torsdag 30 oktober 2014

Overgrown garden and "Big scary dinosaur"

Friday I helped Ashely preparing horses for Sunday's race, we rode on Divo and Starbow to feel so they felt strong and they did! Then it was time to give them a beauty bath, wash legs and tail and make them shine! Shantalle joined us and we took three other horses for a training ride. 


This time the race was just a 2 hour car ride from the house, so sunday morning I took the kids with me on a road trip to visit the race area! On the way we passed this place were someone makes sculptures from drift wood, this was so amazing to see and the kids loved it! or at least Lauchlan did, Sacha was scared of the animals so she stayed in the car while Lauchlan and I went out and had a look. We saw a big Dinosaur, ostrich, deer and a horse. We also stopped to see the Raurimu Spiral, a single-track railway spiral that was build because the terrain was to steep for a train to climb.

When we arrived to the race area had Clay and Ash already finished their 40km race. Shantalle did 80km and were still out on here last loop.  Im still learning the rules but when you do a 40km, you ride 2x20km without a break and after you do a vet check. But when you ride a 80km, you ride 2x30km and then 1x20km, you have a 40min break between every loop and vet check. Vet check means your horse heart rate cant be over 65, if its over you are disqualified and you also have to pass a trot up. There is different levels on horses and riders; Novice, Intermediate, Open and FEI and Im still learning about this.

The rest of the week have been very calm here, the kids have been sick and it have been raining a lot, so we have mostly been inside. Shantalle took the kids to the doctor Tuesday morning so I helped out with the docking. Im not coughing anymore so I hope that I get to stay healthy this time! My ribs were starting to feel better and I can sleep without pain from them. But today in the car down to Ohakune I coughed and I heard something crack and break. It hurt so much and I had to stop the car and open the door to not faint. So I guess I have to endure my painful ribs for a while longer...

Me and the kids have a mission, to fix our greenhouse and start planting and growing potatoes, vegetables and other goodies. I will update you with this but we have some work to do before we can start planting! So if you have some awesome gardening advice, please do not hesitate to give them to me! I think I will need them!






torsdag 23 oktober 2014

Hard working = Muscle soreness!

Like I told you last week it's docking time at the farm, we have been docking about 300-500 lambs a day! My station is to lift the lambs up and then vaccinate them. I got a little curious about how much you lift during docking, and if I do 300 lambs a day, I lift about 6 tons of lambs!! No wonder you get tired after a while. So I'm glad that Clay can replace me when I need a break. The kids loves to be around during docking, especially Sacha she is usually in the sheepfold with me and helping by choosing the lambs she wants me to lift up next. Sometimes she even lifts them up if they are small baby lambs.



Last friday we had a cross country run in school! Sacha was probably the youngest there so she ran the level 1 with the 5 year old kids. there were about 200 kids from schools around in the area. Sacha came some were in the middle of all the kids that ran level 1. She did so good and I am really proud of her! She was a little upset that only the winner of each level received a medal and not her. But there is nothing an ice cream can't fix.


Me and the kids took a trip to Whanganui saturday morning, because their daddy, that I never meet, finally had some time to see his kids! So I got a day in Whanganui to do some shopping and went to the movies. I saw the movie "Let's be Cops", it was a long time ago I laughed so much at a movie!
Before it was time to pick up the kids, I filled my little Mazda with groceries from the supermarket. Shantalle and Ashely always pre-order online so I can just pick it up.  One of the things that was on the list were 35 long life milk cartons, the car was pretty full!

I have been riding almost every day this week! I have been riding out by my self on Zurim and it is an absolutely incredible feeling to just let everything go for a moment and it's just me, Zurim and this beautiful landscape filled with sheep. We have so much to explore together!




Yesterday the reggae artist Pa Pa Flava came to visit the kids in School! A very inspiring day for all of us. They had a lot of good questions for him and they performed together. The children danced and sang some of their native songs for him and he came up with some new beats for them.

Today I decided to go to the Waitonga Falls. I packed my backpack and after I left the kids at daycare I drove up to Mount Ruapehu. It was an "easy" walk to the falls, a bit steep but a very well-made path to walk on. The Waitonga Falls is 39m high a very beautiful waterfall. I jumped on the small rocks over the gushing river to get to the other side. Im very happy I did because then I saw the falls even better. I climbed up on the biggest rock I could find and I just sat there, enjoyed the beautiful view and ate my apple. It was a very peaceful area and I meet 12 other hikers during my hike.








torsdag 16 oktober 2014

New born foal, docking time and Im coughing again..!

