Chickens Arse - (losing feathers and red skin)

The one one the left (Benny) is the worse one, the one next to her (Betty) is one of the 2 older hens that we have who is starting to look a bit bare and the one next to her with the blue bracelet on is the one that I have seen doing the pecking.

The next one is a close up of the worst one  - sorry if you're having your dinner :P

Its been going on for a couple of months, gradually getting worse.

'If only they knew' - A Photograph by Andy Lackner

A candid shot taken by a friend of ours who grew up to become a professional photographer (http://www.diepixelgarage.com/html/eingang.html)
We have had this picture on our wall ever since (apart fron the 7 years when we lived on the boat) and I often look at it and think, if only they knew, what strange and interesting adventures they had to look forward to.
This was before we even had inklings of being screwed over by Margaret Thatchers Monetarist economic policies, giving the house back to the bank, sailing away, exploring the world, getting married, surviving hurricanes, having a kid, moving countries, and growing up.
We were in a hiatus, having sold our first home and making squillions, looking to move to where the work was.
We lived in a small rental in Ringwood while we were trying to buy our next property in Stanwell. Our lodger was 'Nutty Norman' a perennially pissed sea captain who, when at sea would be in command of huge tankers over 300m long (Bigger than the QE2). He looked a little like Captain Haddock of Tintin fame, shorter and rounder but with the same black beard and big ruddy nose, would disappear to the Pub at 10 am when they opened, get shitfaced, come home at 3 with a 4 pack of special brew to keep him going through the afternoon then off to the Pub again when they opened for the evening, after that hed come home and cook stuff, once nearly burning the house down when he fell into a drunken stupor while making chicken stock which boiled dry in the middle of the night.
Andy had come over to the UK from Switzerland on a working holiday staying on a friends farm, we used to hang out a lot and road trip, exploring the countryside.
This picture was taken in about 1987 out in the back blocks of Dorset/Wiltshire.

Lost Youth - in Nice.

I happened to catch the end of a programme on a TV last night about this girl in Nice cooking with herbs they had picked from the hills behind the city.
So I came all over all nostalgic and had a look on Google Maps today, streetveiw is a wonderful thing.
 This is the Burger 'restaurant' I worked in after ditching the family with the horrible kids that I went over there to Au-Pair for. Its still a burger Bar although its been bought out by the 'other' french burger chain - It used to be 'Freetime' .The green arrow marks the apartment I used to live in.
When I was at home in the evenings I used to watch the two hookers that had the corner opposite get in and out of cars or just walk round the corner with their customers.
I used to hang my towels out to dry on the bar across the window, one day my favourite one fell off and I didn't find it till weeks later - there was a big Alsatian dog sleeping on it in the garage on the street below. I got it back off the garage owner and we still have remnants of it in the house today nearly 30yrs later, it made great pot holders in the kitchen.


View Larger Map

This Map and Pic shows that they never replaced the 'Boulevard Carnot' Sign that used to live on the post behind the bus stop. the sign fits nicely at home in my garden now. it was right outside the gate of the house I lived in when I first moved over - Au-Pair to the Romagnon family and their two despicable brats one aged 5 and one aged 7 - I learned all my dirtiest swearwords from them (the kids that is).
that will do for now!


View Larger Map

Blog 6: Say cheese!

Blog 6: Say cheese

How many types of cheese do you have in your fridge?

I love cheese, but as soon as I buy it, I eat it, so its not normally hanging around long enough to be blogged about.

Right now we have:-

Generic rubbery 'tasty' cheddar, 

Half a small Kapiti Camembert, ok for pizzas and sarnies but not runny enough to just eat. (it won't get a chance to mature)

Half a Kapiti Pakari aged cheddar, I couldn't give tasting notes as I havent been allowed near, as it technically belongs to Mr14 (he got it for Christmas from his Nan) he's just taking his time eating it.

The best one though, is the Cheese we don't have in our fridge any more cos we ate it over the Christmas holidays. It was a 1KG wheel of Kapitai Kikorangi "the King of Cheeses" a delicious creamy curd with rivers of dark blue running through, delightfully tangy and creamy at the same time. 

Absolutely ASTOUNDING with fresh honeycomb - a recent discovery, blue cheese and honeycomb OMFG doooo iiiit.

Sense a bit of a Kapiti Cheeses theme going on here? - widely available and pretty darn good.

:)

Random Numbers - 'Look at me'

 How many photos of you are there on Facebook? (Tagged – it shows when you go to your profile). Post one – not the one that makes you hottest, but one that shows you having the most fun.


I'm tagged in 17 photos according to Facebook, the coolest thing is that they are from all over, in time and in space, put up by me, friends from here, there, now and years ago. thats cool.


Here's one from last summer showing me holding my son so Kelly could take his photo, I don't know for how much longer I will be able to overpower him, hes growing big and fast! Soon to be 'buff',  apparently, ....... he told his dad that and his dad said 'whats buff?'    hehe. I did laugh.

Random Numbers - ooh i did one! 'City Uniform'

In the wrong order of course (-Random-)

The City uniform

Black tops? - 2 that I regularly wear for work but black pants? there another question. Thats an everyday item so I have 5 pairs of long ones and a pair of short ones. I love not having to worry too much about what to wear for work, I have to look reasonably smart (even if I end up under desks plugging shit in!) I could wear jeans every day if I wanted but I like to put on the 'Uniform' and expect to be taken seriously. So black pants and a shirt it is. - Leaves room for colourful tops if I'm in the mood!

Random Numbers preliminary post

I obviously need a poke with a stick to use this blog as nothing gets done on its own, the next bunch of entries will be all about numbers. I got the idea from @josiecampbell whom I found during the #30daysofme blogfest.
I will be using her suggestions and may even interject some of my own, like 'How many (english) words did you use today that people didn't understand.' 


I think it'll be a good one as I like to know how much of everything there is and the idea of documenting it really appeals to me!


I also like that there are no time contraints and I don't have to write one every day. I will start in the next day or so - it will get posted to twitter too with the #randomnumbers hashtag


Josies list:- from her blog


Blog 1: Music snobs

Look at your music library – records, CDs, iTunes. How many albums do you have on each? How many hours on iTunes? Do you love any albums so much you have purchased them in multiple formats?

Blog 2: Shoes

How many pairs do you have? Breakdown into dressy, sporty, casual. Post a photo of your favourite pair and say why.

Blog 3: Look at me

 How many photos of you are there on Facebook? (Tagged – it shows when you go to your profile). Post one – not the one that makes you hottest, but one that shows you having the most fun.

Blog 4: Drink up

How many bottles are in your liquor cabinet, cupboard, fridge? What's your fave?

Blog 5: Help in the kitchen

How many kitchen appliances do you have? Which one couldn't you live without?

Blog 6: Say cheese

How many types of cheese do you have in your fridge?

Blog 7: The city uniform

How many black tops do you own?

Blog 8: Magnetism

How many magnets are on your fridge and where did they come from?

Blog 9: Tea-totaller

How many types of tea do you have? If the answer is 0 – what's your alternative?

Blog 10: Green thumbs  

How many pot plants (of a legal nature) do you have? What are they? How many are healthy? If yours are thriving – what is your secret?

Blog 11: Bookworm

How many books do you own? How many library books do you have out? Any collections of authors (e.g. I own 27 Agatha Christie books). How many are currently living by your bed?

Blog 12: Collection

Is there something you are a collector of? What is it? Stamps? My Little Ponies? Tea pots? Power tools? How many do you have? How did you get started?