Dashing through the rain

Well, not a lot of interesting update really...

We've had a lot of rain lately with only the odd hour or two of sunshine. Fortunately the sun shone for a few preplanned outings (a birthday party on saturday morning and then a visit to a local bird sanctury yesterday). The daytime temperatures have definitely gotten warmer though.

Simon and the kids bundled up in raincoats and boots and went down to the beach this afternoon and collected up a bit more driftwood and a few stones for the frog pond. So, after washing them down, they have been placed down around it. Still need plenty more though.

The chickens have fallen into a wee routine that seems to be working for us all. We still let the big girls out around 8am (they block the two little ones from getting down off the top of the nesting box where they sleep), then I rearrange the inside of the coop so that the little ones are on one side and I leave the nesting side open for the big ones to have rain shelter if they want it as well as being able to lay eggs. At around 4.30pm I wander down to feed them again, put them in all back in together for a bit of socialisation and the littlies are gradually being harassed less although they are still a bit skittery if the big ones walk near them.

Simon closed in the back of the coop with plastic and extended the corrugated iron roof so the little ones had good wind and rain protection.

I transferred a bunch of seedlings out of the seed trays into pots over the weekend and have noticed my second attempt at raising herb seeds has been successful. Nathan helped me sow some scarlett runner beans that we saved from the vine in autumn to see if they sprout.

I don't see any sign of all my onion and carrot seedlings (unfortunately sowed and then heavy rains hit which I suspect washed them all away). No seed potatoes have sprouted yet either - I won't write them off just yet, but do wonder if the soggy soil was too much for them. No worries, because I don't have any sufficiently sprouted seed potatoes yet to replace them; so while they sprout, in the meantime, the ones in the ground might pop through.

I have begun chopping up the branches that are lying around our property so they can be saved for wood and the rest can break down (and it removes a means of escape for the little chickens who used the pile last time to hop over the fence!). I'm about halfway through, but waiting for some finer weather!

While making the most of the rainy weather, I went through on a decluttering mission today and tackled a large chest of drawers in the hallway which holds stationery and craft supplies. It them lead me to rearranging my laundry cupboard which holds random storage items.

I've been trying out my crochet skills again and have made myself a couple of wide headbands which I'm quite pleased with.