Rain

On Tuesday we had a heavy shower which was short lived but gave us 3 mls.
The on Wednesday night we had 9 mls over night.
As I write I can hear thunder and it is looking quite dark but it will remain to be seen if we get any more rain.

Drought Continues.

Pukawa is the driest it has been in all the years I have lived here.
We hoped for rain with the expected cyclone but alas we had 17 mls total. The first day although spitting rain the deck never became wet so it wasn't until the following day we received any rain at all.
Not good news for farmers or growers and it does seem that the weather pattern has changed so we can expect more of the same.
Having said all of that, the garden is expecting an early Spring which means the bush will too.

Pukawa's Quail.

It has been a disastrous breeding season for the quail as the early part of season had frequent showers of rain, probably the biggest killer of young chicks. There have been some quite big clutches hatched but even walking across wet grass is enough to kill them, once wet they become cold and quickly die. A stoat was seen in the settlement chasing behind young chicks before grabbing one. If only we knew how to catch stoats but they seem so hard to target. Nature can be so unkind.

Changing Seasons.

We seemed to wait a long time for really nice Summer days and as usual it happened after the schools went back. The temperatures have not reached anything like last Summer with some quite cool nights, 6 &7 degrees. Perhaps this explains while there are signs of Autumn now, Autumn flowering crocus and naked lady lillies in bud. The biggest shock is to see Autumn cloured leaves on the Liquid Amber trees in the car park at Turangi. Some camellias are budding up too so we need to make the most of every sunny day.

Earth Quake

I was sitting when the shake started, strong enough to make me get up and move from where I was sitting in an unsafe place should a bookcase fall.  The lights did swing but it was a gentle motion not a jolt.
I can't imagine anyone in Pukawa will have experienced damage or if they have it will only be minor falling objects.

The rain started last evening, 16mls in the gauge and it is till quietly raining this morning, we need a good inch to do any good.

New Beginning

Here we are in to a new year and I have told myself to be a better person and keep up with news that I hope will be of interest.

The robins are back(:-) We have been waiting for them to show up and yesterday while walking back on the Pukawa Omori track I first heard a robin and just before the bridge two robins flew across in front of me landing in a bush. They appeared to both be males perhaps fighting over territory. Please do report any  that you see or even think you saw a robin as we would so like to know that the numbers are increasing.

Overnight rain.

It is quietly raining this morning after 20mls of overnight rain, a most welcome rain. Still very calm and quite warm outside, great growing weather if it doesn't turn cold.

Peaceful Pukawa

It has been a very still quiet day making me wonder if it is the calm before the storm.
I have great faith in my barometer which always drops prior to bad weather especially wind but it has remained static for the last few days. Tonight northerly winds were predicted for this area and it has to be wide spread rain for Pukawa to receive any, actually a  good downpour would be welcome as we are well below our average rainfall.

Salted meat

This method is used with great success in the South Island in areas that are only visited twice a year. The meat keeps well and seems not to become flyblown as happens with some products. Rock salt can be bought from Farm Suppliers. Venison meat or rabbits works well.
Layer salt in bottom of container.
Cover with one layer of meat, small peices, cover with a good layer of salt, add another layer of meat, then salt until the container is full. Cover and leave for some weeks. Place in trap boxes or suspend from the lid on fine wire.
Let me know if it works or you.




 

Soaking Rain

It is not often in Pukawa that we wake to rain and go to bed at night with it still raining but that happened on Sunday 16th. Very steady rain all day but I haven't heard of any problems in our area. The rain gauge contained 67 mls over 24hrs, but the bush can always soak it up.
Friday 14th was the coldest day I have known this Winter, I doubt that it rose above 4 degrees.
Oh well they say you have to have the bad to appreciate the good and the birds are still singing.

Wasp Trap Picture.

I have been amazed at how active my wasp trap was in twenty four hours, there must be a nest close by. Some of the wasps were large too, queen wasp size but we don't usually see them until about June. Even nature is mixed up due to the strange weather patterns.

