Some young ladies from Dannevirke visit
On Friday we welcomed the arrival of some young ladies from Dannevirke, in the Hawke's Bay. They were a small herd of dairy heifers...
What is at the root of our most serious environmental problems?
I have been reading Max Harris' much acclaimed book The New Zealand Project (BWB Books, 2017). Harris believes that to face the major...
A good day for rainbows
Quite apart from being the day my long-awaited writing studio arrived (all the way over the ranges from the Hawke's Bay) - it was an...
The joy of chooks
As part of our transition to country life our plan is to ease into livestock rearing by starting with the most user-friendly animals -...
Vignettes from country life: the dead reindeer phenomenon
I have discovered that living in the country can lead to some interesting conversations. The smallholder that lives next to us raises...
'Playing god' - 1837 and 2017
Decisions made by men more than a century and a half ago led to me facing an unpleasant ethical dilemma a few days ago. That is, should I...
Autumn in the Pohangina Valley
It was mid-autumn when we moved to our new home in the Pohangina Valley, and the valley has been ablaze with autumn colour - one of the...
Life changes
About three weeks ago my family and I made a very big life change. We moved from comfortable, convenient, leafy suburbia on the Kapiti...
Did you know moreporks mewed?
I woke up with the rain gurgling down the guttering at 5:30am this morning, made myself my customary morning coffee and sat down to do...
Oases of nature created by unsung restoration heroes
Our communities are much the richer thanks to the tireless efforts of volunteers who spend many hours - week in and week out - restoring...
