Home sweet home

 The girls are coming home today and I’m having Megan and Carlos over for dinner to say thank you for everything.  They will bring the girls with them.  Last week Megan said she is confident that Kiara is pregnant but not too sure about Queenie, so we decided to leave them there another week.  This week will be the sixth week they have been boarding with Sabbath.  Incidentally, I realised that Sabbath was just his show name and he is affectionately known at home as Caesar. Personally, I prefer Caesar. 

Megan told me that she would take the girls to the vet, if I wanted them to get  tested for pregnancy, or we could just wait the old fashion way and see if they come back into season. I think we are just going to wait the old fashion way and hope for the best.  If by some chance one is not pregnant, there is the other option of getting a needle to bring the one back into season immediately and hopefully that will do the trick.  All these options are hanging in the balance and hopefully they will not be exercised.  For now, I will anticipate the girls arriving today.  It’s going to be rather interesting to see the four of them re-establish the pecking order, as while the two have been gone, Crystal has taken that role on herself. I expect there will be a few scuffles before they settle in back at home.

Bye caramel

A sad day. Caramel, Michaela’s guinea pig, fell ill yesterday and passed away last night. Was it a cold or something else? We have no idea. She was healthy one minute and then sick the next. Michaela is very upset and today we will schedule a burial and say Goodbye.  Caramel was with us such a short time but she crept into our hearts.   Her two babies are doing okay but they will have to grow up without her now.

The fox and the chicken

Yesterday I was right on the money when I said there was a fox by the chicken run.  When the sun rose, I went down to open up the chicken run and low and behold there were feathers everywhere. Spot must have interrupted him and of course my trip down to make sure everything was good, sent him on his way. He got away with one bird. I guess he’s hungry now that it’s winter too. Well I have battened down the fort good and solid last night and I know the girls will be safe.   They won’t be able to go about as they please for a while, nor have the freedom they are used to, but it’s for their own good. This mother hen knows.

Foxes

It’s getting colder still. This morning as the boys left for work, Johnny called out that there was ice on the windows. I believed him but there was no way I’d be going out there to validate his comment. Turn up the heat please. After getting the fire going, spot started barking.  Barking that can only mean a snake or a fox.   All good snakes should be sleeping right now so it had to be a fox. I pulled my gown a little tighter and swopped my slippers for gum boots. I had to go check the chicken run was closed up tight. I couldn’t bear to wake up in the morning to dead chooks. Satisfied that they were safe enough, I quickly retreated inside from the dark and cold. I added another log to the fire.

Interuptions

Part of our life these days is largely taken up by interruptions.   People popping in for a visit, guests arriving to stay or leaving for the day.   Animals arriving or departing whether to a land beyond or  just boarding with a bull for a few weeks.  People coming or going, children on holidays, Johnny at home for a few hours or days.  I’ve had to adapt or sink during these interruptions.  I used to be quite a stickler for routines but Pine Haven has changed us all in little ways.   I must admit though the few hours I’m alone is bliss!   I love the interruptions that take place on a daily basis but it’s always good to be on my own again.   The serenity of total silence.   No TV’s blaring, radios playing,  just the birds in the trees and a nice quiet house.  

Painting has begun

Sunday afternoon was nothing a Sunday afternoon should be.  It was filled with paintbrushes and gapfiller.   It took me up yonder onto the scary heights of the roof.  Yes, folks the painting has begun.  The gunmetal grey slopped onto the new roof boards and the paint was sucked in.   The skies were grey too, some clouds looking very angry and whispering some rain was coming.   I found myself hoping the rain wouldn’t come before our coat of pain was dry.  It would be a disaster if the heavens opened.   Not only would our hard work be in vain but the paint would wash into the gutters and down into the rain water tanks contaminating all of our water.   It was a risk to pull out the paint tray but the clouds were high and the wind was gently blowing.   It was a risk worth taking.