Peaches

I love Peaches with all my heart but there's no denying the cat has a huge problem with flatulence. Imagine my horror then to wake up the other morning and find she'd moved position from sleeping halfway down the bed to my pillow. The first I knew about it was when I turned over and found my face buried into a hairy posterior.

Last night I put Mishka out for the last time at about 9.30pm and was trying to entice Demelza into the cottage when Peach ran outside. I always try to keep her in at night so felt quite sick to the stomach at the thought of trying to catch her. Finally I went out with a box of cat biscuits and by rigorously shaking them managed to get within grabbing distance. Of course she knew what I was about and darted away at the last minute plus Demelza decided to pick a fight so every time Peaches came near me. Finally I went down the driveway and as she went to dash past made a running grab at her tail. Realizing the gig was up Peaches didn't put up much of a fight as I brought her inside.

Then of course Demelza didn't want to come inside as she was certain her nemesis was still roaming around in the dark. I finally caught her by scattering dried biscuits up into the house. Not a good way to find sleep so I read till 10.45pm.

The weather has cooled down slightly with misty drizzly days. Makes it easier on the rest of the animals and I'm not so exhausted either. Only two months till I have to move now. Rang one place out at Maraetotara and the landlady said there was no grazing with the cottage. Had just hung up from her when the phone rang and it was the lady who owns the jack Briar went to visit two years ago. I had left a message asking her to keep her ear to the ground about a rental. She hadn't heard of anywhere but told me she's staying in Wellington over the winter and I could mind her property for six months from the end of April. She is way way out in the countryside and of course I'll have to put my possessions in storage but at least it's somewhere to live. She said if I was willing to look after her animals we would come to some sort of arrangement.

The following day a woman rang from west of Hastings after seeing my advert in the Thursday Trader. She had a cottage to rent but my mentioning my cats and the dog seemed to curb her enthusiasm as she's had bad experiences with previous tenants' animals. I did assure her that Mishka is not a sheep killer but that didn't seem to help. She said she had other tenants to review and she'd keep my details but I won't hold my breath. A real estate agent I know is marketing a place outside Hastings at the moment and said she'll ask the eventual buyer if they'd consider renting it out so that's another option. Also John has spoken to farming friends of his who have their finger on the pulse out at Puketapu. The whole summer feels taken up by the worry of finding somewhere to live and trying to convince total strangers to trust that I would look after their property.

Melting

It's sweltering hot here at the moment. Monday the TV weather stated it was 34oC but friends reported it as being 40oC (100oF) at their place. It is a worry with the rabbits as some are in full coat although I have been working to remove fibre to cool them. Cadbury was especially stressed so I threw a container of ice into his cage for him to lie against although he seemed to enjoy pushing it around instead of resting.

Darren the farrier came out at 10am that same hot day. He had actually been here the week before but Briar had just been been moved with the horses into the back hill paddock and although he spent 30 minutes up there looking for her there was no sign and no one was home at the homestead to tell me where she was. Fortunately he didn't charge me for wasting his time but told me to ring him when she came back down.

Darren was very pleased with the state of Briar's hooves but I guess this hot dry weather really suits her since she is a desert animal. After he finished trimming her hooves we sat out front talking for an hour while he had his usual mug of coffee. Very interesting to hear all the goings on in the horse world. It's hard to believe that these photos of Briar were taken by a friend on the 23rd December as within a week that lovely green grass had turned to brown straw. Many of the poplar trees are turning yellow from stress as it's been ages since we had decent rain.

Over the weekend I was trying to finish some spinning for The Shearing Shed when my spinning wheel broke. Well to be strictly technical it was the green thingy that connects the stick thingy to the treadle thingy. After searching the net I discovered it was called a Conrod Joint. A quick search on Trademe turned up someone who sells spinning wheel accessories and I managed to pick up a new one from this person for $1.50! One of the fastest trades I ever had too so now just have to wait till the joint arrives so I can spend an enjoyable time swearing while trying to attach it.

All quiet on the house hunting at the moment. A week ago I got keen on a place I heard of out at Crownthorpe but the landlady wouldn't even let me look at the cottage as she didn't want a tenant with animals (I had the distinct feeling though she really didn't want a single female living on her farm). Last night a man rang from Kahurangaki saying his wife had left him to live in Gisborne so he was looking for someone to board with him on his ten acres. Ummm noooo thanks. Meanwhile I do some sorting each day, throwing out alot of the dross I tend to hoard so that I won't have so much to do when a place does come up. It's a very nervewracking time.

