Repairs to the Concrete Piles Under the House.

For a long time I have been concerned about the piles under the house. Several years ago when someone wanted to buy the house we decided that if we could get a good price for it we should let it go. A pile inspector said the piles needed to be reset and that it would cost in the region of $8000. The buyers were put off,or rather the bank wouldn't lend the money. We were pretty please to have got out of it.The main inspector though said the house would stand for another 150 years.Keith our gardener has spare time on his hands because of the winter coming on and also because of the drought,so I decided we could use him to help with the heavy digging work.So this week I began the work of reinforcing the piles by underpinning them with concrete and digging foundations for the brick work that will replace the planks.Great grandfather Collins,who was a stonemason,would have been proud of me.Another reason to do this is to make the house vermin proof. We keep getting mice and rats into the walls. This work will keep them out I hope. When this is completed we will safely be able to put garden along next to the house without worrying about the woodwork.We will probably plant hydrangeas The painting is still going on but I'm pretty bored with it..

Preparations for the 150 Year Anniversary of 'The Pines'

We had great fun on Saturday and thought I would post a few pictures of what we were up to...(Click to enlarge the pics)

We dressed up like the Dr and his wife who lived here 150 years ago.
It is for an article in the SA Garden Magazine. A freelance journalist is visiting NZ and needs to make some money so asked if she could do an article on an Immigrant SA family to NZ for the Garden magazine..

The costumes are because we are having a big Jubilee celebration here in November to mark the 150th Anniversary of the First house in the first town Waipawa. The town will then have their big celebrations in 2010. There will be an Event Planner so we just have to get the place looking good.
Terry is working on the front of the house. He has scraped off five layers of paint and it has been hard work . There is lots more to do but already it is looking much nicer.

The people dressed in period costume will walk or drive in horsedrawn carriages through the town...........up to our house. There will be Garden Party on the lawns. A story teller will tell the history of the house and there will be prizes given for the best costumes. Then a tour of the property to see the pigeons in the pigeon loft on the hill where the doctor kept the pigeons to keep in contact with his country patients.. and a visit to the dam where the horses used to drink... old fashioned games will be organised for the kids..

New Zealanders love to dress up in Period costumes and being a small country far from every where else they have to make their own fun... and keep a sense of Identity I suppose. Anyway this all seems to have just 'happened' to us and we are going along with it and having lots of fun on the way.. My crinolene, bonnet , everything has been done for me with great enthusiasm by a friend Lesley who works in the local museum.. Terry did kick at first but was given no choice, and when the top hat was put on his head he found he rather liked the image!

Every week we have been busy with this or that and the nursery has been neglected so I am relieved that all photo sessions, babysitting, birthdays etc are over for a time and we can get back to the humdrum life we actually enjoy.. We are not as young as we used to be ! are we now ?

Autumn at 'The Pines'

Autumn days are here and now I know why they call it 'the fall' It's been a long time in coming this year. The weather is much warmer than usual and very very dry. The Hickory lost it leaves almost three weeks later than last year.

Pin Oak

Hickory

Red Ash