Monday 29 July 2013

Delightful twosome

Two of Clover & Beamish siblings looking very innocent.  This is sure to become one of my favourite puppy photos.  If you want to indulge and see more, check out our Puppy Blog here

Friday 26 July 2013

De-stressing

 Taking some time to breath...and walk my guy, Beamish

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Time?

I can't figure out how it happens, one moment we are stuttering along in the midst of an endless cold, wet Spring and before you know it we are in the middle of Summer, seriously, how does that happen??  Sorry for the lack of actual words on my blog of late, OK, maybe that is a good thing.

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed this year with all the work we are doing around here, not to mention the explosion in my chicken population and trying to integrate the young birds into the current flock of nasty old mature girls.  Owning chickens I am learning all about the plethora of sayings, recently 'pecking order' is at the top of the list.  The girls can be brutal about establishing this with the young ones.  It doesn't help that my chick purchase of eight this Spring gave me four, yes FOUR cockerels!  I had sort of hoped for one and damn if I didn't get four times that.  One was a beautiful Brown Leghorn, no I didn't order a Leghorn, but he was slipped in disguised as a Speckled Sussex Hen, isn't he a beauty....
Gorgeous Brown (Foghorn) Leghorn Cockerel

 Sadly he was a very 'cocky' fellow and along with fighting with the other young roosters....


 ....he was the most noisy and had started asserting his dominance with very aggressive and unwanted advances to the young hens.  He is the smallest of the Roosters, yet he managed to chase and keep this beautiful Silver Grey Dorking up in a tree

 This week Mr.Leghorn and one other Cockerel were removed from the flock and peace has returned...for now.

Another sign of how fast time passes, I cannot believe how much work Clover's recent litter of 13 pups is.  In past years I have raised two large litters at the same time with a lot more ease then this one large litter, I guess I have to admit that the passing of 'time' is slowing me down :-)  Once more I am so very thankful that the breeding of Hilde didn't work out, I can't even imagine having her litter as well as these pups.

The pups are doing fantastic, what a wonderful, happy, sweet bunch of pups, everyone of them is outgoing and affectionate.  Sunday we had many of the new owners visit for a couple of hours, I think everyone had a good time, I know the pups did ( click here to see photos and video ) and Cyrus had a blast, you can see a little of Cyrus trying to play with the pups in one of the videos on the Nursery blog.

In the garden some things are doing fantastic, some fizzled out with all the rain and we are starting to really reap in the harvest that should continue on into the fall.  Below are a series of photos taken this week.
Flowers in the Herb Garden

Our Corn

Gold Finches are enjoying the spent sunflowers

Squash plants are bursting out the garden fence

Cardoon Plants

Roses put on a stunning display, even beautiful as they wither

Sunflowers the bloom of Summer

Thursday 11 July 2013

Worlds best Auntie

Daisy was thrilled to take over for the pups mom Clover today.  Nothing makes Daisy happier then to spend time with pups.  Here is a little boy snuggling up to Auntie Daisy, look at that smile on her face.  Ahhhh Puppy Breath, it woos everyone.
More photos of Daisy and the pups on our Puppy blog here

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Chicken Run

 Finally our fencing is complete and the hens are able to free range in safety.  I know it's hard to tell, but....those are happy chicken faces :-)






Saturday 6 July 2013

Weekend flowers

The constant rain this summer my have the petals a little tatty, but, you can't stop the poppies from their display.
Pink poppies blooming by the chicken run
The beautiful and structural Mullein.  They grow where ever they choose every year and are one of my most favourite plants.  I had to educate Mick a few years ago that I didn't look at these as weeds after I came home and found he had triumphantly whipper-snipped them down to the ground.  I think he still sees them as weeds but steers clear of them now.
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