Favourite Books

Please ignore this post. I have to load pictures here to copy the URL so I can put them on the NZIBS writing/photography forum I belong to.

:)

Random Pics

the look of lamb

a little on the white side...

my kapa haka boy

:)

Young Pigeons, P1 and P2.

The last few days have seen a hive of activity in the pigeons' nest.

Coos of encouragement from Mr P and wingy pushes from Mrs P as they tried desperately to remove P1 and P2 from their comfort zone.

Success at last!

P1 and P2 perch while Dad watches from above. 

And maybe Mrs P is due to pop more eggs??

:)

Yam City
(a writing exercise)

I crawled inside my tunnelhouse to breathe in the heady smell of dampness and potting mix and to see what seeds may have sprouted. Tomatoes and gherkins, zucchini and a pumpkin. But no cucumbers...not yet.

Then I spied them. Tiny ants. A dozen or so scuttling over the chitting yams. They were easy to spot against the white plate on which the yams sat, their black bodies shiny in the afternoon sun like minute polished beads.

I scrunched down on my elbows and knees and watched, fascinated by the way the ants carried off specks of milk powder dotted along a yam. I'd been mixing milk for our pet lambs when I'd decided right then and there that the yams were to go to the tunnelhouse.

A couple of ants looked like they'd sunk their jaws into yam flesh. Maybe sucking what juice remained. Do ants suck? I wondered, as the milk powder carriers scurried over the edge of the plate and made their way down blades of grass, clover and daisy stems.

Suddenly a burning sensation filled my cheeks, my head throbbed and a wave of sickness swept over me as the heat in the tunnelhouse became unbearable. But still I stayed, stuck in my ball-like position. What if the milk powder ants told their mates...party at Yam City! They would march back in their thousands, oozing from the ground in a sea of black. But they wouldn't be after the yams...they'd be after me. EEK!

Quickly I inspected my hands, my arms and my knees. Phew! Ant-free! I backed out of that tunnelhouse and hobbled dizzily inside. Then, for the first time in ages, I sat down and wrote. J

September/October Photo Challenges

'see through'

See Through the lens

See Through

The Letter V

Violets

Villain or Victim? 

V!

Two Pees in a Pooey Pod

Before something disastrous happens to Baby Pigeons 1 & 2, I thought I'd better get their photos...

And a cuddle, too!

His bib is chock-full of food.

:D

I've developed a complex.

The day after I put up my last blog post a rebel lamb broke through the gate and savaged my row of broccoli plants. He was beheading the first cabbage when he was spotted and chased out. 

I didn't cry or stomp or even swear, but I got his number. He's been moved to the top of the 'Who's For The Freezer?' list.

If that wasn't bad enough, I've had to endure cats digging the leeks and rolling amongst the asparagus, kids standing on the row of pea seeds, and dog burying bones in any dirt I've dug.

Today I planted out ten young fennel and sowed two little rows of french radishes. 

A terrific hail storm hit, bombarding everything with marble-sized stones.

Oh Woe!

But it was spectacular. 

It went from lovely sunshine to darkness in a matter of minutes.
The photos don't do it justice.

I was collecting eggs at the time. The wind was super strong. I could barely walk. The air filled with pollen as thunder bellowed and lightning sliced the sky.   

Then the power went out.

Now it's raining steadily. 

I daren't peep at the fennel, or the radish seeds. I won't even check the two wee pea sprouts who popped up to say, "Hi."

I'll just look forward to planting out my broad bean seedlings in a day or two.

XX

Spring Has Sprung!

WooHoo

:)

I'm making a real effort to grow most our veg this year.

Every spare moment is spent digging and sowing seeds. My back screams with pain but it's so rewarding when I see the work that I've done. 

And I'm growing plants I haven't tried before, especially herbs.

So exciting  :)

I love peppermint tea.

Gorgeous baby kale.

I planted a whole tray full. And they'll be transplanted into a fenced-off  area where NO sheep, cows, chooks, ducks, turkeys, bunnies, cats, goat or dog can enter!!

A few of the kale seedlings who lost their heads to the lambs in Autumn are growing again. I'm eagerly awaiting my first taste. :)

Yummy asparagus.

Third time lucky for 
Mr and Mrs P?

I didn't tell you, but Mr and Mrs P had a second disaster in the parenthood department.

They'd built a nest in the black polythene which hangs like a hammock from the roof of the truck shed. Mrs P laid her eggs and was keeping them warm. Every now and then Mr P would fly in and take her place on the nest so she could have a break. 

I also noticed that other pigeons and birds were visiting.

Then one day I found the nest on the floor and two smashed eggs.

Mr and Mrs P were perched nearby looking very glum.

What on earth had happened this time? 

After a short period of mourning, the pair rebuilt a nest on the original ledge where Baby Pigeon was killed. Eggs were laid and Mrs P sat.

But things were still not good.

A pair of pigeon visitors decided they liked the truck shed, too!

They're darker and slimmer. Perhaps a younger couple.

They attacked Mr P constantly. He did his best to keep them away from Mrs P and even I'd rush in and shoo them. But they kept coming back.

Then, over the last few days, the new pigeons have settled. They've built a nest in the black polythene.

I bet it was them who destroyed Mrs P's nest.

At least now they're leaving her alone.

Bestie luck this time round, Mr and Mrs P.

XX

Pearlie & Puddles

I'm a bit teary and sad.

The ewes are lambing and the weather has been horrific.

Icy winds and torrential rain.

Pearlie was the first ewe to lamb. 

Three days ago she had a creamy coloured girl with brown legs and nose. But the lamb died during that first night.

Then last night triplets were born - two boys and a girl. The mother rejected one of the boys. I named him Puddles.

It breaks my heart to see an unwanted lamb. It's wee tummy sunk in with lack of milk. And the pitiful baa.

I've had success with mothering on lambs to ewes who have lost theirs. But it was always done straight away. Luckily we'd kept Pearlie's dead lamb so even though it had been a few days it was still worth a try.

We penned Pearlie up and restrained her while Puddles had a good feed. His tummy grew round. :)

Next, this is upsetting and gruesome, I skinned the dead lamb and put the skin on Puddles. In an instant Pearlie rushed over and sniffed him.

You could almost see the confusion on her face as she could smell her own lamb but also smell Puddles. She wouldn't accept him and backed away. 

I'm still hopeful that it will work. She doesn't bunt him which is a good start and I will keep making her feed him.

At least Puddles is getting the milk he needs and if worst comes to worst I'll bottle feed him and he can be our pet.

:)    

Puddles in his 'skin jacket'.

Makin' Soap

It was a bit scary!

:)

I heated 1000g olive oil and 250g coconut oil.

Dissolved 172g caustic soda/lye in 450mls filtered water.

To avoid the fumes, I mixed the lye and water outside. 

It heated up by itself and was steaming!

Then came the juggling act. 

The oils and lye solution both had to reach 50 degrees Celsius at the same time. When that happened I carefully poured the lye in with the oils and mixed them together with a stick blender.

And kept blending until it reached trace.

Then I poured it into a greased container.

The next morning, after much wrestling, I prised the soap out of the container and cut it into blocks. 

Next time I will line the container with baking paper.

Not the prettiest looking cakes but they smell lovely and mild...like Sunlight soap.

After six weeks of curing they'll be ready to use.

Note to self.....When dealing with caustic substances, DO NOT use your teeth to pull your rubber gloves off!!!

The result is a singed tongue.

:(

Soap recipe thanks to Rhonda of Down to Earth