Suse's ramblings

For all these I haven't reached yet we're moving house. I landed a job in Germany and will move temporariely in with my dad... oh joy ;-) No it will be good.

The biggestdrama we can't take the other girls...



THe three youngsters have gone to friends in Insh, the older girls to a friend locally and Marcus moved in with a dozen new girlfriends inthe borders. He is lording over flock of hybric Australian hens now. We know it was the bestdecision for them but we will still miss them terribly. Caligula has not been keeping well so we are particularly concerned how the move will affect her.

Long time no post... but don't say I don't keep you entertained ;-)

I have help clearing my vegpatch for the new season:




My helpers love having freee range of the garden (even some is shared with the dogs which they don't entierly trust... I can't blame them). Their newest past time is dust batching between the old cabbage stalks. Marcus is paying the ladies a bit much attention but it should get better in a few weeks. A friend has some spare Brahma hens which are ready to go to a new home. No idea what we'll do with all the eggs, from the current four we average 3 eggs per day already!

Other than snowdrop not much is flowering yet, ot really a surprise the last snow only melted 10 days ago here. But I do have a few very nice flowers inside.



Nothing too fancy just an Amaryllis but I really like the look of this one. My red one is thinking about flowering but not quite there yet ;-)

Hi helga, I never managed to reach you on your birthday but i hope those gentlemen cheer you up even today...

Keep in mind those are big chicken... they took to their sheltered excercise trench surprisingly well, and since the introduction of a few extra hours into their day the started laying as well! Nero and Calligula that is.



This was the snow height after two weeks, it peaked a bit later at 3 feet of snow... the chicken were not amused at the speed their drinking water iced over. But plied with generous treats they dealt very well with the weather.



Marcus has grown up as well, he has the most magificant bright orange wings and even tentativly started crowing.



As we were a bit cut of from the nearest shop (about 6 miles round trip) we had to think of alternative ways to get our shopping home... voila the pack mules came in handy. Even Janna carried a fair weight without too much complaining!



Only the forests are unsafe at such times. i am convinced I saw a Yeti...

Christmas Is coming, the thesis is submitted but the viva not immediatly there... and I am recharging my battery sitting very close to our new fireplace ;-) well I would given half a chance.

If you are awaiting an email or letter for me... well chances are I will finally get around to it. :-)

Just a few more pictures, just to avoid people suspecting my untimely demise..., there is also a new deadline for the thesis well we shall see. I lost track of the "almost submissions".

A special picture to Germany to compare the lemon pyle rooster and hen (from left) Calligula (hen), Nero (hen), and Marcus Aurelius (rooster) resting in the grass. The rooster actually has a fair few more dark gray/blackish feathers at his neck but they don't show very well in this posture. The hen has maybe 5 medum rey feathers in her tail. On the picture they're all about four months old, he has grown in more "manly" feathers now with very glossy wing coverts.

The same day the three on their first foray into the back garden - the front garden is their normal range and has much shorter grass, the find the back a bit scary.

The chicken shed is actually the former outside loo, but thanks to Gibby as luxurious as they come. The ladder alone is a work of art, with little apple tree brach cross bars. But of course Marcus had to keep an eye on him anyway...

And finally a flower picture from the living room, nothign fancy just a few flowers from the garden - but I do like the photo...
 

Yes -  I am still alive
Yes - we have two new golden Brahma hens (Julius & Romulus)
Yes - i am still stressed by the neverwending edit story

No - there is no end to the above in sight
No - I have not submitted yet...

yes I am doing final edits, whatever gave you the idea I spend my working days pissing about on the internet?

Thanks to a kind sponsor in Nortern Hessia the poochies have new backpacks. Janna is carrying air mostly, and Hagen already graduated to 6kg. What a strong puppy he is :-D That is what he'll have to carry hillwalking, his daily food intake is about a kilo of dry kibbles!


Relaxation is of course always high on Hagen's agenda!





But then he is a very hardworking pooch!


the weeds about here are lethal - honestly ;-)

And a special older picture for Helga (Hagen's first B-day)