Shirley is better :0)

Well, the logs are stacked! All 27 wheelbarrow loads! I was exhausted afterwards. The hardest thing was where to put them all. The log store was full after the 4th barrow! Anyway, they are stacked and look pretty good all over the place.







A severe frost warning was forecast again last night, so I dutifully went out and wrapped everything in fleece. I can't remember the last time we had frost at the end of May. I thought it was getting warmer? I lit a fire and sat in the lounge, laptop on my lap. The new logs went up really well. Will order another load before winter (if we can find somewhere to put them) and that should do us until spring next year!! I have said it before, but there is something comforting about having wood stacked up, like having a full fridge.







I have a hen Party tomorrow for a local charity. A group of five, for a special party! Been busy baking scones and oatie biscuits, ready for tomorrow. Kick off at 10.30, so have time to get organised in the morning.

I gave the eglus a thorough clean out for tomorrow and all was well until Elsbeth decided to sleep in the nest box (again) and poo'd up the side! Little madam!

Shirley spent a good few hours chatting to me in the kitchen yesterday. After a while she shuffled around and laid an enormous soft shelled egg. She immediately poked her head out of the box, as if to say 'ok, I'm done now'. I let her out into the front garden while I continued stacking the log mountain. She discovered the area under the conifers and happily scratched around for woodlice. I coaxed her back into the run with a trail of sweetcorn, a la Hansel and Gretal.

She seems back to her old self again today. Noticed she is quite thin though?? Will feed her some extra tuna tomorrow. Mixed corn will go down well too.

Woke up at 2.30 this morning on the sofa (again, must stop doing that), fire still glowing, but i felt sick. Really hot and sweaty and managed to crawl to the toilet. Not pleasant. Made my way upstairs and slept well. Was hoping to have lost at least half a stone, judging by the amount of time I spent vomiting, but no!
Felt fine this morning, don't know what that was about? Probably the excitement of going back to work on Monday. Not.

Only one egg today!! Free loading ladies! Will search the run tomorrow in case they have decided to make a nest elsewhere.


The front garden is taking shape. Have lots of room to plant more things. Can't seem to pass a garden centre without popping in to get some 'essentials'. Have a few things waiting in the porch to plant, but can't spell the names! Will take pictures when they are in flower.




Need to sleep now and Blogger is taking an age to upload pictures. Will add more tomorrow when I get a chance. Apologises now, for the shocking grammar and typos!

C x x

p.s logs......







p.p.s some more..........











oh, this is just silly!! I like the pink tint to these ones!! Must be the sun setting. Yes, I was stacking them all day *rolls eyes*

And relax......

Good morning everyone! What a busy week it has been!

On Friday, my Aunty, Uncle and Cousins visited from Germany. I haven't seen them in about 7 years. Nice to catch up.

On Saturday was my Brother's wedding. A lovely hotel near Basingstoke. Charlie the bride looked stunning and we had a nice day/evening. Jase and I were nearly the last to leave at midnight.

Ellis and Grace, my nephew and niece looked adorable in their wedding outfits - Ellis couldn't wait to get his tie off!!

On Sunday we drove my Gran back to Kent and popped in on Mum and Dad for an hour or so. They went out and left me with the children, as Andy and Charlie are away on their honeymoon, Mum and Dad are babysitting for the week. After an hour I was exhausted. Good luck to Mum and Dad, they have them all week!

Yesterday was my Birthday and we went out for lunch and visited a garden centre, then out for dinner to a local Indian......both felt full to bursting as we left so must have been good!

It looks like a Nigella Lawson shop in the lounge! Loads of lovely Bowls, serving platters and measuring cups! Can't wait to use them all!

Shirley looked a little hunched and unwell last night, so left her in the eglu overnight with Pru sat next to her keeping watch. No better this morning as she was still in the nest box where I left her last night. She is now sat in her cat box in the kitchen with me, checking my spelling. A bowl full of sweetcorn and water and a towel to keep her warm. Not sure what is wrong, she has a red comb, with a slight temperature but isn't right in herself. I'm hoping it is a soft shelled egg on the way. She will feel better once it is laid. She is drinking lots of water and honey and pecking at the odd bit of corn. She seems to prefer the scone that I am eating!

We had a log delivery late last night, so I have 2 cubic metres of logs to get off the drive at some point today.

The heating is back on as it has turned really chilly again. I was in shorts this time last week! Mad dash to wrap up the veggies in fleece the other night, as frost was forecast. It was 4 degrees at 5am this morning!

Hoping this week will be calmer........

Off to get dressed now and tackle that log pile!

The drippin' is driving me mad.

