...after a couple of weeks with hot temperatures.

The tiny Bantam Leghorn hen was sitting for 6 weeks on her own egg but with no success. So I decided to offer her an egg of another hen - somewhat larger than hers. 19 days later the chick was born. So cute. I named it 'Spotty' because of the black dots on its back. The hen is very protective. She is blowing up to the double size as soon as someone is approaching her.



[In the background the voices of my peacocks and guinea fowls]

in South Australia. Everything is brown. The fields, the bulldust in the air, even my car (supposed to be white!).



Kitty in protective mimicry.

has moved in for a couple of days: 'Tilt', the horse of the neighbour, hurt himself on Saturday evening. He acquired a deep laceration on his right cheek and on his upper lip when chasing around with a newcomer.

Kitty always finds a way to make me doing what she wants. She wants to come in: I open the door. She wants to go outside: I open the door. She wants food. I open a can. And then she only licks the fluid!



Fortunately there is 'Mr Verner'. I named the stray tomcat which I captured in a trap and desexed some months ago after the road I'm living in: Verner Road! I don't see him, but in the night he eats Kitty's leftovers.

My Animals:

30 kg Red Henn Free Range Layer $ 30,-

20 kg Dog Dry Food $ 24,95
Beef Soup Bones $ 4,90

1 kg Whiskas Vita Bites $ 4,19
1 kg Home Brand Cat Food $ 2,79
8 x 85 g Gourmet Cat Food $ 6,32
__________________________________________
TOTAL: $ 73,15

Me:

1l Milk $ 1,25
200 ml Sour Cream $ 2,36
1 Capsicum Green $ 1,04
520 g Sourdough Bread $ 4,45
2 x 200g Arnotts Choc Bisc. (special Offer) $ 4,00
__________________________________________

TOTAL: $ 13,10

normally, but n o t this one:



Crawling on the ceiling of my bedroom, this makes me kind of nervous. It was the biggest

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Huntsman-Spiders

I caught (till now).

...than feeding a Sleepy Lizard in the back yard on a lazy Sunday afternoon (with Clare's food).



Pretty hungry the friendly fellow.

Three days ago I opened the door of the aviary and let the starlings free. But they are still babys and hungry so I keep on feeding them. As soon as they recognize me they start screaming and coming along.

Yesterday he hit his spurs into my right forearm. I stopped breathing because it hurt so much. I think he injured a vein although the skin was not cut. A big swelling emerged and I couldn't move my hand for some time. I already chopped off the tips of his spurs a couple of weeks ago but obviously this was not enough. Today I anaesthetised him and removed the spurs - gone for ever!



I think his ladies will be thankful too - when he is making love he is pretty rude and reckless.