Buildlogue #10

Friday 27th and Monday 30th June, Construction Days 8 and 9 respectively. There was more of the same on Thursday afternoon and through the night. Friday morning and we find that we’ve had another 23mm rain overnight, and Saturday morning a further 10mm to add to the bog-like muddy conditions all round. The overflow water tank has also been overflowing into the ground to the point that there’s more muddy water than watery mud!

(Above): More rain on Friday and throughout the evening, causing the stagnant puddles all over to remain over the now-waterlogged substrate. What one might call quite damp.

(Above): The Chartwell daily rainfall for the period 1 to 28 June (in brown) and the cumulative total (in green):  I’m not bellying on about the rainfall because its especially high. On the contrary, the June fall is, in fact, some 15% lower than for the month of May. It is simply a combination of cold temperatures with no wind which means very little evaporation, and most of the June fall happening in the last couple of days of our construction period.

Monday starts off cloudy, but windless and dry. By 9:30, the picture changes and we’re back to Deluge Day. Nevertheless, Builder John and his son arrive followed shortly thereafter by Plumber Happy and his assistant.

The builders get on with completing the foundation shuttering on the north wall of the bedroom and the vertical extensions downwards where required. The plumbers get to work with the 110mm PVC waste piping in the bathroom. 

(Above): Nails: Always eager to learn about new stuff, I chatted to Builder John’s son about his nail gun and, in particular the nails themselves. In this photo is a cartridge of 40 90mm nails (I measure them at 88!). The clip is called a ‘belt’ and the red stuff is a friction-heat adhesive glue which, according to him, makes it extremely difficult to remove the nail after 24 hours in the timber. There are 3000 nails in a box.

Whilst the guys worked in the waterproofs during the steady showers all morning, by 12:00 noon the weather becomes completely uncooperative, causing them to be forced to take breaks under shelter from the heavy downpour. I hear the forecast on the radio, which promises more of the same, with a possible respite tomorrow afternoon.

(Above): The completed waste piping in place in the bathroom labelled 1 (wash-basin), 2 (shower trap), 3 (Bidet), and 4 (Toilet); in the laundry 5 (washing machine).

On a non-construction matter: in fact, a destruction matter.

Because the plumbing activity was so close to the dogs’ quarters, I thought it a good idea to leave them in the conservatory for the short while that plumbing work was done. As soon as the plumber left, guess what I found in the conservatory? Sophie seems to think that Benny did this, while Benny is convinced that Sophie is the culprit…

Jack Humm

Have you ever wondered what a reporter (journalist) does when the news is thin? There is a clear history as to the penalties incurred when you “invent” news, if you’re not super-careful. Today is one of those “thin-news” days in Reikorangi, with a light penetrating on-and-off drizzle, interspersed with the soft rustle of falling autumn poplar leaves.

But who is this Jack Humm character? Apparently, there are three people in the USA with this name. The name Humm in English (of Norman origin) was the nickname from Old French homme ‘man’ (Latin homo), representing an Anglo-Norman translation of German Mann. But, seriously, I doubt whether many people have any knowledge about this guy. It is merely the name of a variety of Crab apple.From the Malus family, there are more than 500 varieties of crab apples.  Popular types include: Jack Humm, Crimson Rod, Red Maroon, Golden Hornet and Barbara Ann.
These trees bloom lavishly in spring, with white, red or pink flowers – depending on the variety. And the fruit itself, which often ‘hangs around’ into the winter months, can provide a bright side to otherwise gloomy days.

The author of this description certainly is correct in his conclusion that the tiny crab apples can provide a sunny face on otherwise gloomy days.

We do not have Jack Humms, I’m not sure which one we have, but I came across a universal recipe for Crab Apple Jelly by (another) Jeanette on her blogpage Living the Good Life on 3 Acres in Nelson.  Maybe next year we will give it a go?

(Above): This morning I pulled on the old gumboots and did the ritual recce of the grounds, looking for dead animals, broken branches and traces of meteors that might have crash-landed under cover of darkness. also to greet and check on Jacko and Beebs at Goat Hill.  As usual, Bennie and Sophie were on my heels, not wanting to miss out on any alien meteors (or perhaps hedgehogs?). The walnut count was down to three and I managed to find half a dozen mature chestnuts among the mass of barren “mule” ones. As noted by the popular authors, the cute little windfall crab apples add a ray of sunshine to the grey overcast sky.

Not that a grey overcast sky doesn’t have an interesting character of its own. In fact, I like grey skies.

Lusi in the Sky without Diamonds

For the last couple of days, we have seen threats of a tropical  cyclone developing North of New Zealand, named Lusi.

©http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-184.92,-34.12,1024

The deadly cyclone is expected to hit northern New Zealand tonight, with the brunt of the storm to be felt across the North Island tomorrow as it tracks southwest just off the coast of the country, before hitting the South Island on Sunday. Severe weather warnings have been issued for Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Nelson and Marlborough.

Northland could expect 80mm-100mm of rain by tomorrow afternoon, MetService said.

At Waikanae we desperately want rain for drinking water. Desperately, but not that desperately that we would want to risk a cyclone. Thank you very much. I would hope that we get the same as Northland, say 80mm, but without the high winds, though. Please.

Wish you were here!

 

Why bother thinking and writing when we can do all this for you? Just put a tick in the appropriate box! Here are a few of the quips on the reverse of the card. © New Zealand Cards.

I’ve found New Zealand to be --
☼ Full of New Zealanders
☼ Full of Tourists
☼ Full of Sheep
☼ Full of Problems
☼ Very Nice
☼ All of the above

The country is --
☼ Small, green and wet
☼ Underneath the World
☼ Underneath Australia
☼ Sunny?
☼ Most of the above

The scenery is --
☼ Amazing
☼ Quite nice
☼ Wet
☼ Difficult to see through the rain
☼ Covered with sandflies
☼ Some of the above

I’m glad the place is --
☼ Small
☼ Cheap
☼ Friendly
☼ Conservative
☼ Sold
☼ One or two od the above

I wish I was --
☼ Back home
☼ Rich
☼ Dry
☼ Famous
☼ Drunk
☼ Staying longer
☼ All of the above