Welcoming Autumn

I'm laid low with a cold today but I am enjoying the cooler weather - Autumn has really hit us now. Had the fire on today!  March has been a bit stressful, Mr Bok's been in an accident but more on that in a later post.  Meanwhile here are a few pics of March goings on so far...

The best $5 mugs ever from Typo, the jug by Nina Ingvorm

Fluffy bunches of cheer

 

Vegies like huge trombocinos still make us laugh!

Dinner at Matteos - yum! Love this place.

Celebrating St Pats...more on that in another post

The chooks and Tim Tam seem to like each other now 

and stick together whenever Tim Tam leaves the house for some fresh air

Watched the Hunger Games after reading the books years ago.

I loved the movie! Yes it's for kids but I'm rather a big kid myself...

 

Drinks with the girls - do you like my batman impersonation gazing out over gotham city? 

Got teased unmercifully for wearing this dress - everything from batgirl to the flying nun  :)

The Aylesbury does the best tapas!

 

Happy lunching at Kappaya - best bentos anywhere and I eat a lot of bento boxes!

 

Oops - stragglers left over from summer

The grandpa feeder is going well!  The girls are now all eating out of it although they are still scared of it.  Next weekend I'll engage it properly so it only opens if they stand on the treadle.

  

Oh - and this is why the neighbours report a congregation of school children at our gate each morning on their way to the primary school at the end of our street - the girls line up and the children feed their lunch to them through the gate!

Grandpa's Feeder

So...you know how I adore my bok flock...

 

I actually for a split second thought about not having them at all.  GASP!!  You see, the other night I found a mouse/rat in the coop.  It had gotten so fat it got stuck half in and half out of the tiny wire mesh holes, I actually had to get Mr Bok to kill it because the thought of it hanging there until morning then being eaten alive by the hens was too ghastly.  I totally freaked out.  ARGH!!!!!!  First time I've seen one in our garden.

Also I'm tired of feeding the pigeons so ... I bought this!

 

It's a grandpa's feeder.  

And the chooks are terrified of it!

Conchita - what is that thing??? 

 

Conchita and Matilda (aka Snowflake) nonchalantly pecking around it...

I tried coaxing the boldest girls to take a look (Conchita and Matilda) but it has taken a few days.  Not even sausage could entice them to stand on the platform.  The first week you're meant to leave the feeder open but it still makes a noise when the chooks stand on it.

Success!  Conchita actually has a foot up on it but Consuela at the side just ran away and the others sprinted too. 

In the end they got afraid and legged it choosing instead to take their meals where they could find them for the rest of the day and the next.

 

 

I thought I'd be able to have my vegie beds back by now but nooooo those darn trombocino never die!!  They just keep sprawling and sprawling...

 

Today, 3 days later, look!  The girls are still largely hungry but at least Matlida is now eating out of the feeder.  Shame she isn't standing on the treadle though.

Anyone else have a treadle feeder?  How did you teach your girls to use it?

Settling in

Hallo lovelies!

Conchita and Consuela have settled in beautifully, no blood, no squabbles in the flock, it's like they've always been here.  And unlike the other girls who are yet to start laying, they give us a beautiful green and a beautiful blue egg daily (although the sizes vary).

Mr Bok made banofee pie - he rarely cooks let alone bakes so I was a bit impressed at this effort!

 If you live in Melbourne - have you noticed how popular Mexican food has become lately?  I had lunch here and it was so yummmm even if it leaves your wallet a bit lighter...

 

 

I still have no idea when to pick the babacos.  Seems the possums don't know either.

 

The possums are still after my chillies and capsicum but the baskets seem to be working.

My apples are greatly confused - they've started blossoming for goodness sake...at the same time as ripening apples!  On the same tree!!

 

Loads of self seeded tomatoes which I've had to pull out:

Any ideas on how to keep chooks off the verandah?