Look at the kittens face, silently begging the chook not to take a bite.
I have been packing. I hauled my silver suitcase out to the barn and weighed it on the feed scales. And I am just under the allowed 50 pounds. So barring any last minute additions (JOKE) I should be ok. Being overweight in the luggage department is a very expensive exercise nowadays. Air New Zealand is very strict and allow us 50 pounds and no bloody more. 
The suitcase hanging from the barn roof looks like a strange sacrifice to the cow gods. 
John purchased a trailer load of scaffolding pipe a while ago from the Surrogate Milkers brother, at cost. An incredible score. So now the fencing work is roaring ahead. This is the first of the gates he has made. He is using all the left over pots of old car paint on them, after the red, there is blue or white. I said no to the pink and yellow!
Oh dear. 
Snap. Bad peahens on the porch again! All the doors were open yesterday, a beautiful day.
Yesterday was quite divine and a perfect day for a meeting between the Kiwi Builder, The Matriarch, The Contractor and the excavator/concrete man. They all argued to and fro determined not to give an inch on their departments high standards. I asked them sweetly to move everything back four feet when it looked like the roofline was going to take out the tree in our sunrise view. So they did. And the little weeping cherry will be carefully dug out by the exavator man, who cannot bear to lose even a young tree. He wandered out into the yard with his orange spray can and decided where he would plant it. So it will have a chance at survival at least. If not I will plant two more in the spring. That is the rule, lose one – plant two.
The Kiwi Builder has given me his NZ grocery order; Chocolate Slabs, Pineapple Lumps and Crunchy Bars. I hope you are going to share, said his boss The Contractor. The Kiwi builder and I looked at each other and laughed. Yeah Right!
They will only lay the foundation concrete next week. In fact basically they will make a really big mess then all sod off and wait for the next thaw to do some more. They have assured me that we will not miss out on much, except a big concreted hole resulting in the total destruction of my front gardens which I would rather not see anyway! All the good plants are already shifted.
Two more sleeps, then California, then on Thursday off to New Zealand, surely it is time to panic.
The Daily View and Daily Temperatures are suspended until Boxing Day because this Farm Blog will soon seamlessly morph into a daily wandering Travel Blog with Food.
You all have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
81 responses to “Please Mrs – Don’t Eat me!”
I hope the weather clears up for your California layover. Not terribly hospitable i’m afraid.
I have two full days there, knowing california it will be ALL the weather .. c
Big rain at the moment (and for the last two days).
When I travel I usually leave a trail of old clothes, shoes, books etc behinfd me to free up space! And I panic that I´m too organised before I go – surely I have forgotten something?!
So exciting out travel adventure is almost here!!! xo
Well done on all the prep work and the packing! So excited for your trip and for the travel blog posts too:)
I guess I can’t stow away in your baggage. Darn! I love New Zealand. I think it one of – if not THE most- loveliest places. And I found the food to be so fresh and lovely and great care taken to present every morsel in its most flattering form. I am excited to take the journey back – even if just through your blog. Safe travels.
Aw, we were not successful in sharing wine and conversation. Perhaps when you return?! Bon Voyage!!!
absolutely, and also when i come back the old codger and i are planning a trip to visit.. c
Ooooo scaffolding pipe – it makes brilliant fruit cages too
Get packing !!
You’d better leave space in the suitcase for the things you are bringing back 😉
when i give out all the stuff I am taking there will be room, i desperately want to bring back a sheepskin for John.. he has never seen a real one! That will take up some room.. c
Maybe you should send the sheepskin, or wear it back 🙂
Have a safe and wonderful trip Cecilia 🙂
Can’t wait for all your travel posts
Just returned yesterday from my sheep farm tour in Australia so all the packing plans sound way too familiar. I managed to squeeze in all the things I bought but had to leave a pair of shoes behind! Happy and safe travels (and, yes, it is pretty rainy here in California right now!). Looking forward to following your adventures in NZ!
Back already!! I want to know all about it, i shall pop over! c
Can’t remember if you have my blog address? Woolyadventures.wordpress.com. The whole two wonderful weeks of sheep farms are on there (well, as much as I could fit in!) let me know what you think. I hope to go to NZ sometime to see the Coloured Sheep there!
thank goodness you came back.. i went off looking and could not find you.. c
I’m so excited. I’m so excited. I'[m singing about Celi’s journey. How wonderful and wise and generous of Celi to take us on this journey. I ‘m so excited….. V.
I sing that song all the time when i am wandering around the farmy.. ! hilarious.. does not surprise me that you do too! c
Marmite … don’t forget the NZ Marmite on the return trip. Post the Sheepskin back – save space. Laura
LOL at the airborne peahen! However did she get off the ground? Hope the chook spared the kitty!
It is happening..let the construction begin! and travel on…
You were in my dream last night, long story short – we were tearful with a man who could not pay his bank employees at Christmas time.. thought was thanksgiving in a Hallmark store…don’t even ask.lol
we were in hallmark, well .. aren’t we a pair, interesting that the bank could not pay their employees.. a bank out of money is a bad thing.. i had a dream that john found a submarine and a hundred dobermans streamed out of it trying to scare me and i said DOWN and they all did! Then the pigs galloped past and told me that i had left the tap on and flooded the house.. ah well.. c
*though it was …