Apples and Deer

How is it?

Apples and Deer in the orchard. Look out!

Collected a few wind fall apples, Gravenstein. Tools needed to process the apples before drying are placed onto the chopping board.

The apple corer is plunged down and up, twisting as you go, and up comes the core.

The peeler is next into action, I try and do this in a continuous strip.

Then the accurate slice, with the sharp knife. I then soak the slices in a mixture of lemon juice and water for a few minutes. Drain and dry on paper towels.

Then arrange into the drying trays.

The finished trays are stacked on top of each other. Try and get as many slices as you can per tray, the odd overlap seems to be OK. The slices shrink about 50% during the drying procedure.

On with the lid and plug in and switch on. Six hours later.....

Rain

How is it? WET

I emptied this rain gauge yesterday, yet today it's reading at 135 mm. The dam was down about 1 meter, with 4 weeks of constaint watering, yet it also is nearly full!

MET VUW showed rain on the way, with a bit of a dumping over night. They are correct again.

This rain must make the grapes swell, hopefully not too much!

All's good up north today, with a little strong Southwesterly to blow the rain away out east.

Think I might put my feet up and continue reading my book.

See you later.

Netting on

How is it?

Bird netting on at last.

The Thrushes and the Blackbirds (Merlot), tell you when to cover up the vines.

Have tried to use the leaders to help in lifting the fruit above the bottom wire, when the nets are on any below are fair game for the birds, who jump up and make the berries fall off.

Have leaf plucked just above the bottom wire.

The cat!