Babies everywhere!

I've been busy with babies lately. My daughter had her friend sleep over the other night, and her friend's brother came to play for the morning too. As chance would have it, on the same day our baby chicks hatched!!

What baby chicks?

One of my hens went broody a few weeks ago, so I purchased eight fertile eggs from a breeder in the area. Enough to fit underneath a bantam comfortably. The new chicks are standard size Gold-Lace Wyandottes. Something different and much bigger than my bantams will be. Here we are all having a sticky-beak at the new arrivals.

I wonder if mummy chook despised the intrusion, but it's not every day we got to witness new babies coming into the world.

The first one we saw emerge from underneath.

Then there were two!!

Five little fluffy bundles to date. I have taken them away from poor mum, as we have mice or rats tunnelling underneath the coop at night. It's not uncommon for babies to be taken by rodents, so I didn't want to take the chance. Our dedicated pekin is still sitting on the three remaining eggs though, and I've noticed one has already started pipping.

What is the famous saying though...don't count your chickens before they hatch?

Here are some more random shots of our new fluffy babies.

I love baby chickens!!

Looking forward to 2009

It has been quite a year and I'm thoroughly looking forward to 2009. I can't believe it's here already. We have quite a few plans in the pipeline, starting with this...

It's our front retaining wall. All 30 metres of it! There are five pallets of blocks waiting to be laid, but the earthworks have only just begun. I don't have a picture of where we're up to yet, but as you can imagine - 30 metres of wall done with only a pick and shovel, is going to be quite a feat.

We're sorely tempted to get machinery in - and by sorely I mean, OUCH me back!!

But it's a steep bit of wall which we intend to cut a footpath into. Not even a bobcat would be safe up on the ledge. Thank goodness we only have to do it once!

Christmas was a quiet occasion, but we did have some wonderful meals with family. Nothing like a bit of salad and cold meat to pass the afternoon away. It's amazing what you can knock together if you have a few staples in the pantry.

We also had a wonderful edible centre-piece. Good to look at but you can eat it too! But of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without the ginerbread men. Yes, I made them again this year.

I have a link to the recipe here: Gingerbread men

The only thing I changed on the recipe, was to beef up the butter to 125 grams. They turned out great! I also used raisins for the buttons.

Despite the fact I'm thoroughly looking forward to 2009, I'm also looking forward to seeing what you're all getting up to this year too. Have a safe and happy holiday.