Again, lots has been happening at Fangorn Farm. I am managing to type this blog with a little boy at my side, who is entertaining himself by counting as I type (he can only count to ten, so this is getting a bit monotonous!). It’s early for a Saturday. Georgia is still sleeping; we were out very late last night, at a friend’s birthday bonfire and beers BBQ. It was a great night, especially because we caught up with some friends we haven’t seen for a ages (the penalty of being an owner-builder is thus). Thank you, Brines, for a wonderful wonderful wonderful evening, and thank you especially for the neon glow thingies, which are still glowing in G’s bedroom!

For a while I’ve been wanting to give an update on our animals. It seems fitting that I do. Our goats, Anna and Giddy, are still enjoying a feast of a holiday at Craige and Kristina’s. They are fat (the goats, not C & K, although K will get bigger and bigger until August, when she will have an extra appendage to look after). MG and I are happy that the goats are getting this time over yonder because we can focus on the build whilst the goats’ condition improves.

My puppy, d’Artagnan, is a blessed creature. She is looking sublime – perfect for a Kelpie. She eats naught but the wallabies she catches for herself in the forest. This explains why some times she looks rather thin, and then disappears for a day, and returns to have a nap in the sun, looking slightly plumper. I almost cannot believe that we have had d’Art for nine years. She was a first wedding anniversary gift to ourselves, more at my begging than Monte’s, and she is and has been an awesome dog. She is so easy to train and she is wonderful with the children, letting Matty ride cars on her, and letting Georgia smother her with copious patting. She is also going grey, which is endearing, although it reminds us that there are just a few years left in her, unless a snake takes her first. This makes me sad. Although I almost abhor the idea of ‘furkids,’ if I had a furkid, it would be her.

Lucy is my cavilky. A 9th wedding anniversary present, and, again, more by my begging. She is over a year old now and is very friendly. She chases cars. Therefore, if she is to die young, it will possibly be by car, if a snake does not get her first. This is sad. However, it is life. Lucy is the most friendly dog I have ever known. She will not leave my side. I think this is great in a dog because she will stay by her master. She comes when is called, which is another bonus, but apart from catching rats and mice she is mostly ornamental. Albeit a pretty average ornament, with a coat that needs too much attention for my liking.

Whilst risking too much paragraph-writing on our pets, I shall summarise that Naigee is fat and happy. She too is old, being 9 1/2 now. She likes to sit in the sun and eat. I won’t ever get a cat again, although she catches the odd mouse, as far as I know (what else makes her so fat?). She sits on my lap when we watch movies and that’s about the only contact I have with her. Despite her growling at Lucy, who is the same size as her (small), and despite the chasing that goes on regularly, I chuckled this morning when I went into the laundry to find Naigee and Lucy curled up together. HA!

Chickens: doing very well, eating all our scraps. I think chickens are the best pets to have. They are useful and can be friendly and funny when tame. If they are not tame they are pretty boring, actually. I like it when they run over to me and let me pick them up for a pat. Our chickens eat our food waste, provide manure, condition the soil and provide food via eggs and meat. Awesome! We have 5 babies, which are three months old now. I think we have 3 boys, so in a month or so OFF with their heads and into the pot! Delicious! We are fattening them up for the feast. I find this deliriously exciting! (I will not do the killing or the gutting, but am happy to do the cooking once I get over the ‘this was our first baby chook’ factor).

There! Nearly 800 words written on ‘Animal Farm.’