Category Archives: Personal blog

“Be Sure Not To Fizzle When The Summer Starts To Sizzle”

Travelling home in Eureka or to work in the City of Hamilton through the daily commute. I love looking at and admiring the wonder of landscape in the rural. I realised and recalled the past years – green to brown colour of the lands and the lack of rain even showers throughout Summertime. What a brunt harsh reminder of the longest drought this year – 2022!

The Greater Auckland city borrows our Waikato River despite their pleas to use it for the last two years. Yes, undoubtedly, the people of the Greater Aucklander facing their own problems by using too much water, not enough to conserve water through daily lives, and the lack of education to new residents from other countries or cities. Their other main problems are the lack of planning, e.g. reservoirs, the lack of finances to build plenty of reservoirs outside the suburbs, and the fast-growing population due to unexpected growth and inability to keep updated population growth. Yes, Auckland Council is in shambles and in the economic crisis through Lockdown and hard times losing businesses. 

“A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.”- Marcel Proust, ‘The Guermantes Way’, 1920.

Waikato is approximately two hours-one hour and thirty minutes by car travel from Greater Auckland. Our regional is farming for businesses, horticulture, and agriculture. The Waikato River runs from an ancient lake (Lake Huka) in the centre of the North Island to Port Waikato, located outside the Auckland boundary. See the map where the Waikato River (Owned by the Waikato-Tainui) runs.

See the quote from Wikipedias about our Waikato and the River here.

 “After widescale droughts in 1994, the use of the Waikato River to supply drinking water for Auckland was first considered. In July 2002, a water treatment plant was opened at Tuakau which was expanded in 2021 after major droughts in 2020.[31]“ “the deed of settlement signed by the Crown and Waikato-Tainui in August 2008 settled the raupatu claim to the Waikato River, although other claims for land blocks and harbours are still outstanding. Waikato-Tainui now have joint management of the River with the Waikato Regional Council.”

Our surrounding area is a wide range from farmings to orchards and the hive of businesses such as Fonterra, farms such as cows, emus, and orchards such as blueberries, strawberries, apples, apricots and many parks, the walkway by the River. I took several photos of our surrounding farmlands and mountain ranges where there are many colours of brownish and a few plots of lands which green for cows to eat and hays. 

 “Here comes the sun, and I say it’s all right.”- The Beatles, ‘Here Comes The Sun’.

Our neighbourly have been talking about conserving water through rain tanks, limiting watering the gardens every year. We regularly check in the water storage tank, which feeds from the largest reservoirs linked to the Waikato River. Please note we do pay water rates through the Regional Council. Also, to make large water ponds like this one. This pond is about 10 meters by 10 meters, and 3 meters deep is ideal. The water ponds should be at least 6 feet deep but no more than 12 to 15 feet deep. The pond should have an inlet and an outlet (as shown in the picture) lined with rock to prevent erosion. The water level should have a control mechanism, such as a sleeved standpipe fitted with a cut-off valve at the bottom. See the photo here. 

Do you know or are aware that the food prices have shot up very high? Many people live in poverty homes with low incomes or are homeless, and they cannot buy food on the tables for their families. We grow vegetables in the garden for our meals or give vegetables and fruits to the FoodBanks. We sell produces to other people on the roadsides to pay the mortgage, rates, and household bills. We visit our local supermarket, and sometimes we go to Pak n Save in the city of Hamilton for our basic groceries. 

Yes, there has been a comprehensive claim of Global weather warming over many years. Does anyone have learnt this or not? Does anyone notice our Waikato farmlands and the Waikato River is low?

The first short, brief shower was last Thursday during our family friend’s funeral. It lasted approximately 5-10 minutes, and Waikato people received water just under 5mm of rainfall. The last time we have had rain was 12mm on December 28th 2021. Did we receive heavy rain through Autumn and Winter? Nope! Let’s see – we received rain from May 2021 to the current date; January 22nd was 713mm. That was not precisely the heaviest rain so far, like in the past we used to have an opulence rain from Autumn to Spring, but not now. The Summer heat has gone up to 31oC-32oC in Waikato for the last three years. 

“New year—a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours.”

May the Lord keep you in the palm of His hand, and never close His fist too tight!

Happy New Year – Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit

One of our earliest resolutions back in 2015 was to have the old second house wholly gone, and finally, we have nailed this resolution on the last day of 2021. Yes, it took us a long time to do this job by tearing, pulling down the house by two of us. What was left was the concrete porch and part of the fireplace base.

