Garden Time

Ready to start thinning

Today is a GORGEOUS summers morning, the oppressing humidity and heat from the last few days lifted overnight.  Today I can spend the time outside without having to crawl into the shadows every 30 minutes to recoup from the heat.  I can turn the A/C OFF in my grooming room and the dogs can enjoy romping outside, I cannot believe I had to put the A/C on in May, crazy.
I will thin the salad garden and look forward to another tasty lunch.  Yesterday I stopped at a local farm and picked up fresh eggs (my chicks will not be laying hens for a couple more months) and asparagus which I enjoyed like this

Asparagus roasted in olive oil & garlic served on country bacon topped with poached farm fresh eggs

The Pea crop

They flew the coop

Yeah!  Chicks are out of my spare room and outside in their brand new chicken coop.  They are almost 6 weeks old now and have gone from fluffy day old chicks to feathered pullets.  Amazing to watch how quickly the transformation took place.
The first 2-3 weeks were wonderful, I loved having the chicks around to watch.  The last two weeks...NOT, what a mess!  The dust was crazy, I hope these ladies do well as I really don't want to be raising chicks in my house again for a few more years.

An evening walk

A few more random photos on Facebook

Some lessons are so simple

...that it takes a dog to teach it to us....

The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things. Henry Ward Beecher

Mother Nature's artwork

The hillside outside our front door has been left more or less wild.  As is usual, Mother Nature does a spectacular job of landscaping when left to herself.  These yellow flowering creeping vines are all over our property, I am sure it was introduced by a previous owner of our property.  At one time there were both yellow and purple varieties, however the yellow took over.  Here they are flowering madly under some old hawthorn and apple trees, beautiful.  When you walk up to the hill you can hear an amazing loud buzz of bees busy at work.

The Nanny

Daisy enjoying a Spring afternoon

Daisy, or Auntie Daisy as I am sure the pups would affectionately call her, is always a favourite nanny to our pups.  She is playful, indulgent, energetic, tolerant and has more patience then I will ever have with a litter of pups.  She adores them, when we first bring a young litter downstairs to socialize she just about bursts with happiness.  Yesterday the final two pups from Clover's litter left for their new homes, the boy in the morning, the little girl spent a couple more hours with us waiting for her new family to arrive.  During that time Daisy and I did our best to wear the little monkey out before she left for the car ride to her new home.

Charlie looking for trouble

It all starts with a kiss...

...and a cuddle

Then quickly things start to heat up

Body Slam!!!!

Gotcha ear Auntie

Say UNCLE, Auntie

Bet ya didn't see this one coming!

Loving my Aunt Daisy

Chicken Thursday

Blanche, one of our future laying ladies.  I am naming the girls after my favorite characters from that great British soap opera that I have been enjoying for almost thirty years, Coronation Street.

Blanche was played by the wonderful actress Maggie Jones who sadly passed away in 2009. 
Coronation Street has not been the same since

Wordless (puppy) Wednesday

Party Girl

Party Girl Poppy celebrates her first Birthday.  Poppy is a Trinny & Beamish pup that stayed here for a couple of months before heading out to a new home.
Happy Birthday to all the Trinny pups.

Bunny Hop

Six week old rabbits enjoying a lovely Spring day....and of course, one annoying Standard Schnauzer barking in the background at the golfers across the road, sigh I need a real country home.

Chicken Thursday