Fiber Femmes Geek questionnaire

Check out Fiber Femmes website. It is a real treasure trove of information!


1. Do you raise fiber, animals or plant, or are a fiber user only? If you raise animals/plants...what do you raise?

I have kept angora rabbits for twenty years. Would love to expand my fibre animals to sheep or an alpaca but finances dictate no at the moment.

2. What's your favorite fiber & why? Which fiber do you like the least & why?

Angora is my favourite fibre as it is so silky and soft. I haven't found a fibre I dislike using because I haven't really explored all the possibilities.

3. What's your worst habit relating to your fiber?

I keep buying in more fleeces than I can possible spin and they sit in the corner of the spare room looking reproachful.

4. In what ways does your fiber habit make you a better person?

I think working with natural fibres makes you more aware of nature and the environment. Also just sitting spinning calms the spirit.

5. How would your life be different if you had to give up fiber?

It would be quite depressing and a bit purposeless.

6. What tools, yarns, books or gadgets can't you live without?

My traveler spinning wheel is the most important piece of equipment I own.

7. What was your first fiber project?

I remember my mother teaching me to knit a scarf when I was a small child. Like Topsy it "growed" into this long ratty bottle green and orange monstrosity.

8. Do you have any fiber mentors? Who are they and why?

My sister Carolyn who taught me to spin and also Heather Kearins of The Shearing Shed in Waitomo.

9. Are you a member of any guilds? If so, which one(s)?

I belong to Creative Fibre (a national group of spinners and weavers) here in NZ.

10. What's the most exciting fiber project you've undertaken?

I want to take up knitting again which will mean going back to basics as it's been so long since I last held a pair of needles. So the most exciting project is the one I am yet to undertake.

11. How many people have you mentored? In which fiber arts?

None- I do however try to educate people to be less afraid to use angora. It's had such a bad rap here in New Zealand because a lot of substandard fibre has been sold.

12. Do you consider fiber crafts to be functional or artistic?

Both.

13. What, mainly, do you make? Do you keep, or give away, most of your projects?

I mainly spin yarn for sale.

14. Are fiber crafts an avocation or vocation for you?

It's strange but had it not been for my rabbits I would never have thought of learning to spin. However I guess the crafts have become a vocation and I genuinely want to improve at what I do.

15. How many people are you committed to being a mentor for in 2007?

I wouldn't be so cheeky to suggest I could mentor anyone as I really know so little!

Notice To Leave

This morning I found a website listing all the schools in Hawkes Bay with their email addresses so I contacted seven and asked if they have a newsletter and allow outside advertising explaining that I need a rural rental. Despite the fact that it's the school holidays I had one reply from Puketapu School affirming that they do publish an occasional newsletter and allow adverts as well as suggesting I send a notice to the local country store. Felt on top of things and went outside and collected my empty pots ready to propagate cuttings from my garden when friend John turned up with a ute full of boxes and packaging so I will begin packing stuff I don't use often.

After he'd left my landlord arrived and gave me official notice to leave by the 31st March as well as a good reference so hopefully this will impress a prospective landlord.

Tuis

There have been a couple of tuis in the garden this week feasting from the flowering flax bushes. My grandfather used to call them by their nickname of The Parsonbird for the white feathers adorning their throat. Their beautiful throaty warble is so lovely to listen to and if you're good at whistling a tune (which I'm not) you can have a bit of fun with them as they'll try and imitate you.

It is now a week since Muggles died and there have been no deaths amongst the other animals so it seems it was nothing contagious. When I think of how he looked at the end I am now convinced that he died in his sleep. I miss having him running around the place although the cats seem relieved to not have him pushing them off their pieces of toast at breakfast time.

With the changeable weather I have been spending time inside catching up on projects. I have also been trying to do more spinning and completed a couple of skeins for The Shearing Shed this week. Did get excited about a potential rental but it turned out to be only short term so had to let it go. It was a real shame as it was in an area I like and was much closer to family and friends. I hope this year brings me positive changes as all this uncertainty is very stressful.