My name is Charlotte, sometimes known as Ms Lottie, occasionally as The Slightly Mad Quilt Lady. This is my blog, where you'll find me writing a lot about my quilting and textile arts and a little about my family's life in a small seaside town in New Zealand. Haere mai!

Monday, May 31, 2010

Warning: if you are bored of me blabbing about chickens, skip this post!

I haven't been posting for a little while.  My Father-in-law has been having some health problems.  We'll know more today, but it's kinda taken the wind out of my sails.  (Like: what right do I have to share what's good and beautiful in my world, when it's all a bit crappy in his?) 

But I have been doing the normal things that life demands.  Like harvesting veges - and then artfully arranging them instead of cooking with them, which is what I should have been doing!


And I got down to Whangarei for the Annual Poultry Show.  I never thought about the noise factor.  Roosters crow whether they are out in a paddock or cooped up on display! 


This is a Barred Plymouth Rock.  A wee boy said he was his favourite and asked me to take a picture of him, so I obliged.  What a sweetie!


I took a pic of the winning Light Sussex cockerel (young rooster) and I reckon mine would have come second?!  (I know I'm very biased!)

There were some beautiful birds.

A silver-laced wyandotte pullet.

An, ummm, silver-pencilled something or rather pekin - stunning!

A polish hen (can she actually see?)


Lavender araucana pullet.  They lay blue eggs.  I have five lovely girls - but do you think I can find a well-bred boy?  Nope.


The lone Pekin duck.  Teeny tiny compared to mine - I think there are UK pekin and USA pekin - but don't quote me on that, and I wouldn't have a clue which mine are but I should have entered - I might have come home with some awards. I'm definitely going to enter something next year - now that I've actually been to a show, it's actually not that scary!



And I'll leave you with this.  It was the sunrise this morning.  It's nice to admire the view every now and then.

11 comments:

  1. Love Lace Wing Wyandottes. We saw a funny classified add in the paper last year (probably placed over the phone) "FOR SALE - ...wine dots..." we scratched our heads and realised what they were trying to sell but the operater had clearly no idea what the seller was talking about. Listed in another add in the same paper "....massive ferguson tractor..." We laughed that morning.

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  2. Sorry to hear about your father i law and hope you hear good news this week.

    http://ourweefarm.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html
    second post down - look like anything!!

    The light sussex rooster that won belongs to a friend of mine - she cleared up!! She was super proud. We were there last night picking up Harold so were introduced to all the winners. It was lovely. Def think yours will give him a run for his money though. Hes very handsome.
    Can never get enough of chooks and pics of chooks!

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  3. I love the variety of chickens. I imagine your father-in-law would not begrudge you of enjoying life while he is ill. I have been fighting cancer and I want my family to live life to the fullest and appreciate Gods gifts. I hope things improve for him.

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  4. Our family used to keep Barred Rocks, and you have the most beautiful photos of them! All your chicken pictures are lovely. I hope we can have chickens again some day.

    I found you through down_to_earth

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  5. Sending good thoughts your way. Hope your father-in-law will feel better soon.

    I love your chicken posts!!! Thank you. Always nice to read about your chicken adventures. You know, I hope to join the "chicken underground" soon. ;-)

    Blessings,
    Cadi

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  6. My thoughts are with your father in law, so sorry to hear of his illness.

    I had meant to send you a message on your rooster the first time you posted his pic...I am surprised you haven't had any mash letters from lonely hens, he is purty!!

    Take care of you, Elaine in Texas

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  7. Nice to see a sunrise with no rain!!! Hope your FIL is ok. Nice chooks :)

    viv in saturated Dunedin

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  8. I think I feel a lot of poultry love coming on - and we don't even have any!!!!

    I hope that you get good news with your F-i-L soon. I know what you mean about posting when confronted with bad news. My Dad is in the latter stages of prostate cancer and at times it has seemed very frivolous and flippant to blog - but then when you come back to it it's lovely - a little escape and somewhere for you. Please don't stop posting! x

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  9. I love your chicken photos....:)

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  10. I don't think I have any that would win a ribbon, but love my "chickadees".GS ask me Y I call them that.I told him it's because I love my chickens and that's my special name I use when I am talking to them. Everyone in our family has pet names that we call each other. There are just terms of endearment.Best wishes on your FIL. Love reading your post. I have said before, you sound a lot like me.(I do have kinfolks across the big water. You never know.)

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  11. Lovely to see all the different breeds. Thanks for sharing.

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