Flip, change, move, swap.

I've set up a breeding trio of Silver Laced Wyandottes.

I find myself constantly planning and moving and organising my animals.  I thought I'd have a perfect system after a while.  But we've lived out here on the land for more than a year now and it's still in a state of flux. 

But I think it's always going to be like that. 

Animals grow.

They eat all the grass in a pen or run or paddock.

You want them to have babies.

Or you don't want them to have babies.

They start to crow.

Or they start to lay eggs.

A breeding group of Light Sussex.

Every now and then I eat some, I sell some or (heaven forbid and don't tell my husband!) I buy some.

Time for a bigger cage.  Nine babies and Mummy Bunny just don't fit in the nest box anymore.

I am becoming more observant, more flexible and creative in using my animals in different ways.

These chooks are penned in an area I want to be a garden.  Why should I dig up all the kikuyu grass when they'll do it for me?  (And they'll enjoy the process a whole heap more!)

One day maybe I will have the perfect set of systems.  I hope not - that might get boring.

Images from my Guild Meeting.

This one is especially for Cadi.  It's the pincushion I got in the pincushion swap.  How cute!  And we didn't know who we were making for, so the fact that it's a chicken (and I'm slightly mad about chooks) is serendipity.

Here is the quilt I made that provided the scraps for my little bassinet quilt I showed you a few posts ago.  A simple and effective (and QUICK) way to use a jelly roll.  Except it's not needed for it's original purpose now.  I have a spare quilt...crazy unusual for me!

I've made two wee bassinet quilts from the scraps now (I'm addicted to no-snit machine binding!).  And I don't know what's going on with my eye.  I think I'm grimacing at having my photo taken - you just don't get the whole grimace effect, just a wonky wink instead!

And another bassinet quilt for the maternity unit (yup, more machine binding).  I love being able to use up my scraps or extra blocks like this.  These are leftover from the quilt I made for my new nephew.

Belonephobia.

It's my local quilting guild meeting tomorrow.  I'm on the committee (don't ask me how that happened) and I've organised a pincushion swap between members.  I suddenly realised I hadn't made one - not a good look if the organiser of a swap doesn't make an item to be swapped!

So this is my Belonephobia box (to save you a Google - it's fear of pins and needles!).  It's about four inches by 2 1/2 inches, quite large, but then you won't lose it.  It has rice in the bottom to give it weight and craft stuffing on top of that.  And it used up lots of scraps.

And then, of course, my little darlings saw it and both wanted one of their own.  I must tell them about 'thou shalt not covet'!

So here are two for them, just waiting to be stuffed and sewn closed.  I made them a little bigger and I don't think I'll put rice in theirs.  I have a suspicion they'll end up being thrown at each other so the less weight the better!

I'm knackered.

But not too knackered to show off!  All the bare-rooted fruit trees are planted, mulched and staked - but not tied yet - no hurricanes tonight please.

All the poplar and willow poles are in.  Little soldier lines of stakes.  They are close, but we figure we will get a better shelter sooner - and hubby is itching to use the chainsaw in a few years time.

My tree-planting hero.  We are in sight of the finish line, with only about 100 trees to go.

We've already lost a couple to wild rabbits so I sprayed the remaining ones with our super duper rabbit repellent. 

5 eggs

150 mls acrylic white paint

(I actually don't think the rabbits will mind what colour you use)

600 mls of water

Mix well and spray over your seedlings with a fine setting.

Playing with Water Fire.

So my sweet, wee, almost-three-year-old was playing at the sink.  She had helped wash the potatoes and kumara, she had filled every dirty cup and bowl with water and lined them up on the draining board and she was looking around for something else to do. 

She spied Wild Puss strolling by nonchalantly (as only cats can do).  Her eyes gleamed.  "Mummy."  She says with total conviction.  "Wild Puss wants a bath."

I almost let her try.