Feather your Nest Friday, 23rd April, 2021.

 It was a lovely week, full of good things.   We had rain and the girls came to stay as it is school holidays. So it was all go but lovely.

Some of the ways we built up the home this week were:

I cut Andy's hair for him.

I continued to plant everything my neighbour gave me.  And I can report the fig tree I planted from digging up a bit at my sister in laws has sprouted fresh new leaves.  It is off and running!

It is exciting to see when something takes off...or when something comes up as is the case with my carrot patch. 

I made two slabs of banana cake with bananas that needed using up.  I iced and sliced one then cut it up and froze it to send home with the girls for school lunch boxes.   I kept some which they ate while here.  The other I made gluten free and sliced and froze for myself when I have a sweet craving.

I have 10 new chickens!  I ordered them from a lady along with four point of lay hens for Chloe.  Mine are four weeks old.  I have never bought them this way before.   I have an old cage that was my Dad's.   It is just right as it is low but roomy and protected.  To get ready I set it up with hay, lots of it as the weather was cooling.  I had two big blankets to cover it at night.   The hens are the cute/ugly stage!  

They are quite tame and will be super good to handle as they get older.   I am very pleased anyhow as I hope this ensures eggs for a long time ahead. 

The girls had a good time.   They helped with everything so happily.  I had them do as much themselves that they could.  So they fed, watered and helped me wrap the blankets around the chickens at night.

I take every opportunity to teach them.   The first night when we put away the chickens that free range... I said how we must know how many chickens we have and count them twice before we shut them up for the night.   The next evening they both counted twice and said "ok, they are all there we can shut the door." 

I told them if one is left out it might be taken by a fox in the night.   If one is missing we go looking for it. This is the story of the Good Shepherd right there!  

We collected the eggs.  I stay out of it and they have done this enough times they don't break any and they know where to look.   

Back in the kitchen we packed the clean eggs into cartons and washed the dirty ones.   The eggs are packed with the pointy end down.   Much debating was necessary with some eggs as they were fairly round and which end was pointy needed long consideration.   But they packed the eggs ready to go into the next cake!  :)   As they were doing this I got on with other things.    I thought I bet many adults don't know how to pack eggs.   Then Andy walked through and asked why they were considering each egg so extensively.  I explained.  He said he never knew that.  I rest my case. 

We went to see Aunty Chloe and little Thomas.  Chloe took us to see her Alpaca's which the girls love!  Then we picked figs.   Already fig picking experts the girls got quite a few each.  I dug up several small fig trees.   Chloe's are the beautiful big fat purple figs.  I took the spade with me.    It was tough digging!  We replanted one of these trees right away when we got home.   The rest went into water.   I would love one of these trees growing in my orchard. And I already did a trade with someone... fig tree cuttings or root systems for roosters!   I decided I always have at least one broody chicken.  I should be hatching chickens.    My specifications are a rooster must be friendly and docile.  Roosters that chase you are no good.  My friend tells me she has very good roosters with nice manners.  So we made a deal to swap eggs and fig trees for one Pekin Bantam rooster  (as I have two Pekin Bantam hens) and one bigger rooster suitable to breed with the laying hens.   This is all lined up for next week.  

The girls and I took paper bags and cardboard boxes up behind the house to collect pinecones and sticks for Mummy's fire.   For anyone who has a real fire a box of kindling is a welcome gift of help.  Our pine trees have the hugest pinecones I have ever seen.   I picked up one and said "look at this beauty!!"  and explained the idea was to help Mum start a new fire and take them home for her.   Within minutes the bags and boxes were full.  "Look at his beauty!" was declared over and over when a big pinecone was found.  I watched and saw Harper with her foot on sticks to break them up into smaller sticks exactly as I do.  

A couple were very tough and we stepped on them together.  I noticed how thrilled they were to learn and help.   This reminded me of how my Nan B was in regard to collecting wood.  Dad and I were out one day picking mushrooms and it was so much fun.  I said to him how much Nan would have loved it!  He agreed and said how Nan could go collecting wood and pick up a stump and say "isn't this a beautiful stump!?" and I knew what he meant.  She loved collecting!  (A stump is a chunk of wood usually that has been a tree stump.)  The joy of being outside and achieving something.  The happiness of a good day when you put your head on the pillow.  All so wonderful. 

We  also went over the dirt track and the hills and valleys to visit Nan Nan Pat.  They both said it was the worst and most bumpy road they ever went on.  I put my foot down on hills so we went whooshing down and the screamed with delight lol. We saw lots of deer.  I was explaining how the male deer have the antlers and that they fall off every year and grow a new set.   We saw deer with huge antlers!   As the grass was very low at one point I thought I spotted an antler in the paddock.  I veered off the track and circled around and low and behold yes there was an antler.  I said watch out the window!  They both saw it and were so excited.  We collected this antler and they decided it would be a present for Dad and he would for sure love it. 

Mum had made us sausage rolls and had lunch all ready and the girls were "starving" apparently just in time.    This was a beautiful day.

Yesterday Mum came here and we took the girls home together and saw Lucy and Sidney as well.  Another nice day! 

So that was my week.  I am excited for my swaps coming up and the prospect of my own chickens. 

I hope you had opportunities to add to your pantry, garden or home in some way.  I would love to hear! xxx