We have our first set of chickens

Waiting... by now you must know how I hate WAITING !! aaarrrrgggg..
Our friend had some chickens, healthy, beautiful and ready to make their home with us...


But... The coup wasnt ready and it looked as though it wasnt going to be for a while..
I asked around for a chicken house which I have hopefully found, (recycle and reuse),, (holding thumbs for it).... 
We have a doggy who finds fresh chickens very delicious so I cant just let them run around which would of course be ideal.. They DO however need a big enough space to be in so, some chicken wire is needed... LOTS of it, to make a fence... 


The darn stuff costs a fortune and I haven't been lucky enough to find some that wants a home.. YET.. SO, while we are waiting to build them their fancy pansy chicken home with gardens... We decided to use the bird avery..

 We found another home for the white doves which we inherited with the house.. 


Very sweet but none of us have a passion for doves so they were wasted on us.. (and we are vegetarian so we couldnt even make dove pie)..
(don't worry animal lovers, we found a good home for them and that ddoesn'tinclude being underneath a pie crust).

Good old Elvis and Jo transforming the dove avery into a chicken home..

We have a lovely field filled with grass which we are mowing and using as mulch for the garden and bedding for the chickens.

The idea is to throw compost in for them to eat... and after a few weeks take out all of the chicken poo, grass and leftover compost and use it to feed the veggies...

Wonderful fertilizer.. 

Not sure if I mentioned yet that wonderful Elvis DID return and he is absolutely FANTASTIC..

He lives on the farm and the plants literally flower when they see him.. He knows so much about veggies, plants, chickens, farming and is super strong.. definitely Joeys hero.

Time to release them

Ta DAAAA.. we now have a home for them while they are waiting....

1. 

One of them escaped and is happily prancing around the secret garden.. Yes the chicken hungry dog is still around but so far she can't even come close... there are far too many thorny hidy holes.. We do prick our ears for a shout from her every now and then though, just in case...

We have had an egg every day since.. (there are only 4 chickens so far, 2 of them a bit too young for laying).. This is wonderful news.. Being vegetarians, we need eggs.... 3 strapping growing veggy kids eat MANY eggs...

Most chickens are fed mielies (which are sadly Genetically modified).. I am a GMO activist... (didnt I tell you that part !!).... completely and utterly against GMO food and will do anything to avoid feeding it to my family..... NOW do you see how important our own eggs are?

Our chooks eat, sunflower seeds, plenty of compost and every now and then rice.... Looking forward to a few more to add to the family and to help it grow healthy and strong..

We found a Hare

Joey boy found a tiny baby hare under one of spinach bushes. How SWEEEETTT !!

He came running in with the little bundle..

Her leg looked strange and stiff so we took her straight to the vet..

(the vet lives next door but we still drive to his office which is just in town)..

He looked at every tiny inch of her and couldn't find anything wrong..
He even took her temperate with the thermometer in her behind... to the utter shock and horror of little Ruthi !! he he.. 

As soon as we got home.. Breeze (15 year old daughter) swooped in and took over.. She made a little house for her from a soft fluffy hat and a cardboard box, Even blended up carrots and spinach and fed her with a homemade plastic bag bottle..

Of course knowing absolutely nothing about hares she did a bit of online perusing to see how to go about looking after her..
We had no idea how old she was which didn't help things at all..
Sweetest thing !!.. I wouldn't mind her eating all of the lettuce in the garden !! Well maybe not ALL !

After 2 days of hardly eating or drinking we started to worry..

I found her out of her box yesterday morning looking very cold and stiff, on touching her she fell over into a little spasm of sorts....
It almost looked as though her back or neck was broken.. How awefull... Breeze was out so I whisked her off to hubby who is known as the household hot water bottle because his body heat is boiling (like one of the wolves from twilight!)..... He sat with her for about 4 hours while I searched online to try and determine her age..(Gosh I love the internet )..

After looking at some pics we discovered that she was much younger than we had thought.. Well at least it seemed so.... maybe 1 week to 10 days..


A syringe and puppy formula was in order.. AND some rehydrate (pinch of sugar and salt in warm water).

We kept her close for the entire day.. body heat and food and water as often as possible..

It was like having a baby again.. he he..

A bit of kangaroo care for tiny little Poopsi (her name)

It all worked beautifully.. warm and fed, she had enough energy to hop about.. SO
oo cute....




Everything was going so well, We were shocked when she had another spasm in the evening.
It was a big one that lasted about 30 minutes.. Justin (husband), held her again and watched her struggle with her life..
Sadly she died...
I would have held her if he wasn't there but it was too emotional at the time and I'm afraid that Im a wimp when it comes to someone else's suffering.. It's too much to handle..

If there isnt a brave soul about to give them comfort, Ill be there like a fierce lion to hold and protect. The responsibility of holding her and watching her die was just too much..

Little Joey was terribly sad in the morning when we told him and slightly confused because she looked so healthy before he went to bed..

We put her into a little box and wrapped her up in some cloth.


