And so the long hot summer wears on

Mid-January, or nearly, and it's been blisteringly hot. Wonderful weather for swimming and lazing about, but getting pretty dry in local gardens and farms. However, everything and everyone continues to thrive at The Old Forgery and in spite of the heat, we now have the beginnings of sleeper steps and general entrance area at the front door, and a beautiful brick herb garden outside the kitchen windows, thanks to Keith's diligence and know-how.

And while we're continuing to think and plan, and changing our minds every couple of days about what to put where, when and how, we're mostly taking a slowly slowly attitude to things and just enjoying the place, riding our bikes, ducking out for a swim now and then, and getting really grounded in our new life. It's been nearly three months since the big move, but our old Christchurch life seems far, far away, much further back than October. We're enjoying our new front paddock neighbours, too, as the pictures testify. Although we miss the December deer, these new beasts are quite curious about us, and the cats, and come for a look-see every evening, snacking on the boundary trees as they eye us up. Hope they stay around for a while.

PS: We're now eating our own courgettes, lettuces and herbs, with tomatoes coming along fast, and sometimes actually picking our own roses. Yay!

Happy New Year - it's 2009 at last!

So here we are, on Sunday January 4 of the new year, and it's almost a year since work started on The Old Forgery. (In fact, the builders started in the third week of January 2008.) The place suits our needs perfectly, the house only needs a few finishing touches to make it complete, and everything in the garden is growing like crazy. No official holiday for us, as we're happy pottering around here finishing things around house, garden, garage and workshop, and the weather is lovely. Whenever we feel like a break, we schmooze into Geraldine for a bit of a shop and a stroll, with lots of holiday-makers, I might add, or hive off to the river for a swim and a laze.

Christmas Day went with a swing, with 24 for lunch and afters, and the house coped well with those numbers - plenty of room, and a quiet village road for street cricket in the evening. New Year was also fun, with a barbeque and bubbles (and an endless parade of dogs) in the local domain, followed by a party just up the road. A beautiful evening, both weather- and people-wise.

And now ... here we are, really enjoying life and with lots on the go for 2009. Very best wishes to everyone for a happy, healthy year ahead.

Mid-December report, and all's very well indeed

As Christmas looms ever closer, we can report an emerald lawn, healthy vegetables and trees, a house that's all but perfect for our needs, and very happy cats (with twice their city appetites, but that's another story). The garden is taking shape so fast we can't keep up with it. Things grow very well, and amazingly quickly, which means we've had to mow the 'lawn' three times, and that's before it's been rolled. Predominant colour is a rich green, and everything we've planted - from tomato plants to big trees - is growing luxuriantly. Great climate down here.

Still a couple of minor things to finish re the house - lights, one interior wall of paint, the exterior board and batten oil protection paint (which may be a big job in the NY) and so on, but nothing we can't cope with. The Old Forgery is proving a lovely house to be and entertain in, so more than living up to our expectations as a great place to live, work and play in, and this part of the country is also proving to be perfect for us and the way we like to spend our days and evenings. Lots of happy guests recently, and very enjoyable times being had by all. Long may it last, and a Merry Christmas and excellent, happy and healthy New Year to all of you who read and enjoy this blog.

I plan to finish the blog in January, late, about the time I started it, so the big Year of the House will come to a natural conclusion in about six weeks' time. Keep an eye out for the last couple of postings, and please, email comments etc to this site so I know you're in the picture.

The Old Forgery turns green and shows its true colours

Friday November 28, a beautiful, warm, still spring day. We have a lush lawn (pictures a few days old) and healthy plants, thanks to relentless watering and good organic compost. Plus a lot of hard work from both Keith and me. Muscles ache every evening but we're both feeling fit and certainly not complaining as the garden and general section area take real shape and direction. Roses, hedges, a bunch of grasses, potted geraniums, and a healthy raised vegetable bed are the latest additions, each adding a shape, colour, definition to exits and entrances.

