Category Archives: Amusing

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Pets

The Great Egg Hunt!!

All our poultry are rather autonomous creatures on the farm.  They basically just forage for yummies on our farm, swim in our pond and expect to be fed at the end of the day.  They do whatever pleases them and they will occasionally give as an egg or two.  Of course, there are no expectations for the ducks, geese or turkey to lay  in areas designated by Munchkin and Gnome…God forbid…they would actually try  to make our lives easier.  Eggs can plop out at any time of the day…anywhere.  Also, there are secret hiding spots…not in the coup of course!

Everyday is a Great Egg Hunt  and we are forced to surreptitiously creep around our own farm pretending not to look for eggs.  That’s because the fowl have a sixth sense for knowing that you are looking and will run off, hide or create interference to foil our search.  We have to spend extra care and attention walking around trees and looking under logs and wading through bushy areas.

It is really quite a challenge because they refuse to co-operate with us; our running joke is that they read the Spanish manual while we read the English one and that’s why we have communication problems.

¿estás buscando algo?
Looking For Something?
Looking For Something?
Looking For Something?

Yes, we are looking for those roundish whitish things that you plop out and hide in the bush:

Secret Nest.

We have actually found quite a few; the smallest ones are the duck eggs and the medium sized ones are from the turkey (you can’t see them very well but they are white with brown speckles).  The largest ones are the goose eggs…they are a real bonus when we find one of these!

Eggs Galore!!

Well, the next thing to do is to find a broody duck, turkey or goose.  Any takers?  Otherwise, Gnome will set them in the incubator (though, we are not happy with the level of success so far with this method).  Gnome has even offered to “incubate” them himself on those brief occasions when there has been a power cut.  If push comes to shove, I think he would seriously consider strapping some eggs to himself…especially to get a gosling or two!  The Dedication of a Gnome is boundless when it comes to geese!

Amusing, Belize, Our Products, Soap

Chocolate Mint Soap.

With so many funny animal stories coming from our blog, I have neglected to talk about other stuff that we do.  We have a new Chocolate-Mint soap.  It’s chocolatey and has the zing of mint!!  (As I am writing this, Gnome is murmuring under his breath…Munchkin, is this your idea of marketing??).

Ha-Ha…

We just dropped some off at the Chocolate Factory (Cotton Tree Chocolate) in Punta Gorda today:

Cotton Tree Chocolate.

Lovely soap made by Munchkin and Gnome; made from coconut oil and chocolate.  Picture Munchkin and Gnome stirring a metal cauldron in the middle of the bush…

Chocolate Soap Making.

We make this stuff on the farm:

Chocolate Artisan Soaps.

If you are not in Punta Gorda, Belize…check out our Chocolate Artisan Soaps in The Apothecary. 

We have a range of Chocolate Artisan Soaps and four scented chocolate soaps: chocolate-vanilla, chocolate-mango, chocolate-orange and chocolate-mint.

As an interesting aside, we have noticed that having a website does not actually decrease the administrative work involved in running a business.  There are still a gazillion back and forth emails to write.  What we have come to realise is that even although everything can be ordered on a website with the minimum of communication, everyone still wants the personal touch.  So, we are happy to receive email orders and have a personal relationship with you, if you prefer.

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Pets

ZTOP Extension!

Cor Blimey…that Duckie-zilla is getting monstrously huge!!  Mayor Gnome had no choice but to calm down the general snorts of displeasure, whining and squealing coming from Zazen Temple of Piggies (ZTOP).

If you don’t know the story already, we have a 12 week duck living with our guinea pigs.  It was a single hatchling from our first incubator experiment.  It started off small and well, got bigger and bigger.  So, the running joke is that she is Duckie-zilla is invading the poor inhabitants of the guinea pig cage.  The problem is that she really does prefer the company of the guinea pigs and every-time we try to put her in with the other ducks, she gets all stressed out.

