Feather your Nest Friday, 14th December, 2018.

I might never get this posted today as my internet is hardly working.  I type a little then go away for a while while a picture tries to load!  So it is very slow going.

It was a really big week!  I am glad I keep a running  list of things we achieved as last Friday now seems like a long time ago!

So in totally random order here are some of the ways we built up our home, saved and got ahead this week.

We got five young hens that are meant to be super good layers.   My niece Georga helped raise them at her school.  So she helped me to get them and bring them home.  And she helped me name them with some helpful suggestions!  They are so tame as they are used to a heap of teenagers looking after them.

This is Maise...

There are five.  So far I have Janet and Maise.   Overnight I kept them in a large cage within the chicken house to make sure the bantams weren't mean to them.  They all seemed non plussed this morning so I let everyone out together.  These girls were so excited!! They flapped around, ran everywhere, tried out various perches.   So happy!

My sister in law gave me two nesting boxes for the chook house.  This was great.

I started picking tomatoes.   Suddenly there are enough to pick a few everyday...

We had extreme weather.  At the beginning it was hot.   Then a giant thunderstorm started up.  There was lightening all around and it went on for hours.  In summer lightening is a huge hazard.   And sure enough,  Chloe got a call there was a fire.   I was at her house when the call came through.   We jumped in her car and drove to the top of the farm hill.   We knew which direction to look and sure enough we could see a plume of smoke.   At that moment Luke drove past going so fast I couldn't believe it!   Everyone heads off to fight the fire immediately. 

I went home.  We put on the sprinklers and began to get ready should it grow and come our way.  It turned out to be only one property away from us.  The local fire crew and the farmers got it out.  We were so lucky.  It was not windy and that was a huge help.   So now we had a practice run and it was scary.   

After this the clouds and thunder and lightening finally came to something and it rained.

By the end of the week it was raining again. And raining and raining!!  It has just poured.  

On Bluebirds Facebook page I posted a clip of how our birds sounded the other night.  You can find it here.   You need your sound on.   This usually goes on in the evening and then once it is dark it goes quiet.   Last night the birds went on after dark and through most of the night.  This has never 

happened before.   Maybe after so much rain?  It was weird... all the day birds chattering all night!

During the week we went to the city.  The main thing was I went with the girls to see Father Christmas!! It was so exciting.  

Scarlett is keen but Harper said she wasn't feeling very brave and Scarlett could sit on Father Christmas' knee but she would sit on Mummy's knee.  I asked her what would she like for Christmas?  She said "something yellow."  

We got a lounge!! Yep something to sit on! haha!  Our old lounge was the lounge Mum and Dad had when I was growing up!  Andy remembered it from when we were teenagers!   To his credit Andy was the only boy in the district brave enough to knock at the front door and ask to see me when I was sixteen.  And we went to dances together.   :)   

Anyhow back to the lounge.... I finally had to accept it is pretty had it.   So we ordered a new one.  Yesterday we picked it up.  As it was pouring so much we only just brought it inside today.  

Also we had an electrician come and now we have light fittings instead of a globe hanging from the ceiling!  More progress!

My friend Nerille just came back from Nepal.  She brought home pure cashmere pashminas for me in my favourite smoky blue shades.  They are just gorgeous and feel incredible.  Bring on Autumn!

She also sent me home with two large pure wool cream blankets.   With having extra beds here suddenly all my spare linen is no longer spare.  It is all used so these will be so handy.

Andy has been working on a big project.  He is putting shelves up in the shed and a workshop, work bench etc.  This will be really good in all sorts of ways.

There was a tractor in the yard as we had to do plumbing work.  We also asked for a quote on two new rain water tanks... as two are old and leaky.  

Andy ordered a trailer.  Now we have the vehicle and the next thing is a trailer.  At the farm you have your own dump and waste disposal. You have to have a trailer.

All these things I consider important "pantry and preparedness" projects.

On the way home from Adelaide I stopped and just near the car I found a little nest that had blown away in the storm...

I have glittery Christmas birds so I think it will become a Christmas nest.

I planted Proteas.  Suddenly I just love King Proteas.  So I am going to try and grow them!

I made a giant rice salad and gave Chloe and Luke a container full.   We lived on cold meat and salads on the hot days.

Everything being so wet gives me a couple of days off watering.  This gives me some time to work on other things!  Also the rain water tanks are all overflowing.  The fruit trees are looking heavy with fruit and being so wet.  

Later this afternoon Chloe, my Sister in Law,  Georga and me are going to head off to a country Christmas market in a town about an hour away.  It is an evening market.   Chloe has been before and says it is beautiful!  

With being so busy I have not felt like it is Christmas or that it is all so close!!  Going to see Father Christmas helped!!  Tonight will too I think!  

Since the last Christmas market and the small country market before that I am working on a post of craft ideas,  packing, selling etc.  It is very interesting seeing what everyone is doing.  It is good to check out prices.   Also to see what is obviously selling really well and what is not.   I have some prices that will amaze you... like the fruit cakes the other day! 

I hope to get this post finished over the weekend.  

How did you feather your nest this week?  I hope you are doing well with this busy time of year.  Somehow we have to find time to soak in the moments that are special.  As we get closer to Christmas I more and more start thinking about the year that has been.  In my mind that is like a gigantic Feather your Nest Friday... a Feather your Nest Year!! 

Have a lovely weekend! xxx