It may be mid-winter, but we are having glorious sunny days in our part of paradise lately. With a few messages to do and places to visit, we took a little drive around the local area yesterday. Here is yet another view of the Tararua Ranges with a light dusting of snow, with some of the local area market gardening farmland in the foreground.
Local rural paradise
We stumbled across some old Levin history as we drove past the dilapidated buildings of the former Boys' Training Farm at Weraroa, later renamed the Kohitere Boy’s Training Centre. This was first opened in 1905, and housed boys with behavioural problems – those identified at the time as 'delinquents' – though neglected and orphaned boys ended up there too. Occupational training was an important element of the institution's regime, to train the boys for a better life. It seems that the land is now in private hands and the run down buildings are being removed.
Now in a state of disrepair
Threshing hay at Boys Training Farm back in 1912.
Back to the present time and a farm of a different sort – it was time for another trip to the Big Egg free range chicken farm to replenish our egg supplies. Robin went in to make the purchase, mentioning that I was outside talking to the chickens, who tend to mob visitors, looking for hand-outs. That won’t happen today, he was told. These were young pullets, and it was their first day outside in the sunshine, so they were still getting their bearings and working out how things happened. They have to get used to the feeder and water supply, and how things work inside in the barn. The chooks were quietly cluck-clucking away amongst their selves on their first venture into the big wide outdoors. They were not at all interested in the likes of me and my camera. No doubt they will soon be laying regularly, and don’t they look happy, out enjoying the sunshine.
Free range pullets at the Big Egg
There is nothing nicer than freshly laid free range eggs for breakfast. Perhaps it is time for another pan of bacon and eggs?
1 comment:
You are determined to make me get up and head for the kitchen? As it happens, I have both delicious bacon and eggs there, though not free range. What a gorgeous mountain picture. What kind of camera do you use? If you tell me a cell phone, I'm gonna cry, because I don't know if my Nikon could do that well! This reminds me of the Rockies I love, but may be even higher. Do you happen to know the height? Metric is okay. I'm bi-math. =)
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