seasonal

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Well hello September! All spring-like and gorgeous.

There's jasmine at our front door, wafting in on the breeze and smelling like summer. 

There's fruit trees in full bloom, beautiful blossoms waiting to be collected and made into "stew" (if you are Tilly and her friends.)

This is my first spring here, my last one was on a small city block. I'm in full appreciation mode. In twenty years (or maybe five) maybe I won't whip out my camera at the sight of new peas. 

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I find them singularly exciting. 

And hello new girls!

I'm going through so many eggs with the new biscuit business that we've had to add another dozen layers to our flock. I love love love White Leghorns but our supplier didn't have any at point of lay (and I can't spend the time raising these ones from day-old.) So I took Isa Browns instead.

Very sweet birds, with fluffy bottoms like my Leghorns. Fluffy bottoms are very important to me. It's why I don't dig Australorps or Rhode Island Reds. I know. I'm horribly shallow.

They're settling in very well with the older girls. All very civil. 

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And LOOK WHO'S HAD GOSLINGS!!!!

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Three so far. 

If you follow along you'll know these are our neighbours geese, who hang out at our place. The other female originally laid three eggs at our front door which were stolen, we think by a carpet snake, and she is still sitting on eggs she laid in a new nest next door. This white goose has three more eggs which we're hoping might hatch, she's still sitting on them, but maybe not. 

Cool, hey? This photo doesn't do justice to the colour of the goslings. They're almost green. Quite luminous. 

Oh look, here's another goose, below. 

Miss Ivy Mack. Ferocious climber. My Mum calls her The Streak Of Greased Lightening. I'm shedding years as she motors around at top speed doing things the other two would not have even considered. Fearless, agile, energetic and inventive. What the heck will she be like when she's two?

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When we first moved down here, our two older kids were so unused to playing outside regularly that we enforced 'green hour' every afternoon between 4pm and 5pm. I started by being outside with them for the hour, then gradually it became easier and easier until now I have a bell on the verandah which I ring when I need them because the chance they're outside somewhere out of earshot is very high. 

Outsideness. Spring. Verdant happiness. 

I wish for green growing cheerfulness for you too, lovely folk. 

Hope it's sunny where you are. 

xxx

 

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