jmgoyder

wings and things

Apr 10

Wonderfall

by jmgoyder

I keep getting comments, or emails, or phone-calls, in which people say I am wonderful, so, because I find this ‘wonderful’ label uncomfortable, I have decided to come clean about how wonderfall I really am:

  • I didn’t go with Husband in the ambulance yesterday because I wanted the hospital staff to see him the way he was without my interference
  • I didn’t go with Husband in the ambulance yesterday because I was sick and tired of everything
  • I didn’t visit Husband in the hospital today even though I was supposed to bring him a toothbrush and a shirt
  • I didn’t visit Husband in the hospital today because I couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t be bothered

So that is exactly how wonderful I am – ha!

I rang Husband this afternoon and said I’d be in tomorrow morning and he was initially disappointed (he was also unsure of where exactly he was, which was unnerving for him and me), but eventually he was okay with me going in tomorrow.

Wonderfall

Family

56 Comments »
Apr 10

Another mother hen!

by jmgoyder

Okay, I knew the eggs were there but I thought they’d been abandoned. I didn’t know whose eggs they were until today! Guinneafowl eggs – I so hope it works and chicks are going to be a result of all this mother’s hard work….

This is exciting because, as you know, Tapper the duck, is also doing the nesting thing.

I watch and wait!

Wings

35 Comments »
Apr 9

Turkey posing 2!

by jmgoyder

Yesterday afternoon, Husband’s niece, Jane (the one who takes amazing photos) came over to visit with her son and his partner. Bubble seemed to take one look at Jane’s camera and began posing, and following her around. His posing for Jane was much more striking that his posing for me the other day; it was hilarious!

Wings

17 Comments »
Apr 8

“Boo!”

by jmgoyder

When I was a teenager, still living at home with my mother, she would sometimes do this ‘boo!’ thing to me and I never knew when to expect it. Yes, hard to believe that a woman in her forties would jump out from behind a door and yell ‘boo!’ to a teenager, but she did, and it would terrify me. The fright I got always reduced us both to fits of hilarity.

I was reminded of this when I watched King sneak up behind Baby Turkey the other day. His ‘boo!’ was more of a squawk but it had the same effect in terms of terror.

Baby Turkey, however, was not at all amused and spent the rest of the day looking angry!

His mother obviously didn’t have much of a sense of humour….

Family Wings

21 Comments »
Apr 7

Turkey posing

by jmgoyder

Me: Bubble, would you mind if I took some close up photos of you?

Bubble: I don’t mind at all as long as it’s just me. I’d rather not pose with the other Bubble if that’s all right.

Me: Just you – maybe some profile shots.

Bubble: I believe this is my best side.

Me: Definitely! 

Bubble: Would you like me to look pensive like this, or defiant?

Me: Show me defiant.

Me: That’s fantastic, Bubble!

Bubble: Thank you. I can do nostalgia too, if you want.

Me: Okay, Bubble, let’s see nostalgia.

Bubble: How’s that?

Me: Absolutely brilliant!

Wings

33 Comments »
Apr 5

That strange bird again!

by jmgoyder

It is a cross between a chook and a white peacock but it also has the glazed, ecstatic eyes of an emu being given cabbage. It is a rooster, a crow, a sparrow, a sitting duck.

What on earth should I do with this bird?

This is Son at his final-year-of-school dinner. I’m not quite sure how or why he received the Headmaster’s award.

The only reason I like this horrible photo of Son is because it was before surgery when he was more flexible. Unfortunately he is still able to do that spooky thing with his eyes!

Family Wings

31 Comments »
Apr 4

Rain!

by jmgoyder

Finally, in our second month of Autumn, it is raining properly. Yeeha – the paddocks are green, we don’t have to water the potplants, the birds are in heaven and we might be able to light our incinerators!

This morning, the rooftop was alive with scrambling peafowl for a better view of the clouds. Eventually they flew onto the washhouse roof. It’s the females who are the best weather forecasters….

Young peahen: Do you think rain is coming, Mummy? 

Queenie: It certainly is, darling, and we will have to be very quick to get the first worms before those dreadful geese do. 

Well, it’s pouring down with rain now so I hope they are all happy – me, I have to wade through puddles to put the gang away and feed the Emerys their evening cabbage.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the rain.

Wings

35 Comments »
Apr 4

Even more determination

by jmgoyder

Husband is coming home for Easter and I am determined to make this work which could be a bit of a challenge. You see it isn’t only the dogs and birds who are presenting me with a compatibility problem, it’s also the fact that Son’s relationship with Husband is fraught with tension. With both of my ‘boys’ incapacitated, Husband permanently with Parkinson’s, and Son temporarily with the post-surgical back brace, my attention is divided and the 3-way dynamics sometimes resemble a comic strip with me as the punchline.

Yes, indeed, sometimes three is literally a crowd, so, even though he doesn’t know this yet, Son is going to Grandma’s for a couple of days so that I can give Husband my undivided attention. Well, not quite as I am not really into doing the doting wife thing so Husband would find that a bit alarming, but I will try!

I’ve been training the guinnea fowl into a welcoming party and they are doing very well.

Family Wings

46 Comments »
Apr 3

Determination

by jmgoyder

When I let the geese and ducks out in the morning, they now head, vociferously, straight to the dogyard. They seem to have it in for the dogs after our so-called harmony day the other day (end results of this are another story).

Look how determined they are on their way to tell the dogs who is boss around here. Godfrey’s head is missing from the photo – sorry about that – hehe! Well he bit my hand tonight and drew blood (another another story!)

Of course the situation is reversed in the evening but I have to say that the dogs aren’t quite as loud.

It looks like they are never going to be compatible and I was silly to try. Oh well – live and learn!

Animal Wings

34 Comments »
Apr 1

Golden pheasants

by jmgoyder

Since there was so much interest in our golden pheasant, Phoenix 1, yesterday, I thought I’d re-post a couple of pictures of the day Phoenix 1 banished his brother, Phoenix 2. They had a terrible fight over the one remaining female pheasant and Phoenix 2 now lives with neighbours because, each time he returns, Phoenix 1 attacks him again despite the fact that the female is long gone.

I was never able to take a picture of the female pheasants. One was killed by our dogs when she accidentally flew into their pen and the other one disappeared mysteriously.  But here is a photo I found online at  http://www.gamebird.com/Goldens323x250.jpg

As you can see, the female has a different kind of beauty from the male. In this photo you can also see why the males continually get into wrangles with each other if there aren’t enough females.  I am beginning to wonder if our second female pheasant simply flew away to escape all the attention!

Anyway, here is Phoenix 1 again and in this photo you can see the length of his tail feathers. He had lost them all in his battle with Phoenix 2 but they are all grown back now which is perhaps why he loves looking at his reflection in the back veranda windows so much!

Wings

39 Comments »
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