Because this is not a contest.

There is something making me a little bit uncomfortable and I want to climb up onto my soap box for a few minutes and talk about it today. The subtle undercurrents implied online sometimes are that those not living according to certain values are living their lives wrongly.

As a community mental health worker by day, I practice according to a framework which is fundamentally based on the understanding that every individual has their own set of unique personal values regardless of mental health concerns or not. My job is essentially to support people to live a positive, independent life that is in line with their own personal values.

When we discuss 'simple living' and we talk about how to achieve this, I do feel sometimes there is an element of judgement in the written voices. People are judged because they consume. People are judged because they never feel content. They are judged through implication that their way of living is the undesired way. Do we know why they live the life that they do? Maybe there is a reason behind the choices they make...

As someone who spends her working days exploring the values people have (the life experiences that have shaped these, the struggles, hardships, addictions, traumas, and illnesses they have had to face), I do worry that people are often judged too quickly.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *

I want this blog to record a snapshot of my life. A life being lived in line with, and staying true to, my own personal values. A life not recorded against a set of criteria, or compared to the lives of others. 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *

I read an article the other day by Angela Barton and her final paragraph struck deep at my core:

" ... Because this is not a contest. And it's not about being a martyr. Its is about living a thoughtful, meaningful, conscientious lifestyle and feeling like you are walking the walk and living your values.

And that makes me happier than new shoes ever could..."

Tread your own life path, even if the shoes you wear are a pair of old black rubber gumboots.

Sam xox

Which brand is best for seed?

Do any of you out there have a preferred brand of seeds? I have been looking at Eden , The Little Veggie Patch, and Diggers seeds, however I am yet to decide on a brand to buy Spring seeds from. I am having so much success raising seeds in my greenhouse over winter that I have decided that I will plant my summer crop  from seed. By doing so I will save a considerable amount of money and have healthier plants. Exceptions to this will be plants like herbs, where I only need one or two plants (I'll buy these from the local Farmers Market).

Two weeks ago I planted some radish seeds straight into an outdoor pot, and they are finally beginning to sprout.

Radish seeds are best sown into the place they will grow, as they do not like being replanted. This is similar to other taproot vegetables (carrots, beetroot, parsnips).

The seedlings in the greenhouse are ready to be thinned out. As you can see in the photo below, my basil is doing brilliantly! The garlic chives (in the foreground) are looking pretty lame. The parsley (back row) has been a complete disaster, with only two seedlings making an appearance.

A copious amount of broccoli and cauliflower. I read that you should sow more seeds than you need as some are likely not to germinate. Turns out this is not always true! I think some of these will need to be gifted as I simply do not have the room to plant all these into my veggie garden.

Broccoli and cauliflowers further along...

My plans for the next three days are:

- Clean out chicken/duck coop.

- Clean out duck pond and put in fresh water.

- Weed veggie patch.

- Spin two bobbins of wool.

- Sew at least 3 garments.

Ambitious? Possibly.

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. 

Sam xox

Chance meeting and a much needed slow Sunday.

I met a man at work recently. We have the same client and needed to attend a meeting together. General polite conversation quickly turned into a sharing of similar experiences of moving from Sydney to the countryside, with a nice mix of sustainable ideas and love for the home grown thrown in for good measure.

The term "blog" came up and he mentioned his wife had one. What?!? So excited. Someone living in the same area with very similar interests. Great!  I rushed home that evening to discover Little Green Village. What a gem to find! She has such similar interests to me: gardening, sewing, simple living.

So I sent her a "hello" package last week: broccoli seedlings raised by me, one of my winter tomato plants, home grown snow peas and chillies, and some eggs from my chooks. She loved it all and the very next day I got to meet her in person and gratefully received home grown lemon grass, rocket, and kaffir lime leaves. I have used the lemon grass in a stir fry and made a delicious rocket salad. Any ideas how I could use the kaffir lime leaves?

*   *   *  *   *   *   *   *

A slow Sunday.

~ Sophie ~

~ Fresh cut flowers ~

~ Spinning wool ~

~ A trip to the Farmers Market ~

Sam xox

The girls are laying.

About a month ago I went to my chook pen and found what looked like the remains of an exploded chicken - there were feathers everywhere!!! After doing an emergency head count (all girls accounted for) I turned to google for the possible cause of all these extra feathers.

