I’m Watching Chicken on the Wide screen Hole in the Fence

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DAY 415



Before we had even had breakfast, Andy and I headed over to Merriville to feed the chickens and dogs. As usual when we get there I disappear to sort the dogs out, I am suddenly surrounded by 9 puppies yapping and pulling on my laces, socks and gators, in fact it becomes difficult to walk as I don’t want to step on their tiny little bodies so I lift each foot carefully as if I am walking on the moon in a no gravity environment, putting each foot down with care.

These gorgeous puppies know that I am here to feed and water them or do they just want to play? Candy is excited to see me so after a bit of a fuss I go over and get the food, with a bit of luck the food may entice the puppies off my feet. Candy’s chain has become entangled and I found that she could not reach her water, I untangled her and put the water bowl in front of her and she just kept on drinking to quench her thirst. I put some water in the bucket and put the bucket nearer her shelter so that if she became entangled again then she could reach the water.

One of the bigger puppies and a small brown puppy seem to be getting brave they wandered over as far as DJ’s little shelter with me, DJ also got himself tangled up on his chain so I had to move some wood in order to free him up, he is not interested in the puppies, he just wants a bit of a love, so I spend a bit of time with him, sort out his food and water then take the puppies back to their mum!

I was concerned that the puppies would come to close to Spook, I am not sure how Spook would be with these little pups, but I am sure one big warning growl would be enough to scare them off.

I wandered over to help Andy finish up with the chickens, in one of the coops we see that two hens are pecking one of the chicks, I may have mentioned yesterday that they seem to bully the chicks, this poor little chick is running around trying to avoid them to no avail, then he just collapses on the floor, we both think he is dead, so Andy picks up what feels like his lifeless little body and we put him in an egg box, we find that he is still alive so we think we will take him back to Woodstock.

Anyway, this little chick seemed to recover and he ran off, Andy caught him, we decided to put him back, but as soon as we put him back in the pecking started again, it upset me to see this behaviour and I cannot help thinking that we have condemned this little chick to its death, if we took him back up to Woodstock then the little chick may have stood a chance.

Back at Woodstock we explained to Helen about the chicks and she said if we check a little later we could always bring the chick back up here. We had not had breakfast but for some reason I had lost my appetite, I even skipped on lunch.

Bree and James came back from their night out in Wagga with some of James friends and then got themselves packed and headed off for Melbourne to spend time with Bree’s family.

Susan has gone out shopping so has put the city dogs in Kimba’s yard and Kimba is let out for a run, after a while she realises that there are more important things to be done like getting back to her dog TV, instead of her little spy hole she now has Widescreen TV to watch chicken run, I can see here at the top of the chicken yard gazing through the fence longingly, she is obsessed. Kimba is there for hours until Robert tells her to come away.

Helen busied herself getting the now vacant bedroom ready for Patsy who is one of Helen’s best friends from Sydney, she is coming to stay for a week or so. Otherwise the day is quite quiet so everyone sits about reading or having nana naps.

Patsy arrived late afternoon, Andy and I took Toby and Tiny for a walk around a couple of the paddocks along the old riverbank, in other words where the river used to flow. Tiny is happy to be bounding around the field and Toby is more than happy to run in and out of the river bed, up the bank on the other side then he turns round and runs back to us, the banks are very steep.

Andy spies a large goanna but he sees the dogs and runs up the nearest tree, he moved so fast I only just managed to catch a picture of his head and one of his tail as he vanished from sight.

There are a few raindrops, we can see rain in the distance but are confident that we will be back in before it starts to rain. We are nearly back when Toby and Tiny hear the other dogs bark so they run ahead of us, but that is ok as they will not go any further.

When we get back we put Tiny back in her yard and Toby back onto his chain, we feed all the dogs and then head back down to Merriville to feed and water the puppies, they come to greet us the same way as last time.

There is one particular puppy which stands out for me, he is a light brown with a white tummy, there is something about the way this little puppy looks at me, but I cannot become attached, Jason has offered us one of the pups but we are not in a position to have one.

Back at Woodstock, the ice and lemon filled glasses are lined up on the counter ready for the gin and tonic, Susan is preparing cheese and biscuits, I dash off to the shower, it is my second today, I have had all the puppies clambering over me and have fussed all the other dogs, so I am covered in mud, dog hair (they are all malting) and smell a bit sheepy too, but I have had the attention of 18 dogs today!

I join everyone on the veranda, it has started raining now, but it is still warm and we are sheltered, we make the most of Helens Christmas present and enjoy being outside, eating cheese and biscuits and having a well earned pre dinner drink.

Andy serves our dinner on the veranda, he prepared two curries yesterday one chicken Rogan Josh and a beef Madras, and we had all the trimmings naan bread and poppadoms.

We sit and read our books and watch some TV, Andy and retire first as Andy wants to be up and away in the morning as we are off to Sydney as early as possible tocollect the Roof rack, its about 450 K’s each way so we have a long way to go.

I will say good night as we are off to bed.

Until Tomorrow. KJ XXxx

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Photos

Toby and Me
Having a Doggy Dance

Who Shat That
We think it may be a Wombat due to the hole but Helen dosen't think so!!

Me and Toby
Toby always wants Doggy Kisses

Large Goanna
Look for his head at the top of the Left Hand Broken Branch

Goanna Tail
Look for his tail just hanging under the broken branch

Toby
Drinking from a sheep trough

Me & Toby
Toby and Me

The Last Leg
The last 1/4 of a k on the home ward stretch