Eggs at Last............ !!

 Finally a little surprise in the henhouse ....... the girls that I raised from fertilised eggs that I posted about here and here  have laid their first eggs....albeit a bit funny looking....the colour doesn't appear to be uniform on the shell but they were fine inside..... it's the first time I have raised chicks that have laid eggs....previously in 2013 when I put eggs under the clucky mum they were both roosters....this time I got 3 girls.... it's great.

My two funny little eggs......at last they are laying.

All the girls foraging beneath the fruit trees.................they love it.

The six girls out foraging under the fruit trees....three old girls and three newbies.....I just love watching them peck around the garden..... they are such a natural addition to the yard and worth the effort.

The Human Spirit.......

I am always in awe of the human bodies ability to endure......my daughter and a team of friends entered the Oxfam Trail-walker fund raising event.  They managed to walk the 100km in around 35 hours walking through the night, only resting briefly....a true test to their will and determination to succeed......they are all in a lot of pain and blistered feet (which thankfully they were able to have treated by podiatrist's during the event)...but very pleased with their achievement....congratulations girls!!

The team as they headed off at 10:30am on Friday morning

The team when they finished at 9pm on Saturday...a bit worse for wear but still smiling.

My best friend joined me for a stint as support crew at one of the check-points....we fed and watered them and then sent them back on their journey....The Melbourne event raised over 2.5 million for Oxfam... a fantastic cause...to aid global poverty.

The Good....the Bad....& the Sad...!

 We had a lovely Easter....home made hot cross buns on Good Friday..... a lovely sleep in on Saturday...then an Easter egg hunt in the back garden with the Gboy on Sunday morning, followed by Brunch.....and a visit to our parents in the afternoon....My man having 4 days off in a row....perfect.

All ready for the oven......very wonky but who doesn't love imperfection !!

All brushed with sugar syrup and ready to eat..

This week I got around to making tomato relish from some of the last of the crop......followed the recipe I found on the internet and I did think 1/2 cup of salt into the chopped onion and tomatoes seemed quite a lot.....2 cups of malt vinegar also.... and it took forever to reduce.... upon tasting it is very very salty....I checked the comments on the recipe and they all said way too much salt.....I bottled it up anyway and will see how it tastes in a couple of weeks time...such a nuisance using a recipe that I wasn't too sure of.....would love to hear from anyone who has a great tomato relish recipe!


after a quick dip in boiling water the skins come off nice and easy.

Red and a couple of yellow heritage tomatoes, onions.......and loads of salt !



Will see how it goes, but I think it is going to be a bit nasty ...!

 And sadly the little chicken who hasn't been well for quite a while died yesterday......when I went out in the morning to let all the girls out she was just standing there not moving and let me pick her up.....she was so thin......I placed her in a small cage and put her on the porch in the warm sunshine...she laid with her eyes closed all day only waking occasionally.. and the fluffy girls and I sat with her in the sun for ages....she seemed quite peaceful but I wondered if it would have been more kind to put her down....It is such a dilemma but I let nature take it's course..... she had been eating and running around the day before.......hopefully her last day she was peaceful away from the others who were starting to peck at her....I buried her in the backyard under the lemon tree.

Daisy and Daphne sat with me keeping their eye on the poor thing...she was very weak and listless.

Monthly 9 Link-up for March 2015......

 

 Joining in with Linda for the monthly 9 for March.  Where does that time go?

 Nourish:  I was lucky enough to be invited to pick my fill of apples from a local orchard.  Gave loads to friends and family, stewed and froze some and also added my own rhubarb and made a delicious crumble.  Have an abundant supply of rhubarb running wild in the vegie garden so was great to put some to good use.

Apple & Rhubarb Crumble  ..... didn't remember to get a pic until it was almost too late.



 Prepare:  Made a batch of tomato sauce from my tomatoes....not so many this year.  I have another load on the kitchen bench as I write which will hopefully be turned into tomato relish this afternoon!

Homemade tomato sauce....it's a little runny but still tastes good.

Reduce:  Plans are in the pipeline and we may be moving!  Am spending quite a lot of time clearing out cupboards and storage getting rid of all things unwanted.  Trips to the local charity shop are on the horizon.

Green:  Two great books found their way into my hands.  Free-cycled from one of the ladies at book club who was giving away several of her unwanted books.  The Book Thief and Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela ..... I couldn't resist them and happily gave them a new home. 

Free-cycled books....

Grow:  Plenty of fruit on the lemon tree but doesn't appear to want to turn yellow...not sure what's happening there.  Also lots of fruit on the fig tree but it is a constant battle with the local Currawong's to get to them first....those birds wait until they see the purple start to appear on the figs and they are onto it .... looks like I will need to get the bird netting up!

Lemons that don't want to ripen...one is getting almost grapefruit size

Planted out some additions to the vegie garden now that the summer crops are out.  New bed for the potatoes.... and also planted out some snow peas, baby spinach and lettuce.  Another two beds for Broccoli, Cauliflower and Leeks. 

Vegie gardens freshly planted....homemade trellis for the peas using recycled star posts and wire.

Create:  Haven't got to any of my creative projects this month with the exception of the novel.  This is taking up quite a bit of time. Writing Group each Friday is very inspirational and motivating.  Who knows maybe one day I will actually finish it . 

Discover:  It was really a re-discovery, but a beautiful day at the zoo reawakened my inner child... the majestic lions, elephants, gorilla's, birdlife and butterfly house.  Just fabulous and a magical experience to watch my Gboy be enthralled with all that he saw. If only we could all see the world through the eyes of young children.

Enhance:  Bookclub  this month was Her Father's Daughter by Alice Pung.  This is the second book we have had by this  author.  It's a little similar as they are memoirs but still quite a good read.  Also on the nightstand I am eagerly waiting to read my daughter's copy of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. So many books .... so little time.!

This months' book club read

 

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.....just sitting there waiting for me to pick it up!

 Enjoy:  So much to enjoy in March.... not the least the last of the good weather.  We celebrated a significant birthday in the gardens at the Zoo....it's not everyday you turn 4.  Several dinners out with friends, a 21st, an afternoon Tea to celebrate several birthdays...and a 50th where a little too much wine turned into everyone's worst nightmare ...Karaoke !!

Birthday picnic at the zoo for the super GBOY !!

Here's hoping March held something special for everyone else.  Happy Autumn.