Hare ra Izzy

OK so not sure about my Maori spelling but there you have it she's gone !! We phoned her old family to let them know we were thinking about getting rid of her and her old father phoned back to say how happy he was and that he will have her back. He is no longer working away and has joined the fire service so has plenty of time to devote to her. The reunion was great Izzy jumped into his arms and licked his face. Going by email dates we had had her since October so we gave it a good shot. He also told us he'd been up all night because he had been so excited to see her again.

Also must note the last straw with Izzy was the two chickens she ate on Friday ! luckily for her they were both roosters that needed to go. I have found another method for ridding ourselves of excess roosters, a partner of a play centre mum works at reptile park and they will happily take roosters of your hands for you. I think in the future we might have to only breed chickens that are easy to sex because roosters really are just a waste of chick food.  Current chicken statistics just for interest 2 old bantams, 14 teenage chickens (born in December so should start laying soon then we will really know who to get rid of) 9 chicks(born midfeb) 12 eggs in the oven (due 15th march). Will have to start getting into breeding and selling I think as chickens are quite fun and you can get a little bit for a pure breed chicken.

Teenage chickens in their run they do free range completely during the day and just run around the yard. 

Young Fin really enjoyed his party on Saturday. I'm very impressed by just how much fun he had and how cool and confident he was with all his little mates at his house. All presents were opened virtually on arrival so he's defiantly got the idea on that one. He giggled madly while everyone sung him happy birthday which is fantastic because I think even a few months ago he would have more inclined to hide behind me and cry at the prospect of singing and being the centre of attention. All of the kids just played really well together with no tears or tantrums. I didn't organise any games but all the kids seemed pretty happy checking out chickens, feeding goats, bouncing on the trampoline and off course eating. BBQ food was great as all the salads were prepared earlier and the men took care of the meat. Fin also especially enjoyed the fire twirling and pyrotechnics. No he didn't have a turn :) and all the other children had gone home to bed by that time but Fin stayed up late to watch Thanks uncle Grant. I don't think I know of any other 3year old parties that included pyrotechnics and fire twirling, I'm sure there is a much cooler word than fire twirling.

Beautiful Wenderholm where I am thinking about having Fins party next year.

Lastly my final life goal for the moment is to fly proof my home ! that was the only downside to the party was the decision to just leave the doors open so that all of our guests didn't roast. The flies decided to join the party too. I purchased a little glade plug in that did nothing, it kills a few when all the doors are closed but I'd say our living area is too large for it to have much effect. Yesterday we popped out to mitre ten and purchase some insect screen and wood and Neville is currently building some screens for me. He also purchased me a little zapper which I am having fun electrocuting flies with today. Much better than an old fashioned swat which leaves a horrible mess. Off course the ultimate goal is to stop them getting in at all. Ahh the joys of country living.  

Good luck monday

I have just found a patch of four and five leaf clovers next to the driveway out the front door. Lucky me ! It started at Christmas time when one of my mothers home stays gifted everybody with little laminated bookmark four leaf clovers she had found. She told me once you spot one you will keep seeing them and if you spot one always look around it as they are usually a patch of mutant clovers . Over Christmas I found my first five leaf clover but it happened to be in the same paddock as a pushy pig so I didn't get a chance to have a proper look for more and this morning I spotted this patch. They are drying in the back of a cookbook at the moment I'd like to copy this young lady and get some pretty backing paper and laminate mine so I can gift them to people for good luck. I will take a photo when they are dry, hmm i wonder how long that will take ??

All is well around the house spent Sunday home doing some tidying up around the outside in preparation for Fins birthday BBQ next week. Defiantly not going to be doing it this long after his birthday if we do it again next year because he has probably forgotten it was even his birthday, 3 weeks is a long time especially for a 3 year old. Will just be doing a BBQ and a cake maybe some lollies and chippies but nothing to fancy.

