The girls....

Well spent a lovely day with the girls and the family today.
We let them out into the garden, the sun was shining (we have red cheeks tonight and it's only winter - gotto love this place). The girls loved standing on the grass and scratching around in there and two of the girls sunbathed it brought a tear to my eye - what a lovely sight to see. Poor Martha is the lowest in the pecking order (we think she is quite a young bird) and she spent a lot of time on her own exploring and having fun.
So here they are


My lovely Donna, the first to do most things. Her beak has been cut off (quite a bit) but I am sure she'll be fine.



Here is Marjorie, she is one of the bosses she unfortunately likes to frighten Martha. Funny enough she likes being stroked by us the least!!!


This is Lady Christina. She is the boss and will stand up to Marjorie. She loves getting Stevie's laces, must think they are worms LOL!!


This is Martha, sweet timid Martha. She loved being out of her pen (to get away from Marjorie), here she is enjoying some winter sun. How sweet is that.


Here the cutie Astrid. She was so small and tiny when we got her and is really filling out. She jumped on my knee last night before her bed time for a stroke!! The difference a week makes!!!


Last but not least here is Rose. She loves being picked up the most and she is perfect without a feather missing. Here she is trying out the ramp that Key made for them so they can get onto the shelf. I don't think she's too sure about it!


Their names (if you haven't figured it out yet) are the Dr's (Dr Who) assistants, all but one. We gave each one the name to match the character of the show, e.g Astrid, who was played by Kylie, had to be the smallest, Rose's beak has a over bite etc.
Marjorie's name came from the hen that was on the first big bro, it sticks in my mind the man walking around calling her name.

and I also made Lemon Curd using the lemons off our tree in the garden and some of the 'iggs' kindly laid by some of the girls and it's yummy.
New Zealand is certainly changing me, who'd have thought it of me!!!

They're here - our new Whanau!!

Project Indigo is complete!!!
On Saturday we went and rescued six battery hens right from the farm itself.
It's been touch and go if we got any (we were gutted when we thought it was a no), but Sat morning we went to the farm (about 1hr away) and tried our luck and luck it was. After waiting till their lunch time, the lady loaded our Paddy's cage with six ladies for us. Stevie went in to the shed and looked around (said it wasn't as bad as some he'd seen on the net), I couldn't, I was trying not to cry (at the thought of all the others left behind that are going to be culled). So we set off home with the girls in the back.

The kids stayed at home (didn't want them there just in case it was upsetting, they know about battery farms but still....). Anyway we took the girls into their new home and we were pleased that they weren't in as bad as condition as others we have seen. We sat and watched them for ages and could see the differences in them straight away. I could see the one who was watching me and the journey home.




One of them started to walk around and eat, she knocked over the water container and her face when she looked at the water (and felt it) over her foot was like "what the heck is that?" (the water system wouldn't have allowed her to feel the water) and before long she was pushing her way out by knocking into our legs by the door. So we let her and she walked around outside. Bear in mind that these girls have NEVER seen real daylight nor sunshine or felt fresh air. At one stage the late afternoon sun came into the yard bit of the pen, she lifted her head into the sunshine and looked as happy as could be. Bless. That's when I realised what we had done and how important it really was!
Here she is heading down the garden bit of her pen. It was really muddy (really bad down pour the night before and it was flooded) and she didn't like that and was skipping about to save walking on the mud. As you can see Lou is smitten by them already (although she loves birds she is very nervous of them, in fact phobic is more like it).



And just as she did everything else first. Donna (her name) cuddled into Stevie's feet and guess what - she laid an egg!!! We all saw it and couldn't believe it.
Another one later went and kindly gave us an egg (or as we say here 'igg').


These girls are now retired and to us that if they lay us an igg every now and then that is very kind, but we haven't got them for that.

Please remember not to buy battery caged eggs, not all these ladies are as fortunate (nor as in good condition) to see the sunlight one day, most of them (like these girls would have been and their friends did) are 'disposed' of at the age of one or one and half just because they may not lay every single day like the farmer wants, in their second season of laying.

lust night!!!!

