The mighty boosh

With the new year holidays I had a bit of time on my hands to tidy up the garden.
Especially there are a couple of areas that I have grown accustomed to throw cut-down trees, unwanted branches and stuff on, which have piled up to big obstacles. One of these is right next to the chicken run (next to the blueberry). I moved all of the branches from there, which occupied a good four square meters area, and put them behind the chicken run where they can decay naturally. The strip behind the chicken run is where a drop in land height happens, so I don't grow or put anything useful there. Also it is a bit of uncertain area, as I just used my eyes and no other measurement when I put a net fence between my land and the neighbor's. As long as it is not a concrete wall or steel fence or something more permanent, the neighbor won't mind as it is just the drop edge of their "Jungle". Putting the branches on that strip also has a bonus effect of deterring the cats from walking there and jumping the net to the jungle. They really don't like sticks and branches pointing in all directions where they walk.

That is why I put all those sticks next to the front gate too.

Anyway, now there is a nice and clear patch of land next to the blueberries.
The other place where lots of wood and branches was gathered was next to the garden entrance to the backyard slope (if that makes any sense). It was a huuuge pile of the stuff. I got rid of those as well. Chopped up the bigger branches for burning, and the smaller sticks distributed along the aforementioned strip. Amazing how much new land was cleared out. Only bad thing is that it is slopy.

After cleaning up

And just in case you forgot what it looked like before...

Note the huge pile on the left

So with all this cleaned out, the boosh in the backyard started looking really bad. I was thinking about cutting it down but now I really could see how terrible it was. It just cannot wait.

The mighty boosh

And to add to the trouble, there was this irritating weed with all its runners spread all over the ground beneath the boosh, and every opportunity it got it climbed a branch and turned into a thicker woodier version of itself.

Close-up. The mighty under boosh

I spent a couple of days, cutting the boosh and unearthing it along with the crawling weed from hell and its evil roots. My bad luck, those days had really strong winds and I got lots of dirt blown into my eyes while digging things out. However I became expert at spotting even tiny weed sprouts and untangling their long widespread roots deep from underground. It was very rewarding when I was all done. I did leave the mini-bamboos and their rhizomes, which I hope will rot if I keep cutting their leafs as often as I see them.

Here is what I removed

And yet another big chunk of land is unveiled...

Nice, eh? I did leave a couple of trees which I believe are flower trees. If not, I will cut them later.

And here are a couple of pictures from after I got rid of the garbage.

Tidy and ready to use

The whole backyard is starting to look kind of ok

The backyard

I did get inspired by the cleanness and called up a construction company to come and look at how much it would cost to replace the slope with 3 real concrete walled levels of 6 meters length. Still waiting for their answer...

Proof

All eggs are not equal

Yep, my suspicions are confirmed. I am picking 2 eggs a day so Gigantor must have started laying too. Color is a bit different than B.M.'s but size is almost same. For comparison I put them next to an LL size egg bought in store. Chika says she needs to eat at least a normal size egg a day, and the chicks can not provide that yet, so we still buy a six pack a week. Before getting chickens we used to buy a 10 pack a week so maybe now that 2 are laying we can stop buying eggs all together... One can only hope.

Size does matter

Egg rainbow

Hmm, not sure but I think maybe one more chicken has started laying eggs.
Big Momma's eggs get bigger and bigger by the day. Actually this morning I found an egg in the nest which for the first time does not fall through the refrigerator's egg holder holes. Hooray!!!
The egg I found was still warm so I assume B.M. laid it early morning.
Last night when I went to close the coop door I almost stepped on an egg when I entered the run. The egg was dirty and I thought "how odd, B.M. always lays her eggs in the nest. Maybe she couldn't hold it in or something." it was not too small, but it was smaller than the previous ones, which I also found odd if it was B.M.'s. That is why I suspect last night's egg must be the first egg of one of the other chickens. Maybe the Gigantor's (The white-brown one who has grown real huge).
Anyway, hooray if it is so, then I shall pick more than one egg a day, but maybe need to search for the second one for a while until the layer learns what the nest is for. Hooray also for B.M.'s eggs finally becoming fridge-worthy.

Cat barricade

Continuing the fence... I have stacked up some of the wood trash and branches I had lying around and filled in the spot where the net is really short.
I think the cats don't generally like challenging really dense shrubbery (Ni!), and also they dislike strong smell of menthol. There is a big minty bush (not sure what it is... its leaves are spiky and thick and it smells strongly like mint) covering half of that area, so I focused my wooden blockage in the other half, with all the branches pointing inwards.

The mint thingie has lotsa small blue flowers

I am not finished yet. There is a lot more wood and branches but the idea is that when the cat approaches this part of the fence, since the net is too low, it should be hindered from jumping over it or crawling near it thanks to this pointy, smelly barrier.
And to be real sure, I also ordered a tracking device for Tora to wear (Chubby is too chicken to jump high or go on adventures), so if Tora against all these measures manages to get out I should still find him, hopefully alive.

