Sprung Spring
Spring is definitely amongst us, with our first spuds through and hoed up. Tulips are looking a picture, and daffodils as well. But some things are a bit out of kilter. I haven’t noticed any clematis, but the bush lawyer is flowering quite well, and it is usually coming out as the clematis fades. Pitosporum is well out on Ulva, and the village ducks are looking extremly crafty as they suss out suitable nest sites. A few days ago we hit 19.8 deg and an overnight of 14.4 deg C. Amazing.
Cold Fronts
The last month or so there have been several cold fronts forecast, and some have dumped considerable rain and snow further north, but most have missed us completely, or at worst a few minor squalls and a a few mm of rain. Iris was remarking on how dry the garden soil is, so the showers we are having now are quite welcome, with 13.4 mm since midnight.
Kowhai Lane Renovations
Still some tidying up to do, and the ship lap timber to paint,
but Kowhai Lane Lodge is looking pretty good
The Team
Kowhai Lane is finally finished (well all but!!) The builders left 3 days ago, and I have finished all the exterior painting…… Had you ever suggested I would paint an entire house I would have laughed at you. So now just tidying up, and plugging all the nail holes in the new window frames and surrounds and then staining and oiling the timber. It looks great, and the double glazing is magic. House was quite cool this morning (central heating is off) when I started work at 0745. A little afternoon sun and Piwakawaka was really warm. I love double glazed windows.
A big vote of thanks to Jeremy and Richard Hamilton and David of Hamilton Bros Builders. We really enjoyed their company …. they had evening meals with us, with David making a large hole in our jars of Tomato Relish
Their work quality is outstanding, and the work site was always neat and tidy. Iris christened them “The Fast Builders”. I have to say I wasn’t looking forward to this project, but it went really well, and no dramas.
A Strange Moth
I’m not much into insects, but this fellow turned up a day ago on our Port Room door. One I had never seen before.
The nearest I got on line was Zebra Lichen Moth
I arrived on Stewart Island in 1969 as Forest Ranger. Since then I've fished commercially both in Fiordland and around Stewart Island then skippered our charter yacht in the same waters, and also down into the Southern Ocean. More recently we now have "Sails Ashore" B&B, and I also guide our guests and others on Ulva Island, introducing them to the natural world of Stewart island