Painting and Paddocks

It's Saturday and the beginning of a welcome weekend after yet another busy week.  They just keep on coming this time of the year, don't they!

Lets see. The deck posts, chairs and downpipes have been given their second and final coat of paint. 

It was much harder work than the first coat. I don't quite know why, especially as Mr Potts, the emu, wasn't trying to help me paint this time.  (Show Mr Potts a paint brush and suddenly he won't leave me alone.  Ditto spray painting.  Ditto power tools.  'Have. Craving. Must. Investigate' ). 

I'll have to capture his obsession on video one day....

It wasn't until I had nearly finished painting and commented to my daughter that Mr Potts had not been creating his usual brand of havoc that the penny dropped.  'He's being lulled to sleep by the Christmas music!', she told me.

And there, under a tree a few metres away, was Mr Potts, happily tucked up with eyes half closed, peaceful and snoozy, swaying gently in time to the beat of Christmas tunes coming from my ipod deck.

What can I say? This emu truly belongs on Jingle Bells Farm : )

So.  This week:
Deck painted?  Check.
Cast iron chairs and table spray painted? Check.
5 new chicks hatched in the incubator? Check.
Christmas decorations pulled out from storage and waiting to be tackled?  Check.
Schooling done? Check.
Catch up with a bunch of schooling friends? Check.
Supplies ordered and delivered for today's project to set up the horse Paddock Paradise?  Well.....still waiting on the replacement energisers and electric braid to arrive, but the posts are going in today, the insulators, earthing rods and all else will be done and the moment the braid arrives I'll have it up and running. 

Last on my list of things to get done this weekend is tearing down the poultry run and putting up a new area for the ducks and geese to bed at night. 

Wish me luck!

The Paddock Paradise-Finally!

Busyness has struck Jingle Bells, with another major project about to be tackled AND Christmas coming up fast.

I've been waiting for a day of sunshine to complete the second coat of paint  on the verandah posts, trim and chairs, and in the meantime we've been catching up with friends, schooling, and getting a little Christmassy with some party preparations for our annual Christmas Party on the farm.

As for that major project I mentioned, this weekend the horses are getting a big surprise- their Paddock Paradise is finally happening.
The posts have been ordered and due to arrive tomorrow, the electric braid on it's way, and the new paddock set up is marked and ready to be implemented come Saturday. It's going to be an exhausting couple of days replacing the old ringlock and star pickets, but I can't wait to get this project tackled and done.

And Zanda should be content to stay on his own side of the fence line come Monday...

Cheeky!!!!!!!!

Zanda has perfected the art form of unlatching the paddock gate and letting himself out for the occasional romp around the homestead.  It will be interesting watching him try his Houdini act once the fence is electrified : )

A Facelift for the Wrap Around Veranda/Deck

I freely admit I have more than a small issue when it comes to painting.  I'm passionately  overwhelmingly  slightly addicted.  I go through periods of craving to pick up a paint brush and very little can stop me when I hit this mode.
Have. Craving. Must. Paint.
There is something amazing about being able to transform with texture or colour. Or a bit of both : )

Taking time out after farm feeds Sunday evening and enjoying the changing colours as the sun set while I plonked on the veranda to soak in the beauty and tranquillity that is our piece of valley, the urge struck.
 
Yes, that urge.

The veranda posts had caught my eye and that was that, they were in for a redo.

I contemplated their red clay hue and consulted my mental paint chip file. 
Hmmm. 
White, definitely not.
Green, nope nope noooo. 
Brown?  plleeeeeaaasse. 
I looked at the colours of the surroundings and finally decided on corrugated iron silvery grey.

...Only once I tried corrugated iron silvery grey on one post it was very obviously NOT the right colour at all. Thankgoodness for tester pots...

What to do, what to do? Why,  sift through my paint supplies of course!  And there I found it.  The PERFECT colour.
Oh baaaby!

            See how well this colour brings out the purple hues? Think iris, wisteria and lavender.

Of course, it didn't stop there.  I've been meaning to pull down the shadecloth divider for a while now. 

It's hideous  rather an eyesore, although I do appreciate it was meant to help keep garden bed dirt off the driveway.
 I couldn't get it down fast enough.

Better already!

*sigh*  

So much better!  And not even all painted yet!

And there's more.
Chairs were looking a little blah, so......

  The Puddleducks let me know if I missed a spot....

I've only managed one coat on everything so far, and the weather is against me today so it will be another day or two until the job is complete.  But I love how it's turning out so far! I'll be sure to post a few pics once the job is complete.

Happy Wednesday everyone!  And for those that celebrate Halloween, Happy Halloween and keep safe : )

Monday on Jingle Bells

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend :)

Me, I headed to the local Farmers Markets yesterday and while the pickings were slim for fresh produce, there were alot of other stalls to browse over.
I was super happy to find this bucket of glass insulators.

Yep, that's right, 50 cents each.  I am not sure exactly what I'm going to do with them yet, but when I saw them I knew I couldn't pass them up!  I have some ideas floating around, but so far the most appealing is some kind of hanging sculpture. So many possibilities!

Another find was a rocking chair which didn't come home with me. 
It was being sold on consignment for $600.  A beautiful rocker with a super high price tag.  Would anyone pay $600 for it?  I dunno.  What I do know is I have one EXACTLY like it.  Not similar.  EXACTLY.  Its twin. 
And this is what I did to it a few months back.

Hmmm. Wonder if it's still eligible for the $600 price tag? LOL

Today has been a fun day as I was doing what I absolutely love- painting.  No, not a framed masterpiece but rather the posts on the wrap around verandah.  So I suppose I was painting the frame of a masterpiece : )  I'll post all about the verandah overhaul tomorrow.

For now I thought I'd introduce you to some of the newbies to the farm.  I  mentioned these guys the other day but didn't have any pictures to go along with the post.

So here is Clive.

And Isabelle. Well, Isabelle, mama Lady Plum and daddy Darren's butts. What can I say?

Aren't they adorable?  'Course they are : )  Know of any duckling or gosling that isn't?  I rest my case.

Have a fun evening everyone, and thanks for stopping by.