In which the Creative Reinventor is outnumbered 10 girls to one.

 

Meet Maddie.  Years and years ago, we were around when lovely friends L and D rescued her.  They've had her for all those years and have just upped and moved to Canada.  Somewhat rashly the Practical Reinventor suggested, that if the worst came to the worst, and L and D couldn't find a new home for her in Melbourne, she'd be welcome at Marmalade Cottage.

And so it was the poor dog had the worst day of her life at the end of March.  Taken away from her home without even a blanket, loaded into a cage onto a plane and flown across the country to Perth.

And here's what you do when you're a bit settled in and you've had your first bath, it's a beautiful day, and there's a new park to explore.

She's a Maremma, an Italian sheepdog, and we suspect of quite a distinguished bloodline.
Jodie the neurotic kelpie is very, very slowly getting used to the idea of not being the only dog.  They're not friends yet, but after a fair bit of resentment and a bit of blood, they've reached some sort of detente.

And yes, with one wife, two girlie dogs, one girlie cat and six hens, the Creative Reinventor is the only boy in a multi-species household of girls.

Gratuitous chook shot

And hasn't the passionfruit vine grown?!  It now all but covers the chooks' outside area, and it's been there only about 18 months.

In Perth, it's been quite wet the last few months for the changeover between winter and spring.  This was a rare sunny day, and the chooks couldn't wait to get out for their free-range.

Sap rising

Spring at Marmalade Cottage is rather gorgeous, if you can look past the lush growth of weeds.

Waaaaay back at the beginning, the Creative Reinventor told the Practical one he loved the fragrance of jonquils.  So, in the 10 gardens they've had together, she's planted him a jonquil patch.  This is one of the few to be appreciated for a second year.

The white Californian Poppies have seeded for their third season.

The roses are in no doubt it's spring.

Poor dear, she's feeling hormonal

Being city children, neither inventor recognised that Nancy

had gone broody. 

According to Jackie French, this overwhelming maternal urge is largely bred out of modern hens.  She's fluffed all her feathers out, gone a bit grumpy, and has a weird deep cluck.

As we have no roosters, letting her sit on any of our chooks' eggs was going to be an exercise in frustration.  Luckily lovely friends D and P (who gave us Nancy in the first place, along with Alice and Marion) have roosters and fertile eggs and sympathy.

She's sitting on six fertile eggs, so, if all goes well, we'll have six little chicks in a couple of weeks.

As soon as Nancy gave in to her hormones, the other hens pretty much stopped laying - just the odd one and usually on top of Nancy, who then sat on it, along with her others.

We sacrificed a couple of infertile eggs and put them in other nesting boxes.  Chooks, being fairly simple creatures, will only lay where others have laid.  Apparently they're quite taken in by wooden or plastic eggs too. 

The other girls seem to be laying again, although we do have to check under Nancy every day.

And here are the stupid pigeons who get into the hen house then can't work out how to get out.

A very Marmalade Cottage Christmas

For the last couple of weeks, the reinventors have been planning the inaugural Marmalade Cottage Christmas.  Last night it came together.  With 12 adult and two infant guests, there was probably enough food for 20 and presents for everyone.

This isn't exactly a hand-made gift, but near enough.  The practical reinventor found a block of organic glycerine soap and melted it down, adding kaffir lime leaves to the bottom layer and lemon rind to the top.  She also made some old-fashioned Bay Rum aftershave (mostly vodka, so if it doesn't work as aftershave, she supposes the recipient could drink it...) Others unwrapped jam or relish and a selection of vintage gifts found at op shops and garage sales.

Brown paper packages tied up with string under the tree. 

And the very festive dinner in the back garden.  Dips and nibblies to begin, punch and wine, turkey, glazed ham, falafel, coleslaw, potato salad, baked potatoes, braised lentils, beans with beetroot and fetta, then gluten-free orange cake, fruit and pavlova with the traditional Australian topping of crushed peppermint crisp.

There are several weeks' worth of leftovers in the fridge!

Our new addition

Nearly two years ago, our beloved Blue Heeler cross Kate died.  We were devastated, and we still feel the loss.  But we always intended to get another dog.  We knew there would be a dog who needed us, and we found her.

This is Jodie.  She's a Kelpie X Red Heeler.   We think she's been an only dog for a while, then her owner married a guy with two much bigger dogs, and inevitably she was the one chosen to go.  She has lovely manners, but hasn't been taught important dog skills, like riding in the back of the ute.  She also thinks it's OK to jump onto the furniture, and we disagree.

But she's learning, and she's a sweetheart.