First, we thought about what to do with the old second home and is it impossible to turn it into a bed and breakfast business or use a part of the house into a studio as my office. We had a look at the plan and the finances for our long term. In the end, we decided to pull down. There is a bed and breakfast business across the main road from us, and I learnt they charge nearly $200.00 a night for one bedroom along with rules such as no animals like the dog in their property.

My partner keeps the good woods such as mahogany, rimu and oak and the rest of the woods goes into the barn to store as firewoods. The good woods will turn into something like a frame, replacing the rotted wood in our house, toys, outdoor chairs.

We thought about using heavy machinery such as tractors, bulldozers and paying someone as a demolition team. What is the point of spending a lot of money hiring or paying someone with extra labour and hours of using the machinery? We have the skills of labouring and using the pieces of equipment and tools, and we went ahead to do this job. Hip hip, hooray!

Our works and course led us away from this project over COVID-19, Lockdowns between 2020 and 2021, bad weather through many seasons, garden jobs such as tree fellings and health issues, and two surgeries. We are grateful to have entirely and made away with the final garden project except for a battle with wild rabbits. What is next to come?? Who knows? There is a never-ending idea or something to do around our home here, for we love this place and enjoy our time away from the city of Hamilton. 

Mmm, entering the new Year 2022 made us no different in our lives by living each day and night. 

Note – you may notice the first two aerial photos of our current property. There were three houses in the first photo and in the second photo left two houses standing until we bought. In the earliest days, the property belongs to one of the families, including my late great granduncle’s wife – Joy Hinton’s granduncle, his wife and children. It was a farmer’s owner, and the men used the first original house, which we pulled down as a farmhand house, while the young family used the second house where we live now. The family member sold to Hooper’s family, and they ran a business as Eureka Transport around the 1920s in Hooper Road until no room to run the depot as they took the contract from Horotiu. The depot grew in Hinton Road in 1949. This business was to cart fat cattle to Horotiu and back to Eureka. One of the family members of Eureka was Charles (Bill) Edwards, who married Minny Hooper and took charge of the business by 1949. Unfortunately, Eureka Transport Business which you see in the aerial photo, was sold, and the company folded a few years later. We have no idea what happened to the third house, which sat in the field we owned a sizeable vast land. 

One morning Jean watched the programme – Breakfast News, and there was a discussion about people facing financial, entering in the poverty stage, finding it challenging to meet the end with food as Christmas is coming. Readers are not alone, and there are many families with children, families with a disabled child, and a young couple who have the same problems.

The director of the workplace where Jean work emailed about preparing food parcels and Christmas meals for the homeless people, families, reformed gangs/ex-prisoners and low-income families as Christmas is nearing before our workplace close for a holiday. In Hamilton, New Zealand, people live in Level 3-stage 2 due to Delta variants lockdown, and there is uncertainty if our workplace is open to them to enjoy Christmas meals. 

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” – Matthew 6:2

There are broad beans, cabbage, silverbeets and herbs growing in the vegetable garden here. These vegetables will give away to anyone who seeks foods on their table and shares with their children every year. One elderly deaf with CP (Cerebral Palsy) and speech impaired said he gives me half of the vegetable seedlings prices when Jean buys or grow in the garden as a gift and a few vegetables and fruits for vegetables and fruits and other D/deaf people and people with disability. Jean has been growing vegetables and fruits and gave them away to this elderly deaf CP chap, to the Food Parcel Centres, and we keep partially to ourselves here over many years. 

“Christmas is the season of joy, of gift-giving, and of families united.” 

Many Christain, like Jean, know about Jesus the Lord, the Holy Spirit and the Son. Jean knows many non-Christain, atheist people, and of course, people who buy toys and technology for their children, have their family around for the day, not going to the church instead of thinking about Jesus. Jean noticed many young people struggling to buy Christmas presents no matter how much the toys and technology cost them a bomb of prices to pay based on what the children love to get. Yes, of course, the average families struggling as well. These people feel too embarrassed to ask for help, feel shame, and do not want their lives exposed to other family/friends they know and do not know where to ask for help. 

The message of Christmas is that where there is hope, love, light and life, the plan and purpose of God will reach.

“Peace on earth will come to stay when we live Christmas every day.” “He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” 

We are not the only country facing despair with financial loss, the high price of food, housing shortage, the loss of employment in business and many other issues. Every other country is faring worst than us here, especially in the third countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan. Indeed many people forgot about them and are keen to look in the other direction away from the Third countries. Every aid worker, Doctors without the Borders, Red Cross workers, and World Vision workers work through toil day and night by making indigenous people and children’s lives better in the villages. 

