A bit more about the farm:  I’m not alone in helping out.  There is another WWOOFer, a 20-year-old German named Jan (pronounced ‘yawn’ for those who don’t sprechen sie Deutsch).  Jan and I live separate from Bert and Rebecca’s house…it’s basically an apartment with a kitchen and living space, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.  Very comfortable.

Today Jan and I woke up around 6:45 and did the morning routine, which includes going around to the six pens of chickens (1500 in each) and collecting eggs, feeding them cheese, changing their waters, and picking up any that have died at night (only two today).  This takes about two and half hours. When we finished, we came back and made a huge breakfast of fresh sausage and eggs (we have an unlimited supply of both for free).

We were lucky today, because Burt had to take the pigs to Auckland for slaughtering so we had the afternoon off.  I took a nap and then went out to do a bit more work around the farm…unloading palates of cheese and scrubbing out the egg delivery truck.

Around 5:00pm, we were finished with our duties for the day and I got to take the dirtbike out for a spin.  I have a motorcycle license, but it’s been a few years since I rode a real motorcycle, and my only experience outside of our little 80cc scooter was during the four-hour practical part of the license exam.  Anyhow, it was the most fun I’ve had in awhile.

The farm has a few dirt roads and some are very rocky.  There is also a lot of mud down the hill near the pastures where the pigs roam.  I took the bike all over the farm…spun it around in some mud, splashed through some puddles, and put it to the test on some rocks.  The 200cc bike is a beast and it was so much fun to drive.  I will definitely be taking it out again whenever possible.

We have very little work to do this weekend, and Jan and I can borrow the old car, so I think we might go out from the farm and do some camping. But first, we have to get through tomorrow…more pig wrangling I’m told.  It’ll be early to bed again today.