New hair and bad food day...

I notice my posts have been getting shorter and shorter, I'm hoping to change that. I've been a bit lazy, sorry.

Today I went to have my hair done, I think it turned out ok. It was highlighted and cut and blow-waved. I love it.  It did take all of three hours to do though, yikes! I got home and the LDL had done so much of the chicken run I felt awfully guilty for sitting in the worlds most uncomfortable chair for three hours and reading girly magazines. So on the way home I bought myself a combo from McD's and him a quarter pack from KFC. Once I'd got changed, showed off my hairdo and thanked him for all the work he'd done we went up and concreted the posts in. Unfortunately he hit the grave of my sister's goat Peanut which I'd totally forgotten had been laid to rest in the paddock (!!!!) instead of the graveyard which is where all the animals should go for this precise reason. Apparently the post hole borer suddenly started churning up clumps of hair bones and chunks of rancid fat. It seems over two years and still a body doesn't break down in clay soil. LDL said something about the soil being so wet and acidic that it almost preserved the body. Ew, and yet another reason to always dig a a deep grave IN THE PET CEMETERY!!!!

In the evening bad food choice number two struck...pizza! And then a movie "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" which I found hard to watch as the Swedish version was so much better. It was nice to go out on a date with the LDL. I'm looking forward to doing more work on the chicken house tomorrow. And I'm starting to get nervous about our trip away, I'm not taking my car so I feel a little out of control which is a scary feeling for me.  

Happy Anniversary Auckland.

Today is Auckland Anniversary Day, and I usually spent this weekend close to the long-distance lover's home, but not this year. Instead we made a start on the chicken run.  Then it was off to my sister's house for a BBQ and a swim. I had a great time so did the LDL (long-distance lover) and the dogs, Hoby played with his 'cousins' Brooke and Bailey.

Early night scheduled but somehow I don't think it is going to happen. I'm such a night owl, I can't help it. Off to the hairdresser's tomorrow. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.

Concert time!

Wow, what a day, lots of tidying up and then off to the concert with the long-distance lover. I love when you go to a concert and then discover the songs you didn't know they sang. I was extra surprised that Icehouse was an Australian band AND that Electric Blue is their song. Hall and Oates were fabulous. The picnic I created was a little hurried but nice all the same.

The horses are doing well, they're on their starve / eat rotation at the moment.

Hoby spent some time with his nanny and poppy. And the chicks were responsible for putting themselves to bed, which they did successfully. I think they snore, it isn't as annoying as human snoring though it is a whuffley-tweet if that makes any sense.

I'm aiming for a sleep in tomorrow, it wasn't a very late night after all, home by 11 pm. Goodnight to all.

A change is as good as a rest.

Much time was spent inside today. First was the task of tidying my desk. I decided a change was due so I've moved my desk around and I now face a different wall but this time I have a window to my right so I can gaze out the window when I get a case of writers block! I also built a little shelf in my bedroom and mounted some old kitchen door handles on the wall to hang my necklaces from. I have a little stand for my earrings and now they're not swamped with strings and pendants. So boosted was I by the shelf construction that I measured up for the tv surround I've been meaning to make for a while. Dad helped me construct it as he has a table saw at his work. While there I also lay out the kitchen cupboards and found that they are in fact quite conveniently sized. Two of the units only need very minor modifications. I'm thrilled that in the next couple of weeks I may have two new units on the wall. I'm starting up high and will tackle the mind-draining lower units (which need constructing from scratch) for a later time.

I went to my parent's house for dinner again. On the menu this time was fresh Snapper. I'm slowly introducing seafood into my diet after having been a vegetarian for the last year. I have also decided that wild meat may also fit with my values so I'm considering re-introducing wild pork, goat and venison to the menu. I've already had some bunny this year. I hate the thought of a "pest" being shot and then wasted. Pigs and goats are considered pests at certain times of the year by my farmer-lover, bunnies are always on the target list. Occasionally deer are also on the list. So if anything is shot and would otherwise be wasted point it in my direction.

I went through the motions with the chooks and horses and realised that I've been so caught up in the chooks that my best pal and constant companion hasn't had much of a mention yet. Hoby.

