New House - Week 3

The house is still coming along in leaps and bounds. Brian from G J Gardeners is sending me weekly updates and photos which makes it really exciting.

As you can see the frame is well and truly up...



This is the garage...



The Fascia is now on...



Looking Good!!!...




That's the family room, dining, kitchen, and the bit that juts out is my room...



Building paper is now on.. (Gee the weather doesn't look good!! - I thought it didn't rain in Blenheim!! I've been duped!)



Here's the front door - and the window on the left is the guest bedroom... guests get that room as there's a view over the vineyard!



All it needs is the roof and I could move in....



Not long now :)

Jusst as I finished putting these up, I got an email from Fred Parry, member of the Camera Club in Marlborough who sent me a few more photos of the house. He told me there was not much action today on the house as the weather was not good...



This one gives an idea of my views....

My New House - Week 2

I'll be living here in no time! No time at all!

After my neighbour sent me the photo (last one in the previous blog entry), I got another two from G J Gardner's - the people who are building my house. They gave me the ones of my slab being down...



And another angle..



Then on Tuesday I got an email from my neighbour, and fellow photographer Fred Parry, upping my excitement 20x by telling me the frame was up, and it seemed to be up in just a couple of hours...

Note there's a big red C on the frame - that must be C for Carter :)



Today, just two days later, my friend Carol drove past and took some photos, emailed them to me saying...

'Here's some photo's of your house - another crappy day in Blenheim...'



and another view..



As I said before - I'll be moving in pretty soon :)

Today I shopped around for curtain fabric for the house and have settled on some shot taffeta for the living areas and for my bedroom.

I also dropped my cat off at the airport, and she is now ensconced in a Blenheim cattery for 4 months. Saying goodbye to her at the airport was just as bad as saying goodbye to my daughter when she left for London. I felt like a neurotic cat woman bawling my eyes out at the national cargo counter. At least I'll see my cat again soon :)

My New House - Week 1

My house is progressing.... From the blog I wrote on the 5th November, the day it started. I went back the next day on Friday, and was disappointed nothing more had happened. Naturally over the weekend they didn't work either, but was pleased to find on Monday afternoon (9th November) more work had been done in the form of deliveries to the site....



Then on Tuesday morning, I went back to the site for the last time before heading back to Auckland. I was pleased to see some action...



Notice the sunny sky was back too...



While I was down in Blenheim this time, I once again visited the A&P show like I did the year before. Last year I was impressed with a photographic competition displayed in the show by Junior, Intermediate and Senior school children, so I went in to look again this year. While there, I suddeny noticed a group of people with cameras taking lots of photos. So I had to ask - were they the Marlborough Camera Club? They were, and so I introduced myself and paid my subs immediately for next year, and so I can get email information for the competitions in the meantime.

They asked for my address and details, and I gave my Renwick address.

Today I got the following email and attachment in my inbox.

Hi Robyn, looks as though they were pouring the footings today.


Regards,
Fred

Attached was the following photo...



I was thrilled to receive it and very thankful - Thanks Fred :) Great photo too, makes the mountain ranges look really close, and just look at the sheep LOL

Robyn Carter - In Concert!

I have been partaking in some Cochlear Implant research in conjunction with Auckland University. The research is being done to find out if people with Cochlear Implants can learn to sing in tune. So far I've had two singing lessons and I'm really enjoying it.

I have been encouraged by the researcher, that I can sing in tune, and that I have a good quality voice for someone who hasn't done any formal training. I have been given tips to increase my range and to practise to learn to sing in tune. I do need a keyboard so I can practise singing the notes back, but as yet haven't been able to find one.

Anyway - down on the farm, in the middle of nowhere, I found I had a very very appreciative audience, so last night, I gave this appreciative audience a concert - and this is the result....

They heard me.....



So they came closer - they must have liked the sound...



Some were rude at first - turning their backs. They obviously didn't like the song.



So I changed song to something more cheerful and jaunty and wow - I had their attention...



Just to show you I had the whole herd in my hand, hearing me sing....



