Courtesy imma@morgueFile free photos

Resilience,resourceful,….ingenious, capable, full of initiative, able to act effectively or imaginatively, especially in difficult situations, having inner resources…from mr Google , Thesaurus, Webster dictionary, Collins dictionary

Sitting at the table after tea one night I was chatting with my husband about his young days when he went skin diving (snorkelling)and spear fishing. As I can’t snorkel, not even in shallow water it was a scary thought for me as an adult imagining him starting as a thirteen year old going out into those waves, that unknown. The age in between our two eldest grandsons.

Now, I would be having heart attacks thinking of our two going off and doing the same….I think in a way his mother felt the same, but boys need to let off steam.

Probably, or I’d say because they lived by the beach in Adelaide, their activities focused on and were based around water. Over the years their diving activities stretched from Outer Harbour through Largs, Semaphore and lots of spots in between which at time was undeveloped,rough and scrubby beaches and headlands.

Later when hubby was older and cars were part of the picture they went further along the coast line of South Australia.They were days or weekends of healthy extending yourself adventurous fun. Activities which required only a fit and healthy body, a swimming buddy for safety, some spare time. A sleeping bag for overnight, a jar of honey providing extra energy for constant swimming and snorkelling and a tin of baked beans and a loaf of bread.

Initially, they were days before neoprene wet suits so they had to improvise. There was no money for those extra curricular activities. They made their own activities. They improvised and kept themselves out of trouble.

During the younger years there were sand forts to be built and tunnels in the sand (scary), clubs to be started and cockles to be collected and sold. Fishing lures to be found around the jetties underwater having being snagged and lost by fishermen and then sold back to fishermen :). Swimming out in the big shipping channel (crazy) and swimming in the warm water which came out from the power station (again crazy)

…and what did they wear when it was cold when they couldn’t afford wetsuits. Wetsuits were for the professionals. Well they copied what all the others were doing. Find a woollen jumper or two from the Op Shop and wear that for insulation. The jumpers started off huge and over time in the sea water they shrunk and shrunk some more till they were way too short in body and arms. Think midriff and short sleeves…so off to find some more.

Actually when you think of the resistance of swimming with jumpers on they must have been very good swimmers!

It was another world under water. You had to be ever so vigilant and aware of many things, yet it was serene.

Then came the years like when Rodney Fox was mauled by a white pointer shark. In colder, deeper waters near Port Lincoln.

During these later years of skin diving, my husband and others also wore old woollen jumpers under the wetsuits for extra insulation. Their suits were not form-fitting like now….the tighter the fit the more insulated…or that is how I understand it.

So what were these young men?

Resourceful
Ingenious
Practical
Thrifty

A proud catch and feast for a king

Snorkels to protect eyes from smoke. Ingenious!

When needs must we rise to occasion,
When needs must we rise to life challenges

I Googled the above phrases and got such a vast array of topics all dealing with the many aspects of life, some sad and some very lofty, yet what my husband and many other youth in that era did was so very simple.

Yet as the years roll on, fifty some, we still find ways to make the most of what is available and enjoy them in the process. Not fearless fun like the youthful years yet enjoyable and refreshing all the same.

New mind sets
New happenings
New adventures
New Pensioners:)

More to come on new pensioner happenings and impressions.

Do you have any simple memories and wonder how you ever managed…it was sink or swim for my dear hubby’s first swimming lesson in the Port River!
Do you look back in awe, even with a sigh at what was?
Life does not stand still. Ever.

Joining in with Essentially Jess today this beautiful blue sky Tuesday

Also with Serving Joyfully for Thankful Thursday

You can also find me and Like Me -
on Facebook…. Alexa a Simple Life

Black hen and Red Barn
Courtesy revwarheart

Chicken talk… Memories of chickens.
My parents kept about 300 chickens for eggs when I was about 10. They came as pullets and gradually grew till they were old enough to lay eggs. The idea being that it would provide a bit of extra income for Life’s journey. Mum and dad were and had to be very resourceful. They did not have access to a Livestock Batchelors Degree online.

There was always work to be done, especially the preparation stage in building the fences and shelters. If a chicken was sick it had to be made better quickly or butchered so it was not just eating the whole wheat grain. (This bit was hard as a child to comprehend) The end product had to be eggs for money.

Courtesy of morgueFile free photos

I don’t recall how dad got the chickens to the place we were renting in the rural Adelaide Hills as we had no car. But do remember dad taking the stacked up big trays of eggs on the back of his motor bike. Well tied on.

It was not very far to the railway station but it was hilly and I don’t think he ever lost any!…. Money was precious and had to s-t-r-e-t-c-h. Being frugal before the word was fashionable.

We had no fridge in those days so foods that spoiled were purchased as needed and stored in a small room downstairs which was quite cold. Our fresh milk came daily delivered by the milkman who measured and poured it into our billy can which hung over the gate post and was brought in by us to be boiled and the cream separated. THAT was the best…..to be had on toast with jam….either butter and jam or jam and cream , and not all three together. Today I am too spoilt as I do love all three together.

Once dad had been working for a while at GMH …Holden’s for short, he was able to purchase a Fridge for us, so we didn’t need to scald the milk any more. Compare this to how we take it so for granted that everyone has a fridge . And it’s needed straight away as soon as a household is set up!

…but I digress from chickens. When dad had to butcher chickens, most parts were used even the unshelled eggs which were inside the butchered carcasses and because we had no fridge for a time mum had to use them up quickly.

Frugal Egg Custard
Courtesy morgueFile free photos

She baked or made custards or Spetzler which are like small dropped by spoonfuls dough and cooked in boiling water. These were then added to scrambled eggs. Very sustaining and I can still taste them especially if we had a bit of bacon added to the dish. All these frugal dishes are now classed as a bit gourmet.

…to the everyday person having chickens has a romantic, green, frugal lifestyle feel to it but there’s so much more.

I do love chickens
Courtesy morgueFile free photos

Are you permitted to keep them in your suburban yard.
Are you rural
Is your yard layout suitable.
If you have pets will everyone get on together safely without a huge amount of effort on your part.
Do you know enough about keeping hens…or are you prepared to learn about them.
Have you easy access to their required food needs.
Do you know which hens are the best layers.
Which hens are the most children friendly.
Are you going to free range the hens.
Can you keep your hens safe from predators
How many hens for your yard
Have you enough time to care for your flock
Do you go away often, if so, who can care for your flock
What about shelters and laying boxes for them
Or are you going to use a chicken tractor…

Suburban garden for hens
Courtesy S349142

I have collated some photos below which show a story about chickens or hens and their needs. They love freshly foraged greens and love a morsel in the shape of a snail of worm. Watch out if you have bare feet though because your toes look like worms and hens DO peck very hard!

Dried and green foods.
Access to fresh water.
Space to roam.
Free from predators.

Hay fields Courtesy Jpkwitter

Chicken feed
Courtesy Krosseel

Green clover
Courtesy dharder

Hens love Dandelions
Courtesy fedegrafo

Beware the Predator
Courtesy Monosodium at MorgueFile.com

Rural Water pump & bucket
Courtesy Docron at morgueFile.com

Fresh water from red tap
Courtesy morgueFiles free photos . Photographer from Orlando

So a little chicken talk turned into a story, which goes to show how much is involved if one chooses to keep these feathered friends.

As with everything in life we need to investigate, learn and prepare …and learn some more. Life can be an adventure….

Alexa