BLOG # 3 Currently listening to The Definitive Collection " Uriah Heep". LOUD.
Easter 2019, had a first whisky for a very long time with Mary last night and was thinking it being time to blog out the press release, so here goes.
We have decided to get hitched in August following 5 very compatible, amicable, months living together. We have shared our pasts and grief of both having our partners ripped from us by cancer and have decided we have everything to gain looking ahead, for both of us to have a second chance.
As both being Virgo we have struck the good side of that relationship, Virgo partners can either get on very well, or just hate each other, there is no in-between. Mary would like to get married before she turn 60, so we are getting married the day before, we are both very happy, this twist in our lives is looking to being an awesome journey ahead.
New Year went by with tears and laughter at a meal cooked outside (remember here mention of B.B.Q, brings rain) then finally a plaque arrived for visits to Tracy. We lit a candle for Tracy on her birthday, it was a very shitty windy and wet day and as we reflected on our love for her, the candle didn't go out.
Moving arrangements have kept us busy, Opa's house is potentially sold, so Amber moves out to live at Duncan St, and Mouse moves to Mary's 2 1/2 acres and warm house at Otatara.
Tasks here included set up a new "Old Well" so when it goes on fire friends can come and help put it out, mind Mary is a post volunteer firefighter, so we can have our own parties if everyone else is too busy.
Two out of three roosters, headed for the pot, the dogs should enjoy them, as no one else will. We now enjoy the one morning chorus instead of three. 14 Sheep are shorn, 3 cats putting up with each other, and have a need to make a dog run so the floor mops can stay out when we are away. We came home after a ride one day and doggies Bella, Max, and Ben must have decided to save a weeks worth of number 2's up for the occasion. Believe me, it was bad, all in one room there was piles of shitte all across the floor, it was a shitty minefield, impressive, but shitty.
Mary's bees have done a runner so we have taken all the hives down for a clean up and will restart with some new bees. Managed to get through that with only one stinger from a bee returning for a winter feed, I never knew I tasted that good, must be all the honey I eat? (Must get some gloves).
Bought a yellow ride on mower so that saves a lot of time and energy with that chore albeit I look like a large bee going about the place.
Planted a lot of shelter trees around the section, ash, gum, tulip, elm, poplar, kowhai, etc. it remains to see if they will survive the salty sea breeze that we get here. I did survive a 3 point kick from a cow fence, (zapped on the arm, chest, and leg all at once put me on my arse) when passing a tree over it, needless to say more care next time, but I just did.
Dallas nearly about to start talking, we are hoping will have a McKelvie shy- quiet manner, and not the fathers yap to death trait.
Book here www.lulu.com/shop/anony-mouse/the-ultimate-guide-to-fixing-motorcyclists/paperback/product-23717082.html
published, and a second edition 70% completed. Also I have my very own Cookbook currently in the process of being published with help of a good friend.
So, I have been very busy at work .. actual real work,... the rodes have just become busy pre-Easter so will have to put puter aside for a few weeks to sort out those furry little buggers in their annual invasion of the three sites I look after. Recently completed training as an 'approved sea container checker', so now I can officially check inward goods containers as they are devanned, another feather to my hat, if only I could find where I left it.
An Easter Egg Run by GCTB Grover Chasers Touring Bunch a big success with around 60 bikes turn up, so some very happy underprivileged children receiving chocky eggs this weekend.
Steve as usual happily flies the flag...
A few rides on the Moto Guzzi to Riverton, and Te-Anau proving Mary as a dream pillion, apart from leaving half a melted boot on one of my mufflers, and the bike is great for the two of us, should have got it 40 years ago.
A car trip the other day Mary and myself visited old school and teen friend Tony Miller in the Chaslands (ironically he being in the same fire brigade as Mary was so they know each other), friends of Mary's at Tahkopa, and Jeff and Jo in Pukerau, was a great catch up day. A visit to Matua falls on the way at dusk was a first time for Mary who lived in the area for 16 years but was too busy raising Angus beef and children to visit this gem, unfortunately the pics never came out, so you will have to visit yourselves if passing. The road from Otara to Curio Bay is all sealed now so worthy of a detour.