Mayor Gnome always has to come to the rescue and everything on the farm has to come to a standstill to sort out the animals.

Duckie-zilla!!

Mayor Gnome:

“Well, she’s actually really happy being with you lot…she refuses to quack and go off with her own lot.  My only choice at this point is a ZTOP extension…”

Well here it is; it’s kinda like a semi-d or extension of council flats (you know what we mean if you live in the UK).  Otherwise, it’s really just like little houses bunched together sharing the same walls.  Not luxurious but the piggies are exempt from council tax because they are a religious group.  All funded by Mayor Gnome…donations accepted of course… 🙂

“Oi What’s Happening?”

We also have the new duckies on the block with big duckie; our plan is that these two will latch on and eventually they will all go out foraging together.

New Duckies in ZTOP.

Mayor Gnome has extended the guinea pig cage so that there are now four “houses.”  The first two houses have guinea pigs (one male with a harem of 4 or 5 females).  Gnome has removed the wall from the last two houses to give the duckies more room; they are sharing with the baby guinea pigs.  The ceiling is a bit higher in this last house so big duckie doesn’t have to stoop so much.

Long View.

The Zazen Temple has pleasant surroundings with its  own swimming pool (sorry, a rock pool…not infinity pool…need more funding for something that special…ha-ha).

ZTOP Extension.

Mayor Gnome:

“Ok Piggies…that should keep you quiet for a while!”

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Pets

Double Duckie!!

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We managed to hatch two duckies out of eight eggs.  These two were no trouble at all and were very independent from the start.  Apart from the feeding for the first few days, they paid scant attention to us and were out with the guinea pigs in three days.  It’s getting easier being a duckie parent!!

We didn’t consider this a successful hatch since we were hoping for at least a 50% hatch rate.  Gnome reckons that he sprayed the eggs with water, once, early on in development and thinking back, he feels that the cold temperature of the water may have destroyed the delicate embryos.  This is what Gnome said:

“I read about this recommendation to spray eggs with cold water  on the Internet.  The moral of this story is never believe everything you read on the Internet…it could cost you a duckie or more!”

These two splashed about in water together and splatted food  all around the aquarium.  By three days, they were so independent (and messy) that we decided that they were ready for the guinea pig crèche.

Ducklings.

Duckie 1: this one is a lighter coloured duckie with hardly any dark markings. Birth weight 49g.

New Duckie 1.

Duckie 2: the birth weight for this one was also 49g but nevertheless looks bigger.  Gnome says it is because he fluffed up a bit more so he gives the appearance of being larger.

New Duckie 2.

Duckies:

“Oi Munchkin and Gnome!  Just feed us.  Apart from that we can entertain ourselves by splashing about in food and water and making a mess.  Thanks a bunch!!”

Duckies.

“…you just need to clean up after us…”

So the plan for these duckies is to feed them up in the comfortable environment of the Guinea pig cage.  Once they get to about 4 to 6 weeks (ie. too big for the cat to mistake as food) we hope to get them out foraging with the older one which is now about 12 weeks old.

Amusing, Belize, Saving Money

Shilling Bag Fun!

In Belize, the ubiquitous flimsy black plastic bag is called a “shilling bag.”  As-well as having its normal function as a bag to hold groceries (try to get back home before the hole at the bottom gets bigger!!), there are many novel uses which are employed in this country.

Here are a few examples:

Foot Protectors: wear on open-toed sandals to stop feet getting muddy in the wet season.

Foot Protector.

Shoe Protectors: when you are wearing pretty patent shoes and don’t want to get them mucky before the party.

Shoe Protectors.

A shower cap: when you can’t find a shower cap to buy in the whole of Punta Gorda.

Shower Cap.

A sleeping bag for the cat…was rather chilly the other night!!  Other cats…don’t try this at home…there is danger of suffocation.  We have a savvy farm cat.

Sleeping Bag.

Next time, Wet Season fashion with Construction Plastic Ponchos…one size fits all!!

