Sorry about that short interruption.  I’m back after a couple of days.  What’s my excuse?

Frozen fingers, toes and being very very cold.

Oh and busy earning a crust to feed my chickens too.

Yes, it’s winter twinkle in August here in the southern hemisphere.  It’s minus 2 degrees this morning and I’m finding it hard to type.  What, no heating I can hear you cry!  Oh yes but we have a super energy efficient  heat pump system that takes air from outside and converts it into heat.  I know, it doesn’t make sense to me either but normally it works really well.  When it gets cold, real cold, just when you need the heating most, it is obviously having to work hard to make the heat.

Good news though, the sun is out and waving his hat so it won’t be long before the frosts go and the sunshine warms us all up.

When you design and build a house you think you’ve thought of everything.  Heating considerations were a big thing for us but experience this winter has shown that high ceilings (they are 3m high all over except in the kitchen and family room which has a barrel roof and is around 6 m high) you’re going to need a lot of energy source to heat it all up.  The fire does wonders but it’s at one end of the house.   I think my summer project will be to get another small pot belly wood burner put into the kitchen and family room so we can boost the heating during the day and not rely on the central heating which after all is driven by electric which is never cheap.

In the meantime I’m wrapped up warm and keeping busy.  Lots to do today rather more executive than domestic than my husband would like but business is business.  I’ve got three new clients this week – woo hoo – all of which require detailed proposals and plans.  Boy I hope it warms up soon otherwise my frosty fingers are not going to last the course.

Here’s some pics of our frozen outlook.  Cool, very cool!

My little red barn shivering with frost bite

Even the mist has frozen

At least the sun is out to warm us up

Snow capped Rimutaka Hills

Oh, no pictures of Mason.  My little basset is inside with his slippers on and feet up watching the olympics!