After a few good days at work and an early (5am) stand by yesterday - i got a Paris and back- my throat can't take anymore! I thought it was hay fever at first, but the puffy neck tells a different story. Tonsilitis (again)!!! I say again, but I haven't had it for a few years. I am lucky that I don't get the aches and pain, just the sore throat. Sniffly and horrible.

I was up at 5.30 this morning and felt rough, so Jase told me to go sick. Feel bad, as it was one flight out to Rome and all day there, but hey ho. Sick is sick.

Got lots done yesterday. Planted out my potted onions, sowed carrots in between the rows, tomato plants are in as are beetroot, radishes and peas!







I need to get a couple of chili plants from the garden centre at some point. Thought I would plant some with the tomatoes and a couple of basil plants to deter white fly.










My little greenhouse is working overtime, packed with sunflower seeds, borlotti and runner beans and a few marigolds. The sweetcorn is about an inch tall which isn't bad as I only planted it a week or so ago. Poor rickety old thing! Look at it! Hee hee. The bungee cord is to stop it blowing over!
I have dug over a small square bed and will grow a pumpkin underneath and some beans up the corn a la 'three sisters'!











The blackbird chicks hatched a few days ago and have vanished! They must have left the nest already as it was empty 3 days ago. Checked yesterday and look what I found.......




They might get 3 hatches at this rate! Good for them.



The giant, fancy schmancy garden umbrella with lights has seized up, so I found another one in the garage. Sat outside now, typing away, 27 degrees at 11.30am and snot running down my chin. Lovely! Nice to wear shorts for a change, my legs need the sun.

Mum and Dad are popping over later with some goodies from Germany. Have made some cheese scones and think we will sit outside for a while.

The 2 lawns need mowing again! However I am under strict instructions to do nothing today! So that is what I will do.

Who am I kidding?? I can never sit and do nothing. Might do a white wash and mop the kitchen floor. It really needs it. The bedding could do with a wash too. *taps fingers on table looking for things to do*

Going to take a sudafed to try and stop this runny nose. Either that or shove some tissues up my snoz.

C x x x

p.s 4 eggs today! Nothing from Laverne, as she is taking a well earned break. Or so she tells me!!

Water wings for chickens?

Good afternoon All!

Been a busy week yet again.  Work was hectic, as we moved into Terminal 5.  The new crew report centre (CRC) seems to be half the size of our old report centre, hot as a greenhouse and full of managers!  We were the first crew to arrive yesterday and were greeted by people in Polo shirts, clipboards and radios.  Really not in the mood at 7am, having been up at 3.30am!

Had a voucher for coffee and pastry thrust into my hand and was smiled at constantly.  "Welcome to your new home".  Made me want to vomit.  Everywhere you looked, managers were scuttling around beaming.  They have no idea it won't work as a building.  Far too small.    

By the time I reported for my second sector of the day, I had a collection of enough vouchers and 'sickly smiles'  to open an internet shop.  Roll on retirement.  

21 years.  

Should fly by.

The girls are fine apart from the quagmire of a run.  Little puddles are forming and I really don't know what to do.  The eglus really need moving out and the whole lot excavated with a mini digger.  Jase would love to drive one of those!

2 more days at work (from tonight) then off to Scotland on Sunday to visit Jason's Mum, Sister and BIL (well not yet but can't be far off *wink*).  

Will be home tomorrow morning, so time to clean out the chooks and get ready for the drive to Ayr. 

The oil tank is full - 56p a litre- outrageous. 28p last year.  Don't dare put the heating on.  

The lawn is growing like mad and will need cutting again!  2 smaller lawns as I am determined to get another bed put in the back garden sometime this year.  

Had a major planting frenzy earlier this week.  Most seeds are now sown for the summer.  The mini green house is groaning under the weight of seed trays.  Only parsnips and more carrots to sow, but waiting until I have planned the veggie garden layout of crops until I do 'long term' planting.  Will use the new bed in the 'front' garden for some crops like rainbow chard, and maybe some beans.   

I managed to 'borrow' some old bricks from the paddock which work well as edging.


I have planted a fair few cottage garden plants like lupins, daisies, nicotiniana (sp)? and grasses so far, but quite a lot still to plant. The pear tree is in and so far the slugs have avoided most things..........The jasmine at the back will hopefully cover the fence. Hoping it will stand up to the wind.






Looks very 'rustic' in my opinion, like it has been there a while. I was going to spread bark over the whole lot to keep the weeds down, but my Mum assures me that when the plants grow, I won't need it.

The sweetpea wigwam is in place and I have planted up the hanging baskets already. Tempting fate, but hopefully no more frost before late Autumn. The tomato plants are doing well in the coldframe (more bricks and a sheet of plastic) as are the marigold seedlings for the Village fete - i just hope they are a decent size by the end of May when the 'Plant Coordinator' stops by.

Off to get ready and tidy up. The rain has stopped and the sun is out :0)

C x x x