Thursday 16th October


It took me about 5 weeks to get rid of my cough, I had one week when I actually started too feel like my self and then the kids got a cold and of course I got it too... so now Im coughing again! This time I lost my voice and I think I coughed one of my ribs of or something because it hurts like hell! Lauchlan got an ear infection so the last one and a half week have been kind of calm, we been home at the farm having picnics in the sun, painting and making our own toys!


When I woke up one morning, it was a beautiful morning with a clear blue sky and you could see all the clouds covering everything under our house. Even the house were the kids live was in the clouds. So I can now say that I have touched a cloud! ;)


October 7th was Clays birthday, but he insists that it's not called birthday when you are hatched from an egg. So of course me and the kids baked an suiting cake for him!


Last weekend it was time for another horse race, 80km for Shantalle and Ashely and 40km for Clay and Ash. But last friday Summer, one of the horses, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Kahuna Alpha ME, and she got some complications after the foaling. So Ashely and Ash decided to stay home because the vet had to do some visits. She is now feeling fine and is enjoying the beautiful weather with her baby Alpha.
Shantalle and Clay went to the race, so me and the kiddies had a sleepover. This time Lauchlan stayed awake so all
three of us could Skype with my parents and even my brother. The Horse race went very good for both Shantalle and Clay they qualified!

School started this monday and it was nice to see all the kids and teachers again after the holidays. Sacha had a great first day, but Lauchlan was a little shy in the beginning. Two weeks is like a lifetime for a two year old!;) When we came back yesterday to school he was as happy as always!
They have started to do some gardening in school and next week they are going to start planting all sorts of vegetables, Sacha loves it!
Tomorrow, Friday 17th, it's the school Trail running day. About 200 kids from schools in the area will participate. There is going to be three different levels on the trails and Sacha is going to run the level 1. We did a try run yesterday and she was awesome! she finished first on the level 1 trail and of all the 9 kids she was third over the finish line! Of course Lauchlan wanted to run so I ran with him. some part I had to carry him but then he ran himself.
Sacha is really exited for tomorrow so keep your fingers crossed for her!

Docking time is starting at the farm and yesterday when we came home from school they had brought home about 200 sheep and lambs. Docking time is when all the lambs get their vaccinations, ear marks and tail cut. I got to help with one of the vaccinations that you give them in their mouth. Their is about 6000 sheep on the farm and average all have at least on lamb, so we have a few left..! This is a new experience for me and Im so happy that I get the chance to be a part of this!  

   

lördag 4 oktober 2014

It's snowing on my palmtrees

I woke up this morning of the children screaming just outside my hotel window, they screamed of happiness!
"It's snowing, It's snowing"
When I got up from my bed I looked out through the window, and yes 10 new centimeters of snow lay like a blanket on the ground. It's just to bad that this is my last day of, because if they open the ski area tomorrow it's going to be awesome skiing! I had planned to go skiing these three days, but I only got to ski one. Because of the strong winds and snowfall the two last days everything have been closed. I did get to try the new 2015 Solomon Q98 ski, and a really liked it!



The skiing area Whakapapa is located on Mount Ruapehu 2797m, this is an active volcano. The highest point you can reach by using the ski lift is 2320m then you have to hike. If you compared the slopes in Whakapapa with Åre, Sweden I must say that Åre wins! But it's so beautiful here and the terrain is so different. If you have the chance to come here, do it! I stayed at the Park Hotel Ruapehu, a very cosy hotel with good standard and very good food in the resturant. just a 20 minutes drive up to the ski area.  


Last weekend me and the kiddies had a sleep over down at their house when Shantalle, Clay and Ashely x2 went with four of the horses on a 40km race. We had a lot of fun taking care of the farm! Me and Sacha skyped with my wonderful parents that was up in Åre and moved out all my stuff from my apartment, THANK YOU for the help!<3 And thanks to Matilda and Lauri that helped!

The race went really good! Shantalle got first place in front of Ashely who got second place, Ash qualified so he can now ride in longer race. Clay had to retire as Zurim bruised his heel.

This week and next is School holidays, so no school for Sacha. Instead we enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather an had a lot of picnics and smaller hikes. Im starting to understand that the ozone layer is considerably thinner here and that your skin burns quickly if you do not use sunscreen. Clay told me that in summer time the burning time without sunscreen is about 11 minutes!! Thats crazy.

As Im writing this, I am sitting in the hotel bar in the National Park Village looking out of the window, it has stopped snowing now and the roads is starting to clear up. It's time for me to get on the road.
Im thinking to go to Whanganui to the cinema there before it's time to head back to the house again.