Makihoi walking about

Woke up to a darker sky...today was threatening rain but mostly just cloudy cloudy. 

Brian wanted to go mill some of the lumber left from his planted forest, so that was our road trip for the day. These trees were planted about 20 years ago, mostly pines, and were recently all cut down and sold. He also had some blackwood logs left, so that's what was going to be milled. This blackwood was going to be used to refloor the kitchen at 202, but after many labyrinth hours consisting of much technical wood related speak, it turns out the wood isn't good enough and will probably be used for firewood or shed flooring. This coming winter the land will be planted again, to be harvested (again) in about 50 years. 

Makihoi is the name of the hill we were on, mostly not in front of the camera, but where we walked and milled.

Sarah and I weren't much help besides moral support, so we took a walk up the hillside while they worked.

Sarah got really adventurous, since she is one prone to taking dares, and decides to hike up to the very top. 

And up. And up. It took me about ten minutes to convince her the trail wasn't really a trail anymore, and we were walking more in a crop of nightshade, than some so called "path" so we turned around here.

Ali drove up from Panui to gather some pinecones for burning, and Barb was looking extra spiffy in her worker clothes while assisting Brian with the milling.

This mill is designed so pretty much one person can use it, if need be. It's very collapsible. Unfortunately the wood itself was the problem today.

With hours to go, Sarah and I went back with Ali to Panui to watch some sheep shearing and have some tea.

Mike and his shearing crew were on full speed trying to get the last few hundred sheep before the rains came, because you can't do it once they're wet. 

For the technique this time, they were shearing it so the fleece came off in all once huge piece, then had other people checking for icky bits stuck to it, before sticking it in the hydraulic press for packaging up. There was some serious sheep wrangling going on.

While inside I saw a weka hopping around the back yard. Flightless bird, and I think it looks sort of similar to the kiwi. Adorable, and then the cat had fun chasing it away.

Then it finally began to rain! Drizzled for hours, then finally in the evening (when we were driving back to Gisborne) it was full on pouring. Hello cyclone Pam, we've heard so much about you.