HOBY is my best mate in the whole world. He's this woman's best friend and has been for about ten years although. He was already between 2-4 years of age when he came into my life and at that time he was living as a hobo, going from place to place making friends and scavenging for food. Nothing much has changed, I'm his permanent traveling companion now and he travels by car some of the time too now, he still makes friends, not easily but he does still make friends and he continues to be a master scavenger! Now he has his own bed, food and water bowls, toys and a mega expensive enclosure which he stays in when I'm out. He gets guaranteed meals every day and he even gets Christmas presents. Hoby is getting to his twilight years now, he has trouble seeing and hearing but he still shows the most enthusiasm I've ever seen in a dog for a game of flinger. I love Hoby with all of my heart and he is a pleasure to be around, we've got a great routine going and when I'm away from him I feel like a part of  me is missing. He came with dad and I to the factory to construct the tv cabinet and tinker with the kitchen cabinets. Everywhere I went Hoby was beside me. He watched me constantly and dad commented on how loyal and attentive he is. I spread out a blanket for him to lay on and he snoozed with one ear up the whole time. It is moments like this that I am so thankful to have such a cool companion.

Rain at last!

Just when I was starting to get worried about the state of the water tank, its rained. It didn't do much to the overall situation but it almost filled the horse's trough and for the main tank at least it was something.

I did lots of indoors stuff, things that I meant to do for a long time but didn't get around to like putting all my clothes together that need to be mended or altered. I haven't mended and altered them yet but tomorrow is another day. I've also had a look at the kitchen cupboard situation and my head is throbbing from all the thinking, I'm not confident in my building ability anymore. I've got to get some faith back.

I sent out some debt collection letters too, time to get all the loose ends tied up.

The chooks were completely soaking when I went up to feed them, even though they are free ranging and can hide out under the bushes out of the rain it appears they like the occasional summer rain bath. Bless them. Today Nigel threw himself into the feed bucket and took quite a bit of convincing to remove.

The horses were out on the driveway mowing the grass today, when it rained they took shelter in their shed, I love seeing them defying the weather and staying dry when it's raining. They think it is pretty cool too.

Tonight I went to Mum and Dad's for dinner, I picked up my sister on the way. I love family dinners, they're great. Not only is the food great (roast pumpkin & potatoes, baked mushrooms stuffed with feta, tomato and spinach, and a fresh garden salad) but the company is great too. Kirsty had a fringe cut and dyed her hair darker, it really suits her. I went to have a shower, at mum and dad's the hot water cylinder is miles away from the shower so you need to run the shower a bit before getting it. Unfortunately I didn't realise that Kirsty had removed the hand held shower nozzle and put it on the floor of the shower so when I turned the shower on (completely clothed) I got sprayed in the crotch. It was hilarious. Thank heavens they have a dryer.

I watched another episode of River Cottage, I'm starting from the beginning again. And then I copied some recipes from a library book into my recipe book. Can't wait to try them out.

This reminds me, I owe the blog some photos, I've got a heap on my camera but I am still quite clueless when it comes to this design and template thing. I will try to add some photos in the next week. Also I'd like to share some of the recipes I try.

Here's a link to a website created by the authors of two books I've just finished reading. I recommend the books they're well written and easy to read, they had some great tips too. You can find a lot of the info on their website too, it's worth a look: http://www.oilyrag.co.nz/
Enjoy!

Fish 'n' Chips on the beach.

I started the day with an omlette, oh how I've missed fresh eggs! Pippi and Xena are both laying an egg per day in the nesting box. The yolks are beautiful and orange and they taste fabulous. I've been feeding them an assortment of kitchen scraps too, they enjoy them, grated carrot, shredded cabbage and cooked vegetables are their favorites. I'm thrilled that their bravery is advancing too, they now come right up to me and although I can't touch them I don't feel like the big scary monster they thought I was at the start.

Speaking of monsters, I picked up some pigtail standards this afternoon and called in to see Kimberlee and the family on the way home. Samantha gave me a fantastic picture of a monster she'd drawn at kindy, it has been added to the fridge with the picture of a school from Matthew. I'm loving my arty fridge, kids pictures are so neat.

I returned my library books and found a great book, I can't wait to read it. Oh, and I picked up my new glasses, they're going to take some getting used to! I have already tripped up the steps and smashed an egg and I've sellotaped them to my head to stop them slipping down my nose, some rubber grips on the bridge or on the arms should sort that. But for the time being I'll have to look like a doofus and walk around totally unco'.

