Roses and Hens

The Race of the Roses has been won and minor places awarded with stragglers still finishing.

I have an entire film of garden shots so will save the official announcement for when the film has been developed (which as were heading into a long weekend won't be until some time next week.)

Let's just say that the first and second places were no real surprise but the third placed rose came out of nowhere.

Did I tell you that we have hens again?

Hubby rebelled last year when we were buying pellets to feed the hens AND eggs on the same trip to the supermarket. I had be warning the girls for awhile that I didn't know how much longer I could hide the truth of their lack-lustre performances.

Some of them had been good layers - in the past. One hen had laid one egg in two years!

But - as hubby said, as he picked up his .22 and headed out towards the hen run - "this is not a retirement home for hens."

So we had a winter without hens and this Spring I bought 6 lovely little brown shavers. They are one of the breeds that are used for commercial egg production. In the past, I've liked getting hens that have spent one season in the battery cages. It's such a good feeling introducing them to all the things hens should be able to experience - sunshine and dust-baths and room to move and a place to perch.

It isn't much to want out of life.

But couldn't find any older hens so bought "point of lay". I tell myself that I have saved these 6 from going on to the battery farm but it isn't quite the same.

Anyway -when the film is developed - there will be pictures of the girls too.

Bet you can hardly stand the excitement!

Race of the Roses

Everywhere I go on the web I'm seeing reports on the last rose before winter.

Here in New Zealand, we're galloping towards early summer and I have my annual race on to see which of my roses will be the first to flower.

So far, the educated money is on Madame Gregoire Staechelin, sometimes called Spanish Beauty, who has two buds that are showing color. She is indeed a beauty with lovely pink wavy petals.

But she could yet have competition.

Not from Madame Isaac Pereire, of course, who threw in the towel early by going toes up over the winter. No idea why. Rugosa roses are normally as tough as they come. I did think last summer she didn't look quite her old self - I guess I should have taken more notice. The only thing I can think of is that, when we were in Australia a few years back and rented our place out, that she got hit by the lawnmower and rot got into the wound.

But the wild rambler I have crawling over the hen run (and who I think is American Pillar) often makes a late run for this title to be the first. She can be looking as if there is nothing but tight little buds one day and the next she's draping great swathes of crimson down into the hen run.

Hubbie and I argue about this - the wisdom of letting a rambler hang it's branches down into the hen run. He refuses to go in to feed "the gals" or collect eggs because he gets caught up in them. But I think it looks pretty. And I'm sure our 6 brown shaver's enjoy a touch of beauty.

Crepsucle has one bud that could surprise me, and being against the warmth of the house does give her an advantage, so she can't be totally ruled out. She did win the race one year.

Still haven't got my digital camera yet but I will certainly treat you to a photo of the winner.

Nothing to do with roses but if anyone uses a Salton yogurt maker would appreciate hearing your views on it. I'm going to writing a a review page on this brand.

Did a page on the EasiYo yogurt maker which was easy because I love that brand. Everyone in NZ uses it - probably because it was invented here!

Anyway, I'm off out into the garden now to see our my contestants are going today!

Help required - apply within

Reclaiming the blog from Saffron has certainly made the entire blogging process much faster. She did protest a little when I told her she couldn't be Blog Administrator but she relented in the end.

(For anyone who is totally confused, Saffron is the heroine in my novel and about a year ago, in the process of giving her her own email address, I managed to lock myself out of the blog. Since then, I've had to sign in as her.)

But I've taken control again and life is much simpler.

Now, if you cast your eyes upward - yes, right underneath the Flightless Writer bit, you'll notice that I am "the founder of Probiotics LoveThatBug." Does that make it sound like Microsoft?

Is there a better word I could use? Nothing is springing to my mind but there a number of folk here who have a way with words and you might see what I'm missing. I don't like "founder" but I don't know how else to say it.

Don't lie awake tonight puzzling it out but if something instantly springs to mind, then please put it in the comments.

Hello World

This post seems a little like a new beginning.

I'm changing over to using my own identity in the blog world.

Not that it has ever been a secret who I am but I started using the "Saffron avatar" right at the beginning of my blog-life. I've always loved that image from the cover of Ripples on the Lake but as the publication moves further and further into the past, it seems less relevant to use the "Saffron avatar" in my wanderings on the web.

And on my web site Probiotics LoveThatBug I have the cutest little bug which I've named GoodBug. I was tempted to use him simply because I have to change identities every time I blog and my computer is, quite simply, the slowest in the known universe. So I've figured out (ie I read the help page) how to co-join my identities .

And I'm just going to be me!

I know the done thing is to have separate identities for your different "roles" on the web but it seems to me that we're in danger of losing our "realness" in the process.

So here you'll find me talking occasionally about my book - and if you look as if you have dollars to spend on a great paranormal adventure novel I will shamelessly steer you towards my Squidoo lens - and occasionally talking about the probiotic web site, but more often than not, just waffling on with a cream filled apple donut in hand and not a whole lot on my mind.

I've met people through blogging that I've enjoyed sharing cyber-time with and it seems the easiest way to get that back into my life is to just be the real me which means allowing the writing me and the probiotic me to cohabitate.

Over the next few days there will be a few changes here at The Flightless Writer as I redesign it as a multipurpose blog. I won't be chasing readers to lure them back here and will probably not venture much further than the group that has stuck with me through compulsive stat counting and unexplained absences over the last year.

So hopefully, Saffron is going to let me add this post to what she believes is "her" blog. You'll remember she locked me out of it about a year ago, but my time as come.

Move over Saffron Delaney.

I'm taking the blog back!

Tales from a tardy poster

I'll just sneak in to my blog and have a quick flick round with the duster so that no one will know I've been absent.

Yikes - look at all those cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and the potted palm is almost dead! Is it really almost 4 months since I last posted.

Cyber-friendship is seeing that old blog buddies still have you listed in their blog rolls even with a shameful "4 mnths" beside your name. Bless you, guys.

Hubby's operation has been a partial success. The back pain is much reduced and his mobility has increased but he has been left with a "dropped foot". We're hoping that it will improve over time as the swelling round the nerves in his spine decreases. Very disappointing as he still can't do the things he loves.

The fishing season starts this morning and he had gone off fishing with his brother. Just before he left he said "hope I can get into the boat" and I have this sad vision of him being left on the jetty because he couldn't get aboard.

So I'm hoping like mad that he can get on the boat too. It would be awful if he coudn't. He's put up with so much over the last 6 months that I feel he has "earned" a days fishing with his brother. He'll be home tonight so, fingers crossed, he comes home with a big smile and a bag full of fish.

My little internet business is taking almost all my time. I'm just coming up to one year and traffic is steadily increasing. Have not made my fortune yet! but I can see the potential. I am getting cheques from here and there most months now. My hope is that in a few years time it will add to our income. It is one of these things where you put the work in now and reap the rewards down the track.

Sounds life life, doesn't it!