Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - DWL Farm Gates

One of my struggles since my Parkinson's diagnosis was finding work for a little income to fund my little lifestyle block and keeping myself and my brain occupied. Early retirement sure has had it's challenges.

It was Gary with a random suggestion one day why don't you make farm gates to sell.  

So I did....

Big ones, little ones, I've been busy making them all.

I'm slowly ironing out a good routine now, and for a small gate, I  can get that finished in 3 hours. A big gate is 4 hours. A bad Parkinson's day it is 5 plus hours... sometimes I operate at a sloths pace.

My preference is to make 2 or 3 gates a week, as that is what I find manageable with my energy levels, but last week I built 9 gates. An oversight on my part as I had quoted a few enquiries and they all turned into sales. 

1 of those gates was made as an extra gate by mistake. I wasn't focusing on what I was doing and I was just about finished when I realized I had made the wrong size... I had a measurement on my brain but it wasn't the right one. 

Up until now I have been fielding enquiries from trademe and Facebook. Facebook has been fantastic actually, but we have now updated our website with DWL Farm Gates.

www.downwattlelane.co.nz/farm-gates

So I think it's official now... I  coming out of early retirement with self employment.

Now I must schedule a meeting with the boss about employment conditions.... the amount of splinters I have pulled out 🤣

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - A Day Out... Mount Hutt

Well... what can I say? That was a first, and that was also the last time I will be visiting, well driving myself up to Mount Hutt Ski field.

Today as it turns out was the last day of the ski season and we needed to get out and go for a drive, so Mount Hutt was the choice of destination.

Only 1.5 hours from home taking the back roads it was a very pleasant and scenic drive to the base. Standing some 2000m above sea level, snow capped Mt Hutt is a truly majestic sight to be hold on such a beautiful spring day.

Now... that is where the pleasantries end.

What a crazy  mother fucker of a drive up the mountain that was! I'm still traumatized from the experience and I won't be doing that again.

Picture this, a drive straight up essentially, 14km winding up the gravel road, with little barriers or rails protecting you from the shear drops essentially back down to the base of the mountain.

The speed limit was 40km/hr but I don't think I krept over 30km/hr and I let anyone pass who wanted to.

Now I am not normally afraid of heights, I don't like heights, but can handle them. So what has happened to me? Is this an age thing or is it a Parkinson's thing?

I kept saying to Gary as we climbed higher, "I don't like this, I don't like this". 

I was experiencing a constant repetitive feeling of slipping over the edge. You know the feeling when you are standing on the edge of a balcony or deck or walking up steps, and you momentarily lose your balance and a rush of adrenaline from the fear of falling hits you... it was that feeling all the way up, and all the way back down. Very overwhelming and a few times I didn't want to go any further, but I had to push through and go on. I stopped looking beyond the roads edge, and focused purely on the few metres of road ahead of me.

Now I must confess, the road was actually in very good condition, dry, wide, hardly any corrugation, but my brain was not registering any of that. Instead I was driving 

Gary's little front wheel drive Suzuki with minimal tread on the city tyres and we were just going to slip right over the edge to our deaths!

My body and or brain was acting very dramatically for me today, and I'm exhausted from it.

We did manage to take some spectacular pictures.

I might consider visiting again as long as long as I take their Mountain Bus, with a more experienced driver at the wheel. Obviously my eyes will be closed for the entire journey next time 🤣

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Thou Shalt Remain Nameless

I need to start with the back story... so you too can feel what I felt at the time.

With age, Max has become more of an indoor cat, so he doesn't get outside much to wear down his claws by scratching on a tree or the like. So his claws get caught easily in the duvets or blankets etc. I have trimmed them but neither Max or myself enjoy the experience.

So I had been on the lookout for an indoor scratcher for him.

I found good online reviews for a scratcher from Kmart, and it was low for our old boy, so I was eager to buy, and it was about 2 or 3 weeks before I finally made it to Kmart.

So today I purchased this long awaited cat scratcher and put it in place, ready for Max to use.

Now the 1st "person" who took an interest in the cat scratcher shall remain nameless. 

Now it wasn't a case of it being in the way, so it could be tripped over on.

I also clearly said several times over... "Don't Stand On It!".

I wasn't yelling, but on the cusp of it.

Next minute... I hear a loud "CRACK"! 

"I bloody told you not to stand on it!" "You never listen to me" and I went on with my tirade... it was such an effort to get it in the first place, and Max hadn't even played with it and it is now broken! I was pissed off!!!!

Max can still use the scratcher,  but it is not often Max gets new a toy. Perhaps an over reaction on my part for a $5 toy for Max, however... 

GARY owes Max a new cat scratcher.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Whiskers Needs A Hair Cut

Whiskers would be my most favourite Arapawa Ram that I have ever had the pleasure to farm. 

He is a fantastic looking boy, crowned with a great set of horns.

He has a calm demeanor and when the other boys play up, he will rush in to stop the drama. All the other Arapawa's look up to him. 

He will always come to say hello, loves a rub, and gets very excited if you have a treat for him. 

Some rams you need to be wary of, but Whiskers has always been respectful of our relationship... I feel we "get" each other.

As the weather warms up, that big wooly coat he has on, we know shearing time is near... so it's time to start thinking about a little grooming before he is reunited with the ladies :)

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - DIY Wool To Yarn

Visit our website for a beginners guide on how to go about turning your own wool into yarn. This is a brief and simplified guide with links to various video tutorials.

