Boring but Busy.

What a boring blog this is.
I need to start doing something interesting so that I have something to write about.
Until then I will just say what I have been doing over the last couple of weeks, boring for some but busy for me.

CHOOKS.  These have stopped laying and though I could blame the cold weather and short days the weather hasn't been that cold.  Lovely sunny, warm days in fact.  And they stopped laying way back during Summer but I blamed the heat then.  Husband says I don't feed them enough.  Whatever, from all the chooks we are not even getting any.  OK, maybe 1 or 2 a week from the Isas. The usually lay OK so I blamed the crows for the lack of eggs there and put this lot into an enclosed pen but still no eggs.   So he has started a culling program and so far has done more than 30.  Yep, 30 chooks are now in the freezer and I still have heaps.  I don't think I realised just how many I had.   But!!  He said I must be feeding them too much because there was a lot of fat on them.  Make up your mind dear -  Too much or not enough?  Whatever, there are still no eggs coming from any chooks.  We have rats so could a rat family be eating the eggs?  I am setting traps and catching a few but no signs of missing eggs anywhere.  I put in a fake egg to show the silly birds what I wanted...something has taken that so maybe something is taking the eggs.   But no sign of anything anywhere.      And to make me more cranky with them all they have Scaley Leg.   It is an ongoing problem, maybe because I am not as into them all as I used to be when I had lovely eggs to collect every day it has become quite bad on a few.  Yesterday I set up the leg-oiling station and did all of the AussieRocks and then shifted the equipment over to the Isa pen and did them.  Grandaughter helped me with this lot and as these birds are easy to catch it didn't take long at all.  Not like the AR's, they were a bugger to catch and in the end I needed Husbands help to catch the last 2.     I have 4 young chooks in a separate pen and will do them today.

GARDENS.   Not much happening in them.  I thought I was so clever putting all the old silage down as mulch but it has ended up being a Slater haven and I cannot get on top of them.  Apart from the leaf traps I have a plan that I am working on before I resort to poison but it hasn't been implemented yet so I can't write about it.   Need to get it done before Spring planting though.   As it is though we are still eating plenty.  Chocoes are going rampant, plenty of Capsicums, Sweet Potatoes when I can be bothered digging some up.  Same with normal spuds, they are there, I just need to look for and find them.  Still getting Tomatoes.  
The warm weather has meant that fruitfly is still around and this year the Mandarins have been hit.  We need to check them before we eat them but usually only lose a couple of segments and the rest looks and tastes fine, the way they should.  The first Oranges are out and there are still some apples on the one tree.

COWS.  Still have only the 2 calves.  One is a bull but no-one has ringed him yet and I think he is getting too big and old now to catch and do.  He will need to be shot and put in the freezer before he gets old enough to be a nuisance to the cows.
Son has killed and cut up a few cows for different people but we haven't  done any of ours yet because of the calf situation.  And not enough room in the freezers to fit a cow in.  I'm getting used

LUFFAS.   Still have heaps on the vine but the few I picked awhile back are being used.  I have one in the shower and I am using one to wash the potatoes before I cook them and another bit of one for dishwashing.

NEW CAR.  I am kinda happy with this but cannot believe the small petrol tank it has on it.  I used to be able to get to Nannup and back on half a tank in the blue car but this one barely makes it on a full tank.  It's not because it uses much more but because it doesn't hold enough.  How stupid.  Very cranky with myself for not finding this out before I bought it.  I could get a bigger tank put in but that will cost and I am too tight.  And if I did that I would have to find something else to whinge about and I really can't be bothered.

BEES   The bees are doing good.  I have even donned me kit and *inspected* them myself.  Alone.  OK, because I was alone and by myself I only took the lid off and had a look.  There were bees still in there and bees coming and going so I figured all was well and left them to it.  I have since taken the lid off and looked a few times but need the husband to tell me if they are pulling in just enough honey to last them the Winter or if there will be enough for me to extract.  He says I could maybe do 2 frames if I wanted too but I haven't yet.    He has put together an extracting room of sorts so I can do it without too many bees getting in so I am wanting to try that out and hoping to within the next month or so.

OUT AND ABOUT.  Been nowhere much and done the same amount.  Have been out for a Devonshire tea once then back to the same place for lunch.  'Twas nice and will go again.  The place we went was up at Logue Brook but they don't call it that now.  It is now Lake Brockman but to us it will always be Logues Brook.  Yep, we add the s to the end.  Always have.  Anyway, there is a camping area up there and they have a cafe and do meals.  Big meals.   Too big for any of us to finish but OK tastewise.

HEALTH.  I'm still fat and unfit.  Have seen the doctor and the Iron levels are going up.  Unfortunately so is my cholesterol. The first thing doctors suggest is tablets.  I am seeing a dietitian to try and get it back down first and a sports exercise person to give me some moving ideas.   I need to work within my limitations and am hoping this person can help.

VOLUNTEERING.  I am loving my 2 half days down at our local Vinnies store.  The volunteers there do  a great job.  We sort and price clothing that has been donated, steam the clothing to freshen it before putting it in the shop, serve customers, keep the shop clean and tidy, anything else that need doing there.  It's fun. 

Not much happening but in saying that I seem to be real busy and have a list about a mile long that keeps being added to so I better get out there and make a start on it.