Wow! Autumn arrived with such glamour, having a weather bomb ripped through the North Island bringing much devastation. Out here in Kaituna Valley, we have had strong Southerlies howling at us all weekend. Having anticipated that, I went to Mitre10 to obtain more stakes to hold down my pipfruits in planter bags sitting in the open. Never a really safe place in NZ, but that’s a blessing in disguise as us human are constantly reminded of our compassionate inner-self which other natural disaster free countries have pretty much forgotten. We definitely need a greater force to remind us of how fragile we are when not united.

On the orchard front, we spent the entire week putting out bird nets on the vineyards. We outdone ourselves this year having put out the nets in half the time and half the staff count. Last year was a complete disaster. The trick is to remove all twigs and clips when rolling up the nets for storage. Not to mention strong team work and communication while putting out the nets.

I can hear the eerie song of Hotel California by Eagles playing in the background as we put out the nets…

Welcome to the hotel california
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
They livin’ it up at the hotel california
What a nice surprise, bring your alibis

Last thing I remember, I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
relax, said the night man,
We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!

Birds, they got in, but they just can’t find their way out. It must be stressful for them. It’s like a huge lobster trap!

I read on NZ Gardener that hedgehogs steel the grapes too! I’ll remember to put them to sleep the next time I go hunting.

My wildflowers meadow in Autumn. The red shirley poppies have almost finish their run, the yellow flowers are taking over. I have no idea what they are, probably from Kings Seeds Roadside Blend. They might be daisies. The corn cockles are showing through as well!