Getting the Veggie garden happening

I decided I should get the veggie garden happening again. I have been slack for about 2 years so time to get going again.

I went to the local nursery and OMG the price of seedlings - up to $7+ for a punnet. Nah, I'm not paying that. So I got Alex to get me a styrofoam box from her work and i planted some seeds. I planted - tomato seeds (Grose Lissie), Capsicum, Sunflower, Watermelon, Spring Onion, Nasturium (flower), ummmm can't remember what else but some more I think LOL. Fingers crossed they go well in my little hot house. Will update. I dug over the garden bed and then realised that it was hydrophobic (ie the soil won't take water). Lucky I had some soil wetter stuff for that problem and it was fixed in a day thank goodness - you sprinkle it on and water it in and it bubbles like detergent and then the soil will not repel the water. Amazing stuff that - the soil is now as good as new!!! (it took 3 goes though).

We have had a few dramas in the chook house. The black chicken I call Rooster seemed very aggressive towards Blackie who is sitting on her silky eggs - trying to peck the eggs under her etc, so I decided to move her into the big pen. She is NOT happy but hopefully will settle down soon.

Baby Isa and Rooster (she is not a rooster but looks like one)

Yesterday, Baby Isa X went CLUCKY!!!! I totally cant believe it at all. Anyway, I decided to move her to the big pen too today to get her off the cluck. WELL that was a bad idea. She was NOT happy either and somehow flew above the fence onto the top of the baby pen, then dived onto the ground, back up to the nesting box.

I looked this evening and she had stolen 2 of Blackies fertile eggs and was sitting on them !!!!! I did a bit of a swap and put a non fertile one under her and the other 2 back under Blackie. I don't have enough baby cages for 2 of them to have babies so I don't want any to hatch under her GRRRRRRR

Anyway will see how it all goes (why do they have to want the same nest too???), Blackies bubs are due on Friday or Saturday (fingers crossed).

Other than that not too much happening. I worked Saturday night at Movies in the Park. It was a lovely night - well behaved crowd and lovely weather. Have grand plans for the house and another veggie garden etc but not sure if that will happen in the near future. Poor Greg still hasn't finished the second coat on the bedroom yet, but he will get there. So much to do, so little time :-)

Pretty stuff

Poor Alex has split up with her boyfriend Troy. Some of her friends bought her these Tulips to cheer her up. They are beautiful as they have opened now.

When I got up this morning and went out to fix up the chooks, Blacky was off the nest and

stretching her legs. I popped in the nest and grabbed the non fertile eggs that she steals when the others lay in her nest LOL.


I think they look beautiful - one is pure white (from Baby Frizz), one is cream (from Baby Isa X), and the other is light blue/green (from Roo - cause she looks a bit roosterish to me).

Also here is a pic of the peaches that I harvested from our tree. These ones aren't quite ripe yet but Greg ate the ripe one yesterday and said it was yummy. I have some more on the tree but just waiting for them to grow a bit more.

These things made me feel happy today...................they are so pretty.................

Am I wierd???

Michael loves pulling the books out while I cook lunch LOL

I have been thinking about this lately, well thinking that I may be thought of as a wierdo. It doesn't worry me really, although sometimes I do feel a bit sad when people make fun of me and what I do (even when it is in fun and not meant maliciously) - although I laugh along - afterwards I feel a bit sad.

Because of this, I don't openly put out there what I do or believe in. I haven't told anyone except my mum that I made some washing detergent with home made soap etc. I don't talk about my chickens much, even though I LOVE them a lot.

Saying that, if someone does express an interest in those things, I do let them know what I do and am happy to show around my chickens and give them tips!!!!

I totally lost motivation this week............. we had take away about 3 times because I was unorganised and hadn't got shopping done etc. Despite costing a FORTUNE, it wasn't nice either. I am getting organised for next week now. I don't want that to happen again.

I went to an "Open Garden" yesterday. Jemma & I had been to the shops and on our way back I saw a sign for the Open Garden Scheme just around the corner from us, so I decided to take a look. Amazing stuff!!! The owners have before & after shots of their garden and what an amazing transformation. I wish I had my camera with me. It was just a suburban block with lots of grass & they transformed it into a beautiful oasis. It wouldn't be any good for me, it is a very high maintenance garden, taking at least 8 hours per week in Summer (due to all the watering I would guess) and I personally would like more vegie garden/chook area than they had (they had 2 chooks) but it was lovely. It has got me motivated that I have to start on ours!!! but something with a little less time to maintain.

