Merry Christmas

Doris would like to kindly wish you

Merry Christmas from all the girls!

Time For My Close-Up

Gladys

As you can see in the background behind Gladys, the ground is very much brown and dry with nothing growing. We've managed to keep most of the new plants alive through our horrible heat wave and only lost 4 or 5. The maple didn't enjoy the weather at all and a couple of other bushes are a little worse for it, but hanging on. I am hoping that our grapes may be edible this year though.

We've recently had our November rains... in December, so hopefully we'll have plenty of water over the Summer with the tanks close to full again. We will probably have to reseed the lawn as it has been eaten, but it wasn't doing very well anyway after last summer so I was happy for the girls to eat it.

The orange tree is still the favourite hang out place closely followed by the back step, where the girls wait patiently for someone to want to go outside in the hope of getting some food.

Gladys is the only girl who stands still long enough for some nice close-ups. She also has the floppiest comb which changes colour from deep red to very pale depending on the temperature.

Lavendar Trampoline

Lavendar Bush Trampoline

Elsie has discovered that if you bounce on the lavendar like a trampoline, you can get to a few strands of grass that has been growing deep in the centre of the bush.

My lavendar is looking a bit crushed and hollow in the centre. This is the joy of having chickens...

Visitors

A Duck! ... and a Magpie

This little guy usually heads for our neighbours yard where another duck who only has one wing has been adopted and lives happily. Today this guy ended up in our yard and really wanted to make friends with me and the chickens. He tried to come up to see what food I had, but Gladys wouldn't have more competition and shooed him away.

Before long he'd been bailed up by three magpies and herded into the chicken coop! The magpies are not scared of much around here and I counted at least 8 which is only a small percentage of the local flock. I helped the poor duck get rid of the magpies and he headed out again and found the bird bath. He had a bit of a paddle until Gladys decided that wasn't allowed either and three hens chased him out of that too. He finally gave up on our yard and headed next door where he can play in relative peace and quiet.

A quick update on the tiny egg from last post. It DID have a yolk!