Now don't go jumping to the wrong conclusions!!!
As I was leaving work tonight I said "well it's LOST night tonight" to the new girl at work. Her face was a picture!! and she said "what did you say??" I repeated myself and said "you know, the telly programme!" and then she burst into laughter and told me she thought I'd said LUST night with my accent!!! I told her that's going on my blog tonight.
Stevie said he wished it could be and I said it's too blinkin cold!

Spoilt

We were only talking in work about Galaxy choc, one of the guys wife has gone back to England and we were talking about Galaxy when my friend asked why was it so special, being a kiwi she has never tried it. And she loves choc.
Anyway Stevie turned up moments later and I got in the car and there was a bar all for me. I dashed out and gave her a piece and of course she loves it :-)
Can you see the price on the piccy. $7.90 which is about around £3, yes you hear right for a bar that size which is about 70p?!?! Hence why it's a special treat for me. Stevie bought it for me as a thanks as I helped him this weekend do some of his course work and he got an excellent!!
The treats continued as my friend Angie turned up to see us, she want a cheer up and laugh we did. She gave me, as a prezzy, the copy of the new (well new for us over here - May issue) Creating Keepsakes - my fav scrap mag.
And I even did some scrapping too. 2 layouts, can't share yet.


On UKS they are asking for you to post piccies of your desk as it stands. So here was mine. Can't say it was because I have been busy, but been moving around AGAIN. I tell I move that room more then I scrap.
But I went on scrap 2 los after I tidied it. Not bad.
So last night I felt real special. I did. It's nice when you feel like that and it easily done too.

Another weekend spent...................

on our project. It was start painting the shed. As paint is REALLY expensive I mean REALLY expensive, we are just using what paint we have. So as Lou's room is part Lilac and Lime (lime was already on), the only other paint was the paint from my craft room which is turquoise - don't think our neighbour would be happy!! lilac is was, Well they are girls :-)
The only thing was that it started raining (before that it was 24 and its winter :-o) after we did it and the next morning....................some of the paint washed away :-( Never mind. But getting there won't be long now.

It was also Saturday sports.
First Lou's netball again they won. 40 - 1. Lou scored 15 in 3/4 of the game. Way to go Lou!! She has been a while getting into form but last week she did well and this week, well seems like she was back! Her and the goal attack (2 diff girls) played like a team too and gave the ball to who ever was in the best position.
Footy - Kie was a bit peeved as he was on the 'bench' again for most of the game. He came on the last 10 minutes and passed some good balls to the others. He got in the penalty area and got his legs whipped from under him and they scored the penalty. The coach was pleased with him and said he played well, so he was pleased. They won 3 - 1.
Ka pai (well done) Dolans :-)

Two Today!!

Well it's Paddy 2nd birthday!!


We love this little guy!.

It's the start of field days today. It's a expo (biggest in this part of the world) mostly about farming but tons (or should I say as my kiwi friends say "heaps") of other things there.
My trainees have been asked by the Sallies to give out the tea and coffee at the caravan, as a work experience in customer service.
So we started there today. The kids are really good (the ones that showed anyway), quite a few people were asking who we were and to what to the Sallies. This guys was talking to us and we were telling him about what I and the kids do. He was asking me to they give me a run for my money and I said that they weren't a bad lot (which is true) and he asked them was a like a mum to them. Without thinking they all, bar one, said "yis" and smiled. I was touched, the other girl who was thinking, said "No" "she more like my nanna!!". That my trainees for you they say what they see.
(if all fairness, being serious, a lot of Maori kids are brought up by their nanna (or someone they see as a nanna) so it still was a compliement! SEE!!).

Right it's LOST night, so I am off to cuddle up on the couch with the kids and watch our fav programme.
Ka kite!!

Project Indigo

This is what we have been getting up to most weekends. Getting ready for some new addition to our Whanau (family).














It's coming along so say tuned!!