I could get used to this - I must ask for some moolah next time. Looks like I had a standing ovation too....



Encore...



Encore.... Encore....



I might go on tour!!

The Farm

I'm staying down on the farm in Blenheim, way down in Waihopai Valley, near the spy station. It's a stunning time to be here because of all the spring growth. Everything is so green and blue, and the air is so fresh compared to Auckland. I've been out taking a few photos in the late afternoon.

This is one of the many Macrocarpa trees found throughout New Zealand, particularly on farms for shelters for stock. I used to hate them because they looked so 'untidy'. But now I love them on our landscape as they grow so big and majestic. None of them ever look exactly the same. They are a cypress (Monterey Cypress) introduced from Monterey, California, probably in the 1860's in one of the gold rushes.




Here's another two... (or is that three?)



The farm I'm staying on goes for miles and miles down the valley. It's huge, and apparently worth 12 million dollars. It's for sale if anyone wants to spend that kind of money. Land prices down here are at a premium because of all the grapes - real vineyard country. If you do decide to buy it, please let me know so I can claim the commission on the sale. a 3% commission would do me quite nicely!

You can see the grass tracks we made on our drive over to this spot. The car tracks, one mini motorcycle track and one border collie dog track!



This is looking over to the Richmond Ranges in the background. The row of trees is where the main road is, and the those trees are Australian Bluegums. Makes me feel like I'm in Australia rather than New Zealand when I see those lining the road. No Galahs or Koalas though.



While I'm sitting here writing this, I can hear a Song Thrush repeating her song over and and over again, a cicada in the distance, Carol rattling around in the kitchen, the odd Brk from the chooks, but other than that, it's silent. No cars, no trucks. Just blissful peace and quiet.

Oh - and I hope you notice those blue blue skies!!! Auckland eat your heart out!

My House Started Today :)

Yep - that's right. Driving from the farm up towards Renwick, I noticed some 'dust' billowing in the air and I said - Hmmmmm I think my house has started. So Carol drove me up to my section and sure enough... This is what I found...



Yep - a digger on the lot, digging out the shape of my floor plan. Just take a look at that blue sky though. I hear it RAINED in Auckland today!! It was hot down here, and sunny, and beautiful - as it always is!

Here's that digger again - it's working on my bedroom. You can see the spring growth on the vineyard in the distance.



I jokingly said the guys - 'I thought the roof would be on by now'. They told me it arrives tomorrow!!!! (I don't think so!)



We drove back late afternoon to find the guys had stopped working! I wish they could work day and night so I could get in the house faster! Looks like the concrete slab might go down tomorrow from this photo....



Ohhhh I'm getting excited now, especially seeing I picked out all the colours yesterday. I'll reveal those as they come to hand during the build.

Honesty Rules in Blenheim

I'm so pleased I'm moving to Blenheim. Its such an honest place.

As I got out of the Landrover today at the library, I didn't notice that my cellphone fell out onto the pavement. Being deaf, I don't usually hear things that drop, even with my cochlear implant.

Anyway, Carol and I browsed at the Blenheim Library for half an hour and just as I was leaving, I realised my cellphone was missing. Panic. Looked through my handbag. Went to all the places I had been in the library (and in the process found Carol's handbag that she had left behind!!!)

Mentioned it to the library staff, and they were wonderful. They rang my cellphone number for me and listened to see if it rang in the library. Someone answered it, then hung up quickly. With a sinking heart I thought it had been stolen as someone had answered, and thought of all my contacts in the phone, lost!

We thought we had better cancel it, as otherwise someone could make lots of phone calls on it, and rack up a big bill, but just before I did that at the library, I thought I should go back out to the Landrover and double check I hadn't left it in there.

That person who answered the phone, whoever it was, is the most honest person in New Zealand, they just stuck my phone in the door of the landrover on the outside for us to find it.

I couldn't but think that in Auckland, the phone would have been long gone!!

So - if the person in Blenheim ever reads this, who did this for me - I want them to know that I think they are wonderful, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.