I picked up Kirsty and we went to the beach for fish and chips. I took Hoby and he had a great time playing "flinger" (fetch with a big extension arm, ball throwing thing) and swimming in the sea. I love watching him having fun. Then we went in search of some willow trees to pillage some branches top make some natural rooting hormone for my hydrangea cuttings. Rain is forecast so I'm happy about that, just when the tank was starting to get low. I doubt it will be enough to get it back up to where it should be but every little bit helps.

I have been talking to the former long-distance lover, I'm not sure what's going to happen but we're seeing each other this weekend, we're going to a concert together and then he's going to help me construct the chicken run behind the coop. We have been talking on the phone a fair bit, he's called me a lot and we are talking instead of yelling which is a nice change of late. He isn't ready to give up on us yet, I don't know what I feel.....perhaps some hope, perhaps in a false sense? I don't know.

Another busy day.

Wednesday. Another lovely sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. The farrier came out this morning, I waited for him from 8.30 am, he didn't arrive until 11.30 am. In the meantime I brushed the horses, and painted the roof of their house, it looks great but painting in the midday sun leads to sticky paint and a clogged brush and sunburned shoulders. I also got to know the chicks a bit better. The littlies have certainly developed personalities too. Let me introduce them to you one by one.....

NIGEL
Well, I think he is a boy, hence the name. His markings are stunning, "barred" is the correct term for his feather markings I believe. He is certainly very boisterous and had been significantly larger than the others until Voilet had a growth spurt so now they're on par in height. His comb is bright and more developed than the others. Nigel is outgoing and usually leader of the pack, he attempts to hang out with the big girls too and is often kicked out of their triangle which results in squawks of disgust on his part. He likes to interact with me, and will leave the rest of his mates to come and see what I'm doing. If I sit down he will jump into my lap. He enjoys attacking outsiders, ie. my sister, my mum and anyone else he doesn't know. He's never pecked me with as much enthusiasm as he did with my sister's breast and stomach. Male? I think so! But if not s/he'll be renamed Nigella.


VIOLET
A big girl with a big appetite. When I open the lid of of the feed bucket she always dives in head first. She is not vocal at all and seems to know what she wants and gets it without making a fuss. Other than at feeding time she doesn't interact with me much. She seems to be a leader in her own right, she and Nigel spend a lot of time together. I love her grey/ lavender feathers, hence the name Violet. I am almost certain she is a girl, her features appear feminine and she carries herself like a hen. I have no idea how I'll manipulate her name if she is a boy, lets hope she's not as I can only keep one rooster.

MILDRED (Millie)
Mildred was named so because of her markings, she is mainly white with grey edging on some of her feathers which I felt gave her the appearance of a having mildew or mold on her back. She has a very sweet nature and it is hard not to have a soft spot for this sweet little girl. She deserves a nicer name, so I try to call her Millie but Mildred seems to roll off the tongue easier, unfortunately. Mildred, is a singer and is effortlessly happy. She interacts with a girly innocence. If I crouch down she's always the first to jump onto my back and run up to my shoulder where she'll happily sit while I go about my chores. At feeding time she'll come to see me while the others are eating, this is how she keeps her slim figure. Again, I am almost certain she is a girl so I haven't given much thought to the renaming if she turns out to be a he.

LARRY
Now, I'm unconvinced that Larry is a boy but the lady I purchased him off seems to think he is so he was named accordingly. If he is he's the whinging type of male. He is also very clingy and if he gets separated from the rest of his mates he makes a heck of a racket. It sounds heart breaking so I often run to his aid. I'm wondering if the others intentionally turn their backs on him or if it is accidental and comes from him wandering around without paying attention to where the others are. He is a timid worrier (yes worrier, not warrior). Many a time I've had to rescue poor Larry when he's found himself all alone. He craves company and one day he was on the driveway calling out for his mates in desperation, I made my way up to him, I saw him run to the hens and Berlina, Pippi and Xena shooed him away not feeling in the mood to babysit, he was heartbroken as he ran away in a panic. I called him, he saw me and came running, he jumped straight into my cupped hands for a cuddle. "Lets find these mates of yours" I said, he snuggled and whimpered while we searched, truth be told they were only about three metres away from him and they didn't seem as relieved as him when he joined the flock again. Another time he ended up under the deck at the house while all his friends were on the deck, his screams of desperation from under the deck were so loud. Eventually he found his way back up. Larry has a red comb that is more developed than the other two white Leghorns. I have a real soft spot for white Leghorns as this was the breed of my beloved Cluxy and Knuckles, they're meant to be skittish and unfriendly but this wasn't true of my girl. Cluxy and Knuckles also fooled me when they were young by growing the brightest and biggest combs before all the others. So Larry could be a Larissa. I think I would prefer him to be a Larissa but for now he's Larry.

