Meet the Chicken Whisperer...

Russell the Chicken Whisperer...

As I mentioned earlier this week, Joshua hurt himself riding his bike to school. Well this means that while the arms and hip and legs are healing it is left to Russell and I to put the chooks and ducks away at night time.

Well for the last few nights that is just what we have been doing and last night capped it off. Here is Russell crouched down looking under the chook house telling the chooks to please come out and one by one they all did. I couldn't believe it. It was amazing. One by one...

Same with the ducks, he just shone the touch to where he wanted them to go and all 11 of them just did what they were meant to... they went to bed. :)

The first night he didn't even need to do that, he just talked to them and the ducks went into their night cage. It is amazing to watch I must say.

He joked last night and said: "What am I now, the chicken whisperer????" I might just add that this is not a chore that he likes to do but does it because he has to at the moment... When we got inside he was rather proud of himself and told Joshua straight away what had happened.

He is a keeper I reckon... :)

Cheers Damaris

Another square foot garden bed...

Lovely ingredients for the next garden bed...

During the week, Russell and I put together another garden bed. The first one is doing OK but there are definitely things that I would change for this time around. One is always learning and I wouldn't want to stop ever. I love to find out what I can change to make things even better. :)

In the first bed we have corn, zucchini, tomato, flowers and rockmelon. I transplanted the rosemary as it was not happy where it was. It is still limping along in its new position. The corn bolted but only grew to about 30cm high. The tomato bushes are too large for their squares. I planted four from memory and that is way too many... The two zucchini plants are crowded but doing OK. The rockmelon is trying to grow but not going too well.

I was watering every second day unless it rained and then it gave me a break for that day. I have come to the conclusion that I really do need to give them a little each day. That way the corn would not have done what it did I believe. There is a crowding issue as well. Less plants and more light so more growing being done. The second garden bed is not as tall as the first so that will be better also. The quantity in the first and second is the same but the first has allot higher walls on it.

We will be planting out seeds this weekend to see how we go with spacing this time. All in all we are having very rewarding experiences and are writing them down this time. Previously we were just going with the flow and whatever worked did. From now we are more determined to itemise what is working and how we changed things around. That can only help us grow in our knowledge as well as successes...

Cheers Damaris

Great start to the School year, not...

Cass and David attending to Joshua...

First day of school went really well for both the boys... They had a wonderful day... Yesterday Timothy got off to the bus fine and had a great day again. Didn't find any money though and that summed up his day for him. Could have been better... lol

Joshua left early at about 7.30am to go and meet up with four other friends from school and they were to all go together. Love it how they organise that and are able to just meet up together. Wouldn't be able to do it so easily in the city that's for sure.

About 7.45am heard this almighty: "Mum, Dad, someone HELP ME!!" I raced outside to see what was going on and here he was coming up the driveway with his bike. Helmet still on crying his heart out...

He had been flying down the bitumen road and put out his foot to slow down, well he did slow down but first went over the handlebars and took a whole lot of skin off. His left arm swelled up straight away so I immediately thought that it was broken. It looked terrible. He would only let us wash one of the wounds and as we couldn't move him we ended up calling the Ambulance.

They arrived about 1/2 hour later and Officer David and Cass helped out heaps. They cleaned all the wounds and dressed them. They took his temperature, blood pressure etc, checked his spine and head for injuries. None were sighted. The helmet was not even scratched from the fall.

We went to the Warwick Hospital and there they took XRays, checked him over fully again and recleaned and redressed all the wounds and put his arm in a sling. No broken bones. Truly a miracle.

Joshua was discharged from Hospital just after 11am and off course wanted to go to school. I put my foot down and said: "No". You need a rest baby... And that he did. He slept allot of the afternoon and watched some DVD's.

He ended up sleeping on the couch as it is bigger than his bed and let him have allot more room. He had some painkillers this morning just to tide him over for school and right now is waiting for me in the car. Has been at me since 7.30am to go to school... Best get going. Thank God for no serious injuries. He can't do sports for two weeks but that is a small price to pay. Oh, and he is getting a bigger bike...

Cheers Damaris

Australia Day fun...

Playing Cricket outside the pub...

We had spent the whole day home just the four of us. Was a Tuesday so as usual in the late afternoon I always clean out and top up water for the chooks and ducks as Wednesday is No Electricity Day which means I give the bore a break for one day.

Just about to finish and a friend calls from the local Maryvale Crown Hotel... What was I doing and why was I not down there celebrating Australia Day with them all... I was watering and about to go inside and enjoy the lovely dinner that Russell had cooked for us all. Arranged to go down for a drink after dinner instead. That kept the troops happy. :)

Went down with Joshua. One of this little friends was having their birthday the next day and Joshua had to go to his Pre Op appointment first up so he wanted to wish his friend Happy Birthday a little early.

