The loss of more than 400,000 layer hens with bird flu on poultry farms near Young late last year and the hot weather has caused the shortage and things apparently won’t get better until spring, whenever that will be in Orange.

 But we were all brought up on eggs and it’s a good bet most homes still have their little collection of egg cups in the shape of hens, ducks, cats, cars, soldiers, ballerinas and other homely things.

We go to work on bacon and eggs and often come home to good old fashioned steak and eggs, although that’s a dish for some unknown reason you won’t find any more in our restaurants or cafes.

No yolking, with the present shortage and high prices things could get to the stage where eggs become as big a delicacy as oysters with us simple consumers the losers.

 So, producing your own is an eggcellent idea.

You must remember, too, that backyard chooks are also doing a good environmental job by feeding on food waste that otherwise would have ended up in the bin.

Orange City Council rangers let you keep 15 chooks, ducks or geese provided they’re housed in clean and healthy conditions and don’t annoy neighbours.

By the way, just in case you’re interested, council staff will also let you have two dogs, two cats, 100 racing pigeons and 40 stock birds, 50 small birds including budgies and canaries, two large birds including cockatoos and corellas, one pet rat, 10 mice or guinea pigs and one sheep or goat.

Next time you drop some food on the floor, pick it up and stick it back in your mouth rather than in the garbage bin.

And you should give family members or relatives a peck, hug your dog or cat each day and go for walks in the bush.

 If your baby spits the dummy, just lick it clean and put it straight back.

If you use antibacterial soaps, give them the flick.

Does that all sound unhygienic?

It might but if you follow this advice by a professor in medical microbiology and immunology you’ll be on the way to warding off common allergies.

He says modern society has become so obsessed with cleanliness that we no longer come into contact with some of the crucial bugs that keep our immune systems working well.

A simple way to do that is to pass good bacteria between family members.

This keeps the immune system finely tuned.

The road to the top of Mt Canobolas being closed when there’s snow has again come under fire, this time by a tourism operator who says it should be open to four-wheel drives like roads in the Snowy Mountains.

 Greg Simpson from Bathurst-based Simmo's Off-Road Tours says closing the road is denying access to a popular tourist attraction and was a disappointment to people.

I have in the past had digs at Cabonne Shire Council staff in this column about the road and apparently it’s the SES that wants it shut as soon as it snows.

Of course there’s always hoons who drive up the mountain in snow, get stuck and then have to be rescued but there must be a way sensible people can enjoy it, if that’s the right word to describe snow.

There’s a sign at the bottom that says chains may be required but that’s meaningless if the road is shut off.

Lots of tourism development propositions for Mount Canobolas have been put forward through the years including the construction of artificial ski slopes and restaurants on the summit. There once was a ski slope there.

None of the suggestions to make it another Thredbo have gone ahead although there’s 300ha of adjoining state forest land which has the steep slopes needed for a ski run.

Orange drivers in Summer Street and Bathurst Road who see a red light half a block ahead and then switch to a 15km/h or 20km/h creep mode to avoid stopping are a pain in the neck.

Big trucks do it as well, no doubt banking on the lights changing back to green before they get there.

 The practice is nearly as bad as parallel-parked drivers flinging open the door and jumping out of their vehicles in front of other traffic that has to swerve to miss them … and the door.

It would be interesting to know how many doors have been taken off. 

Fred is sitting at home alone when there’s a knock on the front door. There’s a police officer there who asks if he’s married and if so can he see a photo of his wife.

Fred says that’s fine and gets out their wedding photo. 

 The copper looks at the photo and then gravely says: "I'm sorry sir, but it looks like your wife's been hit by a truck."

 Fred: "I know, but really she has a great personality, is an excellent cook and lets me play golf whenever I like."