MAGDELINA and MATILDA (Maggie and Tilly)
I call these girls "the twins". Side by side they are easy to tell apart but they are very similar in personality and they seem to be quite a team which is nice. From a distance I can't tell who is who. Their combs aren't as bright or developed as Larry's so either they're girls, slow to mature or they're going to surprise me. They made my heart flutter a little yesterday when they came out from under my car with black oil stains on their backs, they looked just like darling Maud who was white with the occasional black feather thrown in. One of them had the most adorable reaction when I cuddled her for the first time way back on the first day we met. She was the one that gave me the ear, eye and nose inspection with wide eyed interest and then fell asleep on my chest. They too are sweet and get on well with the hens, one of them started eating big-bird food before the others.

And then of course we have:

PIPPI
She's the brown and white freckled Bantam X Shaver named after freckle faced Pippi Longstocking. Pippi is terrified of people and I don't blame her after the awful treatment from her previous owner kicking her and grabbing her by the wings. I'm glad she's part of the family now. Pippi is the mother hen, she was very broody when she arrived and was delighted to see the babies when they arrived. I think they've helped get her out of the coop and into the sunshine. In the start when she heard a squawk from any of the babies she'd run to comfort them, now she is much more relaxed and leaves them to their own devices. She is a pretty girl at the bottom of the pecking order but she does socialize well with the two other hens.

XENA
Xena had the same treatment as Pippi although she is more gutsy and has adapted to life here much quicker than Pippi. She is the of the same breeding as Pippi. Xena is a real Warrior Princess, she has iridescent black feathers with white freckles. She is stocky and her temperament is level. She took an instant like to Berlina and they are very close mates. She comes very close to me without fear and has a healthy appetite.

BERLINA (Biggie-B, Robo Chicken, Big Red and formery "The Bitch")
Ask me this time last year what I thought of Berlina and I would have used some choice words to describe her. She is the last remaining old girl. She would be about 4 years old and has had quite an eventful life. Most recently she was attacked by the neighbour's dogs and rescued from the mouth of one of them by sheer luck that I caught the dog in the act. And through pure robustness Berlina remains. She is monstrous, one of the largest hens I've even seen. She is a pure Rhode Island Red and she has an unsure and suspicious nature. She was always the third wheel when part of team Cluxy and Knuckles, they picked on her and were scheming against her constantly. I often found her eggs smashed by the other two and once even caught one in the act of consuming her egg! Until the dog attack incident Berlina attacked me on a daily basis, viciously. She once attacked a mouse, tucked into a dread rabbit, ate a skink and whole dragonfly in front of me and pecked the eye out of a live rat. My theory was that I was next on her list of disfigurement or murder....until the dog attack. I suppose that rescuing her from the jaws of death made her see me in a different light. After the attack she had a different look in her eyes. I nursed her back to health and in that time developed a strong bond with her. She is my creepy chicken, she will stand outside my bedroom and watch me dress in the morning, not tapping on the window to let me know she's there, instead she just stares and I feel her gaze burning through me. She has been such a trooper and in the time she spent on her own she regained strength but was lonely, I couldn't bear to see her like that. Since the introduction if Pippi and Xena I've noticed that Berlina has become a leader and relishes the role. I am happy for her. She attempted an attack on me yesterday, it was half-hearted though. She has a stance that I've called "The Angry Cobra" which is a scary pose that she adopts just prior to opening a can of whip-ass. Her neck extends about three inches, she stands on her tip-toes and makes a karate "hiiiiii-ya" noise but only does the "hiiiiii" part, the littlies see it on a daily basis although I doubt she'd ever follow through with an attack on them, she's not that mean. She isn't laying at the moment possibly because she's just moulted but it could also be the shock of recent events, but either which way I am happy she is still with me. She is a great tour guide for the newbies too.

So there you have it, the feathered family.

 In the afternoon I went out with my mum for lunch and then to visit her friend's newborn grandson to deliver a pressie. Then we went to mum's friend's house where I saw the biggest Plymouth Barred Rock rooster I've ever laid eyes on. I hope Nigel develops in a similar way. In the evening I did some tidying up, about time!