Just 2

Only 2 chickens have ended up hatching unfortunately...I have taken the remaining eggs away from her as it has been a week and a half since the first chicks hatched, and I have found 2 stillborn chicks, and she is spending most of her time off the eggs now. I think that the time she spent off the eggs after the first one was born definitely affected the hatching rate. There was another of the brown hens looking clucky, but she hasn't really committed to the process, so we'll see if anything progresses there.

Mummy hen is very protective of her babies, and is a very good mother. The 2 little chickens are so funny to watch, copying everything mum does.

I was going to buy a chicken tractor for them, but the seller ended up messing me around, and changed his mind from me being able to pick it up, to having to pay $50 freight, which was pretty annoying considering I live only 15 minutes away...then I remembered that friends of ours who no longer have chooks had a chicken tractor so I offered to buy theirs, but they ended up giving it to me for nothing...seems that everything happens for a reason.

The dogs are also their usual energetic selves...we seem to be managing Diesel's pain in his legs from his elbow dysplasia with his daily painkillers and he is such a happy dog

They all love playing together, 3 can be a bit of a crowd, and Diesel and Reg have their brotherly spats all the time, but overall, they all get on really well.

Some shabby chic craftiness

Mum and I did a class a couple of weeks back on covering a lampshade, we are both very happy with our end results, I just need to fnd the right lamp now to go with the lampshade.

So, feeling a little inspired, I picked up a couple of plaster moulds from the craft show and decorated them up to match the lampshade, so one day, when I get my craft studio, I will have lots of things to display and make it my own...so along comes the cinderella slipper and the mannequin

A couple more hot glue gun burns to my fingers to add to the collection!

Another makes 2....and some garden work

We have 1 more new chicken, born yesterday afternoon, they are soooo cute, I could sit there and watch them for hours...hopefully we'll get a few more yet for all of her hard work...she got off her eggs when the first chick was born and was sitting on it out in the coop, so I don't know how long she was off them for and whether that has affected the viability of the rest, but we'll wait and see. I did some work in the garden yesterday, I'm a bit inspired to get a tropical look happening in the garden, so went and bought some tropical plants, and did a water feature. I got probably 1/3 of the plants in the ground yesterday, will try and do the rest today if I can. The water feature is very soothing, I am sitting outside on the squatters chair listening to the water trickle while I am typing...

One so far...

1 little chicken hatched so far....gorgeous little black one with some little white markings, Kasey has named it Pepper...I have moved Mumma to a big cage with the rest of her eggs and her little chick, which will be fine until I pick up the chicken tractor...she was really good to move actually, only pecking me lightly, and then re-shuffling her eggs back under herself...very, very cute....

Craft show and home happenings...

Had a busy weekend...it's flown by...had a wedding yesterday, some lovely bouquets with delicate lily of the valley

Did a little bit of embroidery on some towels for Mum last night. Went to the craft fair with Mum today, picked up some lovely goodies. some lovely bling for my wedding bouquets, some well priced stabiliser for embroidery, a gorgeous little panel, some lace flowers and flower embellishments,

And I just couldn't resist...a little addition to my Christmas collection...I just LOVE this, santa on a cow with a duck...it stands about 25 cm tall, so is a really good size...very vintage looking, and the wheels even move... 

Kasey had a lovely day while Mum and I were wandering around the craft fair, she spent the day with her cousin Gemma, wandering around Southbank, and they also went to the Maritime Museum, and Kasey also had her face painted...the face painter did a fab job on the face painting...Kasey did not want to have a shower tonight and wash it off...

The clucky hen must be nearly due to have her chicks I think...I am hoping to head out tomorrow afternoon and pick up a chicken tractor to move her in to, so I can make sure that she and her chicks are all safe and sound, and away from the other chooks while the babies are so little....they currently nest up high and baby chicks wouldn't be able to get in and out of the nesting area...so maybe some new babies to add to the brood this week...I wish I had known about egg dowsing before she went clucky so I could have tried to eliminate some of the male eggs...but nevermind...I know for next time...not too busy a week coming up hopefully, I will see if I can get the office painted this week....and organise a tiler...Michael had a mate lined up to come and do it, but we haven't seen hide nor hair of him, so I will just organise it myself I think... I planted some strawberry plants, some rockmelon and some lettuce this week, one of the chickens got in to the vegie garden and scratched up the rockmelon plants though,,,,grrrr...so I managed to replant 2 of them, but not sure that they will make it....

Today's embroidery projects

I had embroidery class today, and today's project was a travel mug and water bottle inserts. We used stitchable paper, cut it in to 96 squares, and then it was sewn back together in the hoop, and then I embroidered my name on them. The inserts were then put in to the acrylic shells around the bottles. I made my 2 as a matching set. They were a fun project to make, and I enjoyed my morning at class, as I haven't been to any sewing classes in quite some time.

I'll have to try and get to a few more classes, as I do enjoy going, especially when the projects are practical like this. Quite often the classes are for items that I wouldn't use or that just create clutter or aren't my style, but when they are to my taste, I do try and get to class as they are good fun.

Roar...

Toni, Kasey and I were sitting at the dinner table tonight, and I was telling them about the scrapbooking retreat over the weekend. I mentioned that we did some line dancing on Saturday night at the Western Theme night, Kasey looked at me with her hands clawing at me and goes "Roar"....and then giggles....Toni and I both laughed and said ....."Line Dancing...not Lion dancing"....she goes "oh" and giggles histerically.....I love those moments...