We started 2018 with a New Years Day lunch with Marshall and Sandra. Much more civilised than struggling to stay awake until midnight – think this may be a new Mudie tradition!
After the dry December the new year started with rain almost every day for the first week – including a few severe storms in parts of the country coinciding with very high tides causing some coastal flooding. We’re so lucky to live in Pirongia. The mountain protects us from much of the weather.
The girls still love going for rides in the car. In fact they get cross if they don’t go out every day! Ann’s car is constantly in need of vacuuming as you can see.
The girls had their annual check-ups at the beginning of this month (WooFs – Warrant of overall Fitness – as opposed to the WoF – Warrant of Fitness that vehicles have – MoT to all you Brits). Maxie is now on medication for her bladder weakness (she’s getting to be an old lady) and the vet discovered that Honey’s eyelids are slightly turned in so she’s on eye drops for the moment but may need surgery in the future. As usual both girls were very well behaved – they love visiting the vets!
As we’ve had more time to work in the garden over the last twelve months our bonsai are looking the best they have ever been – all trimmed, wired and weeded. Peter has also managed to cut up all the firewood ready for the winter of 2018 (and most of 2019).
Ann made some ice blocks for the girls (made from vege stock). The girls weren’t super excited by them but eventually finished them.
We took a trip into Hamilton one rainy day – to Browsers, a second hand bookshop. Ann found 17 books whilst Peter got a whopping four books.
Ann managed to persuade Peter to spend part of a day in school helping her to set up the classroom, repair the blackout blinds and tidy cupboards.
This year our Japanese Raisin Tree (which produces amazingly weird fruit in autumn) has proved incredibly popular with the local honey bees. Every morning standing underneath the tree all you can hear is the happy hum of hundreds of bees as they drink the nectar.
We took advantage of the sunny weather in week 2 and removed all 19 Venetian blinds and gave them a good clean. Ann also decided to wash all 29 lop eared rabbits (they were very dusty).
Pirongia had a rogue shower towards the end of the month. Our water tank overflowed within 15 minutes of the downpour. The garden and driveway were also flooded for a while.
By the end of the month we were back at the vets with Honey missing another claw! She began to run up and down the driveway ‘chasing’ the dog next door. Unfortunately by the time we managed to stop her (a matter of a minute) she’d lost another claw and there was blood everywhere. The front hall looked like the aftermath of a massacre with blood, kitchen roll, cotton wool balls, bandages and pots of water all over the floor by the time we’d slowed the bleeding enough to get her in the car (which also needed a good clean when we got back home). Honey was not happy! (But then neither were we). Honey has been back to the vets for dressing changes three times so far – with more visits to come. Her paw is healing slowly.
The last week of the month has been very hot – over 30 degrees every day and dropping down to 20 at night. We’ve stopped doing any work outside by lunch time, and just relaxed underneath the air conditioning in the afternoons.