The second lot of Eggs hatched on wed last week, We purchased 12 fertilised eggs from them two didn't start to develop at all and one didn't make it out of it's egg under mother hen. So we now have nine new baby chicks, and they are all being looked after by their mummy bantam. Half of the eggs were Barnavelder and half were Brown Leg horns. Not sure how many off each we have but good stuff more chicks, and even better stuff I'm not having to do anything. We left 6 in the incubator to hatch and put the other four under mum. Here are some of our little friends in the oven we haven't seen much of any of them since we put them all under mum.

Bread making is super and I now am the proud owner of 40kgs of flour for $40 doesn't get much better than that. I think the whole family eats less bread now that we have to go to the physical effort of taking out a chopping board and a knife and slicing our bread so that's another bonus. I think we will have to start growing our own potatoes I can't seem to bring myself to  buy them at the shops at the moment as they are just so dear compared to what they used to be.

Charlie is well walking around the house on his knee's quite happily funny boy. He has a bit of a reputation at play centre as he likes to give all the other mothers cuddles, little cutie.

Fin is well although we have decided to put monsters the DVD away for a few years. He really enjoys watching the movie how ever ...... he now prefers to sleep in the hallway .

 Worlds most utilised shipping container now the home to our mummy and chicks


Pumpkins have produced plenty this year however the vine now has white stuff on it so might just pull it out and start again next year. Silver beet is still awesome as are garlic chives they are flowering now. Planted the mint between the water tanks.

Still having trouble with the dog she came home covered in horse poo Friday night after harassing the neighbours horses. Decided I wanted to get rid of her and have had a couple of people say they might be interested. Off course since then she has been fantastic and I have been having second thoughts. I think I just need to put in more time if I do want to keep her. We played a little fetch this morning and she was returning the Frisbee as I was using treats. Otherwise she just plays haha look at me I've got the ball after one throw which is pretty frustrating. Kindergarten should have a place for Fin by next term which would mean I could definitely take her for a couple of walks a week then ............ decisions decisions

Happy Valentines

Happy valentines. Have had a lovley week with family visiting now settling back into routine.
 A fantastic neighbour friend took us to an excellent park this morning huge fields and a great playground and best of all no people . Between us there were 3 children 3 dogs and 2 adults so we did pretty well not to lose anybody. I must take Izzy out more often so she is not so bored and I can gain confidence in keeping her under control.

Playcentre is back in full swing and I have sent away my course one booklet and have my first official duty day tomorrow. I plan to do building with the children and have saved up many beer bottle caps to use as wheels for the cars we will construct. Fin is nowhere near getting a place in a kindergarten they are all packed for at least 6 months, so instead we will join the puhoi playgroup to fill up the rest of our week. Pluses being that we will met some families closer to home and I won't have to drive the 20min trip to warkworth everyday of the week.

Chicks are due to hatch tomorrow. Yes more chicks and yes the last lot only went outside last week but thankfully one of our hens has gone broody so Nev has constructed a second chook house over the week in which she can be there mum and not me thank goodness. May I add that the second chook house has been constructed using the most utilised shipping container in the history of the world. It came home from Nevs works rubbish pile and started it's life as a play house, it later moved outside to spend some time as a doghouse, from where it moved to another paddock to do some time as a goathouse and now it rests as a motherhen house. The things some people would throw away goodness

half finished goat house

Fin and Nev adding Fins name to the deck

I have a new project which is to build another garden under the front window of our house. It's going to be a bit of a pain as I will need to remove all the rocks under there and drag some wood from the woodpile to build a frame and wheel barrow some dirt from the dirt pile up there. Hopefully I can trick a few people into coming up to help as it's going to be a pretty long term project. I'm also very keen to get a shelter belt planted this autumn just trying to think of ways around spending money on the plants and how to kill all the grass easily. Still on a lookout for a great cheap source of bark for under and around all these plants and trees. Also thinking about purchasing myself a weedwhacker in the near future so i can keep the place looking tidy. I wont start a list of all the things I want for around the place or I'll never stop .... ahh  we will get there .