Luke 1: 46-55 “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

Has anyone experienced a long waiting for the essential item or technology like a mobile during Level 3 from Wiri, NZ Post Depot, Auckland?

Perhaps yes! I am one of you people as well. Why that?

My work mobile was no more extended function and unable reboot on Saturday evening over the Labour Weekend. It was the battery defected. I live in a rural area outside Hamilton City, and of course, we are in Level 3. The Spark NZ is closed in Westfield, Hamilton, due to restricted paperwork and no click and collect available for me to pick up last week. Last Tuesday, my partner rang Spark NZ, and they recommended to do online and send to me within 3-5 days. I ordered the choice of my new work mobile to replace the old work mobile urgently and hoping it will be delivered by last Saturday (30th October).

Sadly the new replaced mobile did not come, and I was using the tracking number through NZ Post. On 31st October, my ordered new mobile was processed through, and it said it would be delivered yesterday plus another day which is an extra day for the rural delivery today. There was no parcel in the rural mailbox today. I left a couple messages to NZ Post through Messanger, and they replied there has been lengthy processing with huge boxes and blah, blah and of course blah. I left a message to Spark NZ, and they were disappointed to hear about the delay of delivery to our home here. They told me if I don’t have my new replaced mobile by this Friday and give them a message to contact NZ Post in Wiri, Auckland.

Over a week, I lost communication with D/deaf people, disabled people, agencies’ staff, and two workplaces. All I have the communication is email, BUT not all people do not have email. I know it is not helping me as a deaf essential worker for the D/deaf people, disabled people, and other people I am assisting/referring to.

Guess what? In Waikato from tonight, we are going to the new Level 3.2, which means anyone can pop in the retail park. Oh, bother! It was the wrong timing, and I wish it should have done that last week. No, the reality is there is still an increase of Delta cases around Waikato, Kings County and Waipa.

Today I was put off from working at home because I had no idea if there were any texts for me to get in touch with them and feeling frustrated. On the other side, this morning, I received a friendly email along with the certificate I studied at the start of this year. It was from the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum in London. This email cheered me up a bit, and I turned to garden work while waiting for the new replaced work mobile.

Peter (Rusty – my hearing partner) and my sister said I deserved a proper holiday break from social service. This quote was just right for us, who works under MCA (M. Social Services in Hamilton) last weekend. Big Thank you to the funding board for having us a weekend break in Coromandel, North Island.

Apart from the long winding road, the staff picked other staff from Hamilton en route to our home via Coromandel. It was a cloudy afternoon, and at the last minute of haste, one guy to drop off an item house before I left. Two cars filled with staff arrived simultaneously, with one guy in a separate car at the gate while our dogs barked loudly. Oh boy, what a rush off afternoon!

The scar mark in the farming land showed from the heavy flooding in the Pinnacles mountains in Coromandel Forest Park on September 10 2019, and July 23 2017. Arriving before Tairua for a quick loo break at Kopu as the staff request and breather before heading the longest winding road along State Highway 25a and 25 up the mountain peaks. Between Kopu and Tairua routes, the mountainsides showed brunt marked from the flooded landslips that closed the main State Highway 25 and 25a on July 23 2017. This flooding and landslips repurchased my memories. Rusty called out to do the evacuation job by clearing approximately 50 metres wide and blocking both lanes, cutting local people and tourists. The work took many days to reopen the roads.

Finally, we reached Tairua and walked around to do exercise. We resume travelling, passing Pumpkin Hill, Whenuakite, by turning right toward Purangi and arriving at Cooks Beach to continue as the night drawing when we arrived at Flaxmill Lodge.

Ah, bliss and how peaceful and excellent a place to spend a holiday break at Flaxmill Lodge. Before we all head out to Whitianga from the Ferry Landing, which takes under 8 minutes ferry ride, rest at last. We walked around and found a place to have dinner meal during the Friday busy night.

Mmm, Where is Flaxmill Bay? Peaceful, seaside campground and accommodation set within landscaped grounds at Flaxmill Bay on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. A short walk/ferry ride to Whitianga, walking distance to Cooks Beach or a short drive to Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach. It is accessible for disabled people/children and other people to use this Flaxmill Accommodation and camping ground.

