4th - 18th October 2010

Once the builder had gone, we decided to turn our attention from the final finishing off in the house, to the garden and the veggie patch in particular. The weather was warming up and it was prime planting season. We had to sort out the hares, bunnies and pukekos before we had a chance of growing anything for us and so the next plan of attack was a fence. Yes, we know pukekos can fly but they fly very clumsily and usually only to escape so just perhaps this will keep them out. It was a three part affair with some part buried excess roofing iron to stop burrowing animals and plants (the kikuyu grass) ...

... and fortunately Alice was home to lend a hand ...

... then some complicated geometry and posts and wire ...

... and then chicken wire and windnetting. A lot of work and we're still not sure it will keep out all-comers.

We bought a washing line which of course had to be set in concrete ...

... and was awesome on its first outing but then collapsed on its second!! Fortunately it had a 10 year guarantee.

And in between, we made some more progress inside with the pantry, yay ...

... and a specially designed spice rack for the drawer under the hob. The prototype didn't quite work as, Dave explained, 'The bottles were the wrong shape', but the finished article was just perfect. I have a slight suspicion that this not so essential item appeared as Alice had just brought back news of Uncle Tony's amazing spice rack.