Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - RIP Bootsie

RIP Bootsie 

You will be dearly missed by all. You've been the coolest little lamb, with the most fun loving attitude, just a chilled out little boy with tonnes of energy. I will miss our daily walks down to the letterbox and most of all I will miss my second shadow following me around. RIP & look out for Big Mamma, she will be waiting for you. xoxo

Today Bootsie passed away due to pneumonia. This morning at breakfast feeding he seemed normal. Come lunchtime he was having breathing problems, so we quickly took him to the vet's where the vet diagnosed pneumonia. Bootsie was given antibiotics and pain relief but unfortunately come 9pm Bootsie passed away in his bed.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Councils... ughhh!

Sometimes a little common sense goes a long way, but not with Waimakariri Council. The lack of common sense is costing us just over $1600. Both the draftsman and surveyor have expressed similar thoughts, so I'm not alone on this rant of mine.

Our land is flat, but the council requested a survey to be completed with the property elevations, just on the build site.  When I was advised I was like WTF... our land is flat!

I wasn't expecting any issues in this regards, as our land is flat, and we are building considerably above minimum requirements.

We have a requirement to build 400mm above the ground. Our plans have the foundations set at a minimum height of 600mm above the ground, and the finished floor height will be about 1000mm above the ground.

So common sense would suggest, flat ground and building in excess of minimum requirements, there would be no issue.

I even sent the council a photo to show the build site is flat:

That didn't go down well.

Now the council is wasting our money for us! 

So we have employed a surveyor to complete and elevations report and to indicate the boundaries of where we can build. 

On the property title there is a set area that we can build within. I had measured out where I thought the line was, but given the way the council is acting, I have asked the surveyor to mark out that line as well. I wasn't too far off!

$1600!! ughhh!

I much prefer wasting my own money, my own way!

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - The Great Shear of 2020

Well... I might be overstating that, as we have a very small flock since the big move, 19 Sheep and 6 lambs. A big day all the same and I always find it exciting.

The first task was to get the girls from the front paddock to the stock yards at the back of the barn. Sounds simple enough, but there is no enclosed connecting paddocks that I can walk the sheep through. We had to take them through the big wide open paddock, that we haven't fenced off as we are waiting for the house to arrive first. With beautiful lush green grass, it would be very easy for the sheep to scarper and make my day a lot more stressful. 

Below is my facebook post of the video as the file is too large to be loaded here.  FACEBOOK

I'm sure that is a smile.

They all had a pedicure, some tonic and trim all round. A great day at the saloon.

We will be washing, carding and spinning the wool and will have this for sale. Also I'm very keen to learn how to make felted wool slippers so watch this space.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Getting A Shake On

How do you greet someone with Parkinson's?... What's shakin'?

Me...

I try to stay positive and have a good sense of humour about having Parkinson's, there surely are some funny moments.

I'm really enjoying they Jack Sparrow swagger. Although I feel like I'm being short changed as I'm missing all the fun and game's of getting the swagger. For me it just comes on anytime anywhere.

Today I was at PaknSave and my right foot was starting to drag, scuffing the shoe along the ground as I walked. The first thing that came to mind was "Pull yourself together, I don't want to be here either" then I got the giggles. 

Another time, I was with a specialist, and I was demonstrating with my right shaking hand how I could no longer brush my teeth as I'm unable to maintain a steady hand motion. WELL...LOL it dawned on me how it might bloody look from the otherside!! The specialist didn't need a blowjob demonstration!! He maintained a straight face, but I was so embarrassed! Better work stories right?! By the way I've taught myself to brush my teeth normally with my left hand!

Walked into door at hospital in front of Dr.

Stumbled through door at a reception startling the receptionist.

Losing balance at checkout.

All these funny episodes give me the giggles... how else can I react?

So if you see me having one of my moments, possibly with the giggles, just remember I live my life like 007, Shaken... not stirred. 

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - The Barn Conversion

Since our arrival, one of the very first jobs was to enclose one of the 3 bays in the barn. To create a secure lockup for all the tools, building materials and to create a secure storage area for the Unicorn Fibre Cleaners that we import from the US. Really a place to put stuff, and to keep stuff out of the house. Our 3 bedroom house, is actually going to have a bed in each room!

So I started with a very simple, and cheap enclosure plan. Put in a couple of doors, and put up 2 corrugated iron walls, and then we would have a secure lockup. Well the more I thought about it, the bigger the project became.

What if I create 2 rooms. The back room for tools, storage etc, and a front room from where I can display the Unicorn Products, and also have it as a craft room of sorts to work from. Then we also want to start processing Arapawa meat to sell, so we will also need space for refrigerators. So with all this in mind, we will need a much better setup. The craft room will need to be a room that you are comfortable in spending time in. 

CHA CHING!!! I was blowing the budget before I even started. I did do what I could to save money, buying off trademe, searching demolition yards etc. 

I'm very happy with the end result.

First Wall Going Up

Front Door In & Wrapped

Inside View Of The Chaos

The Tricky Bit - Using Ply For Lining

FINISHED EXTERIOR!!!

FINISHED INTERIOR!!!

My Work Station Where I Prepare The Online Orders

My Crafting Station

Thank You To All Who Helped & The Lunches Are The Best!

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Lost Time

We've just had another beautiful Canterbury weekend. Plenty of sun, very warm, dry & windy.

I didn't have too much planned for the weekend, other than move some dirt, move the sheep and cut up some old deer fence wire ready to be recycled. 

Saturday we had my uncle and cousins visit for the day,  which is always great. I'm really enjoying getting to know family again. There was 3 generations (Poppa, Dad & the 2 Boys) working together on a new lamb pen in the barn for Bootsie. We needed to create a bed so I could get Bootsie out of the caravan. Bootsie was getting a little too comfortable jumping up onto the sofa to sleep, which we all know is Max's spot when he is not sleeping on my bed. Max tolerates Bootsie but that is as far as that relationship will ever go.

With the pen, we all came up with a great idea. Every lamb that we raise by hand, we will add a name plaque to a totem pole, with date of birth... very cool!

Great company, long lunches, a great weekend all in all.

Bootsie is a very unique lamb, and I now have proof he can fly! But is he coming or going....we'll never know!

Lambs are the greatest time waster. But its quality time all the same!