My God is my rock in Whom I take refuge. Psalms 18:2

Quote of the Day

“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening (seeing/watching) when you would rather have talked (sign language/lip reading). Mark Twain”

One day, something struck my mind when I watched my partner – Rusty preparing roast tea – roast chicken with potatoes, kumara and pumpkins. I asked him if he has turned over the vegetables and his responses were nope. Why not? He said I don’t really have to turn over, just leave there until ready. Oh crap, and never mind! I said to Rusty.

Our oven is getting very old and barely cook the top only, not the bottom or fan bake with the broken bottom element. I think, and we know the mice or rat been at the back of the oven for many years. We just bought a new fridge-freezer as our old one lasted 28 years several weeks ago. We do have an excellent medium fan bake oven – not a large one. I bought a medium fan bake oven several years ago, and I used to place it on the bench, which is brilliant and quick to cook. I asked Rusty why does he not use this portable fan bake oven. Nope, can not be bothered to take it out of the cupboard! Sigh!

I noticed some of my friend’s husbands do the same things like can not be bothered to turn over, leaving a mess etc.

This picture was taken late afternoon when I got home from work as a specialised community worker for one Deaf with CP (Cerebral Palsy) and speech impaired elderly chap. Rusty was preparing a lovely roast chicken with roast vegetable tonight. He made banana and chocolate chips muffins this morning as he told me.

Hey, about this one? Can man cook a meal or not? Can they follow the instruction or not? I seldom know most men can cook differently from women where else by not reading the instruction. My Rusty does not really follow the instruction, just taking the ingredient out of the cupboard and work out instead of doing the correct measurement. I noticed rather odd for quite a long time – why does he put hot water into the butter, so the butter melt? A couple years ago we bought a microwave as we don’t have one in the last 15 years or more. Rusty saw me putting the butter to melt in the microwave for under 1 minute and put in the wet ingredient when I made a coffee cake. He goes, ohhhh and is that how I do when I am making.

One Deaf with CP and speech impaired elderly chap and everywhere we go out to do his grocery, paying the bills, shopping and lunch. He continuously checks his watch as his habits from his late parents. For example, we must have lunch at 12noon, an afternoon tea at 3pm, and arrive to pick him up on time. He can tell how long we have been travelling from Hamilton to Raglan or to Cambridge.

The reality that men prefer to stick in one path direction by leaving women goes all over the places, moves/shift further outward from one path. Just like men are from Mars, women are from Venus.

Oh well, what do you think?

Sitting down to start the day in the home office while hubby – Peter is recovering from his hip/pelvis surgery on the six weeks. Video conference emergency flashing notification message from a Deaf caller on the desktop, was the first thing to start the day at 930am. Click and start the video conferencing to find a silly and confused contractor who was lost for his job by his Fibre Company and asking for the request on which Kia Oranga (formerly Housing New Zealand) house. Guided him by describing the house in front of the Deaf person’s rented house by Kia Oranga. He located the right house and hung up the video call. Resume checking my diary, checking, checking appointments until Peter yelled out Mummmmmm, and came into the home office, the printer won’t print. Sigh!

A few moments at a time, I sorted out the printer and stopped for a coffee break to calm my annoying of having distracted. Nova, our young dog, bought home a ‘throw out bread crust’ for I know Peter threw put from the kitchen windows. Oh, bother, I decided to leave this and head back to the home office, so I continue to work.

Barking, barking, swiftly, swiftly go the noise, I went out to investigate where dogs are doing, and Peter is painting the side door. Our dogs had been chasing tractor pass down the road. Sigh! Walk back to the home office and found a notification message flashing on the desktop, waiting for me to answer. It was the caller from the UK about the disability news – Deafblind group. It was lovely to receive their story from them.

Moving on to my course materials where I was supposed to do the assignments since Peter was out of the hospital. Reading the materials and thought of something to take notes and details in the course materials. Another flashing message popped up, asking if I am free to chat over a grave concern or not. Oh well, why not! Rats the update software popped up at the same time I was prepared to send the chat to the Deaf caller. I was waiting for the downloading software to finish and finally hit the chat video button. We chatted over the issues, then noticed my time near for my quick lunch and headed off to my appointment in the city of Hamilton.

