Californian Quails

 

My land is being over run (quite literally run all over) by dinky little quails with bobbing top knots. While they are focusing their attention on eating crickets and other invertebrates that eat my vegetables the quails are my friends and allies.

When they turn their attention to eating the vegetables themselves I will declare war.  I live in a wine producing region - bird netting can be had for free. They will find a physical barrier between themselves and my precious greens.

Mr B arrived today. Poor man flew 24 hours and found himself helping me assemble a tin shed - a country 'dunny'.  I had already got the base, floor and base-flashings built and all the walls, door and roof assembled.  All it needed was two people with three arms each to put it together, stand pieces up, hold stuff in place, drill and rivet, (and then let me out of the shed because I was holding to together and upright from the inside).

Regardless of what it looks like it is actually my toolshed. I finally got to empty the back of the van.

Progress.

We celebrated with a fine bottle of Marlborough's produce which we shared with neighbours (and listened to the quails make their soft looping noise in the gathering dusk.

First thing this morning - really really cold.

(PS and tonight we are staying in town so I have WiFi and can catch up on emails and reading your posts, and updating my phone and.... and did we ever stop to think what we would have to leave out if the available mobile data access to the Internet and communications had to be rationed?)  All part of the experience I guess