Kiki's first ride on the bike

The weather was beautiful yesterday, I decided to take Kiki with me for a ride on the bike, out to the end of the property and back - seemed easy enough!

She wasnt quite sure whether she like riding on the bike, until I put her off, and let her run alongside/behind... didnt take long for one small puppy to realise that riding on the bike was really quite a good alternative ;-D

The road home.  We didnt make it all the way to the back fence, riding holding a puppy in one hand is quite tiring I discovered, and when we reached the steep crossing, AND it had water in it, I decided to turn back and call that 'lesson 1'.

When we got home the excitement really started.... Skinny escaped as I opened the back door, Kiki and I chased/followed him all around the house, then ALL the way round the perimeter of the orchard.  Finally I caught him at the wood shed and headed for the back door.  Kiki was so busy watching me and the cat, that she forgot to look where she was going and fell off the landing!!  Her fall was broken by landing in the water lily pot, which luckily (?) I had topped up to very full the day before.  I put Skinny through the door, and onto the verandah so quickly that he needed (?) to use my hand for traction and sliced my little finger open from top to bottom with his back claw.

I rescued Kiki from the drink, my finger painful, bleeding and looking all the more dramatic for the extra liquid, the dog was sodden and very cold and I swear that was cat smiling when we came inside!!  Luckily we're all better now, eh?

Hawkesbury Valley Waterfowl Breeders Assoc Show at Yass

On Sunday I had 5 ducks entered into the Hawkesbury Valley Waterfowl Breeders Association Show - at Yass!!  I had to get up before I went to bed to get the ducks penned before judging...... but really the problem was that I was woken by a certain cat prowling about in the middle of the night... and then slept in....... so I had 30 minutes to eat brekky, get dressed, catch ducks and get out the gate!!  Made it!!  Freezing day in Yass on Sunday!  The ducks got 2 firsts, 1 second and 2 thirds, so I was pleased :)  I carry my ducks into the show in a travel box, most other exhibitors carry them in one at a time in their hands!

Some of my ducks, in their cages, before judging.

Chumba - first, bibbed Call duck

 Sting - second, natural Call drake

 Tess - third, natural Call duck

Some of the sights around the showgrounds, ancient pine.

The pavillion.

And it's mossy steps.

And view across the parade ground.

Picture if you will......

I was out giving the llamas and alpacas their brekky and saw a fabulous photo with the now bare claret ash literally 'full' of galahs, all facing the early morning sun and their beautiful pink chests lit up like mad... only problem was I didnt have my camera with me.  So I dashed back to the house to grab it  before the light changed and/or the birds moved - not a chance!!  Got back, lens cap off, and just as I raised the camera... off they flew - bugger!!  So picture if you will...... and here's what was left of the scene to help your imagination!  It was truly spectacular... honestly!

You're not supposed to feed alpacas 'treats' if you want their fleece to be beautiful, but while they're still thin on the ground I have them in with the llamas and so they get lucky.... every day!!  LOL!!  They are now very tame, like the llamas, but as soon as I have a big enough gang they'll get their own paddock, and that will have to be the end of llama lollies for brekky :(  Tarquinn is a big llama lolly fan, and you can see how gorgeous his fleece is, very curly after light morning rain.

Kiki, A Pug in Paradise

She's cute (ugly but interesting), especially when she's asleep!!

Here, crashed out after a huge dinner, looks like she's having a food baby!!

Wonders will never cease, this moment didnt last long!!

Skinny and the Fatman are both very keen on Kiki's new bed, here Fatman 'relaxes'  in front of the fire.

Meantime Kiki is passed out on the couch with Freya.

Butter wouldnt melt in her microwave!!

Couch Time

Morning chores out of the way, so it must be couch time!

I left Kiki at home for ONE day... ok it was only the second day we'd had her.... but during that day she turned to the dark side!  And once again my dog has become his dog!!  LOL!!  And yes, now that you mention it, that is my cat on his lap too!

Kiki

The newest member of our household arrived today, please meet Kiki.  A clever little puppy who has wormed her way into our hearts in nano seconds.  She's already 'sitting' and has figured out the fastest way to be brought in out of the cold is to have a pee lickety split!!  She's sorted out where the dining table is, and thus the best place to sit at meal time is directly underneath the chair/s of the messiest eaters - she's a real little vacuum cleaner and is pretty much perfect - just ask me!!

The cats are not impressed, but luckily they'll get over it ;-D

Buyer resistance nil!  She's a little star, hopefully short coat and 'open' ears will mean no grass seed problems.

This pic is for Freya, who wanted to see Dad's first reaction to  Kiki, he has a migraine, so no flash and a blurry photo, but I think you get the gist Fraz :)  They are currently 'watching' TV and simultaneously 'resting' their eyes!  LOL!!

Softens the blow of losing Loli, she cant be replaced, but Kiki will make life happier :)

Wandering Ducks

I guess it had to happen, the ducks wandered far enough from the pen yesterday to find the water trough.  They looked like they were trying out for a Guiness Book of Records attempt!

From the house I knew they'd found it, even though I cant see it, by the splashing!

Coldest Morning So Far!

Very chilly out there this morning, brrrrrr

Had to break the ice on the water trough, it was about 10mm thick and took quite some effort!

Black Narcissus with frost on her back and ears, and you can see frost on little Freddie's back too.

Tina with Good Heavens Gwendolyn on this cold morning, ice on the ground in front of Tina.  And even before I broke it up and gave them fresh water GHG was skating around, looking happy as a lark.  She is certainly made of stern stuff!

A Trip into Town

Yesterday I headed off into Boorowa, camera in hand!  Its a sleepy little town, power lines and footpath mending all making for pretty ordinary streetscape.

Boorowa Hotel, with its lovely iron work verandah, not sure I would have chosen the same style for the 'Meals and Accommodation' sign, but luckily they didnt ask me ;-D

Victims of the drought.

The road off to the right is quite steep.... apparently.

At this time of the year the 'insert proper name here' gums are shedding their bark and revealing fantastic orange trunks.

This orderly procession of sheep looked like a good shot, so I stopped... and so did they!  Those bringing up the rear decided I was quite frightening, so they bolted!!

A Photo a Day!

And then days went past, and I was so busy working that I didnt take any photos, the 365 Day project will plainly require a step up in discipline!

And today its bucketing down... what will I photograph on days like this?  Stuff inside?  Through the windows?  The cats?  What do you mean I cant just take 365 pics of my animals/birds?

The 365 Day Project

Thought I might start a 365 day project... so having a warm up this month in prep for next ;-D