I would totally love a vegie garden, but I have to face reality. I just don't have the time at this time in my life. Saying that, I do have time for low maintenance veggies, so will focus on that next weekend (I am going to see what would suit me the best). I may be going back to FT work next year so will even have LESS time but I try and get a balance - work, family & doing stuff I love such as chooks & garden. I am going to see if FT work is worth it for us and if not then try and negotiate not doing this. Time will tell LOL.

I made a really yummy, oh so easy lunch on Friday as I was off work (due to working the Monday instead). I should have done this for the takeaway nights this week!!!

Chop up some veggies (anything - I used capsicum, tomato, spring onion, corn) and some ham or bacon or chicken or don't worry (I used bacon).

Chuck it in a frypan with some oil and fry up until softish/cooked. Meanwhile, grate some cheese and crack some eggs in a bowl (see above) and whisk.

Season the cooked vegies/meat with salt & pepper and sprinkle the grated cheese over, then pour the whisked eggs over.

Cook for a little while until egg is cooked through. Lift up from bottom and put onto plate. Season with S&P again and ta da!!! lunch in about 10 mins flat (you couldn't drive to maccas in that time). MMM very yummy, cheap & healthy and even Michael ate heaps of this off my plate.

mmmmm tasty lunch

The baby chooks are all doing well with their mums. Blackie is still sitting on her silky eggs and has 2 weeks to go!!! Can't wait :-)

I'm a bit too busy at the moment......

BOO!!!!
Michael playing at the Halloween Party

Halloween Party at Stacy's!!! (Jem & Michael at the front)

I usually like to post at least every week, usually on a Sunday but I ran out of time this week. We had a HUGE weekend with two parties and lots of other stuff going on.

Anne's brilliant ladybird cake for Raiph's 1st Birthday

I also had to work on Monday as work went a bit crazy on Thursday & Friday of last week. Mum came down and minded Michael for me which was great. I am having this Friday off instead.

Michael at Raiph's 1st Birthday

Mum found another possum in the chook pen on Monday, but sadly it was alread dead or died very soon after she saw it (she was too scared to get it). Monday I was flat out in the morning as the trains got mucked up and I have to waste 45mins picking Mum up from the station. I didn't get to look in the pen that morning because I had to race out the door to get Jemma to school and get to work. There was no baby in the pen on Sunday afternoon, so I'm thinking that it's probably the sibling of the other one I found and their mum came down into the pen again to get water or food and then the baby dropped off for ??? reason and sadly has died.

I virtually ran out of washing powder recently and my sister had made me a gel type liquid for last Christmas, so I started using that. It worked very well. I had used all that up so decided to make my own washing powder. I prefer a powder because I can add stuff do it. This is what I did (recipe from Down To Earth Blog):

1 cup of laundry soap grated - I used my home made soap as it wasn't getting used as everyone here uses a liquid. It was probably about 1.5 or more cups that ended up being grated.

1 cup of borax

1 cup of washing soda (letric soda)

1 cup of oxy whitener - I used the Sard one I got on special but also bought the cheap brand one too (same ingredients & oxy %). This whitens my whites as I don't want them to go grey.

I whizzed it all up in my food processer and use 2 little scoops per wash (approx 2 Tablespoons). I put in some dirty towels and Jemmas very dirty school uniform and washed. They came up lovely and clean & bright & soft. Very happy.

It did suck grating the soap. I firstly broke up the soap into smaller pieces but they didn't grate well, better off using a big piece as these grate well. I did scrape the last of the laundry detergent out of the container I use and whizzed that in too. Other than that, all went really well.

Blacky the Silky x chook has gone clucky AGAIN!! Since her little baby I got her was taken my a mean bird and killed, she obviously is desperate to have some babies so on Friday I went down to Ryde and I got her 8 silky eggs to sit on, so fingers crossed she will hatch some babies.

On Saturday I bought a metal rabbit hutch from Wahroonga off an ad on Gumtree. It was $50, so not too much $$ and is perfect for my needs. I will be able to give my friend Lillian back her hutches when the mummy chooks grow their bubbas a bit bigger. The babies are going well and growing quickly. They are very cute.

Here is a cute video of Jemma making Michael laugh. It is very funny and Michael LOVES Jemma so much - she makes him laugh....