Scrap Sunday

Feel really pleased with myself, as the kids went out and about today and the weather was crook.
I did some scrapbooking.
I have felt that it was becoming an issue with scrapbooking and I had really lost it. Couldn't see the point, wasn't any good etc etc. In saying all this, the last couple of weeks I have had to look back on certain layouts for different reason, e.g. the trainees were talking about jiu jitsu and I told them about Key and Lou being black belts. I got the scrapbook out and took it in to show them. But I read it myself, it gave me the info I had forgot (how old they were) but it gave my feelings on it and reading it brought it right back to me. So I felt the importance of it.
So today I bite the bullet and did 3 Los. Yes don't faint.
I will upload the piccies when it's day light and put them on here.
But I feel good about it and that's the point too.

Winter sports

are drawing to a close.

Here is Key playing basketball for the school, of course he is number nine (famous number for Everton players)





and here he is scoring a basket



They have finished top of their league, so they have play off's this week.
He went in goal at footy today for the first time (he used to play goal for Cambridge but hasn't for the school) and the coach was well impressed and said he will finish off the season and 5-a-side in goal. He has a big lump/bruise on his foot off one of the other team - he's up against BIG lads!!

Lou's netball team has gotten into the finals AGAIN this year Ka Pai to St Peter's Force. Fingers crossed for them and lots of practise for Lou this week!!!

(I have joined another course!!!! No a scrappin one this time. It starts this week and looking forward to it, need to make sure I pull finger on it)

Spring is here.....

spring is here,
it's the best time of the year
(I have Little Bill singing that in my head)

or another line from a David Byrne song
"when seasons lose their grip"

which is certainly happening here in NZ, there are lots of blossom on the trees in the garden (still more to come) and the daffs are well out too.


This isn't a blossom really, they are leaves (I know they look like flowers), I have fell in love with these (they grow into a 'tree') since getting here. They make great 'cut flowers'. So we have one in our garden now. I just love it.



This is peach blossom, makes me laugh - I always think of M&S body lotion when I was younger and here is the real thing in MY garden. Don't know if we will get fruit we can eat this year.



Shows you how tame these girls are getting.



New sense of the word "spring chicken" it's Rose looking for worms in the leaves. Cute aye!

Busy busy!!

Well I have been on a course (day 2 of 3) and really enjoy the course, unlike the other one I have done this year. The tutor is a really laid back kind of dude, but very encouraging and as it is what we already do, just a case of getting the right evidence.
I was coming back home from Hamilton and saw the van with the girls ex farm logo on. I had a lump in my throat. But came back to see this sight, which is Astrid in the winter sun sunbathing with her wings up (she couldn't do either in her cage). How FAB.



Then Key had a go of holding the girls I don't know who is the biggest coward him or Martha!!!

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!