Misty mornings

Wow global warming has bypassed Woodend! It gets chilly here; but at least it's not depressing grey, cold chilly like in the city - it's more refreshing, clean and crisp chilly. You feel alive and want to play classical music and bake muffins chilly. The mornings are beautiful with the mist blanketing the trees. I keep meaning to take a photo but then think...oh dont worry there will be another chilly day tomorrow...and of course there is. But then the mist clears, the clouds move by...really quickly mind you - they didnt move this quickly in the city - and then it is a beautiful crisp clear winters day. You know you are a country person when you start talking about the weather more than is necessary!

From one tranquil haven to another...

Just as we have settled happily into country life, we are now packing our bags again....this time to fly to France for a holiday booked months before moving to Woodend was even a thought in our wildest dreams! We'll be in the country for the majority of the time in a lovely house in Langeudoc. Here is the description from the website:

"Lovely 200 year old secluded farmhouse with pool set amongst vineyards in the Languedoc, South West France. Mas de Lozanne sleeps 8 and combines original character with modern comforts to create a stylish and tranquil haven. The house is only 10 minutes walk from the centre of the picturesque medieval French town of Pézenas and 30 minutes from the Mediterranean coast."

Mmmm I can smell the brioche now.

Less feathers in the nest....

Feathering the nest is not going as planned. I was warned that foxes are active during the day but didn't believe it and thought I was doing the chooks a favour by letting them loose to scratch around in the afternoon. Mr Fox was watching though and as soon as I was out of sight he pounced. I proudly took my brother and his wife to show them the chooks and noticed only one was pecking around....and my sister in law asked what was wrong with it. That's when I noticed all her tail feathers were missing and she was bleeding. I thought she was going to die...actually worse than that I thought I was going to have to do a Gourmet Farmer and put her down...but as circumstances have it the chook is a fighter and...although she is depressed....she is alive. She is saying "bock bock" and eating and drinking and moving around...but won't come down off the perch in the dark room of the chook house. Tomorrow I might move her to the vegie patch for some rehab.....

The ducks are still alive and they free range all day. I'm not sure if they appeal to Foxes. I guess time will tell.

Hay?!

The Kyneton Poultry show auction was quite an experience. The reserve price of each bird was displayed on a card on the pen, and registered buyers had one hour to write their best price on the card. It was like bidding on ebay but in real life! So my strategy was the same I use on ebay, wait till the last minutes then put in my best bid. I bid $35 on the Appleyard duck pair and $40 on the Ancona hen pair. Luckily for me there were no other bidders sneaking in at the last minute which always happens on ebay! So now I am the proud owner of Reginald and Beatrix Appleyard Ducks and Sofia and Sienna Ancona Hens. They all seem happy here and I'm eagerly awaiting eggs.

To cosy up their pens today I went to buy some hay from the Kyneton livestock feed drive-through shop. I said I am here for some bales of hay and the response was "what sort of hay?" There is more than one type? "Well it's for the chooks so I want something...ummmm.. comfortable for them to sit on." He said straw...you want straw." So I came home with four square bales of straw and I must say the duck pen is much more cosy...I will tend to the chook pen tomorrow.

The attached photo is one I took today of pretty mushrooms in the yard. They are scatterered all around the place and look to be straight from an Enid Blyton childrens book. I didnt even know they existed in Australia! I'm waiting to see some fairies down the bottom of a garden or perhaps a Magic Wishing Chair! Ahh magical Woodend!

Getting Clucky!!!!!

I am getting clucky...I think I want to get a pet duck(s) too....the poultry show is in the morning and I'm very excited! I am researching chooks at the moment - a toss up between Barneveldor, Gold-laced Wynndotte or if available the stylish Italian "Ancona". Hubby says I should get whichever one costs 3bucks and lays eggs....but I think looks and temprement are the most important factors - just like choosing a hubby!!!! Whilst perusing the extensive Kyneton auction list on chook-geek website "backyardpoultry.com" I saw someone is selling "Appleyard Ducks" - such a lovely name they must be lovely ducks... and a quick google image search shows they are delightful looking ducks...and if you get their wings clipped they can stroll around the garden and look oh so pretty!

Bean Counter

I taught Heidi how to shell the beans, I'm not sure what sort they are, the seeds are a lovely black and purple colour and Heidi was excited to find them inside the brown shrivelled up pods.

Feathering the nest!

Wow we've been in Wonderful Woodend for just over a week...and the rattle of the tram is now a distant memory...screeching brakes have been replaced by screeching cockatoos! Already we have lots of jobs to attend to - picking up Chestnuts, clearing up sticks and pine needles, weeding the garden; along with unpacking and setting up our home. We were going to wait till Spring before introducing some poultry...however whilst digging up the weedy vegie patch I've been thinking it would be nice to have a few feathered friends to gobble up the slugs and weeds and other remaining dregs before the planting of winter crops. So this Saturday I'm off to Kyneton Poultry Club Chook auction to see if there are any potential feathered friends to bring home...I suspect there will be so will take my cage just in case!

Turning Points...

Moments in time when our lives are transformed and turn a different direction. I have vivid memories of sitting in the beer garden at Holgate Brewery in Woodend on the Monday of Melbourne Cup long weekend .... on a glorious sunny day with blue skies...and we wondered aloud why we were living in the bustling city when tranquility was so close...and so attainable. And now, 5 months on, we have just 3 nights left in Melbourne! At the time we didn't realise it was a turning point, but now looking back realise it was!

Take me home country roads...

After 19 years of living in a city that has grown to over 4 million people it is great to say that very soon I will be calling the country home again. In fact just 2.5 weeks of city living left. I must get on with my packing! Fresh air and kookaburras here I come!