New garden beds

I've built 4/6 new garden beds. This photo is of potatoes in the second bed with some sad transplants in the first bed. I'm making the 4th bed for perennial (middle bed to harbour good predators) - most important the asparagus though they didn't seem to really die down over winter and root systems were larger than an square spadeful I could lift and transfer, so looking a little wilted. Chooks now free range during day - but they drive me mad - calling out before 7am to get out, not just following me around but running in front of me and squatting (they think I'm a rooster). Every time I move they think I'm about to give them something delicious, to the point they have plenty of pellets, water and greens and still shadow me. Many times they have flown into Vinnies windows - can't understand why I am happy to be separate to them... Getting 4 eggs a day - so having to make myself eat 4 eggs a day. Fried eggs were good for a few weeks, getting old now so scrambled eggs - much better now I have turned fridge back on (as solar power getting stronger) so can have bacon or cheese.

I completed the SES navigation course - pretty easy since done it before in Army Reserve. Signed up for the General Rescue course starting 11/12, 25/26 and an assessment day.

New garden beds

I ordered some besser blocks and mushroom compost to make some raised beds. I had organised the blocks for one day and the compost for the day after but they came at the same time. Drainage is poor - after heavy rain its pretty soggy, so hopefully this should help. After I've recovered I'll dig out the paths and fill with sawdust to drain water out.

Potatoes and free range chooks

I've decided to try free ranging the chooks in the hope they will eat up the ticks. I fenced off the back of garden to keep them in while they learn to get back into the cage at night. While I was putting the fence in I found some potatoes - I thought since they had little time before being killed off by frost there wouldn't be tubers but there were some. The chooks follow me around - and annoyingly two of them now squat when I get near them - how rude first I'm not a chicken and second I'm not male! Getting three eggs a day though a few have been eaten - bad news if it goes on as I'll have to figure out which chook it is and get rid of it.