Nothing to report on from yesterday - just my last day of work - so I'll launch straight into today which was a red-letter day on the calendar: our holiday with the Bucklands!
Brendon and Nick studied theology together in SA around the time our Caleb and their Rachel were born (Rachel is twelve days older); after that we kept in touch through our various emigrations and moves. They are based in Hawarden, an hour north of Christchurch, so our journey took us through Christchurch first where we stopped firstly at McDonalds for lunch, then at the Airforce Museum of NZ which boasts free admission and "one of the world's premier military aviation collections".
Had a good look around there before moving on through the city centre as I had located a material shop I wanted to visit - we found the shop and all I can say is 'disappointing'!! It was a long and unnecessary detour and we are again reminded how blessed we are to sit in Timaru's non-traffic! Saw some of the earthquake damage - roofs with missing chimneys covered over with plastic; bricked wall fronts removed from their concreted inners like bark off a tree. Finally arrived at the Bucklands after what the boys would consider an epic journey (having been contextualized to 10 minutes maximum on a typical journey) around 4 pm. We last saw the Bucklands at church camp in October but because of our abrupt departure we hadn't had much opportunity to chat - in fact, despite our having known the family for so many years this was the most time we've ever spent together, but the connection was instant and honest; the boys also didn't take long to feel at home with Rachel, Ruth and Hannah, who are all three just lovely - each in their own extremely different personalities. Indeed, it was quite a pleasure for us to meet such interesting and charming little girls. Before tea we made a quick excursion to a dairy farm where milk was acquired - almost straight from the cows! We caught the end of the milking which was just as the boys and I had learned about in school last year, and then the Bs filled a bucket with the freshest of fresh milk you'd ever get - and despite having just been inside the cows, already chilled through the machinery process.
A pork roast with potato, sweet potato, carrots, rice and marrows was on the menu for tea - Belinda is a relaxed and competent hostess and everything was superb. And then it was time for the promised pig farm visit - Brendon manages the 'grower section' of the largest outdoor pig farm in the southern hemisphere; this is no dinky little operation, with about 25,000 pigs in his section and another 4,000 breeding sows with their little piglets, and the procurement of half of the south island's straw for bedding. The weaned piglets were gorgeous and hilariously comical as they scuttled away like frightened sheep, hoping that their statue-like immobility would act as camouflage, before carefully coming back to sniff us. And for the record: piglets don't oink, they squeal like babies having their toes pulled off. The ready-for-market pigs were definitely not cute - a writhing mass of noisy, smelly, dirty, big, grunting bodies is a sight to behold, with an average of just under 100kg per body. To be fair, the smell was not from the pigs themselves per se, but from the day-long-trampled effluent-soaked straw which would be replaced in the morning. The ammonia was overwhelming, but on the whole it was quite an experience to get the inside view of such a huge and efficient operation.
Pork sausages in the making :)
Brendon and Nick studied theology together in SA around the time our Caleb and their Rachel were born (Rachel is twelve days older); after that we kept in touch through our various emigrations and moves. They are based in Hawarden, an hour north of Christchurch, so our journey took us through Christchurch first where we stopped firstly at McDonalds for lunch, then at the Airforce Museum of NZ which boasts free admission and "one of the world's premier military aviation collections". 
Had a good look around there before moving on through the city centre as I had located a material shop I wanted to visit - we found the shop and all I can say is 'disappointing'!! It was a long and unnecessary detour and we are again reminded how blessed we are to sit in Timaru's non-traffic! Saw some of the earthquake damage - roofs with missing chimneys covered over with plastic; bricked wall fronts removed from their concreted inners like bark off a tree. Finally arrived at the Bucklands after what the boys would consider an epic journey (having been contextualized to 10 minutes maximum on a typical journey) around 4 pm. We last saw the Bucklands at church camp in October but because of our abrupt departure we hadn't had much opportunity to chat - in fact, despite our having known the family for so many years this was the most time we've ever spent together, but the connection was instant and honest; the boys also didn't take long to feel at home with Rachel, Ruth and Hannah, who are all three just lovely - each in their own extremely different personalities. Indeed, it was quite a pleasure for us to meet such interesting and charming little girls. Before tea we made a quick excursion to a dairy farm where milk was acquired - almost straight from the cows! We caught the end of the milking which was just as the boys and I had learned about in school last year, and then the Bs filled a bucket with the freshest of fresh milk you'd ever get - and despite having just been inside the cows, already chilled through the machinery process. 
A pork roast with potato, sweet potato, carrots, rice and marrows was on the menu for tea - Belinda is a relaxed and competent hostess and everything was superb. And then it was time for the promised pig farm visit - Brendon manages the 'grower section' of the largest outdoor pig farm in the southern hemisphere; this is no dinky little operation, with about 25,000 pigs in his section and another 4,000 breeding sows with their little piglets, and the procurement of half of the south island's straw for bedding. The weaned piglets were gorgeous and hilariously comical as they scuttled away like frightened sheep, hoping that their statue-like immobility would act as camouflage, before carefully coming back to sniff us. And for the record: piglets don't oink, they squeal like babies having their toes pulled off. The ready-for-market pigs were definitely not cute - a writhing mass of noisy, smelly, dirty, big, grunting bodies is a sight to behold, with an average of just under 100kg per body. To be fair, the smell was not from the pigs themselves per se, but from the day-long-trampled effluent-soaked straw which would be replaced in the morning. The ammonia was overwhelming, but on the whole it was quite an experience to get the inside view of such a huge and efficient operation.
Pork sausages in the making :)
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