A bit closer. I shall also put something on the wall so kitties can not walk there...

Speaking of walls, I am seriously considering putting block retaining walls in the backyard slope. It is 5 meters long and more than 3 meters wide. But the drop is 1,6 meters, so for example for making 3 levels, I would need 2 walls of 80 cm each.
3 levels would be nice since blocks are thick and having more walls would be waste of space. Upper level would be support for the tree roots and stuff, just wide enough to walk on comfortably. Then a 80 cm drop with wall to a level surface of 160 cm width, and then another 80 cm drop to a level surface of 90 cm width. Of course these 80 cm walls would block the sun a lot I guess...
Anyway, still just thinking. But more seriously.

I wanna have chicken tonight, chicken tonight, chicken tonight ♪

The chicks are getting bigger every day. Still Big Momma is the only one laying eggs, but she is no longer the biggest. I guess either the others have better genes, or I am doing something right and those who grew up in my care grow better. Big Momma was already grown when I got her. Perhaps this semi-free-range thing is good for them.

Can you tell which of the white ones is Big Momma?

Big Momma is still the one on top of the picking order. Sometimes I feel bad for the smaller ones who she bullies to get her food first... but maybe that will change when they grow bigger. Fortunately I give them all enough food so that even the lowest one can get her fill.

They sure start to look yummy, don't they?

They are pretty cute. They only recognize me based on the color of my clothes it seems. I usually wear my orange coat when I go out to them to feed them, so they know that the orange guy is the friendly one. They don't run away or panic. In fact they some running to see what interesting goodies I may have for them this time.
Sometimes though, I wear my black coat and those times they are very wary, huddle together when I approach and one sudden move from me sends them flapping and running behind the coop to hide. I still cannot pick them up and hold them. When I lure one to stand still and then pick her up by cupping my hands underneath, very gently, still as soon as she gets a chance she jumps off.
The only time I can pet them without problem is when I go to close the coop door. At that time they have all lined up on the roost and are half asleep, so I just slowly pet the closest one, without facing any protest. During the day, if I bring them weeds and sit with my legs straight they sometimes jump on them to reach the weeds in my hand.
But all in all I think they are still not fully domesticated, as I only see them very little, and only during weekends basically, except for feeding time every morning and closing time every night.

Post of Japan

What can I say, they are total boobs

So I managed to sell off a few unnecessary things on net auction. The microwave oven was first to go, followed by the mini tiller and also the gas fan heater. The mini tiller was super old, I got it started a few times and ran it over the lawn to make beds, but its motor is too weak and I realized it is much easier and more rewarding to do it manually. Plus it takes ages to start the engine. Of course I put this info in the auction so the buyer would know. Probably they bought it for parts.
As for the gas fan heater, it is nice and works well but we are both kind of worried about putting gas driven apparatus on constantly when and where we sleep. A small malfunction and it is goodbye. Hence we bought an electric oil heater to warm up the room.

Anyway, sending off the microwave oven was simple enough. Just packed it in a box and brought to the post office. They scanned the bar code from the auction site and that was it. The address and all info was there and they printed out stickers and put on the box and the cost was charged to the auction site.
They do have limits on the size of the package being sent, which is adding height, width and depth should be maximum 170 cm. A couple of days after the microwave oven was sold it was time to send the mini tiller which was the biggest of the three items.
I folded its handle and cleaned it up a bit. The small see through gasoline tank was already empty so I just let it be open and put it outside over night to be sure. Next day I wrapped it in plastic and put it in the biggest cardboard box I found outside of a store. The box was just big enough though, and it didn't have the top lid, so I had to cut out another box and tape it over the package as a lid. It measured about 175 cm in total but I figured what the heck. However, I wondered if it wouldn't be better to just remove the makeshift top and send it off like that. If I did so, maybe the post guy measuring the box would be nice and disregard the 5 extra centimeters because the top half of the box contained just the handle going diagonally across it, and the rest of the top was empty, and in fact the top half could preferably be folded in. So I decided to ask the post office guy, if doing so would count as smaller package. Huge mistake.

I showed him the package and asked him which he preferred, with lid or folded in without lid. He said with lid, so I started to secure the top part as he started measuring the box. Suddenly he stopped and asked me what was in the box, and if it contained engine, if it had been used before and if there was any gasoline in it. I showed him that I had emptied the tank and that there should not be any issues. He left to check with his supervisor and his supervisor took a look and went off to consult with his own supervisor. After about 20 minutes of consulting the first guy came back and told me sorry, we cannot send it but please try some other shipping company like Yamato or UPS.

Grrr....OK, thanks for your service. Bow and leave. And curse myself that I was considerate enough to ask them what they preferred. If I could do it over I would just bring it in with a lid and pretend I don't speak Japanese. Maybe that would get them to disregard the extra 5 cm...

