A weekend away

Some days it seems like spring is well and truly here and summer is just around the corner.
On other days it feels like winter still wants us to know it exists - we even lit the fire this last weekend.
Luckily for the MOML and I, the previous weekend was a beautifully warm and sunny one.
Dairyfarming is a 24/7 occupation and time away for the MOML doesn't happen very often. Our three fabulous kiddos banded together and between them (and their own families and committments) made sure the cows were milked, the calves were fed and all the other animals were looked after so that we could have a weekend away. Some even made sure the house didn't get lonely and the food in the pantry didn't go off :-)
As we like to do, we headed up north. We went to Doubtless Bay to a fishing settlement called Mangonui. A lovely place to rest and eat and walk.

Many of the bays in the Far North are known for their swimming or surfing beaches. This one is slightly different with its rocky shoreline. It feels like it's carved into the hillsides and perched on the edge of the land.

Of course before we went away there was a bit of planning to do. Lots of tracing so I could stitch all weekend. Yeah right.

And we weaned a mob of calves to lessen the workload for YD. Weaned calves are taken 'out the back'...a 3 km track through the bush to more land out there.
First of all I get them to follow me as far along the track as practical...they follow the feeder knowing they'll be fed when it stops.

I've been cutting down their milk for a few days so it's a quick feed —

And a walk the rest of the way to fresh paddocks full of grass. Where they
forget that milk exists. Sort of.

I did get a little stitching done while we were away. I often find the lighting an issue when I'm away from home and all my crafting comforts. This compact/foldout rechargable LED light was great.

I finished Block 9 of the Whimsical Woodland mystery stitchery I'm doing.

But I mostly crocheted - once I got into joining the zookeeper blocks while we were in the car I got the itch to get them done so continued on  - and then started on the outside edge.

The joining stitch is OK. I think it will look better once it's washed and blocked. Maybe.!!!

Last week I spent my evenings knitting this Sunnyside cardigan - ED requested some 'next size up' spring time cardies for the babies. Happy to oblige.

I'll leave you with one last photo of our weekend away. this was the view from our motel room —

This week I've been getting a bit of sewing done - so who knows, I may have some quilty stuff to share next post :-)

Until then, 

happy stitches,