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Pets

Duckie-zilla!!!

There’s been a lot of commotion and general prolonged weeeeeeeeeee-weeeeeeee-weeeeeeeee!!! coming from the Guinea Pig cage (formerly known as Paradise Pastures; now renamed Zazen Temple of Piggies…ZTOP for short).  If you want to know the Piggie Story, click here.

Shock!!  Horror!!  There’s a Gigantic Yellow Monster in ZTOP terrorizing the be-Jesus out of the innocent temple dwellers.

The Zazen piggies are quivering in terror:

Cowering Frightened Piggies!!

“Help!!  Mayor Gnome!!!”

On Guard!!

Mayor Gnome: “Did the Piggies call for help!!  I must save my Piggies!!  What…a yellow monster??  In the Temple of Doom??!!”

Duckie-zilla!!

Mayor Gnome: “Hey Piggies! That’s not a yellow monster!  That’s Duckie!!”

Zazen Piggies: “Poppycock!!  You mean that  fine little blighter that you used to play with us?  Can’t be….”

Duckie and Piggies.

Mayor Gnome: “My dear piggies, that huge lumbering Duckie-zilla is your friend, the Duckie.”

Duckie.

Zazen Piggies: “Mayor Gnome, we would like to formerly dispute the identity of this yellow creature in an emergency meeting today!!”

Amusing, Belize, Pets

Meet The New-Comers!!

Meet the New-Comers to Casa Mascia Manor: The Overlord and The Duchess of Toledo.

Overlord and Duchess.

The Overlord is of equivalent rank to The Gnome and acts as Guardian of the farm and general bossie of all fowl.  His task at night is to sleep on a perch right in front of the house to guard Munchkin and Gnome.  Morning duties include the wake up call at dawn with “Gobbble–Gobbble–Gobbble–Gobbble….” and to keep the duckies and goosies in line as they troop out of the coup in the morning.  The rest of the day, he parades around the farm, puffing up his stomach every few seconds (with a loud POOF) to remind everybody of his rank and position on the farm.

The Overlord.

The Duchess of Toledo is dainty and nimble on her feet.  She likes nibbling on delicate greens and tiny insects.  If we gave her egg and cress sandwiches on doilies, I am sure she would not be adverse to the  fine pleasures which are be-fitting to her fine breeding.  The only requirements of this lady is to be by the Overlord’s side for public appearances.

The Overlord and The Duchess.
Amusing, Belize, Farming, Food, Pets, Plants

Whilst Waiting…

Whilst waiting for my freezer (one of those huge bottomless pit kind of freezers that you can get lost in) to de-frost, I will write my blog post.  I have a whole load of pictures so I will try to thread a reasonable coherent story together for you of what we are doing right now.  By the way, whenever I de-frost my freezer, I come across so many lost and forgotten goodies!!  Will probably have a feast this weekend!!

Found these; Chinese Sausage!!  Ooooh, you have to be Chinese to get excited about this stuff!! Ha-Ha.

Chinese Sausage.

Anyway, do you remember that at Chinese New Year, our darling little duckies gave us a gift of 8 eggs?  It turns out to be even more special because on asking other local people, their ducks aren’t laying at all and don’t lay until March when the number of hours of day light increase.  Anyway, so far there has been success with the incubator ie. the cat hasn’t sat on it this time round.  This is because I deftly used Secret Invisibility Technique by sticking a vacuum cleaner in front of the incubator.  Aha, I fooled the cat!!

Hidden Incubator Technique.

The eggs were candled on day 3 to check if the embryos were forming; 6 out of the 8 eggs at that time appeared viable.  Right now, two eggs have pipped and we are waiting to see how many actually hatch.  Should be some fun, excitement and peep-peeping at the weekend!!  With regards to our other darling little baby duckie (the lone duckie that hatched by itself despite the cat sitting on the incubator) he/she (we think “she” actually but have not properly sexed her) thinks she is a guinea pig now…sometimes a human being and definitely not one of those loud quacky things that quack around the yard.  Yip, he/ she duckie is spending too much time with the piggies and loves to fall asleep to the dulcet tones of cavy noises.

