chives

The two perennial herb beds are waking up and in need of a tidy, this is a busy time of year at Walnut cottage but a lovely time

 

From the ashes a phoenix is reborn

Today has been a great day a long day but no less great, it started with a awesome sunrise signalling the start of what has turned out well.

So off I trog to Christchurch 2 hours of driving each way, to visit my son and was I in for a surprise. He is smiling, it means so much to me to see the stress and mental torture slipping away. We have been here before and know that this can be a temporary improvement, but for the first time ever he has accepted he has depression and he can’t get through this without help which is massive.

So we have talked and talked its so nice to hear his voice and not the monotone yes or no of a few days ago. He is lucky the meds, counseling  and sleep have worked him, and the happiness thief has lost this round.

As important a true friend has emerged the person that found him and cared for him while they waited for the ambulance to arrive, has been visiting him to support him and this has meant a lot. So tomorrow I have to go and collect him; he is coming home so big grin as we did not expect to see this day so quickly 🙂

Anyone out there suffering stay strong and never give up sometimes the road is long and hard but worth the walk, stay safe

 

I stole this image from

http://mommiesoftheyear.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/may-is-national-mental-health-month.html

Chicken in the Sin Bin

One chick so far, mama hen lost two 😦  She is still sitting on about 4 more, poor thing is caged in as where she went clucky was quite high up and we did not like the idea of free falling chicks they would of got down but not up, so we have locked her in the sin bin so she and her chicks would be safe. Its sad as our Rooster “k2” son of “Special K” died just after she went clucky which is a real shame as he was a nice looking Light Sussex Rooster, really big but gentle so we were sad to lose him but he was able to run about a nice big area of grass and had 5 fluffy ladies to keep him warm at night.

Sun rise has been lovely today the frost is crisp on the ground and its going to be a warm sunny day perfect for visiting my son 🙂

Its official getting close now

Well with the wife at Uni in Auckland and I am unable to visit my son, so I knew what I was doing today. Yep Bob the builder again. So this being the second arch I have built its going to be easy for sure.

NO not quite wish I had a video as I found out it is possible to play with a slinky toy made of bricks and of course the tool required was just out of reach just for the comedy value you understand. However it has turned out ok and is supporting its self so all is well, only one stage left now till we can start the firing process and thats insulation/rendering and as of yet there is no decision on colour, ideas but no orders been given by Mrs clever clogs in Auckland 🙂

Life is never easy but often good

How do you justify a postgraduate diploma with family life which isn’t quite perfect? The answer is you just get on with it.

Funny just keeping busy just me and my dog gibby doing the stuff he likes

Its an older picture but this is his idea of joy or chasing magpies, we were at the beach yesterday just as it got dark no one there just me and the dog, and the sounds of the ocean.
It was a just the right amount of solitude to put life into perspective. When we moved here I had two wishes:
1. To be close to the ocean
2. To be able to see the mountains
We got both 6 km from the sea and an hour from the ski fields which we can see from home that is pretty cool.
Being by the sea or in the hills I have always found that they are good for my soul, they make me feel small and unique in that I am part of something that will be here long after me, and as I gaze and listen to the sounds of things I wonder what they have seen and heard in the past and how much more they are going to see.
Life is a wonderful gift so treasure every day and smile, you will live longer and be healthier 🙂

In between visits

Well back and forward to Christchurch what the hell do you do when you are waiting to find out what you can do to help. Some shop, for me this time to get outside.  Funny I have always been dad never a mate, something I never wanted to be, however I have  always there and supportive of the next big thing, so close to arsehole so many times as its the job of a dad to be everything a mate is not, but everything a true mate should be.

So why did they call it a kitset it turned out to be less than that! But I am glad it did as this will allow me to add some of me to this oven

It’s not perfect but I reckon it will cook pizza and that is the end goal