Canterbury

Every year here in the Hurunui District, there is a ban on open fires in the summer. This year, the ban wasn’t lifted until early May, because we were so dry. As soon as the ban was lifted, the boys wanted to burn the brush pile they’d been accumulating since November! One afternoon when there was no wind, I let them.

For safety’s sake, they strung a hose out to the pile and got the pump going. This is Mr. Intellectual, Mr. Imagination, and Mr. Inventor.

Mr. Handyman watching the flames.

I took Little Miss out to see the fire.

Esther’s camera caught this interesting effect—Mr. Handyman through the heat haze.

Mr. Inventor’s birds didn’t seem too worried, and neither did the cat (on a post in the center).

When I went back in the house, Mr. Handyman took Little Miss so she could keep watching.

The fireman on duty! It was a good thing that he had the hose; the flames caught in the dry grass several times.

I finally looked at the May pictures on Esther’s memory card. As always, she had some good ones! These are from one day when she walked around with her brothers. This is Mr. Sweetie in the hay. It is unposed; he just popped up when she was looking at the hay!

Mr. Intellectual in the hay.

Mr. Diligence, Mr. Sweetie, Mr. Inventor and Mr. Intellectual salvaging things from the junk pile.

Mr. Inventor building something with stuff from the junk pile. I think it was a support for a hut made out of hay. The hay shed, which he is sitting in, is an old semi trailer. It was wrecked along the Kaikoura coast, and laid over on its side. When it was dragged off the road the side was messed up beyond repair. Our landlord collects junk like that; he always planned to take the axles out from  under this trailer and set it down for a hay shed. He never got that accomplished, but we’re using it for hay up in the air. That keeps the animals out!

There are two creeks on this property. One is between the house and the road; the other is at the back, where this row of grass is.

This is Mr. Sweetie, Mr. Diligence, and Mr. Imagination beside the creek.

Mr. Imagination in front of a cabbage tree.

Mr. Sweetie, Mr. Intellectual, Mr. Imagination, and Mr. Diligence on the bridge. Gayle and the boys found this old gate, and put it in place so the cows could cross the creek to graze on the other side.

Our landlords lived here for 17 years and never saw this “pond” dry up. This was a dry year. Since this photo was taken, the boys pumped some water out of our underground overflow tank and refilled the pond. The waterfowl are happy again!