while my own area, the Tararua, tends to the median in weather (other people get floods, we get a fair bit of rain, other people get drought, we have a dryish season) right now I’m starting to worry a little. In Australia they have raging fires, something that for almost 30 years I’ve watched in horror over summers and hoped all my Ausssie friends will be fine. But this year I had a feeling by the end of 2016 that it could be going to be more than just dry here and in early February I sold off all my surplus sheep, cutting right back to just the breeding ewes.
Right now Australia is getting its ferocious summer fires, the problem is that for once, while they haven’t hit us – yet – they’re closing in. Hawkes Bay, less than an hour’s drive from me, is in flames. Massive vegetation fires, houses destroyed, acres of farmland and bush lost, and now – a life too. A helicopter pilot, risking his own life to combat the fires, crashed. And all the while the fires are growing, and coming slowly closer. I think we’ll be allright in the end, but there are no guarantees.
Back in 1888, people here probably thought the same thing. And of course, there was a lot more bush then, fewer people, and they didn’t have the superbly trained, equiped, and organised, volunteer firefighters we have here now. (Down at the station last weekend admiring new engines, water tanker, and gear.) That year in 1888, Norsewood (and Ormondville) burned. people died in the fires, houses burned, as did stables, barns filled with hay and oats, local stores, churches and vicarages, the school and teacher’s house along with the small local brewery.
And now I wonder as I look at the current photos of burning land and houses that fill our local newspaper, and consider the pilot who died trying to save others, if 1888 isn’t repeating. And if so, I’m deeply thankful for neighbours who’ll help each other, our firefighters, and my insurance. And having said and published that, it’s now likely it’ll rain for days. Because that’s the way life is – or at least, that’s what I’m hoping. It’s worked that way before and we need the rain, because if my house burns down, how the heck will I ever find copies of my 7,469 books to replace my library? (Not to mention the cat won’t like living somewhere else – and nor will I) AND if I have to flee, while I can take the cat and make a run for it, how the heck do you load five ewes, nine hens, a rooster and five geese on a mobility scooter? So, if the fires get any worse, life is going to become ‘interesting’ in a Chinese curse kind of way, and I really don’t have time for that.

On the bright side of that, the hens are really happy it is. They haven’t stopped laying, and – while it can be sometimes difficult to find the results – I’m currently getting 4-5 eggs every day. The wild-bird population seems happy about the weather too, since the second hatching of starlings is underway in my pumphouse. And I used less firewood this past year than ever before, so my dud leg stayed quieter. Yup, even if we do get that possible drought, the (lack of) clouds, has a silver lining.
Meanwhile over january we had what would appear at first sight to be a fair amount of rain. A whole 74mls, or just about three inches. It wasn’t as it appeared however, since we also had gales all month, and IMHO the drying effect of the gales would have effectively negated the 74mls. This month we’ve currently had nearly two inches, but then again, it’s been hot, and still windy, so I’d discount most of that too. I looked at the portents about ten days ago and sold all my surplus lambs and sheep.And while today is cooler, and dampish, I have a feeling that was the smart decision.

The last three months haven’t been very wet. And the last month we’ve been swept over and over with gales, these leech the moisture out of the ground, and I have a nasty suspicion that this month, January, the gales have balanced the rain, and in effect we didn’t get any. So, as I say, I’m not absolutely positive, but there’s a feeling at the back of my neck that says ‘drought!’. So I sold all my spare ewes and lambs yesterday. I’d rather borrow stock to eat down surplus grass, than have starving animals, I’d rather get good prices right now, than almost nothing for starving stock later on. I’m just lucky I have a very small farm, and can afford to do that. Larger farms won’t, and if I’m right and a drought does come, they’ll lose – maybe a lot. There’s times when it pays to be a smallholder.

I should say to anyone wondering where I’ve been of late, it’s been a very busy year. I wrote three and a half books, and much of my computer equipment piece by piece had terminal meltdowns. The outcome has been that I have replaced my printer, and my desktop, and am hoping to replace my laytop any day now.
On the 2016 book front, I had one book out, SHERLOCK HOLMES: POISONOUS PEOPLE, and three Sherlock novellas, they are now just out in print as well, in the form of CATALYST, (book) which includes a new short story. Wildside also has lined up to appear very shortly – my fantasy, BASTET’S DAUGHTERS, my next Holmes double, SHERLOCK HOLMES:FAMILIAR CRIMES, (both written last year) and I have turned in to them, SHERLOCK HOLMES:STRANGE EVENTS, and the first two of the next three novellas.
So far this year I have lined up on my schedule, the third novella and short story, (To complete CATACLYSM,) plus another fantasy, and the next Holmes double. So please forgive me if anyone thought I’d died. I haven’t, but between not being able to get letters printed, and running in circles writing, and cursing some technology, I wasn’t always up to date over 2016. I can’t promise. But I’ll try to do better this year.