Moulting. 

My chickens were moulting. A natural yearly cycle when chickens shed their old feathers and grow back some new ones. Usually this happens in autumn/winter. During this time chickens will stop laying until their new feathers have grown back.

So I waited patiently for a few weeks. I fed them treats of silverbeet, lettuce, and bread soaked in milk (as Rhonda recommends) and hoped for the eggs to return quickly.

This week we are back to almost full production.

Anyone for an omelette?

Sam xox

A thrifty nesting box.

Oxford and Cambridge needed a nesting box to sleep in, separate to the chooks. In the spirit of thrifty gardening, I searched the piles of off cuts we keep along the side of the house "just in case". I found a couple of thick timber pallet pieces, some white panelling, and the spare wire door the chicken coop originally came with. I found some screws and a couple of brackets, and set to work drop-sawing, cutting, and drilling. 

It was the first time I have ever used an electric saw, and goodness it was easier than hand sawing (which I did try first but our saw is very blunt). The frame came together easily with screws and brackets holding the timber firm.

I then measured out each side and cut out the white panelling accordingly. I kept the wired door as the floor of the box, as it is recommended to allow for easier cleaning as ducks can be a bit messy! The wire is smooth galvanized steel that is in no way going to damage the ducks feet. I added a half panel at the front so the ducks have a bit of privacy and warmth.

The box fitted perfectly beside the chickens nesting box. I removed a door from the coop frame to allow for the ducks to enter the box without trouble. I closed in the gap above their box with chicken wire to ensure the coop remained secure. The lid can be lifted to retrieve eggs (so long as that is where she lays them!).

I know it is all terribly white, but the painting will just have to happen another day. I am thinking a medium brown to match the timber of the hutch. While the panelling is sore on the eye, we have found it to be incredibly weather proof, and has held up well during the recent rainy months.

I filled up the nesting box with straw so that Oxford and Cambridge are warm and comfortable while resting.

While I was on a DIY roll, I covered the wire hutch part with shade cloth I also had lying around. I secured the cloth with wire so that it won't move an inch. As the afternoon sun directly filters into the ducks nesting box, the shade cloth should provide perfect protection in the warmer months when the ducks are in there.

It feels good to make new structures for my garden out of bits and pieces just lying around the yard. I find making in this way to be a far more satisfying endeavour. Who cares if it looks a bit lop sided, and not quite straight.

It is sturdy. It fits perfectly. And it was made 100% by me.

Sam xox

Birds of a feather.

Recently I had been feeling guilty over the smallness of the run I had designed when I built my chickens' enclosure. Jamie and I mused about how the run could be expanded whilst not absorbing too much more of our yard. We decided to expand the run along the fence, enclosing a large bushy tree, mondo grass and a pond. I have read that chickens feel safe hiding in shrubs, so I figured the girls would enjoy hiding in the bushy bits near the pond.

You see, chickens don't find ponds very interesting (they don't like swimming!). But boy do ducks like ponds and swimming...

A Gumtree advertisement, one phone call and a half-hour drive, and we were in the presence of our new pet ducks. A breeding pair of Indian Runner ducks.

The white duck is male and the brown and white duck is female. She lays 5 eggs per week, and if we ever have a broody chicken we may be able to hatch some baby ducklings (though we have no plans to do this at the moment).

We have named them Oxford (male) and Cambridge (female). Cambridge is already laying and her eggs are larger than those the chooks produce. Speaking of the chooks, they hardly bat an eye lid when Oxford and Cambridge were introduced to the run. Honestly, I was anticipating some sort of territorial display or intimidation behaviour, but nothing happened. The chooks were more interested in their food and the ducks more interested in the pond!

I honestly don't know why we didn't get ducks sooner. They have the most beautiful nature and don't tear up the grass like chickens do. They absolutely LOVE their pond, and spent most of their first afternoon swimming around in the water, duck diving down (the pond is deep enough!) and eating what they could find on the pond floor.

They needed their own living quarters though, so I spent today making a very thrifty nesting box. But more about that tomorrow.

Sam xox

In the garden.

~ Mint growing wild ~

~ Garlic cloves planted from Australian grown organic garlic bulbs ~

~ Potatoes ~

~ Silverbeet ~

~ Broccoli & peas ~

~ Peas ~

Sam xox