Winter Just Around The Corner.............

I've recently purchased a mini bio-ethanol fireplace which I put into my bathroom just to heat it up a tad before jumping in the shower.  My bathroom is cold at this time of year - with winter just looming around the corner.

I've found it to be much safer than any electrical heater I've ever used in the bathroom.  It's easy to put out with it's 'putter-outerer' which comes with it and I light it with those long style matches but the lady in Dusk recommended a long lighter from her shop.  They did look good but unfortunately she found she was out of stock so I just use the long matches.  Apparently you can buy those long lighters also from department stores and I'm guessing that Bunnings may also sell that type of thing.

Besides being safer (well, I can't electrocute myself in the bathroom atleast!), these bio-ethanol mini heaters are lovely to have on for ambience while in the shower and don't cost much to run at all.  I originally bought the Dusk 'fuel' but when I ran out of that I've just used ordinary methylated spirits which seems to work for me exactly the same as the Dusk one.

If you are the type to forget blowing out a candle if you leave the room I wouldn't recommend the use of these though.  I am very careful to put it out when leaving the room - I make it a rule for myself - just to be safe rather than sorry.  

Chicken Lily is SO Good We Got Her Two Friends.

That cheeky chick is now 1.5 years old and has layed us many eggs.  She's been joined by two other chickens to keep her company (and to provide us with more eggs).  They have a huge run but we always let them freerange throughout the whole yard and only lock them into their large run if we are going away on holidays (for their own safety of course!). 

The other chickies are another Isa Brown called Daisy and a black Australorp Frizzle Bantam.  We only realised she was a bantam when she layed her first egg which was about a third of the size of the other eggs that Lily and Daisy were laying.  So be it!  These cute eggs are the perfect size for my eight year old and are great in omelettes, flat on toast (fried in the pan!) and as a mix for sandwiches for school for the children. 

We have a gorgeous wooden laying house which is nice and dry inside (great on rainy days) for them to lay their eggs in.  They love it!  They also love being picked up and given a snuggly cuddle.  This surprised me as I didn't know chickens were so affectionate!  But they love human attention, love and care!  They make amazing pets and Thomas is still a best friend of them.

My chickens have lots of shady areas for be in on hot days and also plenty of sunny areas for colder days so they can warm up.  They love the sandy spots near our house which they 'dig' holes in and sit in for quite some time!  They get it all in their feathers on purpose and then give it a good shake when they get up when it's time to fossick for some more garden worms.  Their composted manure is making my passionfruit vine go crazy with flowers too!!

They love sleeping together snuggled into each other on a top shelf in a mini shed in their massive run.  We tend to leave the door open for they like to get up early and fossick early in the morning! 

Nearly Spring 2012

Spring is nearly here.  Boy that's great!  I have quite a shady block during the winter months because of the huge trees on our northside.  Then it gets really hot in summer.  So I've planted some fast growers (wattles, mulberry tree) to provide shade for the chickens in summer - and give us somewhere to sit in shade in the heat of summer too.

Winter is tough I think no matter where you live and I know it's got down to 2 degrees some nights and I feel so sorry for my chickens!  They have shelter but still I wish I could make it warmer for them!  They are such great pets and they give us such beautiful eggs.

We've considered getting a third chicken in spring but as we are only on a large suburban block (which is backing onto an acreage on the north) I don't know if that's the best idea.  Ideally I need a farm sized piece of land.  When I look at pictures of farmers on their farm it makes me feel so happy because I know atleast someone can have the joy of growing unlimited amounts of fruit trees, nut trees, winter veges in the sun - that would be amazing!

The chickens have grown up and given us countless perfect eggs which have been the freshest and most delicious I've ever eaten in my life (much unlike the lunch I ate at the Sydney Museum the other day which was really, really bad!).  Anyhow,  we love them sooooooooooo much and adore the chicken's characters - such cute pets, that we have decided to get a third chickie next spring. 

The Chicken Comes Next!

Just after Thomas joined the family, a cheeky chick (1 week old by the way) joined up too!  She's so sweet and super friendly - and by mid summer she'll be laying us some eggs.