Just a Few Pictures From Wanungara

The orchard is delivering us some beautifully tasty fruit at the moment and the best is the two apple trees we bought from Daleys Nursery. We relocated the electric fence to entwine the fruit trees and allow the cows access to the long grass that was covering the bank and spreading into the lawn area. the cows have now eaten all the grass and the orchard is benefiting from the manure.

we have also been planting lots of flowering plants where we can so that the bees are invited into the garden to help with pollination and also to add some colour around the place... there's a lot of 'green' around here and a splash of colour makes a big difference.

we have also used up some of the lattice that we were given when we bought the long poles (used up by the shed to add a bush house and outside the guest room for the grape vines) on the west-side of the cottage to add a bit of shade, protection and aesthetics to the BBQ/pizza oven patio area.

and after all this... every now and then... we can sit back and enjoy a nice cold homebrew!!! (even me when I don't have the camera in my hand.)

Meet the Ducks, Disco and Shuggie

A local woman who sells chickens (and also supplied us with some of our hens) found out that we had Plymouth Rock hens and asked us if we would sell them to her but we kept them ourselves, however, after two have passed away due to old age and the last one not getting any younger she offered to take her in exchange for two pullets.

We ended up with two young ducklings (she knew I had a duck before and love the taste of duck eggs), Shuggie and Disco.

Poor Shuggie was gravely ill after a week of being here and we thought we would lose him/her (lost control of the legs and wasn't eating a lot) but after 2 weeks... what a change. still shaky on the legs but every day was a big improvement.

It's amazing just how quickly they grow. they now live in the opposite veggie garden to the chooks and have plenty of shade and protection from the numerous hawks and from the many pigeons that are now hanging around after the chook food that doesn't get eaten due to the bird netting we have installed over the gardens.

I spent Saturday designing and building a Duck House that can be moved from garden to garden as required. Cutting the wheels of the bottom of the old BBQ allowed me to create the perfect mobile Duck Home...