Changing seasons
May 10th, 2009 - Posted in Kaimata Croft, chickens, sheep, wellbeing - by Sarah|
Well winter is definitely here in the South Island – this week’s weather warnings are for heavy snow rather than torrential rain 
.
Moulting chicken with tail feathers growing back and others feathers fluffed out as much as possible to compensate for missing ones.
It is not really that cold here in our micro climate at the croft and the grass is still definitely growing down in the paddock. Sitting typing this requires 3 tops and thermal leggings under my jeans though. The sheep are happy with the cold as the grown ups haven’t been shorn since spring and the lambs were done in March. The chickens have been busy moulting over the last few weeks. If you read the chicken care books they all talk about moulting happening gradually over a long period but ours tend to go from fully clothed to almost bald overnight and then spend a couple of weeks looking more like a hedgehog as their new feathers grow through.
There are bigger changes than a new coat of feathers on the horizon for me and Brendhan though. We are heading off to Queenstown for the winter. For many months now we have been considering whether the Croft is the right place for us and we’re hoping that a few months away will help us to reach a conclusion. There are many things that we really enjoy about living here such as growing our own food and building. However, we have found ourselves feeling the lack of the kind of cultural and social opportunities that really suit us on the coast.
The fact that we have spent over 2 years living with temporary accommodation has also ground us down and a few months away (with an inside loo!!!) may enable us to get a clearer perspective on the place. By the end of the winter we will decide whether to start the house foundations or put the croft on the market and move elsewhere permanently.
woven scarves
So in the meantime Brendhan has been offered a job with one of Queenstown’s main wireless internet providers, Headquarters, and I am hoping to combine selling my weaving and felt at local markets with running fibre craft workshops for people looking for a break from the ski slopes. Much more on this to follow over the next few weeks.
I will also be coming back here regularly to keep an eye on the sheep but we have decided to find other homes for the chickens. So if any West Coast readers would like some or all just respond to this post.
chickens looking for a new home
