our farm looks a picture we think

Next week I leave for Nepal and India. It looks like being an interesting trip but so far the format isn’t as fixed as last year.

Using my frequent flyer points I fly to Kathmandu via HongKong. I arrive in the morning of the Wednesday the 13th having flown overnight from Sydney. By coming via Sydney I get to see my family for a few days.

I am only in Hong Kong for the day and hopefully will see a little of this glamorous shopping city before re-boarding Dragon Air for Nepal via Bangladesh.

Robert my brother and director of Mend is in Nepal now. I hope to visit him along the way with hopefully extra prosthetic limbs etc for the Hope Centre in Gulmi. The program has become more interesting in that Bruce will also be joining me and we intend to do some low key trekking. I have been very lucky in being met at Kathmandu by Chiran and staying at their B&B. I always find that knowing someone makes for the best types of getaways. I may be ranting on a little but I sure am glad to be having a break from the farm.

grading the last of the pink lady apples

After a very hot and dry summer the rains have come again. The grounds are looking good. Another fungal spray and prenty of compost and I think our trees will be very happy next year.

We have been working very hard these last few weeks getting things tidied away for the winter break. Guhyun Jeong from Korea has been a great help. We have enjoyed his company and spent many a day working outside pruning or whatever and finishing up in the evening repairing or rebuilding computers or software. Not always successful but it was a different learning curve for me.

cleaning up the last of the berries

Most of the jobs are finished now. The weather has turned cold and wet so whats not done in the next couple of days will just have to wait until I get back.

After I leave Nepal which will be near the end of June I will head up to Kashmir to see Musood in Srinagar. I intend to do some trekking and one of my intentions is to return to Yordu and see Ulfat and Bilal. Musood has indicated that he might come and perhaps we will have a dental clinic both in Yordu and along the way stop at Inshan and Warwan. Nothing has been finalised yet.