All Blacks Silverfern on the car perhaps?

Yuss - the AB's won the rugby world cup 2011- after some 24 years winning it back in 1987 for the first time- oddly enough while we where out of the country (in France) at the time.  Just like last time we played against France - who many felt were lucky to be in the final - but gave a good account of themselves and made for a real cliffhanger final.  End-story - the All Blacks won the match!! yusssss - I am so happy  :)

New Zealand was the host country and to our credit, the Country got right behind the teams and the competition and I have never seen so many flags been flown on cars.. That got me thinking that I can go one better! I did put up two banners in the windows in the house - quite good really at night - the light comes through the fern and shines - brightly - just like a silver fern is s'posed to be and do!! Anyhow to cut a long story short - I wanted to have a image like this on the rear window of my car.  After all - I have seen some glass doors in the Mall's where you can see from one side a perfect image but because they have zillions of tiny circles stamped / cut out - you can actually see through from the other side.  It is just the case of finding someone who can make me one for my rear car screen.  And this is where we are going to bumm out - on two fronts!
Firstly - the "projected cost would be well over NZ $250  A N D  (very sadly) more importantly -- our Government has these regulations that allow your vehicle on the road and it seems that private cars are not allowed to have their windows tinted - or sticker-ed with any signage!!  Major bummer all round!!   Sighs



Thought I toss this in - these are the newly minted Stamps . . . . .    should we post something to some folks in England / France / Australia?????  hmmmm they may not get the joke . . . .




Check this out ---->

Modifications not requiring LVV Certification

Use the following list as a guide to identify modifications that individually are considered to not adversely affect the safety performance of a vehicle, provided they meet the WOF safety criteria:

1. Branded wheels and tyres of a different size, provided:
   1. they do not project beyond the line of the original mudguard, and
   2. they lie within 25mm of the manufacturer's track width, and
   3. the tyre/wheel rolling radius is unchanged
2. Changed road springs and shock absorbers that are direct substitutes for the originals, being mounted in the same way without lowering or raising the vehicle
3. Suspension bushes that are direct substitutes for the originals
4. Any modifications to the original engine model and type for the purpose of increasing its power by no more than 20%
5. After-market steering wheels (not where airbags were originally fitted) providing they do not increase the risk of injury to the vehicle occupants
6. Additional or changed instruments and accessories that are either directly ahead of the steering wheel or do not intrude into an area where they could add or cause injury to a vehicle occupant in a collision
7. Cosmetic changes to the bodywork that are secure and do not reduce driver field of view or increase the risk of injury to pedestrians
8. Glazing - refer to the diagram for examples of aftermarket window tinting by the application of overlays permitted on a variety of common light vehicles.

Diagram key

Visible Light Transmittance (VLT)

• Glazing marked a is required to have an overall VLT of no less than 70%. Overlays are not permitted
• Glazing marked b is permitted to have overlays applied providing the overall VLT is not reduced below 35%
• Glazing marked c is permitted to have overlays of any level of tint, including advertising overlays

Note

• The overall VLT of the glazing is important, not the colour
• Class MA vehicles are not permitted to have glazing with an overall VLT of less than 35%. If there is glazing with an overlay behind the driver's seat, there must be an external rear view mirror fitted on each side of the vehicle
• or vehicles of classes other than MA, but including stretched limousines and body transfer vehicles, any glazing to the rear of the driver's seat may have a VLT of any level providing the vehicle has an external rear view mirror fitted

 

Rocket stove

Ah yes - I made a rocket stove,  after someone mentioned a Jiko stove for efficient cooking ---->   jiko stove

Well one search led to another and before you knew it - I was hooked

rocketstove

www.youtube.com/rocketstove
www.youtube.com/larger rocketstove

 Here is my first model - hmmm actually it is the second - the first model was a crappy quicky --just to prove to myself I had the know how and tools to make it happen.  This "first" proper working model is made from old soup tin's.  It is amazing how little wood it uses and how hot it gets for cooking.  The saving of the Forrest principle was a major selling point in making this - as is the fact that maybe one day I may make one with the Scouts for them to use!!
I didn't leave enough of a air-gap so it still smokes at the entry point.  Other then that it worked brilliantly.  I then got the firebricks to make a bigger more permanent model - just in case and also just for fun!!  I will let you know later how it worked out!!

 

Boiling 3 liters of water!  Tea time!!




















 

Roadkill stew

 

 

We decided in a terms program for cooking - much of it outdoors based and also using the Geezers cookbook.  The most fun recipe and activity for me was the Roadkill stew.  Nothing like psyching up the youth with good stories about Russia and dead meat and meat shortages and recycling any dead animal found on the road!  There are many others and some we used successfully - the Coke a cola chicken stands out in particular.  Anyhow below are some images from that day we cooked our roadkill stew - it was fun. 

Getting the water supply ready - basic safety first - in case either the fire spread or we needed to apply first aid.











Where shall we put our fire safety bucket??  Here or there??? - actually - not bad carrying nearly 50 liters of water!!












