Ahhh Spring.

Camp fire evening on the Arden property in Waikari, North Canterbury

Life seems just a little bit easier. It’s an illusion we all buy into gladly handing over wads of ‘readys’ for a little later evening purchase served with sides of outside meals, more social times and a fervent belief that every evening will be just like this from now on. Good times.

Kate McMillan (front) in her family’s Arden Pinot Noir vineyard, Sept 2015.

Of course, with a cold snap, a frost scare or two and an acceptance of a soil temperature unrealistic for any type of meaningful growth, reality crashes back in like an unwelcome party guest. Ahh well. Its happened now. It can happen again.

Frost sprinklers create an icy wonderland in The Food Farm Orchard. Sept 2015

Blue sky break on The Food Farm enjoyed by our Pekin ducks. Sept 2015

Over the next couple of weeks the blue sky breaks happen more often, and the new members of The Food Farm menagerie arrive, all contributing to the sense of change. Something has shifted. Someone has kicked the chock out on the growing season, and this baby is on the roll.

Cob 500 breed of meat chickens on The Food Farm. Sept 2015.

The wines are beginning to warm up in the winery as well, moving though their secondary malolactic ferment. Lactic is definitely a big thing around here with the arrival of Jim the Eagle (fervently hoping there are still some Spike Milligan/ Badjelly the Witch fans out there?). Naturally our minds wander to all this milk, cheese, butter, cream and whey.

Life is good.

Calf, Jim the Eagle, son of Lucy the Cow.