7

old dunga house doer upper skills

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Symon

One of my heroes once said… “Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills… You know, like nunchuck skills, bow-hunting skills, computer hacking skills…”

Let me present you with before and after shots of our humble but happy bathroom…

BEFORE

AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER

Honey, does old-dunga-house-doer-upper-skills count?

5

Mouse Mansion!

Posted on November 18, 2008 by Symon

I finished my latest DIY project this morning, and I must say I’m rather stoked with it!

A few months ago I scored a fish tank for next to nothing. The glass was badly scratched so it wasn’t much use as an aquarium, but has proved perfect for furry little rodents.

And so, after a few small Trademe purchases, a visit to various DIY shops, some kiwi ingenuity, and about a day’s leasurely work… I present to you ‘The Mouse Mansion’!

(It’s for the kids, of course ;-)

4

Chicken coop 2: Country Cottage

Posted on July 10, 2008 by Symon

A couple of weeks ago Daisy (our Blue Australorp for those who care), became broody for the first time. So broody, in fact, that she started sitting on ‘pretend eggs’, and when she wasn’t doing that, she horded Buttercup and Cornflower’s eggs to sit on!

So, thanks to Trademe, I visited one of Northland’s top chicken breeders (nice Christian lady) and acquired 8 fertile eggs.

Daisy thought all her Christmas’s had come at once! But I reminded her not to count her chickens before they hatch.

A couple of hours ago, a day’s work and $50 later, I finished Riverside’s very first chicken maternity ward (with some help from ‘daddy’s little helper’). DW and I are going to transport Daisy and her eggs to their new accomodation very soon while she’s asleep (Daisy that is, not DW).

Photos below (I think Barney thinks he’s a chicken… You become like those you hang out with the most). Stay tuned as the continuing saga unfolds.

1

Chicken Coop 1: Upmarket Bungalow

Posted on July 1, 2008 by Symon

I realise that a few of my recent posts have had a darker tone lately… so, just to let you know that I am actually quite normal (considering), I would like to introduce you to our three hens (Buttercup, Cornflower and Daisy) and their chicken coop condo.

I decided to get the kids chickens for Christmas, and during the week before, I worked almost every waking hour (inbetween sleep and work and last minute Christmas shopping) building a home for them.

So the project, which started out being a simple, small and affordable home for the chooks, turned out to be a $300 coop from nam. The photos follow…

The hens are let out during the day (free-range), and pretty much avoid the coop completely unless they are sleeping, laying or broody. They actually preferred roosting in our lemon tree (even in the rain) until I cut their branch down and clipped their wings!

For you chicken admirers out there… Buttercup is a New Hampshire Red, Cornflower is a Buff Leghorn, and Daisy is a Blue Australorp. I have to say it… they are poultry in motion ;-)
11

Indiana Jones cake

Posted on June 3, 2008 by Symon

I ventured into the unknown today and made (with the help of my fabulous wife who did the icing) my son’s birthday cake.

He’s 9 years old today, and is crazy about Indiana Jones, so what better birthday cake to make him than a fairly unique ‘Indy-runs-from-a-giant-gobstopper-while-escaping-from-the-temple-of-doom’ one.

Actually, I’m quite proud of it, and Son Of Mandrake was stoked! It’s pretty weird that a father and his son can have the same hero!