I have always been joking and saying that summer starts on the the 25th of December. In all seriousness, in most years the weather has been pretty dull and grey up until Christmas. This year, the nice, hot weather started already mid November and by now, we had no rain for 5 weeks and all local water carriers are booked out until end of January.
While I had some doubts that Jolan would really be looking after the little ducks, I have to say that she really lives up to it. Every day she gets the little - well, not so little any more now - ducks out of the night quartier out into the chook house and run. She cleans the container and feeds them and clean up after them. That's dedication at work.
If you read chapter 1, then you know about the ducklings that we hatched out of an incubator.
While lot 2 is now in the making, the little ducks have grown bigger and since Jolan has been looking after then so well, they seem to recognise her as their mother duck.
Every year our daughter's school holds an agricultural day, where the children have to raise a farm animal and show it at school. Jolan has created a video diary about her calf Agnes. I think she's done an awesome job with her idea, have a look and enjoy 
. You'll be in for a laugh.
Another sad day on the farm.
Shortly after we had the first ducklings hatching, sadly our cat Cheetah was run over by a car on the road. We found her with open eyes dead in the middle of Taylor Road. In the short time that she was with us, we loved her with all her odd personality and slight grumpiness. But she never scratched or bit anybody, always been a well behaved girl. We will be missing her dearly.
Ever since we went to the Kumeu Showgrounds poultry show, a certain someone in our family wanted ducks.
We finally organised some duck eggs and got some more from a local lady whose ducks had been laying frantically.
Meanwhile we bought an incubator. Should you ever go down the same road, please invest a bit more into a better incubator, the first one that arrived here did not even make it in one piece here.
Equipped with incubator and 20 duck eggs, we set out to start. A month later we were rewarded with the first duckling hatching.
Video: Our new calfies Agnes Moo, Abigail Nosy Moo and Angela Moo just arrived last weekend. Agnes has been scouring for the past two days and gets some special care. That day we had a hail storm coming up outside....
May I introduce our newcomer calves:
Our new babies 
❤ Agnes Moo, Abigail Nosy Moo and Angela Moo.
I cannot recall when I walked across grass without that squishing sound of water and soggy ground underneath my shoes. Feels like ages ago. But then there is hope: Such a lovely day today, pity that I had to spend most of it in the office. But now it's time to get outside and get some work done before sunset.
Tatjana took a lovely picture this morning and it's too cool not to share it. Makes you appreciate nature and our lovely spot again. And another example that mornings can be very special and energizing, even though Tatjana would not agree on that one. PS: Only after 10am.