Finally, I came home but guess what! Peter lets our dogs out as the dogs were pleased to see me at the front gate, where I headed to open the gate. I gave them a command to stay, so I get in my car and move inside the property before heading to the carport. Quickly out of the vehicle while our dogs chasing around the car and came to me while I closed the gate. I turned and found Peter was standing near the carport, and I did not hear him telling our dogs to stay. He has amused us as we walked back to the house. I saw our side door freshly painted in greyish colour. That was a nice colour for a change from dark blue as the door had been weather battered down over a few years. We have a coffee break, then Peter off to rest his hip and pelvis, and I head back to the home office to do more works. I was hoping no more distracted or disrupted while I am working until nearly dinner time.

There was never-ending as Nova got vomiting, Peter had done the rubbish bag ready to take out, our middle dog – Jazz barking at the person who walked past, and then our older dog Joseph wanting to sleep under the work table. More emails came through, and I have a quick check through emails. I decided it was time to stop and take the rubbish bag out by keeping the dogs inside so I can have a breather while walking down the private road. I turned around to check our fields – ohhhh, for God sake! Peter let the dogs out, so they came to find me on the other side of the fence. I walked back to the gate for the dogs to know that they stayed until I closed the gate. A few more jobs to do outside, such as locked the garage side door and the greenhouse double doors before heading back to the house as dinner time already.

That was my daily routine around at home while Peter is recovering from the surgery since six weeks ago.

Coming home from work and admiring the broad landscape during the lovely hot summer. One problem IS Waikato did not have any heavy rain for four years. The vast country farm’s landscape bearing signs of brunt brownish, and there are not much greener grasses left surrounding the farmland. It is an early stage of becoming drought for all greater Waikato and Waipa.

There have been changing global warming over many years, which is the sign of the longest drought we face and prepare for the worst. In the Waikato area, we prepare to save water by collecting rainwaters into the storage case/tanks through the Winter, BUT we did not have the heaviest rainfall for such long times. We, local farmers, regularly check the water tanks, streams and entrapment streams, and some of the farmers plan large water storage ponds for their cows. It is still not enough for ALL local farmers and orchardists around Waikato and Waipa. We are not living in the Greater Auckland area as Waikato and Waipa lie outside the boundaries lines. Our water comes from the Waikato River – the longest river of the North Island and outside the Auckland area. 

Waikato is the fourth largest region in New Zealand and covering 25,000 square kilometres. A map will show here. 

https://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/community/about-the-waikato-region/

Northland – land area 12,504 kilometres. The Northland region has a vast farming area, and they are already on the brink of another longest drought over 23 years. Northland is prone to drought. Here is a quote – “many households had “inadequate old, poor condition water infrastructure with insufficient storage volume and no water treatment”. “The (2019/2020) drought exposed significant water poverty, particularly amongst communities without public water supply schemes. This was a human rights issue..” https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/431857/water-poverty-in-drought-prone-northland-a-human-rights-issue

Auckland – land area 4,941 kilometres BUT high population where Auckland Council can not cope or catch up with continuing growth high population, lack of leadership, planning and delay projects. The result of the actions was to due financial blowout budgets or under budget due to the demand for roads, transports, lack of land for housing, and slow time-consuming. In Auckland, there are five reservoirs in the Waitakere ranges that supply Auckland. Note that Greater Auckland is NOT a rural area, it is an urban city where there are over million peoples using high intake water for the businesses, households and transports. Of course many of the businesses are using high volume of water blasters for car businesses, and cleaning out waste chemicals in the industries and many other way of using high intake water in the businesses. The Auckland council have a very different guideline on when and when not to use high water intake including water blaster. I disagree with their guideline and water restriction.

The Waikato region council observed the water level, maintaining the roads, population growth to match housing demands, farming, livestock, and many other things. Because they have projects for a ten years goal plan along with the financial cost and budget. We recently have a couple of the largest projects underway, and there are Waikato Express Motorway from Bombay to Cambridge via Hamilton and Ruakura Inland Port.  

Map of Ruakura Inland Port show here.

 https://www.ruakura.co.nz/about-ruakura/

Every year we, Waikato people, receive reminder letters and notices about the water level, a reminder on restricted using water during the Summer season, and how can we use water. For example, hand watering the garden between 6am-8am, no water blasters, and soaking water in the ground. 

Last year, we, the Waikato people, learnt the new from Auckland City Council, begging to borrow the Waikato River – 200 million litres per day to feed all Aucklanders and businesses. Simultaneously, the Waikato River is almost low because they – Aucklanders desperate for more water and their lakes, including a small number of water storages running very low. There were many debates between Waikato Regional Council, Hamilton City Council, Auckland Council – Watercare company, Waikato River Authority, Māori Board. 