But wait, I could try it again. I took the box on the train to the next station and into the post office next to that station. Showed them the bar code and the box and said please send. They measured the box as 173 cm and didn't ask me what was inside it. Then scratched their head for a minute or so and punched in the box as 170 cm anyway, and off it went. Yeay, so much for safety rules. I just hope no terrorists decide to sent stuff with mail cause it seems completely random.

A week later the gas fan heater was sold so I packed it in. The box I found was big and it has lid as well so I just taped it shut having learned my lesson, and took it to the post office of my station.

Doh! The same guy who denied my tiller being sent was there. And worst part was he spotted me coming so he came out from the counter to the front to greet me. Damn... But my conscious was clean so I just said hi and asked him to help me send the package off. He started asking me about the mini tiller, so I gathered he probably thinks I am trying to send the same thing again. I told him I already sent off the tiller with Yamato. And that this is not a tiller. What is it then? He asked, and in my stupid confidence I blabbed out "GAS fan heater" and realized in the same moment that I have made another huge mistake. But the guy was kind of suspecting me for something anyway, so even if I had said computer or just electric heater he probably would not have believed me. I guess it was my 3-4 days unshaven beard which corresponds to what takes a year or so in this country to achieve. I probably looked like a terrorist to him since he doesn't see bearded men exactly every day.

Anyway, he just heard "Gas" and that was it for him. Seeing his reaction to the word gas, I followed right away with explanation of what it was and how it worked. And that it doesn't have an engine nor a tank, nor uses gasoline. That it is connected to the city gas pipe through a hose, and as soon as the hose is disconnected nothing flammable is left. I also told him that it is that same as sending a gas stove. Same same but different.
He nodded and ran off to his superior, came back 5 minutes later and told me that his superior is now checking with his supervisor but it seems like probably it will be difficult, maybe. So I just repeated everything I said before, plus pouted a bit, and said but this one is totally safe, so UNLIKE the mini tiller. (Emphasizing the unlike part hoping that it would subconsciously change his mind and that he in his turn would persuade his manager etc)
He went back and I just heard the word gas gas gas being repeated by more and more people as they discussed. I assumed some kind of alarm had been raised and everyone was running around in panic and asking their superiors what to do with my package etc etc. Once everyone had gone through the headless chicken mode for about 20 minutes, the guy came back out with a smile and said it seems we can send your package. He scanned in my bar code and said that they must write "gas fan heater" on the label, which I didn't mind at all. Just when I thought he had come to his senses and I was in the clear, he turned as if remembering something and said, oh yeah, and we need to actually see the contents of the box with our own eyes to make sure it is safe.
What an insult. Well that confirmed my beard theory. From now on, I guess I have to get used to being strip searched every time I want to send something off. And if I want to send anything that could remotely cause concern, like a watch or a fork for example, I better go to the post office in the next station, because I am forever branded in this post office as the guy who possibly will one day send a bomb. With this post office I can only send off cotton, paper and alike. Of course given that they make sure it actually is cotton.
Yeah yeah, sure, open the package and have a peak I said. But I don't have any tape so tape it properly afterwards by yourself
He agreed and checked and seemed happy Not that he would have spotted a ticking bomb inside the heater if there was one. He didn't even lift the thing out of the box. Then, just before closing time of the post office, my package was sent off, and I was escorted out. At the exit he bowed and told me he was sorry for the trouble, and I apologized too for having caused  him and his superiors to work.
Morons.

Fence Shui

The front gate. Almost cat proof.

With the not optimal weather I spent most of my time walking back and forth around the front gate and trying to figure out a good way to seal it. The netting on the right was easy enough. As for the gate itself, the gap below the right gate is still to be netted but I was too lazy. Incidentally after I was done with my netting, I released Chubby in the backyard as a test, and followed her around. She walked around in the backyard for a minute and the walked right round the house and to the gap under the gate. Almost as if she had a radar. So that part has to be netted for sure. The left gate almost never gets opened so I just put a couple of concrete blocks in front of it.
As for the left side of the gate, I found a nice wooden fence which was surprisingly sturdy among the leftovers in the shed from the previous owner. Its size and shape was perfect to cover the little gap between the concrete wall and the gate's left post.
Above it I covered with net, all the way over the narrow strip and to the land mark limit. After having done that, I noticed two weak spots. One is that the net which covers the narrow strip to the left is a bit too low. For this, I will just put lots of debris and sticks and such in that area to deter the cats from approaching it. I have lots of small bush and wooden garbage laying around in the garden anyway. Gathering them all in one spot frees up a bit of land too.
The other problem is that a cat can just jump on the roof of the car port from the concrete wall. Again, I will have to put something on the wall to hinder the cats. I can either go with decorative crap like small statues and pots, or just attach pointy anti-cat strip on top of the wall. We'll see.
Next week I will complete fixing those weak spots, plus there is a 7-8 meter part of the loooong 30 meter netting on the north west side which is a bit too short which I will have to raise before letting the cats out.