Next morning I caught a glimpse of Breeze marching into the secret garden with a box and a spade and watched her digging a hole that was VERY deep... 
Poopsie was buried wrapped in a soft blanky and a ceremony was held in due respect with friends and family...

       

                                                                     

Sweet thing.... I just love the way kids make things so special.... Ruthi and her Friend Emma created a song, procession, a bunny reading, (which was wrapped in plastic and put onto the grave afterwards),  flowers, glitter and  WITH after funeral smoothies!

At this point I think we need a design of sorts

I sound very spontaneous and go with the flow kinda person..
But in actual fact I like to plan things in my head..
With at least one or two or five backup plans just in case.

It's not the traditional way of planning I suppose (unlike my daughter who writes very detailed lists which she actually sticks to!)...
I dont even think that its traditional THINGS that I plan.. More like the end result which I visualize ,, without all of the details of how to get there.... difficult to explain but none the less, planning of sorts...

ANYWAY... here is a drawing of the swales in our garden and where some of the trees are..
I also put in our gazebo (which we have started already (planted the poles and 3 grape plants, all different kinds... lets see how they do)...
the size of the property isnt too big.. 1.8 hectares but just right to handle (actually its quite a job to handle but at least I can almost see where it ends) AND I do have helping hands.. (thank goodness)

Yes I know.... I do realize that the top poles of the gazebo arent on yet... and I do know that my father in law is going to cringe when he sees it because they are probably going to have to come down to drill the holes  BUT  all of this I have planned for in my HEAD you see.... I also have an overwhelming tendency to do things VERY fast just so that there is something to work with...
Fixing is easier then waiting!

P.s. He, (my father in law that is), is coming to stay next week.. EEEEEkk.. no really.. Im glad,, Im going to use his wonderful building brain and skills and pick his mind for ideas... (I'm going to have to hold him down though because he can't just advise, he has to DO stuff, crazy difficult things that are humanly impossible for 1 man to do)..

My hopes are to fill the pathway bit with woodchips (or whatever I can find)... and the sitting part with cement slabs...

Just imagine.. lounging about on a hot summers day in the midst of the food forrest and just having to reach up and grab juicy bunch grapes. (end result planned in my head)..
or we could use the poles to swing on like monkey bars (back up number one)... or we could take the poles out and use them as swords during an alien invasion (back up plan number two).. or........

2nd step of plan.. Get some trees.. There are already about 15 fruit trees planted very close together in rows... Best thing to do is to mulch them like crazy, get rid of the grass covering them and give them a pole for the wind..

We put soaking wet cardboard around the base of the existing trees (over the weeds), covered it with compost (dont have too much of my own ready so I ordered a huge bucky load of horse manure and black soil mix).. and then covered that with old sticks (Old Kale stems chopped up that were lying around and mowed grass, anything and everything... (no point in moving the trees when they are planted already)...
 Have to say that it worked... Some had no leaves and were smothered in black mouldy bugs from head to toe.. Looking very sad... In about 2 weeks they were flourising !!

I ordered about 35 trees (so far) (the biggest that they had) from a wholes sale nursery.. All of our favourite fruits..  (I'ts far cheaper ordering wholesale, remember to do that)..

Narchi, lemon, litchi, mango, macadamia, banana, apricot, all the berries that you can think of, apples... ... just everything on the list... Some knowledgeable people have stifled giggles when they heard my list because some of the trees that I have planted aren't perfectly suited to this climate.. (like the macadamia for instance, which likes VERY cold winters) - nothing that watering in winter with icy water cant solve.. he he... I'll let you know if it works.

This tree grew leaves in 2 weeks after planting.. there is something about this area and soil that is magical.. I just know it !!

and then we dig... and dig some more..

Whew... Windbreakers.. sorted.... Our first taste of Sweat and wholesome hardwork in our Beautiful South African Sun.. sorted... Hillbilly hats never did any harm in the process... With our unfortunate white skins.... 

A reminder at this point . We are trying to use anything and everything that we have available to us on the farm.... Hence... keeping the windbreakers up (even though trees in their place would be ideal)... FOR NOW.. until we have our forrest up and running.

K so... I see the rows... going down the hill...... Down the hill.. in rows.... neat rows.... same stuff in each row... Lots of food but...

I quickly do an online permaculture course and am now the expert .. he he ... The ROWS MUST GO....
 For this task I called in some reinforcements...

A trusty member of the Transition Network in my Hood, who happens to know plenty about Permaculture and such matters,... helped me lay out the swales.      .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swale_(landform)..

He stood with his wise face and level machine thingimajig... and I walked the land  with a wheelbarrow full of sticks... (sawed to all the same length,, BY HAND.. with a measly saw mind you)... smashing them into the ground.. (with the back of an AXE !!)... where ever he gave me the thumbs up...

Then its time to dig...
"It must be perfect" he said in his french accent....."Exactly the same depth all the way round"
Eish ... for roughly 200m !!!  ... I had a nervous giggle in my mind.. but didnt show it mind you... he was quite serious....