Well we all ended up playing Cricket on the road in front of the pub. It was great fun. There were heaps of locals there and everyone had a go. Joshua asked me to have a go so I did. I even made contact with the ball twice... hehe

It was nice to spend time with everyone but also very nice to go home again as well. Once there we just kept doing our normal routine of shutting in the chooks and ducks and going to bed. The next day was the First day of School. That was very exciting indeed...

Cheers Damaris

First Day of School for 2010...

Timothy in his new uniform, waiting for the school bus...

Yesterday was a huge day in our home, not only was Joshua going off to school on his own but also that Timothy was starting Year 8. High School... How did that happen so quickly???

I had been fretting quite a bit about it all, especially as the holidays drew to a close. He is 13 next Sunday but still so young. The questions... Would he be OK? Could he cope? Would he make friends? Would others think him different and treat him accordingly? Will he cope with the long day, especially the trips on the bus morning and afternoon...

He came home yesterday afternoon and stated he had had a fantastic day... He found 3 x 5 cent pieces and one 20 cent piece. He was wrapped. Kids called him a scab. He had no idea what that meant. He asked a kid that he said looked nice and didn't care about the meaning. He was determined to get the money. hehe Russell said he would be rich by the time he left school at this rate. That notion pleased Timothy no end. :)

Joshua didn't get to go to school first up as he had his Pre Op appointment at the Hospital. He is having a procedure done called: Resection of the Turbinates. Some of the filters in his nose are being cut out... Not a pretty picture and normally only done with adults but he really needs this done. The operation was to have been done on Friday but he has been moved from the Registrar list to the Specialist list. The top head honcho is looking after him apparently. It should be done within the next month. He loved the rest of his day though.

All in all the boys had a fantastic day. I am relieved that it went so well for Timothy but am still in the dark about allot of things. This will change as we get to know what happens at the school. Is certainly very different from when I went to High School. Mind you that was 1984-88...

Cheers Damaris

Love the toes...

Photo taken after my most recent Pedicure...

When I was on Straddie with my two sisters we all got some toe rings. Something I had wanted to do with them for a while now and was the perfect opportunity. :)

The silver bent very easily though so I wanted to find some 9ct gold ones that I could always wear and not worry about them falling off or changing shape.

Well at the moment our local Prouds has up to 50% off all their lines, including toe rings. They are refurbishing and will close down for a month from middle of February. I went in there to see what range they had and found two lovely ones. I love them to bits. And no longer worry about losing them. :) Added bonus. 1/2 price, you can't complain about that hey? Especially when it is my own pocket money. hehe

Cheers Damaris

Dream come true, literally...

My new stud. Happy girl...

At the Allora Show, February 2009, I met a lovely couple that had a stall at the show selling earrings, studs, you name it. The boys loved going to the stall for the Pokemon cards that they were so into at the time. Only $2.00 per packet where as in Big W or the like you pay around $6.00 for the same packet size.

It is the place where I get my nose studs from. I can't wear the normal ones that you get in the shops. The ones that have the bend at the end as the inside of my nose just swells up like anything and it gets rather sore. I get the ones that have the little ball at the end. That way my nose can really breathe and it doesn't fall out. I can't even feel it.

I know, Why on earth would I have a nose stud??? Well it is something that I have wanted for a long time. Just something that was different and it brings out the rebel in me. The one that says, hey this is me, like it or lump it. The rest of me is innocent really. lol

I had a golden sleeper in it for the P!NK concert in July last year but didn't have any of the rods to put back into it so have been wearing the sleeper since then. I had lost the other one when at the local pool. It dropped into the pool and there was no way to find it again... My dad keeps threatening to put a rope on it and lead me around... Yeah right!

Anyway, I had been after the rods forever, or so it seemed. I had searched everywhere. Every time I went to a Beauty, Piercing or Jewelery Shop I would ask if they had them. Each time the answer was NO. I had even had dreams of the couple selling me a whole heap to keep me going till the next time that I would see them. I seriously dreamt about them. How weird is that???

Last week I went to Warwick and what do you know... I found them at the main Shopping Centre. I bought 17 of them. All with lovely little stones in them. They are made out of surgical steel as well so will not rust or tarnish. I am soooo happy and have been wearing it ever since. The array of colours is lovely too. Didn't take any of the emerald coloured ones though. Not my colour and not what I wear so stuck to pinks, blues, clears. That sort of thing. Cheap as too. Glad I caught them as they are not going to Allora Show this year. They will be in Stanthorpe for their Show next weekend though...

Needless to say I have their business card and a detailed description of what I bought so that I can order over the net or phone from now on and never run out again. hehehe

Cheers Damaris