Mr 3

Happy Birthday young Finley. Gush,Gush I can't believe my baby is three ! Goodness I'm now in charge of a young man. Master Finley had a great day with presents from mum and dad,  a digger (as requested) and a bag of marshmallows, because it was his birthday and why wouldn't you eat a bag of marshmallows for breakfast? We popped into playcentre and had a cake there, and another cake with dad at dinner time. He shall have his third and final cake at a birthday bbq in a couple of weeks. Goodness me 3 cakes, i certainly won't be following on with four cakes for his birthday next year.

All chickens are well and living outside . Thank goodness they really are much too dusty and stinky for in the house. When our next batch hatch they will be going straight into the shed. Izzy has been making a nuisance of herself and spending all her time under the chicken house, we  will have to board it up so she can't get under , I have heard fleas like to live in dry area's like under houses and i don't want her constantly re flea'ing herself. Apparently this year has been especialy bad for all pests flea's flies etc etc. Considering getting our house sprayed for flea's and flies, but not sure how harmful that is or how expensive but goodness me I don't like flies !

Jean is still escaping but can only get into the main paddock and not into the yard anymore so it's not too much of an issue, as long as she's not munching my gardening or pooping all over the deck I am happy.
Neighbours horses are in the paddock at the moment as all the sheep have gone back to their farm for now. Hopefully will be getting some sheep of our own when those friends purchase some more so that we can get a better price.
Izzy is no longer on heat,  but not sure if she has accidently gotten pregnant to the neighbours lab ... anyone for border collie labradors ? hopefully not.

Have lovely visitors coming to stay this week so really should be cleaning the rumpus and office out and turning them into acceptable guest rooms.
Gardens also need attention need to find somewhere that sells cheap bark so i don't need to weed .

Also very exciting news Gilmours sells 20kg sacks of flour for $20 so good stuff we will be saving even more dough (hahahha sorry) by making our own bread .

Finley and Charlie doing some busy work (birthday digger)

The square in the back ground is Nevs amazing goat house will photograph properly next week 

jean the jennie

Is it tuesday , it's so close to being a tuesday that it's not even funny. Also in my defence we did have impromptu visitors pop around yesterday afternoon and stay for a bbq so i didn't really get a chance.

Jean is a very naughty goat and has decided she is quite bored of her paddock, She has spent the morning eating my garden and pooping on the deck she is now on a teether. She can still reach plenty of grass and can reach her water and her new house, which I must get a photo of I am very impressed with Nev's building skills running talley Chicken house, Deck, Goat house. Hopefully she decides to stay in her feild of her own accord because i'd rather not have to have her on a teether. Her brother Billy has never escaped , have i mentioned he is my favourite, however he is destined to be a curry , not sure how i will cope with that. But I guess there isn't much point in keeping a male goat is there .

Chickens are well again !! Hurrah we lost two light sussex hens but the rest are very happy and healthy again.

I need to have a quick boast post apologies but I am very proud of myself. For christmas my lovely mother purchased me a bread maker. So since christmas that's a good month I have been making all of our bread in it. It's very quick and all you have to do is put the ingredients in the tub and three hours later you have tasty fresh bread. Other plans are yoghurt making and cheese making, goodness these products are expensive at the moment perhaps making my own butter would be good but i haven't looked into how much effort that would take . So I am the queen of the 'small appliances' at the moment with the bread maker and the popcorn maker getting a spin at least every two days . Hopefully all of these endevours should be good for our pocket and our health.



Boys are boys Fin is pleased that playcentre is back in action and we are still pondering what to commit the rest of our week to. Nev has his root canal tomorrow. Charlie just keeps growing with out me noticing, apparently he took his first step on saturday night when Nev had him, and again two steps while Tom and Mike looked after him yesterday while I had a quick exciting trip to the supermarket with the girls. Perhaps i will get to witness one of these elusive steps today if i am lucky.

rip little chickies