“Parker said he was surprised it has taken seven years to get to this point, but the application was made for water, Auckland did not think it would need until 2030.” This quote was dated in November 2020. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/board-of-inquiry-to-decide-whether-auckland-can-take-more-water-from-the-waikato-river/3FRLFAQZNL5PCR64KWCIMU5QT4/

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2020/07/15/fixing-aucklands-water-crisis.html

Quote – “Watercare chief executive Raveen Jaduram told Auckland councillors today that if the drought continues with little rain until summer, there will be about 200 million litres of water a day from the Waikato River (170m litres) and the Onehunga spring (about 20m litres). Normal usage of water in summer is about 560m litres.” https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/aucklands-water-crisis-brings-an-alert-system-similar-to-covid-19/LW734FHDMHYFLRJI2CQTG4YGLM/

Quote – “They made fundamental errors. They should have had a Plan B, they should have invested in capital to ensure they had enough [Waikato river water] processing capacity at Tuakau, they should never have let those dams get that dry.”

“Rimmington’s theory is that Watercare, smug in the knowledge its dams were 89 per cent full at the beginning of November, continued using that water supply for too long instead of gearing up to get more water via the Waikato river treatment route.” 

“To process water from Tuakau is more expensive than draining it from the dams at Hunua, so they were saving money by using the dams, hoping the autumn rains would come.” https://www.newsroom.co.nz/the-wettest-drought-on-record-a-history

“Auckland has been well aware of water issues confronting their city for at least 40 years now. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/121935555/waikato-council-rejects-aucklands-queue-jumping-bid-for-water

The promise was made by the Mayor of Auckland is that once they receive more water and they will return the clean water pour back to Waikato River back in 2004 and 2013. Actually, the promise never made, and the Waikato River Authority suggests that all Aucklanders should pay water rate, “Hamilton’s helping hand comes in stark contrast to the responses from the Waikato River Authority and the Waikato Regional Council. Earlier this week, the River Authority’s chief executive, Bob Penter, proposed that if Auckland wants 25 million additional litres from the river each day, it can pay 10-cents-per-litre for the privilege – with a daily receipt of a whopping $2.5 million.” https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/07/auckland-water-crisis-hamilton-city-council-agrees-to-allot-25-million-litres-of-water-from-its-annual-allocation-to-help-auckland.html

The local Eureka community received our latest newsletter in our rural mailboxes last week, and inside the newsletter, I checked how much rainfall and temperature we have experience here. It appeared that we did not receive heavy rain and increasing the weather, which up to 30C over the last two months.

Here is a short video of our property and see how much grasses have gone to brown patches everywhere.

I decided to do a new page about our dog’s lives through us and my childhood’s memories.

The three dogs live on the sizeable lifestyle property with their mum and dad (humans) outside Hamilton city. We are called Joseph, Jazz and Nova, and we have different types of breed dogs. Our mum is deaf with other disabilities for we look after her and keep her company while our dad is away to work. Dad is a hearing carpenter, and he was a truck driver in many large machinery and trucks in the past. Now, dad is home and doing carpentry in the double garage and in the house.

Joseph is eleven years old, and he is the more senior of us, and he lives with mum and dad from eight months old. His previous owner was his mum’s nephew and niece in law back in 2008. A nephew and a niece in law wanted a small dog instead of a big dog for their young girls. They realised that Joseph is going to be a big dog for their two young girls. Mum asked dad if they were prepared to have a dog or not. They got Joseph and lived in Hamilton City before coming here in the rural home. Joseph’s breed is a bull mastiff x, and its colour was tan with white.

Jazz is four years old, and she is gentle and quiet type black with a few white patches on her chest and four paws. Jazz is quick to hear something odd outside to start barking if she is prepared to alert mum that something is out there. When a stranger came, and Jazz inspected the stranger is excellent or lousy, Jazz can read any human behaviour and emotions. If the stranger is wary, Jazz will nip their fingers when they move their hands (not sign language) while talking to mum. Jazz communicate to mum by dog gesture by learning to point and go into the room where she wants to.

Young Nova is one year and very playful, but a lot of time barking when she wants to play with Joseph. Mum and dad tell Nova to be quiet badly, and Joseph is restlessly, and he will growl back to Nova. Nova is a tan with chocolate and cream patches as her breed is labrador cross and a medium height dog. She is more or less stubborn when trying to chase rabbits or birds because Nova is trying hard to catch a rabbit.