 I made a rocket stove out of a soup tin-can and a larger 5 liter fruit salad tin-can - insulated it and was keen on test driving this little baby.  It needs very little timber for heat produced and can boil water in a shorter time then a conventional fire - but more on that in another log entry









 Getting the fire ready!!  This time, due to time constraints we showed the scouts a different method - and we  used some of the "Magic Water"!  Basically we used two runners on the bottom and then crisscrossed layers over the top with kindling and some larger pieces.  The two runners leave a good 2 inch of clear air gap from the bottom up - and from both end-sides - thus the air can get underneath and let the fire "breathe".  Then tossed on some "magic water" and added a match - whooooom instant fire.  Once it burned down and was reduced to ashes we cooked on that.


 Having told the scouts to keep their eyes peeled for roadkill - and scrape that of the tarmac and take home - we gave them the option of buying fresh beef or venison - and bring that instead.  Funny how the idea of fresh tenderized meat from the road did not appeal. It did not help at all that during the term leading up to this I dropped some very subtle hints about how I found this meat . . . . .  Anyhow - the basic idea is that you take some fresh meat (and fish or chicken works best) lay that inside a golden syrup tin (500g size) then add flavor (any flavor you want) a handful of vegetable, and a handful of either rice or pasta and top up the tin with water leaving about 15 mm gap to the top rim.  Of course you can be as creative as you want to be.  For instance I boiled up some beef bones the 2 days before hand to get some decent stock and for additional flavour - well - think garlic  / rosemary / curry etc etc.  Then there are musrooms / capsicum . ough ough ough aahuuuuuuuuuuu    Urm better stop here - my water is running round my tastebuds again and I am getting hungry. ^^
Once all filled up you close up the tin with its lid and punch a tiny wee hole in it.  After about 5-10 minute it will release steam - indicating near boiling point and from there it is another 10 minute of cooking. Voila - a cooked meal inside it's own container and easy to eat from!!  Now - A N Y  food grade tin will do and it needs to be metallic - and as it acts like a pressure cooker the punched hole is there for an obvious reason!! 

If you check the picture - on the bottom left the geen tin - you can see the liquid bubbling out!!  Further you will notice that one enterprising scout decided he was VERY hungry and used a larger tin - which naturally took longer to cook.









 I had successfully test driven my rocket stove! Amazing how LITTLE wood you need to use for cooking - in fact I managed to use enough branches from the ground without using any of the prepped wood from home.  Further there was enough left to finish of the large tin from one of our scouts and use the 2nd large tin for boiling water - so that they can wash up their cutlery. 














As I said earlier - I  found the Geezers cook book on the internet some years back and have used it many a times to run a fun night with our youth - indeed once I based a whole terms program on it.
It can be found here ---->  geezercookbook..com

and here  ---->  GeezerCookBook.pdf   (which is easier to download and store on hard drive)

I salute to  Dwayne Pritchett and his children - your resource has provided many a good scout nights!
Yours in Scouting
rip Dwayne

 

A old fashioned alarm clock

Alarm clock

Ah yes - recently we were on a Sunday afternoon drive. We decided to head of to Ashburton - about an hours drive away from Christchurch and go for a leisurely stroll there.  In due course we saw this very old fashioned alarm clock in one of the shops.  I used to own a small version of that and had that sitting on a ceramic saucer (a plate really) - seeing I had to get up at 3 am for work and sometimes sleept through the alarm.  Anyhow - I would have bought this one for my late teenager son - who still manages to sleep till 12 noon every day.  The picture is not doing it any justice - the alarm clock stood a full 30 cm tall!!!   I would have bought it too - but for the fact that the shop was closed.  Bummer   -- I can only imagine what kind of racket this one would make at 6 am!! sighs
 

Snow storm in New Zealand

Amazingly - the weather boffins got this one right!  It is a rather unusual snowstorm - in the sense it covers so much of the county!  Auckland will get it later today and THAT is saying something!!
Anyhow took lots of pictures and videos - will make a snow woman later!!
meanwhile - enjoy and i shall contemplate warming up a gluehwein!!
have fun






 

Annual Westcoast trip Barrytown knife making - part two

  This is a studied look of concentration!!  His knife turned out just fine!!  And it is hard work so we had a decent lunch as well!!














Cutting of the excess steel and getting the blade ready for some serious grinding!!  This almost was more hard work then the forging part for some of our scouts!  You could also tell those who live in Dad's garage and who does not!!






ah yess - here you can see Nic being brave and closing his eyes and hoping like heck he won't get hit!!  Luckily for him - he did not need emergency surgery!!

Sir G.H. was mightily please with his efforts!! Although KEEN observers will note the cheating - one axe sticks to the wall on the handle alone!!   Bet you he could not replicate same throw even if he got paid for it!!








One last time for a decent swing!!  Teamwork at its best!! Wonder if we can get one like this build near our Scout hall!!  Would be kind of fun!!
Even better if there is a swimming pool at the front for a decent JUMP in . . .        ^^

All fun comes to an end and here the youth can bee seen polishing the knives. Now such is my repudation for cutting fingers that Steve now takes the edge right of during this process and then later adds it back on.  He has three standards of sharp -
1 -sharp,
2 -extreme and
3 -religious -  (as in Jesus Christ this I S  sharp - Steve's words) Naturally everyone asked for a number 3!!

