Hawaii Ironman and other stories

Every year I watch this and it never ceases to motivate me. This time I got really excited and had a problem sleeping for a few days after. I also get grumpy a few days before, the same thing happens a few days before Ironman New Zealand which takes place only a couple of hours from here. My own personal countdown to my participation in 2011. After I finished Lanzarote in 1994 I had the feeling that I could conquer anything, I've achieved a huge amount since then. I wonder what I'll feel next time round.

Other news

Emily's first ballet recital is fast approaching. She had to miss her first swim lesson of the new term (advanced breathing class).

Cameron (not yet four) had his first swim lesson. All this took place on Saturday and it was one of those few days where a second car would have been useful but we survived.

Cameron

Emily

What chickens do - the Dust bath

Ethel lying in dust bath under lemon tree.

Ethel leaving dust bath.

What chickens do - Nest

Bertha getting ready to lay. She is sitting on one of the browns hen's egg.

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Chicken Cam

Featuring Ethel, Daisy and Choc Choc (Bertha is a bit of a loner sometimes). Daisy hadn't laid an egg for the last 3 days we were starting to get concerned especially as she seemed to have a limp. She is back in the groove today I will be observing her for any sign of limping.

We're actually trying to keep them off the deck because they poo on it.




Natural egg laying.

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Our free range hens

Here are the girls who lay delicious eggs and entertainment.

New Bertha(the black one - read the story of new Bertha here Chapter1,Chapter2 and Chapter 3), Ethel, Daisy and Choc Choc.
The girls again.

Daisy on the march.


Bertha doing what comes naturally. Can you see her?

How about now?

If she can't find a spot like this we have to shut her in the hen house so she feels safe.



One of our human chickens. Cameron wanted me to photograph him jumping. Our camera is just too slow.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

The chickens

The more I see the natural behaviours from our free range hens - the more I am angry and disgusted with the hen/ chicken farms/factories. Our hens are let out first thing in the morning and are only shut in when we all go out and at night. They are even free to lay their eggs where they want. They tend to make a nest hidden in the undergrowth. It helps them that I am always cutting down and pruning trees which gives them an ever changing environment. To see them scratch away and socialise and sun bath together they have even made a large hole in the ground at the base of the pepper tree for a dust bath. This is so deep that they are almaost underground.

When I think about hens and chickens forced to live crammed in cages makes me really angry and sick to my stomach. It didn't help my mood when I watched Jamie Oliver's program on the subject.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training Mon 2 - Sun 8 June & I got poohed on

Starting to get back into this week. Punctured on the stationary trainer on Sunday after only 10 min(over inflated the tyre) I got off changed it and got on with the session would have beed easy to abandon it.

Very busy business wise juggling 2 of the larger jobs too date sometimes I think I must be mad learning on the job but if I had to pay to study I probably wouldn't have got sp far or been able to afford the cots. Learning on the job I get paid but it can be stressful at times. What I've learned this time is that for a larger ecommerce website I need to charge more.

We clipped the chickens wings yesterday and as I was holding the chickens one did a nervous pooh on me much to Emily's delight.

Weekly Training
Swim	3 sessions with fist gloves. Doing 50's	3600metres
Bike	1x60min McCormack style intervals 1x23min strength on trainer	22miles
Run	1x2mile @ 5am 1x3mile runs at 6.15am	2miles

Weekly core Training
Swim cords	2 sessions Building specific strength - 50 on each arm and then 15
Back	1 sessions
Abs	2 sessions 7 different exercises based on crunches and leg lifts
Weights	2 sessions with dumbbells
Push ups	2 sessions - some moving side to side, hindu pushups (big improvement in these.
Stretching	5 sessions

Because I've been on the computer a huge amount recently the arthritis in my right wrist is playing up.

Other things: I am going to try going swimming after I drop Cameron at Kindy, I am going to push my bike to kindy and then ride it to the pool, Swim Gym it is only a couple of kms away and the idea is it will save petrol because it is so much nearer then my other pool.

Full on and photo's of new Bertha

It has been a struggle to blog recently. After the excitement of new Bertha doing her Houdini disappearing act, I lost all energy and it was a struggle to post last week's training. You may have or not noticed that they appeared on Monday not Sunday as usual.

It wasn't the blogging it was the culmination of consistent training, a lot of work and a lot of rain for the last few weeks. I have never been a winter person it really does get me down, one of the many reasons for leaving the UK. But it also caused a lot of washing/laundry both children can wet the bed but not all the time and not always together but without a dryer it was struggle to get it dry and it was getting me down. And this week was particularly busy because Teresa had parent interviews Tuesday and Wednesday and I had to pick Emily up from school, take her to ballet, wait for Teresa. I decided training wise to have most of the week off because I have been really happy with training but I'd just started not enjoying it - so time for recovery.

We have started considering to look at a move nearer Napier because we spend more time there and although it is only 20km away it all adds up especially as we don't want to buy another car. We think we would like a bit more land were we can do more of what we are doing now and possibly have a bed and breakfast place. However we also don't want to get another mortgage when this one is finished next year. We have to decide which is most important Teresa working less possibly just 3 days a week (I may need to do a bit more website work or teaching- especially after both children are at school). or more land. Not sure we can have both.