Mary recently walked into a job at a retirement Village as a care giver, she is very happy with the job apart from the shifts which are all over the place, mornings, afternoons, and all- nighters, so some juggling with our routines was needed, but all is good for a very bright time ahead.
Happy Easter All.
September we had a tunnel house blow out in a strong wind, so a replacement was duly arranged and we began planting out our veg garden with tomatoes, asparagus, strawberries,etc. To add we built a large box style outside veg garden and planted that out with spuds, carrots, and more. The section is starting to get our mark on it, we have decided to name it Ballycregagh after the name of the town my Irish forebears hailed from in Antrim Northern Ireland. Although it means 'town of rocks', and sounds better pronounced after a whisky, we don't care, and will add a rockery to the garden one day for the purists.
The three paddocks we have re-fenced into seven so we can organise the stock better. The effluent field planted out with around 90 plants and flowers to keep our bees happy when they arrive. A re-start with these after a break, we cleaned up the old hive gear have joined the Southland Bee Society to help us get back into it, looking forward to some cheap honey next year from our apiary.
Amber got us 8 orphan lambs to hand rear for a box of beer, and they are looking good. The hens are back to laying when the sun comes out, and Spring brings new buds and flowers, and lots of weeds.
An overnighter weekend away at Te-Anau with the GCTouring Bunch and friends with an excursion into Fiordland on the bikes to Milford Sound and a brief look at Camp Gunn before being chased out by the sandflies was a good prep ride for Mary, but we had to do this on the Honda.
Pre- the wedding I had the Moto Guzzi (Italian pronounced Moto - Goozzi aka Kiwi - 'goose' repainted from black/ red to silver, but when I got it back together for wedding pictures it would not run nice.
After finding a very hard to get ECU (computer brain) for it from Holland to fix the issue, it now goes well as ever, and so time for a decent ride. The Tattily Rappet motorcycle Rally (so named after Guzzi's having rattilly tappets) in Motueka had appeal so off we went for Labour Weekend on the silver goose to catch up with a gander of other like minded bikers.
Invercargill to Dunedin up SH One and the East Coast we were blown about the road and although our house is made of bricks we surrendered to the wolf for a night at the Wahemo Motel at Palmerston. Nek day we headed North turning at ST Andrews heading inland to explore the Otaio Gorge and onto Cave for an ice-cream. There is no cave at Cave as far as we know, well that is what we told the van of Orientals looking for it, there is some Maori pre-history paintings in limestone somewhere around there though. From there we travelled to Fairlie turning off to Geraldine, over the Rakaia Gorge, and by passing Christchurch and back to Hiway 1 onto Kaikoura for a night. We stayed at the Alpine Pacific Holiday Park which was very nice and accommodation unlike another place just down the road that turned us away because they had no units ready, bad business, the place was empty, can't like motorcyclists?.
A nice ride from Kaikoura to sunny Blemheim for a burger stop and onto Motueka.
A stop at the seal colony North of Kaikoura.
We decided on arrival to check in with the rally and head over Takaka Hill to Tata Beach where Mary could reminisce as once the family holiday place for family boating, swimming adventures.
Back in time for the prizegiving, an early night albeit wanting to stay and listen to the band.
Early start on Sunday we headed on an awesome ride across the island to Greymouth and avoided rain until we arrived at Hari Hari (just along from Johnny-Johhny?).
There we were blessed with a wicked lightening - thunder storm and very heavy rain. A stop at Bruce Bay a lot chirpier than the last visit, to lay yet another ' wish stone'. On with the wet gear and by the time we reached Haast we were very tired and wet. A visit to Teresa's (Mary's daughter) and family for a nice meal, then back to the Hotel for a night cap and sleep.
At Fantail Falls just past Haast Pass (didn't see any fall when we were there).
Monday the last leg of our journey we had rain to Makarora where we stopped and visited old friends Grant and Nicky's place before a very quiet ride home via Queenstown (stopping for another daughter Marie-Anne visit) and onward home. The road reasonably quiet all weekend albeit full off Police presence but no revenue grabbed from us, only had one foreign motorist stop dead in front of me along the way, that defensive driving course I did back in the 1970's has paid for itself over and over.
Now on annual leave with a few days at Stewart Island booked to keep the floor mops (dogs) wondering what we are up to and then back to the rockface until the Xmas break.
Arivederci.