SOMETHING to start with ..... YES.....
Love the swales... they make perfect sense... Catch the water coming from down the hill and from the rain...
Keep it until it sinks.... Stores the water under the ground in a water bubble... ready for trees and plants to tap into to drink...  Apparently, the trees grow superhero speed (will let you know about that )...

The Burms... (mounds on the downhill side of the swales) we are using to plant carrots and leeks... (good companion plants) AND the carrots will love us for the loose soil...

One of the joys of living in pure paradise is... everyone loves to help.. Reliable Mari and brother Mars (2 of my "other" children.. Yes I have many more than 3.. We share them you know) Were more than happy to break their backs in the digging process

We had trusty old Marnett called in for the longer hall.. Yoh, these guys have stamina and muscles..!!
What a relief.. Elvis wasnt back yet.. (I hadn't even met him yet but trusted the opinion of the previous owner as to his capabilities)..

Still waiting for a big fat rainfall to see what happens!

Welcomed with a Storm

We're in, getting ready to relax, enjoy the view... blaaa deee blaaa...

Nope... Nature has a way of getting you off your butt and down and dirty...
Which is actually fine because that is how I like to do things anyway... Fast and Furious.. (my poor family ).

Crazy winds that apparently hadn't been there in the last zillion years (according to a trusty neighbour)... I see it as a welcome sign from nature herself. She was just a little too happy to see us that day and BLEW DOWN THE WINDBREAKERS !!!! not a good thing ... Even though the storm over the sea was absolutely beautiful to watch and feel.

Herewith the story of the windbreakers. In  permaculture - (I sound all wise as though Im an expert but Im Still a newbie at this.. I do have something called basic instinct and a bit of logic which also helps.)...

One uses every last little bit of anything and everything we can find in our space to make our lives easier.. Hence, if there is something there when you arrive, doing a job.. even though it might not be the prettiest thing in the world and your instinct is to rip it all down before you have planted the trees.. (who me, NEVER!).. DON"t be tempted.
Use it.

So instead of tearing them down in a frenzy, a wise soul or two encouraged me to keep them up.

The stand in gardener at the time.. (We were waiting for Good old Elvis, who lived on the farm with the previous owners, was out of town AND was the farms best friend)... Refused to get them up saying that it was too difficult and he needed a small army to help him (yes I am exaggerating for effect).

This would not do at all.. I decided to do it myself.. I might look like a petite person but I have the stubbornness of a bull and a secret weapon................

   

I  produce children that are a strong as oxen and have determination and 
brains to match.. !!

I called in the one which is Breeze as reinforcement and the job was done in no time.. Much to the shock and horror of the gardener... 2 city lady folks, finished the job without the army ?? Impossible..

















Of course speaking in hillbilly accents and joking around during the process DOES help with the mundane task of lifting and threading... And having Snowy around to ward off any snakes and keep general good company adds to the moment as well.


I can't tell you how wonderful we felt, pink cheeks, sweat and sore fingers ... job done before the sun went down ready to show Husband/Dad.

Speaking of Husbands... Mine works VERY hard to be able to pay for farm and kids being homeschooled (ie, wife at home and not bringing in another income).. He also has a wonderful knack of trusting me with his precious things... kids and farm..
You don't let someone like this down easily.. 

Especially when having a veggy farm is my dream and he has provided it without a blink or hesitation.. p.s. I think that its his dream too.. farm life that is..
I'll tell you how I know this. 

THE TOYS. Yes you heard me. Boys and their toys. He discovered the toys that go along with a farm.
Toy number 1
he he... Don't Mess with a man and his mower...
Next up.. lawn mower races with the neighbours !!

Moving day

Moving day is NEVER a walk in the park... But if you are moving to your dream home.. It's a different story...

The dream..

Its here..
An organic veg farm WITH A VIEW..
It's time to feel like a superhero !!!

How does one digest such a thing..?
AND its got 4 water tanks and enough sweet potatoes to feed an army..

(Gonna need that with all of our children in tow)..


Have to say though.. I wouldn't call them ... In Tow...
They are such capable and hard working beings.... They might even be pulling the boat !!!

Did I mention all the dogs and cats ? Yes we love them and need them too in this new space..
Goodbye snakes and voles.... Voles so far.. yes.. snakes... eh.. well summer is still on its way so only time will tell...

Once the dream is digested (Its been 2 months and its still sitting somewhere in the gullet)..... The work begins.... When I say work,, I dont mean the work that you are thinking of, with bad connotations... I mean, wholesome happy, blood sweat and tears with a CAUSE kinda work... Work that has PURPOSE...

When homeschooling, one finds any and every opportunity to make each and every thing into a life lesson... When we have to pick our own food, ... The lesson is magically done for you.... ...

This is OUR farm and we are building it up together to create enough food to feed you and your grand kids FOREVER... !!!  Now that's a cause !

Beautiful and passionate previous owner who made the soil magical and able to grow peas in the summertime....
neat rows and water systems in place.... Respect to her !!!

But I have a different plan so here goes...
A permaculture food forrest in the midst of heaven.. here we come...