Summer

As I sit here in an autumnal jumper and listening to the rain falling outside I have realised that autumn has kind of snuck up on us. Don't get me wrong I was aware that it was coming, but the past couple of days the temperature had noticeably dropped. Autumn is in full swing and I have been reflecting on the summer that has just waved good bye to us.

Summer always brings with it longer days and shorter nights. Warmer temperatures even when its raining. A bright and wonderful colour show brings us something different each day with nature taking centre stage. Going into the garden and picking fruit/vegetables that you have been waiting for a couple of months to be just right. Having a day in the park and a picnic with your cousins. Sometimes summer can trick us into  thinking that it has gone for good but the sneaks back on us in September and squeezing every last bit of what it has. The anticipation and excitement of the arrival of a new family member whilst still enjoying the older ones. Summer, its been great and now it is over to the ever changing autumn. 

Going to the park

Ever since I can remember in the summer holidays we would always go to the park. This could be either one of the smaller local parks or we would drive to one of the bigger parks out of town. The 'we' that I speak of wouldn't just be the members of the household, it would be all of the cousins, all of the aunties and uncles and even the grandma. We would always bring a picnic (sometimes even do a barbecue) and bats, balls and rackets. Even now at the age of 24 it always nice to see all my younger cousins and niece getting excited at all of animals and rides.   

For the past few years we have been going to the park a little bit earlier in the year as the blessed month of Ramadan  has taken place in the middle of the year. With yesterday being a bank holiday it seemed like the perfect time to gather the brood and go to the park. We drove to one of the bigger parks as the have animals and there is always something going on. Obviously I made a vlog of our time at the park (I didnt film the picnic) so here it is. 

Eid and Bithday celebrations

The day after the blessed month of Ramadan is over it is Eid (specificly Eid-ul fitr). One the day of Eid it is custom to pray a special Eid prayer and spend time with family, friends and loved ones. It also seems to be an excuse to eat food all day and have a permanent food coma :-). A tradition in our family is to always have seviyan (sweet vermicilli in milk) and boiled eggs; and the we spend the rest of the day with extended family at my grandma's house. On Eid-ul fitr there are also gifts or money given to loved ones as well. Also coincidently this year Eid landed on my dad's and cousin's birthday, so there was a lot of cake consumed. Here is a short video of the day.



Hope you all had a prosperous Ramadan and a wonderful Eid xxx

The Untimely End

As you can tell from the title of the post there had been some bad news. It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that one of our new chicks has passed. It was the youngest of the brood and we think it was attacked by a bigger bird (maybe a magpie). My granddad found it under one of the trees with injuries and wounds. I can just imagine the horrific struggle that it went through to try and get away, but it just wasn't enough. Even more bad news is that four of the eggs that the other hen was sitting on have been broken. We think this must have happened when the other three hens have wanted to lay their own eggs. So all in all it hasn't been a good week for the Big Chicken House. Here is the last video I made of all six of the chicks together when they ventured outside on to the grass and just enjoying life.

The saga continues......

Just when we thought we had all the chicks we were going to get, another one started cracking so at this moment in time the is a half hatched chick trying to get out of it's egg shell. However that's not even the end of it. One of our other hens has started brooding as well so we have another mother hen and in about a months time we will have more chicks hopefully :-)

 

Party of Five

Baby chick update............we now have five and what an adorable little family they are. Our hen is a very proud mother and has taken to motherhood rather well. It is so cute to watch them communicate with each other.

Lovely little family

Proud mother hen

Lunch time

Having fun

Don't forget me

So yesterday we were all excited about the new chick and it was all good. However during the night something happened which got us even more excited in the morning. Baby chick has got a sibling YAY. My dad and I went to have a look this morning and there were two little chicks chirpping under their mum. I had to film it so here you are watching them have their breakfast:

A new member of the family

About three weeks ago one of our hens started brooding and we were all over the moon. We don't know how it happened, one day she just stayed sitting down in the place where our hens lay their eggs and didn't move. For the next few days she would collect all of the eggs that the other hens had layed and was brooding in her own corner of the hutch. We had marked the calender and eagerly waited for any sign of new life. Yesterday (31/05/13) the wait was over and one of the chicks had hatched. I was at work all day so I missed the actual egg hatching but when I woke up today I went to have a look. Even though we have had our cockerel since he was an egg, the excitement and the cuteness factor was still very high.  

Mother hen and baby chick 

'Mummy can I have a cuddle please'

Cuddles

Mother hen staring right down the barrel of the lens 

My dad giving the both of them food 

'Mummy I don't want to eat anymore'

Snuggling back under mother hen 

Sunshine

Today was an absolutely beautiful day. The sun was shining, it was a bank holiday, I had a day off work so I took full advantage of the relaxation time. We spent most of the day in the garden, even my grandma, who doesn't really get out, sat in the garden for a bit. Me and my mum went out for a bit and en route home we stopped off at supermarket and treated ourselves to some ice lollies. So all in all it was a lovely day. 

The flowers are coming out 

Did some gardening 

Eating some fruit 

The grandparents soaking up the sun 

Granddad with his prayer beads

 Relaxing in the shade 

Enjoyed one of these 

Beautiful end to the day