Has it really been 13 days since my last post?

Well 13 is my lucky number so perhaps this is a sign. A sign....that I'm lazy or perhaps otherwise engaged for the last week and a bit.

So a lot has happened since the 3rd January. For a start I'm on holiday, a whole week is over and I'm wondering where the heck it went. The weather here has been hideous but I think it has finally sorted itself out. Today was a scorcher, I released the white legs, they are whiter than white, so white it looks like I've used that old fashioned bluing powder, you know the stuff that makes white look extra white? Yep, that's my legs, super-bright white. So, I took a small step to getting the legs a lighter shade of pale (or should that be darker shade of pale?)

Also, since the last post my feathered family has grown.....significantly. Big orphan Berlina (whose besties were savaged by the neighbour's dogs late last year) now has two bantam cross adult hens as companions. Pippi is tan with white freckles and Xena is black with white freckles, they're moderately feral but with food I'm sure I can persuade them that I'm not as scary as there last guardian (long story but the guy wasn't very nice). They were kind of a bonus as I was purchasing a hutch off the guy and he threw in two chooks for an extra $4, I couldn't really say no to that.

The reason I was getting the hutch was to house my impulse purchase of eight chicks the day earlier. I know, I know, why can't my impulse purchases be shoes and handbags instead of chooks. So I collected the hutch and two hens, homed newly purchased hens in newly purchased hutch and then drove to collect the chicks.

They were much bigger than I'd expected so the banana box got a little warm and curious heads poked out of every conceivable crevice. On the drive home I wondered where the heck these little darlings were going to go for the night or even for the next 5 minutes. I hatched a plan (excuse the pun). Armed with tools, scraps of timber and roofing iron I began constructing one hell of a chick raising house. During this time I let my new feathered friends take residence in the corner of my bedroom. Yes, you read correctly, I said 'my bedroom'. I reasoned that they were so tiny and probably quite scared and how much of a problem could eight tiny little chickens be anyway? It was only while I constructed their accommodation, they might as well be somewhere safe and dry, it was bucketing down outside. I wouldn't be long, the polished wooden floors could be mopped with disinfectant, I'd tied the long curtains for the french doors in a knot and blocked off a corner for them.

So the lid came off the box and eight pairs of very wide eyes stared around, for about 2 seconds, then it was like an international runway with every chick having a go at take-offs and landings, wobbly landings. Then the noise started, "cheep, cheep". Oh they must be thirsty and hungry I thought. I lovingly placed each little bundle into their designated area and then sacrificed the dog's water bowl, not too much water in it so they didn't drown. They were like 4 year olds in a paddling pool. Water everywhere, add to that some chick raising crumble and then the inevitable "what goes in must come out" and you have a water, food and poo combo. After a while they tired of stuffing themselves and had looks on their faces that seemed to beg me to cuddle them so cuddle them I did! I made sure I cuddled each and every one.

Their reactions to being cuddled ranged from downright hysterical tweeting to complete silence, and one particular darling stared at me, didn't utter a peep and gave me a complete ear and nose inspection before falling asleep on my chest. They seemed happy so I left them to it while I  started construction. I topped up their food and water situation during this time. My boyfriend who lives 400 km away called to ask me some questions about TVs and what sort of telly he should buy, my mind was on other things so I promised a call back, or "come to Auckland tomorrow" I suggested, my judgment beginning to cloud over from chick-house-construction fatigue. Well, I never did get to call him back, 10.30 pm came around all to quickly and I was exhausted. The cheep-cheeping had ceased so I flicked on the light inside. Holy sh!t. The question: How much mess can eight little chicks make? The answer: More than you could ever imagine. And there in the corner of the room stacked on top of each other like feathered Jenga pieces were the culprits. Eyes blinking in unison. I relocated them to their lovely new abode and set to work on disinfecting my bedroom.

Somehow they'd managed to crap up the glass of the french doors, kind of a reverse kamikaze technique. How was this possible, I wondered. Then the mortar like floor covering, obviously if you're every in need of some quick setting concrete eight chickens, water and food will suffice. This stuff was harder than liquid nails, I chipped it off the floor with a chisel (ok, not really but it might have been easier). Finally just shy of midnight and freshly disinfected myself I climbed into bed. There was a possum running on the roof, it sounded the size of Godzilla, wanting to make sure I slept well I slipped myself a few drops of sedative and drifted off into the medicated land of nod.

Funny thing is, it seems when your long distance lover doesn't get the phone-call back that you promised several hours earlier and is armed with a key to your house he takes it upon himself to turn up unannounced. Being in la-la land thanks to my anti-anxiety "doc, I need something to knock me out on a plane trip" drugs I didn't hear him come in the door, didn't hear him walk over to my bed, I just felt him put his hand on my shoulder and whisper "its only me" which sort of sounded like "hi I'm an intruder that' about to rape and murder you" so naturally my reaction was one of complete horror. As anyone's would be at 1.30 am!!!! I wouldn't say I was happy to see him, relieved it was him and not a intruder/ rapist/ murderer, yes of course. So back into bed we went. Apparently I said, "thanks for coming over" or something to that effect before wiping out again. In the morning the day (and night) before seemed surreal. I kind of wondered what had happened. I received praise for my chick house construction ability, that much I remember.

So my feathered family went from one to eleven in a day, plus the usual dependents, dog, two horses plus an unannounced long-distance lover's appearance that lasted for six whole days, the longest time we've spent together ever! The week consisted of quite a lot of shopping combined with integration of poultry here and there, the chicks only stayed in their purpose build home for a night, then moved on to the bigger hutch while Pippi and Xena moved into the Cluck Inn with Berlina. I did quite a bit of crying that week, so did the weather, there was a bit of arguing with the unannounced long-distance lover, some happy bits thrown in there, plenty of exhaustion and eating crap food, not much exercise and more shopping. Actually, everything about last week is a bit of a blur.

This is a new week, full of new challenges and so far, good weather and good emotions. I hope it stays this way!