Anyway I've the first pictures of the infamous Bertha. She doesn't bolt for the door anymore but didn't like me holding her yesterday. Top chicken (Daisy) was doing a lot of bullying of Bertha yesterday and not allowing her outside in the run - need to keep an eye on the situation.

Chicken story - Chapter 3 The Return

The continuing adventures of new-Bertha.
When we last left Bertha she was last seen hopping over the neighbours fence at 5.30pm Saturday afternoon never to be seen again. On Sunday we went to the farmers market, out for coffee, bought some hanging baskets for growing strawberries in and then home for lunch. I got on the turbo trainer for my hour, determined to get off if my legs didn't respond but they did but not as well as Thursday. When this happens I lower my target heart rate 5beats, I could reach my original target but at what cost, this is a mistake I have made in the past and the result is overtraining. I now realise it is tiredness so I ease back and it seems to be working.

Teresa and I were feeling sorry for ourselves and the chicken, the persistant rain didn't help. New Zealand east coast has great weather but sometimes we get a lot of rain it isn't known as the 'Land of the long white cloud' for nothing. After my bike I get wrapped up with the children, me to rake up leaves (it has therapeutic benefits) and the children to feed the chickens.

Today Monday I was asked by the deputy principal at Napier Central to take her class for the morning possibly the whole day. This was complicated by the fact Teresa car pools when ever she can with another teacher and she was relying on us because she had no car today. Cameron had to go to childcare and then we all had to go to school. On the return Emily had gone to a friends house after school, pick up Cameron and return the other teacher home ( her house is about 4miles out of way.

Late, tired and grumpy after a confrontation with a rude parent I got home to get dinner sorted, feed chickens and Teresa went for Cameron. As I went to feed the chickens one of our neighbours Paul was practically hopping up and down with excitement. He had seen the chicken at the back of his house, over a fence on a shed roof. He had got a couple of ladders and climbed over with a sack. He said that he had just picked up, he reckoned it must have been just very tired and dehydrated from its adventures. So he stuffed in the sack and waited 3 hours for us to come home. He wouldn't let me have it he wanted to wait for the children so he could see their faces.

So the escaped chicken is in the Henhouse Hilton with the girls fed watered and the asleep. I'm going to buy Paul a pack of his favourite to say thankyou.

All I could think about was that I would now not have to tell my friend Shelly about the loss of the chicken..not just yet anyway.

Chicken story - Chapter 2 The one that got away

Last Sunday at the Farmers market I was telling friends Bruce and Shelly ofhannaberryfarm boyensberry farm about our new chickens and the told us they had too many and we could have had some of theirs. (we paid NZ$17 each). We thought nothing more about until the death of Bertha on Wedneday night.

I know Shelly through masters swimming at Flaxmere and the triathlon club and frquently see her at training. When I saw her Friday (when I had a fantastic swim- I started doing 50m and because I now have a propulsive kick my tumble turns were fantastic -I haven't done any in 2 years of re-learning to swim) I told her what had happened to Bertha and she said come round tomorrow and get one of theirs so we did.

We took a beautiful black chicken home, Bruce offered to clip some wing feathers to stop it flying, we declined the offer. We arrived home with the new Bertha and went to put her straight into the Henhouse Hilton with Choc Choc, Ethel and Daisy (the girls). I was just closing the door and paused for the children to stroke the new chicken and it was off out the door running as fast as it legs could carry it.

Teresa and I tried to round it up but of course it was scared and the inevitable happened it flew over into the neighbours with me in hot pursuit. I came back over the fence and went round to the neighbours properly. I had never met this neighbour before because the back of their quarter acre garden borders the side of ours and there are 2 houses on the corner. The neighbour came with me and tried to trap the bird but it was off again and we couldn't find it. We called it quits and went in for lunch and then had to go out to buy clothes for the children. I failed to mention that it was chucking it down with rain the whole time.

After we got back from shopping and a coffee I was busy making pizza and Teresa went to feed the girls and saw new Bertha happily pecking away in the same neighbours garden. We gave chase Teresa to the neighbours and me to get the bird netting from the veg garden. In 30minutes that wouldn't have appeared out of place in old slapstick comedy, involving several gardens. neighbours and a big dog the chicken ended back up in our garden more by luck than anything else.

I can hear your collective sigh of relief and mutterings of alls well that ends well but the story hasn't finished there is more...




After all calming down I decided to leave the chicken to peck around get the feel of the place and chat to the girls (chickens). She (new Bertha) seemed perfectly happy and I thought even if she doesn't go into the Henhouse Hilton she will roost in the garden ready for tomorrow. Just as I was getting complacent (it is around roosting time -dusk) she starts walking around the to the front of the house, I head round the front of the house birdnetting hand to stop her getting away. But it was just a ruse to get rid of me, by the time I had got round the back Teresa and I could only stare in disbelieve as new Bertha calmy walks back to the neighbours fence and with much clucking hopped over the fence.

