Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Ashburnham]

Here are the chicks- imcubated by a duck till 20 days, then hatched by a chook.

 

[Ashburnham]

 

[satay]

Beautiful chicks Ashburnham

 

[Fierlin1182]

I like the hen too, she's pretty cute!

 

[Ashburnham]

The hen is a real mixture- with Araucana, Isa Brown and Indian game ancestry! She lays huge green eggs, but gets broody far too often! Michael

 

[Fierlin1182]

Green eggs, sweet! I've always had an odd fascination with green eggs

She has lovely feathers though.

 

[yorkchick]

Interesting to hear about the Michigan "mitten" thing. It actually took me a few seconds to figure out what you meant, my brain isn't really functioning fully today. Good to have a rest in the house and just go on the computer for once. my social calendar has reached mind-blowing proportions (i.e. normality) lately.

Oh, my goodness, here's another Michigan person coming in to say g'day! When Chickmate first said on the Michigan thread that she just got back from Australia, I think (hope?) I was not the only one to think she really had made the actual trip (although thinking about it later, I realized that for that major of a trip, she would have mentioned it before she left... ) Anyway, we eventually figured out she's been visiting virtually. Which is one of the lovely things about BYC. I myself have lived most of my adult life in Michigan, but I was born and raised in the U.S. state of Washington (no, not the nation's capitol, a state on the other coast). So when I originally came out to Michigan right out of high school (to attend university in Michigan) I was as confused as Fierlin when I'd ask other students where they were from, and they'd hold up a hand and point to a spot on their palm. Huhhh? So finally I got to the point where, when I was asked where I was from, I'd hold up one palm, then use the other hand to point wayyyy to the west of that palm. I'm pretty sure I found that more amusing than anyone else.

Anyway, I do have an Australian connection. I was fortunate enough to spend a year as an exchange student in Victoria when I was in high school. (The practically pre-historic year of 1979, to be exact). When applying to be an exchange student, I had been asked what type of area I would prefer. I grew up in a small town, but I always wanted to be a farm girl, so I asked for a rural family, if possible. I ended up in complete farming country, southwest Victoria... in one of the very few households for miles around that was not a farm. My host parents were both teachers, each had a one-room school they taught at. The house we lived in was included with the school my host father had. But I was just super super lucky with the family I was placed with, could not have been better suited, and I did get to help out with milking chores and during sheep shearing with families in the area. Our mailing address was Ecklin South (which consisted of the school and a tiny store), I went to high school in Terang, and we jokingly said our Big Smoke was Warrnambool. It was a wonderful experience.

No chickens though. There actually was a chook house in the back of the house we lived in but it had not been used... for chickens... in many years. Actually, the family used it as the "tip." Every year or so they would clean it out and take the stuff to a bigger "tip" on someone's property, since apparently there was no formal trash dump.

Anyway, someday I dream of visiting your country again. Thanks for letting me stop in, hope that's okay. It has occurred to me that if too many of us pushy Yanks start clogging up your thread, you'll have to start a new one again!

 

[Fierlin1182]

Yanks filling up the thread? I love hearing from you guys. My favourite ATC supply would have to come from either New York or Dallas...
Your exchange experience sounds lovely. I've never lived in the country, so I would feel totally out of whack milking cows and having only one store in town. It's interesting, isn't it?
You'll have to go visit Sydney next time you come, I went last year, going again next month and I absolutely love it there!

 

[yorkchick]

Yanks filling up the thread? I love hearing from you guys. My favourite ATC supply would have to come from either New York or Dallas...
Your exchange experience sounds lovely. I've never lived in the country, so I would feel totally out of whack milking cows and having only one store in town. It's interesting, isn't it?
You'll have to go visit Sydney next time you come, I went last year, going again next month and I absolutely love it there!

Well, thanks for welcoming me so nicely. I'm very glad our ATC supply is up to your standards, we do try. (...I have absolutely no idea what ATC supply means... :/ )
I spent a few days in/near Sydney at the start and end of my year, for orientation (and then, "disorientation" for going home I suppose...) but would love to have gotten more time there.

Speaking of orientation, we were told on our first day that we each must right away be able to give an answer to the burning question, "Which footy team do you barrack for?" (The two men running the orientation then immediately began to try to persuade us it should be their own favorite team--and of course they didn't support the same team, so that was good entertainment). Just so you know we got at least the most vital cultural matters explained to us at orientation. (Along with life-saving information such as: Do not say "root." If someone asks you in class to borrow a rubber, don't be embarrassed. They're not diapers, they're nappies. Etc.) Oh yes, we were well prepared.

 

[Fierlin1182]

It took me a few seconds to get the rubber one.

But nowadays most people call them erasers. I used to think it strange that nobody called it a rubber here.

There is always the option of not barracking for anybody.
When I first moved here, the Pies and Crows fans were practically fighting over me during lunch times, but I think they gave up when they discovered I have very little interest in sports. lol

ATC = air traffic control. I'm a big dork...