Visit www.downwattlelane.co.nz/diy

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Cross Country Practice

As the sunsets, Arapawa Lambs awaken...

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Wooly Ideas

I've been a bit slack this year when it comes to getting creative with my Arapawa fleeces. I sell some, but I've been so busy working on the house and getting the farm part established, I've been neglecting my creative side. However 

as these projects are slowly being completed and another shearing season approaches, I am starting to wonder, what else can I do with my wool?

I've been spinning a much finer yarn as my technique improves, but I wonder... what do I do next?

I've made a little blanket and teddy bear's.

My new project needs to be simple and small mainly due to my parky challenges.

Any idea's?

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Shepherding Arapawa's

It's been a challenging year raising livestock on a new property in a new climate.

We've gone from paddocks that were facing drought conditions and then to overnight soggy boggy wetlands. I've been told by locals it's an unusual year.

So managing grass, and feed has been a challenge along with trying to keep my Arapawa's feet dry avoiding potential foot rot problems.

Paddock rotation has been important along with creating dry raised mounds, digging drains where there has been standing water and getting creative with feeding.

Half our property, on the otherside of the creek has paddocks that we don't farm, but has lush green grass. We haven't used this area due to the creek and fence issues with big gaping holes.

Well...it was about time I tested my shepherding skills, as even I have been eyeing up the green grass on the other side. Delicious I am sure.

I grabbed my shepherds stick, a bucket of sheep nuts and I bravely took my ewe flock and their babies for a walk... across the creek.

I had a plan, cross the creek, and keep them away from the big holes in the boundary fence, that was all that I needed to do. Graze for an hour then return them to their paddock.

Simple!

Well sheep being sheep, dont just walk over the creek. They took flight and jumped the creek. Some of the lambs weren't as successful and took a dip. The crossing is only ankle deep, but omg, the Arapawa Drama!

One lamb took flight but jumped straight into the vertical creek bank, completing under estimating its jumping abilities and falling butt first into the creek... the water must have been cold as the little bugger made the jump out of the creek on the rebound! Very funny to watch.

Thinking health and safety, I was worried some poor girl might break a leg, so I needed to  build a crossing before I attempt this again.

But once across everyone was excited, a new paddock with fresh grass and the girls were running in every direction and here I am trying to keep up! At this point my bribe, the bucket of sheep nuts was of no interest to them at all.

Before my second attempt I built my little bridge below. Probably 50% of the flock used my little bridge while the rest couldn't help themselves again with some Arapawa Drama, preferring to take flight!

But in the end, alls well that ends well. Returning to their paddock most of the flock were exhausted from there little outing and with belly's full they took a nap in the afternoon sun.

I just love this!

Below, not the best photo but I was having a chat to Mum and her twins.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Latching On

At this time of year we are midway through lambing and every morning I check to see if we have any new arrivals.

Arapawa ewes are pretty good mums so generally there isn't much to worry about.

The usual morning routine is to look for any new arrivals, if there is a new lamb I look for the birth guoey stuff, to make sure there isn't any abandoned lambs. Then it's just a matter of keeping a close eye on mum and baby. 

♡ Is baby standing?

♡ Is mum sniffling/licking and bonding with baby?

♡ Is baby locating mums udder?

♡ Is baby's tail wiggling when trying to drink?... if wiggling its getting milk.

♡ Is Mum ok?

♡ How often is baby drinking?

Essentially just being observant.

Today, Girlie, who is my favourite ewe as she was one of my first Arapawa's and the first to let me hand feed her... well Girlie had given birth to twins. Very little twins.

Mum seems ok, both lambs were up, but neither feeding. I kept watch over them for the next 2 or so hours, but neither lamb was trying to latch onto mum. My concern was growing as time passed.

I started to wonder if Girlie had any milk. I put her and lambs into a pen, and had a play with her teets. Initially no milk was being produced, but after some fondling I did get milk eventually, I then put the lambs straight onto mum. The little girl lamb latched on, but the boy wouldn't. The boy is smaller than the girl, and he just wasn't interested. 

Now what to do ... me being me, a kid who grew up in the 80's, watching MacGyver, I just needed some quick thinking ingenuity.

I thought perhaps I bottle feed him some colostrum so he gets stronger and gets an idea of feeding then I'll try to put him strsight back onto Mum.

Long story short... it didn't go to plan and I think we are raising another pet lamb.

He still very weak, not feeding very well, so it will be a long night ahead to try and make this little fella survive the night.

Fingers Crossed.

Interestingly... Girlie was the first to let me hand feed her, the first to let me rub her behind her ears... and now the first to let me milk her... where will this relationship go???

UPDATE

At about 1am, our smallest of little lambs has passed onto another land, where he'll be able to play with other lambs, among fields of daffodils, they'll be jumping over rainbows and butterflies will land on their noses.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - SNOW!!

Exactly 1 year today, 5am 08AUG20, we arrived here at 153 Loburn Terrace Road, after our 20 or so hour drive straight through from Kaiwaka.

One of the benefits of moving south was that I recalled Canterbury winters being dry, sunny with the odd chance of snow. Kaipara winters on the other hand seemed to be very wet, I always seemed to be knee deep in mud at times.

Well so far our Canterbury winter has been very wet, rather disappointing, but today, we were finally gifted with a nice dusting of snow. Probably 5 to 10cm in places.

As beautiful as it is for now... the snow will melt and well everything turns to mud... I just can't escape the mud.

However I will just enjoy this White Winter Wonderland we currently are living in.