Oor Duckie!!

I would also like to take this time to apologise for neglecting my food posts; I am either too busy or too lazy and can’t find the “in-between” state to re-start the food parades.  We are still eating really well…I just haven’t written about them.  With the dry season, there should be new harvests so I will endeavour to start again.  I also want to post up my sorghum recipes…we eat it almost everyday now and is proving to be a very interesting, versatile and tasty grain.  Look still eating great food:

Sorghum with Bamboo Shoots and Sweet Potato Greens.
Venison, Sorghum with Parsley.

It’s the usual stuff on the farm…always something to harvest…seeds to plant…and it comes round in cycles.  You have to really like doing this to do it!!

Seeds and Potatoes for Planting.
Amusing, Belize, Farming, Plants

Munchkin and Gnome’s Cesspool.

Hello Everyone and it feels like the start of dry season again.  That means (for us, anyway) that it is very, very hot and the plants need to be watered.  The secret of Gnome and Munchkin’s success, this year, in keeping a little vegetable garden going at this time of the year is because of our  little cesspool.

Nice vegetables growing healthily and happily:

Mini Garden.

Because of our little cesspool:

Grey Water Pond.

Gnome has fixed things in such a way (with an uncomplicated system of drainage pipes and siphons) to drain all our grey water into this pool.  Right now, this includes mostly washing-up and laundry water.  He will be working on a new shower location in the dry season which will drain water directly into this pool.   The duckies also swim about poop in it adding further wonderful nutrients to the bubbling chaos.  In other words, this is our very own home-made “plant food”; this provides  all the plant nutrient requirements to make our vegetables grow with vigour and lushness.

When I asked Gnome to read this blog post, he said it was “okay.”  I asked him why he thought it was just “okay.”  He replied by saying that the title of my post did not evoke thoughts of Munchkin and Gnome being “cool and exciting.”

Well, I asked him, “what should I say instead?” 

Gnome said, cheekily, “howz about ‘M & G’s Organic Electrolyte Balanced Maximum Velocity Irrigation Water??!!!”

I said, “yes of course, darling.”

…stared blankly at the computer screen, blinked once, didn’t even think twice about changing the title, and pressed the “publish” button.

Amusing, Belize, Philosophy, Plants

The Gateway To Our Farm.

I thought I might share this interesting concept with you.  Gnome had planted a “Kapok” tree right at our gate, when we first moved in, just as a marker.  So we wouldn’t get lost??!!  It is known for its seed pods which produce a cotton-like material which can be used to stuff pillows, mattresses and the like.  Moreover, the material can be woven to make fibre.  It sounded like a useful tree to have around.  The tree was a fast grower and in about three years, it was really, really tall…sorry for not being very technical but it just appeared to stretch right up into the sky. Because it was so tall, it was definitely not hard to miss (we always found our gate…Ha-Ha) and so it was always one of the first things that Belizeans commented upon if they chanced upon seeing us at the farm.

We were then told that this tree was known locally as a “Ceiba” tree. That makes sense since the latin name is Ceiba petandra.  Further enquiries reveal that this tree is actually sacred to the Mayas.  It is known as a World Tree which embodies the four cardinal directions. According to Mayan Mythology, this tree also connects the centre of the earth to the sky; it is the gateway between these two worlds.  This is indeed an esoteric concept that appeals to our imagination especially when it is planted right at the Gateway to our Farm.

Ceiba Tree.

Our Gateway:

The Gate.

It really does look quite magnificent in real life, like something out of a fairy tale.  Every morning, we watch the toucans on the tree making their funny ribbbitting noise.

Toucan.

Other nice birdies on the tree:

Green Parrots.

Very popular tree all around…magical!!