The Farm

Kia Ora!

The farm chapter begins...Greg and Rachel Hart run a sheep and cattle farm on Mangarara Road in Otane, Hawkes Bay. (I think I included the link in one of my first posts.) They are great people: very kind-hearted and family focused. They have three children: George turns five in November and Emma and Bill, the twins, are 3. They have a cat (Atticus - who I found on the Hart's kitchen floor this morning devouring a baby bunny he caught) and a dog (Oakey - which sounds like Pokey!) I have my own little cabin near the house, with a view of the lake on which they are situated. (And I can kayak on the lake.) It's great to have my very own space! The cabin has a porch with 3 doors: one leads to the bedroom, one leads to a room with a sink and shower, and one leads to the toilet. If you take away the built shelving and toilet seat, the toilet is basically a bucket. I cover my "business" with saw dust and empty it every few days. Or I can go up to the house and use their washroom. During the mornings and afternoons, I can hear the sheep baa-aaah-ing like crazy! I think it's mostly mothers calling to their lambs, and vice versa. They all have different pitches and sounds - one sounds like what I imagine Fozzie Bear would sound like if he was a sheep.
The weather has been beautiful: lots of sunshine. I arrived on a Sunday afternoon. My first day of "work" on Monday was a little out of sorts since it was a holiday here - Labour Day. And a bit of sneezing began. It wasn't too bad. Thought it might have been hayfever or slight allergies to my new surroundings. I should know better by now. The kids had been sick, and we all know how kids are with their germs... I got up Tuesday morning and my nose was running like a tap. I fed the calves their breakfast (Plum and Blossom), helped Rachel with a few household chores, and then we went to run some errands and do some visiting. My runny nose didn't improve, and my energy level was quickly being sapped so we stopped at a pharmacy. I was pretty much down and out on Wednesday. I started out intending to work at least the four hours a day to cover my bed and meals - it didn't sound like much - but at their suggestion I decided to take a break and ended up sleeping off and on for the whole afternoon. I was so glad to have the rest but I couldn't help feeling a little guilty - I had just barely arrived. Felt like I was making a lousy first impression! But they were great about it. I felt much better on Thursday (although Mom still didn't like the sound of my cough) so I'm working pretty full days now. They're hosting a huge children's triathlon on the farm tomorrow and there's a ton of work to do in preparation, including tidying up the grounds.
So the deal is, I work four hours a day to pay for my accomodations and meals here. Not a bad deal! And I get paid for any hours I work beyond that (or it goes towards extra stuff they may have picked up for me, like stuff at the pharmacy or farm clothes I may need, etc.) They need the extra hours at present because of the triathlon. Every day, I take milk to the calves at breakfast and dinner, help Rachel with any necessary household chores, help Greg with any farm tasks he sets me to, and then I usually help Rachel with supper and clean up afterwards.

So what types of tasks? Well! Once the calves were fed Thursday morning and a few household chores were done, I shovelled horse poop for most of the day. Yes, horse poop! The section of pasture in which Roxie, the horse, occupies is needed for the triathlon so I had to clear it all away - 10 WHEELBARROWS FULL! Are you laughing? Gives the term "sh*t job" a whole new meaning! My cold turned out to be a blessing in disguise - I couldn't smell it through my stuffy nose. Greg came to get me part way through the morning for a change of pace: we went thistle hacking. Thistle is hated by farmers; it takes up space where grass could be growing for the sheep and cattle. It's pretty tough stuff! Once the section we were working in was cleared, we broke for lunch, after which I headed back out to finish my job in Roxie's paddock. It was a long day!
Today was no easier: weeding several gardens, ripping out tall grass growing against fences, vacuuming and washing floors... I'm enjoying that it's work during which I can just let my mind wander and think about what I want, but it's hard on the body. Between these last two days, my back and shoulders are pretty tight.
And speaking of today - HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Did anyone carve a pumpkin or eat roasted pumpkin seeds and think of me? Misty asked me before I left NS to carve a kiwifruit since it's not pumpkin season here right now. I did - and I have pictures to upload of the kiwifruits, and of the cabin, the lake, the calves...but I'm on a dial-up connection. I can't get it to upload tonight. I'll try again another night - keep your fingers crossed!

Holly