Cats excelling themselves in hunting and sleeping (the perfect cat CV) and as for us, heading into late spring, and what is likely to be a long hot summer, keeping up the greenery and shade is a must. Fortunately things are growing really well here, and next week, the lawn will be rolled, after which we'll be able to do the first mow. Terribly exciting, also because after that we can get going on trees, sleepers and general structural ideas for the front door area. But after being here a mere five weeks today, we aren't complaining about the rate of progress. Quite the opposite.

Lawns, garden on the go, and happy cats

Today is Thursday, November 20, and everything is lovely in the garden. Well, it will be. We have a thin sheen of green where the lawn was sown, in what seems like record time. Daily waterings and helpful growing weather have helped the seed to strike, so we should be able to get it rolled and ready for Christmas. Thanks to the underground irrigation with the Biolytix septic tank system, there's a crop circles effect in the tender greensward - no doubt that'll disappear as the lawn gets established and a more completely natural appearance takes over.

We've also been busy planting hedges, magnolia trees and the odd other shrub and bush as we get more confident with how the section looks, and how we use it. So far, very happy with what we've achieved, and I certainly had no idea how much fun getting a garden sorted, from scratch, actually is. Not having been a mad gardener, I'm delighted with how much fun it is, and although it's certainly hard physical work, it's also very rewarding and enjoyable. Another unexpected bonus in the great Woodbury move.

The cats are in seventh heaven - have all taken to country life and the boys are out roaming far and wide on a daily basis. Blossom prefers to follow the sun around the upstairs rooms, but most importantly for us, they are all, obviously, extremely happy animals. Spike has so far been chased back home (ie out of other people's properties) by tiny dogs, big cats, deer, and the odd sheep (who only wants a playmate, I'm quite sure). He's also taken to hunting for skinks, the tiny lizards that live in the long grassy verges, and bringing them into the house for approval.

The fire works a treat. We've had a couple of pretty cool nights, so in goes a bit of wood and we light up the Lady Kitchener for a long, slow burn. Also tops up the hot water, thanks to the wetback, so we still haven't had to turn the power on to the hot water cylinder.

Finishing touches only as far as the house itself goes: paint touchups, lights, electronic data and other bits and pieces for the electrician, and the layer of bluestone on the front porch. So far, so very good - and best of all, we really are enjoying living here. It's a great life.

And now for something completely different - landscaping

We've been here for about two-and-a-half weeks (today is Tuesday 11 November) and things have been moving fast. Carpets are down, fireplace is going in today, and pictures are propped against walls ready for hanging day. But also, and amazingly rapidly, the section has been levelled, cleared, topsoiled and readied for lawn planting. Between them, two hard-working men have given us a driveway and sown a lawn, in just two days. Fantastic. I just love watching men at work - one of my favourite past-times.

Living here is even better than we'd dared hope, which is saying something. The days are just packed, and even though there are still a couple of tiny teething problems (a loo that over-runs, no matter what anyone does, and a leaking seal on the water tank, being replaced today) the house functions very well. Keith has been alternating happily between office/head work, and physical exertion, carting rocks, chopping wood, continuing work on the garage, putting up a real clothesline, and so on. I've been running thither and yon, helping, hindering, overseeing, feeding, washing, providing smoko and generally trying not to get in the way ... too much. But so much to decide! We're both fitter than before, not least because of all the running up and down the stairs we do - haven't lived in a house with stairs for a very long time.

The cats came home four days ago and have settled in beautifully. Blossom all but wept when she recognised me and has stayed close and purring ever since. George instantly flounced and rolled around house and section, and goes off exploring the entire neighbourhood, returning when he's had enough, through the deer paddock. Spike is now being just as brave, doing lots of local noseying around but definitely not sure about the sheep ... lots of checking them out from odd angles around the house. It's a joy to have them again and they help make the house a home.

We'll still have tradesmen around for a week or two as finishing touches get seen to - final paving and sealing of bluestone, bathroom fixtures to be finalised, electricians to do end jobs, all joinery to be checked and adjusted, and so on. But all good, and cannot believe how much has been done in such a seemingly short time. Roll on Christmas.