Here the edge is being added back on!  Sparks are flying - indicating a reasonably hard steel !!


















All in a days work - now do they not look really beautiful???  Magnificent species and all HAND made!!  not many places in the world where you can do this!!   www.barrytownknifemaking.com

check out their website!!

17,000 knife's later this never fails to impress and these guys certainly had no problemo posing with their new hardware!!










A picture says a thousand words!!  Wonder what
Nic was thinking, with that wicked grin on his face!! Maybe I need to sit down with Brodie and have THAT talk with him about bear-etiquette  :)














I tossed this pic in because it is so quintessential New Zealand.  This inquisitive Weka decided to make of with my Stave, and he nearly succeeded too.  There are plenty of stories from trampers who leave their boots outside the tramp huts overnight - only to have to search for them over a large area the following morning!!



We decided to give Shantytown a visit - and naturally all had to test their gold panning skills!! AMAZINGLY all  found some nuggets in their pans!! Wow!! How lucky can you get!!!
While there we inquired  about their education program- we may come here next year and do a full immersion program.  Could be fun!!

Another successful Westcoast trip camp concluded!!


 

Annual Westcoast trip Barrytown knife making

Yup - every year we take a group of scouts to our wonderful westcoast and get them to experience with a hands on practical way some real westcoast comforts - let alone crafts and history.  This year we went to Barrytown where Steve and Robyn helped us make the knives!!  The weekend started in typical westcoast fashion - the confirmation of our booking of the local community hall has got lost in the System and we were not expected.  Ended up talking well after 9pm to some locals who know someone who knew someone else . . . .    by the time we got a key and we came back the lights were on in the hall and the door open.  hmmmm scratching of heads - turns out that our Scouts - ever helpful - suggested a urm *cough* semi legal - or is that ill-legal entering via a toilet window. Problem solved. (rest assured we did catchup with the owner who left us a key and invoice, of course - he never know HOW we eventually got in)

Army style camping at Barrytown Community hall

Bunked down and settled in for the night - next day we split the group in half - one lot went of to see local Doc (department of Conservation) lady officer and checked out the track conditions in the bush, while the other half went of in search of steel and forge and excitement.Oh it should be said too that the scouts got a good old fashioned reveille wake-up call bright and early!!

 Pretty much the only time we let scouts loose with the fire - in a controlled way.  Heating up the steel until it gets to a nice orange glow!!












Shaping the steel - which determines the final look of the blade.  It helps to visualize a big bad bogey man and use that as a stimulation for the hammering!!












In-between times when you wait for instructions to the next stage you can amuse yourself with some ninja stars or little throwing axes and AIM for the wall - amazingly some occasionally missed the wall altogether!!  Even more amazingly Ruru volunteered her NIC to hang five on the wall and well - the kids missed every time!!! Pheewwww poor Nic!!  Pic to follow)





Checking out the directions and the times it takes to get there.!!  3 hour hike - should be a breeze - and luckily for us it was not raining!!









Mini-conference - last checks - time clocks co-ordinated - water levels checked - chewing gum checked - urm lets roll!! Scouts walked in to Cave Creek - scene of a tragedy with a Doc platform collapsing and killing some youth on a outdoor trip!!  The area itself is just stunning - but this particular spot will always be tinged with sadness!!





If you stop long enough to smell the roses - you can also meet some of the locals!!  After suitable introductions were made, these two got on very well!!








Continuing on the hike - after all we had previously marked out a decent spot for a lunch stop.  It was a real hike - with the track at times ankle deep (or more) in mud and at times washed out!!  There is of course plenty of  scenery to see and admire.  The scouts also passed off some of their badge requirements!!












What are the first rules in the bush??? Shelter and nourishment.  So we took with us a tarp that acted as a roof - once suitably hung from surrounding trees by ropes - and used bowlines for knots!!






You know what they say - a watched kettle never boils - or in this case a duck soup with some real wholesome veggies and pre-boiled chicken stock! All in all it was yummy and rounded of nicely with fresh fruit and some high energy chocolate muesli bars!!

After we signed back out from our hike (yup - the idea is that you let someone know where you are going and then sign back out - if you fail to do so here in NZ they will start a search and rescue mission - especially if you are several hours late) we went across the road and stomped briefly around NZ's pancake rocks! An amazing rock formation complete with blowholes (need high tide for that) and booming sounds!!


Resourcefulness is one of the attribute that spring to mind!!  The single light bulb wasn't enough to see the food in the pot, let alone if it was boiling , soooooo problem solved, and as for height issues - this little pocket rocket is very inventive indeed!! Dinner at the end of the day was Spag - bog with veggies and a self saucing chocolate pudding with ice cream!!  Calorie count - be damned for the weekend!!
With the "what happens on camp stays on camp" folklore in mind - all we can say here is that a Dad who came with us pointed out to us a certain scout and said "well done for getting him to eat his veggies!" - we won't tell his mum that!!! shhhhh our lips are sealed!!