Getting the Chickens

We picked up the chooks. I don’t know what type they are, they are about 1 year old apparently, and friend had a little noose things which you slip around their legs in order to catch them...... ( I think I want either Dawn French or Pauline Quirke to play me in the movie version......of my life story! LOL) but we ended up rounding them up into a corner, and enticing them into a large cardboard box. .....and I did the unthinkable and named them, there are three ginger ones, (Millie, Mollie and Mandy) two white ones, (henny and penny) a rooster (Rocky) I just loved chickenrun the movie...lol and two bantams. The only snag was when one got out, it was one of the little ones, it hid in the potato patch, the dog found it, and it took off down the garden and hid in the dog kennel...quickly followed by the dog, and partner bringing up the rear…Partner tipped the kennel backwards cos he couldn’t get down on the ground to get into it....and the dog was in there too, he rescued the chicken, and put it back into the run, it seems to have hurt its leg and has been hopping, it is slowly coming good, but I have named it hoppy .... I know highly original, think the other one will be called Happy since it was happy to stay put!

The Chickenrun

Well my partner wanted to keep chickens……I don’t really think so was my intial response, and then thought well, everyone should have a hobby!

The next door neighbour offered us his old chook pen. We

had to dismantle and reassemble it, Partner is just a little stubborn and assured me WE could manage it.....I am saying NO I am sure if I ring a friend they will come and help, extra pairs of hands make light work, just as he heaved the crowbar into one of the supporting beams for the roof, anyway we got the roof so it was on the ground and sort of standing on its end, and roughly leaning against the fence, one would think safely out of the way........wouldn't one?
Well, How did you guess? The flipping thing got caught by the wind, just as I heaved what was once the support post out of the ground. The roof landed on me, and also knocked elderly stubborn partner off his feet to the ground.
Having ascertained he was ok, I did well, I refrained from "I Told you so" threw support post over fence to my place, and decided the British background came to the fore, and made a nice cup of tea.....lol
As you may guess, I am just slightly over the chook pen, the flipping thing still has to be erected at my place......AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!

I then had a cuppa with friend the next morning, and regaled her with the story so far....we laughed, and I said that as partner fell over, and I was trying to hold post, dodge roof, the other thought that went through my mind was the coroners report will read killed by flying chook house roof!
So friend and her hubby came over and we moved the two roof bits, and the assorted woodwork, posts, wire etc to my place.  Friend’s husband looked over the chook house so far at my place....and announced "Oh, it looks like you don’t have a spirit level" I assured him this was a minor technicality...and smiled.
He did go so far as to say "it is very sturdy" which I took to mean will take me more than half an hour to knock down sometime in the future.
After Lunch, darling partner took himself off to work on the posts and rails, and nail wire to the run section....called for my help, which I didn’t mind, there he is, nailing the wire in place, I am holding the wire so it doesn’t move, and he goes bang, bang, bang with the hammer and next thing his trousers are round his ankles, and I am almost doubled up cos I couldn’t stop laughing....apparently I am no earthly use, and didn’t have to help him after that...cant help bad luck can ya!

Removing some dead trees

I had a Wattle tree that was half dead and an Oak Tree, that was alive with European Wasps, and had a lot of dangerous limbs on it and wanted to get them both removed. Spoke to a few people about their removal, and between threatening to take out the garage, or the fence or both, people didn’t want to touch them. Then there was the person who wanted to get a cherry picker into the backgarden and wasn’t keen even then, so I asked around some more, and three of the loveliest local guys came, and removed both trees with no need for a cherry picker at all.

When I arranged this at beginning of week, was asked to prepare lunch for them, so I said "Of Course" thinking BBQ then discovered they are vegans and thought "Oh dear" but did a bean and vegetable soup, veggie strips and dip, asparagus spears, Lunch and Tea was fantastic, and even better was watching the guy go up and down, and round the tree on a rope, it was fascinating.

Did have a bit of light relief when someone came running down the block behind me to enquire if I had a council permit to remove the trees. They were laying on the ground at this point, so I politely asked him if he had a tube of super glue... and obviously he hadn't as he walked off at that point...lol.

My Partner and myself had possibly one of the most interesting meals ever with them, as they shared their views on forest management and protesting in the area. Must say that the dreadlocks and dress would have made me a bit apprehensive if I had come across them elsewhere, but just proved you should never judge a book by its cover, they were  most well mannered, polite and a total joy to be around.

The story so far.....

I retired from work as a Diversional Therapist in a Day Respite Centre in 2008, I had worked in this industry for approx 14 years and needed a change of direction in my life.   I had recently separated from my husband, and with a divorce coming through took my settlement proceeds and bought a house I could afford in the Derwent Valley of Tasmania.  A beautifully scenic area, I live in a small township in a rainforest setting near a National Park.      I became a full time carer for an elderly friend I had known for some time, and we eventually married (Feb 2009) I felt that I had found my soulmate, we had a lovely time setting up home, renovating the outside of the home, building an enclosed area at the back of the house which was covered in shadecloth and insect screenings to enjoy  sunny breakfasts outside and cool evening breezes in summer. Establishing a vegetable garden, and getting in a few chickens to help with a degree of self sufficiency, and economy.  We had a wonderful holiday in October 2009, visiting friends in Perth WA before a trip to Queensland to visit my family.
Life was fantastic, we watched movies together shared common likes in music, and generally enjoyed each others company despite our age difference.   We regulary had friends and family visit us, anxious to get away for a few days peace and quiet in our idyllic setting.   This all came to an abrupt end when my beloved husband and partner died recently. He had gone out to cut some sticks for the fire, and collapsed in the woodshed,  later I found out he had actually suffered a massive heart attack and had died instantly.
That was in August 2010, and right now I am rebuilding my life without the person I loved and shared mine with.