All I could say was that hopefully the big dog the neighbours will be in the garden tomorrow and will scare it back into the garden. Teresa got extremely upset and when we realised she had put cheese on my part of the pizza she lost it. It took the combined cuteness of the children and myself to make her feel better.

I don't know what I am going to say to you Shelly but I hope you understand why I thrust a piece of paper at you with address of my blog on it.

Why the chicken died

Sounds like the opening line to a bad joke. The vet said it was probably a prolapsed something or other which means it had a tried to lay an egg that probably had a very soft or no shell. This would have made it almost impossible to lay and it tried so hard it expelled its reproductive organs - and that is exactly what it looked like.

Teresa told the children while I was at the vets, Emily had a little cry but thats okay. We told them that Bertha was dead had died no saying she had gone away or chicken heaven because that is not what happened and would only cause problems in the future and Emily is always asking about dying.

How do you tell a child their pet has died?

Yesterday I found a few droplets of blood in the Henhouse Hilton and what looked like a poor attempt at laying an egg(without the shell). All the chickens seemed fine when I fed them at 2.30. At 5.30pm I went tohelp them perch and Bertha was just sitting very quietly on the nesting shelf, she didn't seem distressed, I picked her up and examined underneath and it looked like after birth stuff was sticking out. I phoned the vet and they said yes it could have been caused by a large egg but there were other reasons too. As I am teaching in Teresa's class today I made an appointment with the vet at 4.30 hoping it would be better by morning. We checked on it at 9.15 last night and I found it lying cold and stiff on the floor.

We are glad it isn't Daisy. I am still going to take her to the vet to try and find out what happened. Teresa and I are upset because they are pets and we enjoy having them around. We are going to tell the children that one of the chickens died and Daddy is going to try and find out why.

On a happier note Emily had her first ballet lesson although she already knows it all according to her. We have discovered little 5 and 6 yr olds seem to to think they're right all the time and know everything I thought that happened in the teenage years.

Feeling swamped

Just sometimes:light the fire, training, deadlines looming, fitting in teaching, Cameron to kindergarten, Emily wetting the bed and it's raining, do the washing, chop firewood, feed the chickens, training, clean the house, cook, Cameron to dentist, Emily starting ballet, training, bed.

This is real Tri

Chicken visit to Kindergarten

Just come back from taking one of the chickens in to Cameron's kindergarten for the children to have a look at. It was supposed to be the one called choc choc but I can't tell the difference. It is surprising that although we live in a town that is a rural service centre lots of the children haven't seen a live one.

It reminds when I was teaching full time back in the UK one boy on a school camp at mealtime asked what was on his plate, indicating a chicken breast. He was told it was chicken, a whole chicken he asked. Then he commented that his chicken had a jacket on , it was of course the skin of the chicken. A lot of children these days are fed a lot of crap and of course nothing looks like anything :fish fingers, chicken nuggets (chickens don't have nuggets and fish no longer have fingers although who nows the bounty that genetic modification will bring), etc

Live, eat organically and simply

Children and chickens

Woodburner in action - it must be winter

They have arrived

We went to get the chickens this morning. I had to spend time at dusk teaching them how to perch so they could roost, they are young birds and have never been out of a cage before. They won't start look laying for a few weeks yet.

Chicken house finished

Finally, over budget, over time, over size it is complete luxury accommodation for four lucky hens is finished. It doesn't look too bad from the distance but no matter what I make, no matter how carefully I cut and measure it all goes wonky, I can't even blame the children who helped me it is down to me and lack of the DIY gene.

We were going to get some ex-battery hens so they could live out the lives in comfort but they are quite difficult to get hold of and I didn't want to confront any defensive factory egg producers. The other reason was that because we have never had hens before new healthy ones would be easier to learn with. I must confess growing up we never had pets except for some fish who always died.

The pictures are the front of the Henhouse Hilton and the big chicken inside is Emily, Cameron was also in but he has reverted to poohing himself so he was removed and put (after a quick change) into his bedroom.


We are going to get the hens on Friday.

Chicken house not quite finished

Almost not quite had to do more work on the floor than I wanted to. Didn't have one piece of wood large enough so had to cobble 3 pieces together.
Yesterday spent the morning with a client talking though designs and then onto the accountants.
This morning seeing a representive from Awuahawks about organising their content this is rearranged from yesterday.

Good 1200m swim last night giving myself thinking time between each length. The search for the perfect lap/length of the pool continues. Working on keeping head down a bit more with eyes almost looking back seems to really bring the legs up making kicking better and more effective. I finished with 4x25m swimming 'harder' (this is a relative term because you can't swim hard in fistgloves you have to swim with finesse) more thrust with hand entry = stronger kicking =faster swimming.

Chicken run complete

The chicken run is complete just got to build the chicken house (children's words). Having changed the plan (nothing new here) due to cost of wood etc, etc, I'm not sure how I'm going to do it yet. Watch this space . I've promised it will be finished by Sunday so we can get the chickens next week. Then I can start blocking up the disused fire place and chimney ready for the winter.