The packet is what you purchase, it holds four fittings I call them daisies. I tried green and brown bottles but found the firmer plastic difficult to handle, the lemonade bottle worked just fine for me. I can really recommend this product, great for the kids too, older ones could follow the instructions.  Give it a go.

Wasp Trap

There is a new wasp trap on the market that can be purchased from Palmers garden centre in Taupo so I am sure it would be available in other branches as well.
It comes in a packet which contains four daisy shaped pieces. You can use a lemonade bottle or similiar and by cutting a plus shape about three quarters of the way up the bottle the daisy fits into the cut, one each side, instructions on the packet. The centre of the daisy is the opening. I poured two cans of beer into my bottle, tied a string around the neck and hung it by a peice of wire from a camellia bush. This I did about mid-day and late afternoon decide to see check it  and was amazed to find I had caught about 11 wasps, drowned in the beer.
Palmers have assured me that their trap which has been out for some weeks has never caught a bee,  they just don't seem to enter the opening.
This seems to be a winner, do look for one in your garden centre as it is so simple to set up.

Wonderful Rain

We have had a wonderful overnight rain and it is still misty rain so remaining damp.  The wind direction is swinging round from North to East but I am hopeful that we may get a little more.

Overnight Rain

Pukawa has now had a total of 20mls after 12mls of overnight rain.
The sky is looking lighter so the rain may be over but while the weather glass remains low I can be hopeful for more to come.

Pukawa Rain

We did get 5mls of light rain yesterday and another 3mls over night but it is once again very hot with a lot of blue sky showing. Each afternoon sees the temperature rising above thirty degrees so the moisture evaporates very quickly. Hopefully we will get the predicted rain this afternoon.

Mice & Rat Movement

After several months of little activity in our traps we have suddenly had a number of rat kills indicating that the rats are moving prior to Winter. Protect your house and buildings over Easter to save yourself heart-ache from Winter damage. I have caught two mice this week and they can cause damage inside the house and seem able to squeeze in through the smallest hole.

Continuing Drought

The dry continues, the bush is beginning to look stressed and it is difficult to keep the garden going.  Water restrictions are in place 6-8 am and pm on alternate days, we must keep to these restrictions as the lake level is low. It is possible to walk around the lake edge to Omori at present and the rocks on the Pukawa Point make a good fishing spot.
Speaking of fishing the Pukawa Stream has been fishing extremely well after dark.  If nightime fishing appeals you are sure to be rewarded.
Easter would be a good time to prepare for the invasion of rats and mice who move into buildings in the Autumn, mice are already being caught in houses.
The birds have gone quiet, little wonder in the heat. The highest temperature I recorded was 40 degrees with 38 degrees common, even yesterday it was 35 degrees but the nights are cooler and signs of Autumn are appearing.

The Tall Trees of Pukawa.

THE TALL TREES OF PUKAWA.

Who would embrace the earth?

As we do.

Brothers and sisters all.

Standing shoulder to shoulder.

In times past, from the mountains to the sea.

Giants are we, and remnants of Giants.

Our once proud march challenged by none.

Who would embrace the earth, speak to the stars, and count

the rising and setting of the sun and the moon?

Who would know of these things if not us?

Children of Man, you are so often wilful and destructive and ignorant.

From whence shall you draw you wisdom if not from us?

Will you listen to the voice of the wind?

Does it not sing loudly enough in our branches?

If you cannot hear that song then surely the grass must whisper in vain.

Grow into your wisdom, for that is your purpose.

Grow into your wisdom and open your hearts.

Speak to the tall trees and we will tell you many things.

For we are Brothers and Sisters all

And we share the way.

D.R.Stanley.

Rain

We had a wonderful steady rain this morning, 15 mls in the rain gauge.
It has cleared now, blowing a little but hopefully we may get more rain overnight.

Quiet Birds

Our birds have gone quiet, little wonder in this heat. Few birds are seen flying and the quail who still come in to be fed quickly seek the shade.
Bush fire is an ever present concern. The undergrowth crinkles beneath my boots as I walk in the bush, tinder dry, we all need to be watchful to prevent fires.