Tuesday, 27 May 2014

and with the cost of bread these days, necessary……


Mike and I gave up the TV and an evening of work to go over to Apperville to listen to my choir perform in the church. They have a new choir mistress who has completely turned this gang of 50 songalongs into a serious and competent choir. I was sad that I can no longer be part of this blast of success but it was good to listen to a well-balanced program although the pews were intolerably uncomfortable which sadly makes sitting for an hour and a half a real challenge, especially for Mike who dislikes choirs and anything live.
 
 
 
 
I was working in the lounge engrossed in my things to do list when I heard a bump and a rustle, I thought nothing of it as I guessed HOSS was rummaging around in the kitchen. The day after I heard the rustle again and thought it was Mike walking about upstairs then on the third day Mike heard it and he thought I was rummaging about in the kitchen then on the fourth day we both heard it sat in the lounge and had our attentions focussed on the fire place and the realisation that we had a father Christmas in our chimney. Mike then set to taking the fire surround off and when he pulled the board out this is who fell out. We had prepared ourselves and left the double doors open and closed the other shutters so whoever Father Christmas was going to be, would just fly off and grab some fresh air,   but ohh no, our little visitor decided to stay on the curtain pole with no desire to move on, so we gave him time and ­­­had a chat and gently convinced him it really was time to go
 
 
 
 
Over the winter we bought 5 gunnera cuttings from a lovely lady we found on bon coin and then potted them up and here are three of them spending this summer in the bath ready to be planted out next year up in the garden, two of the plants are in the pond area but I really fancy a gunnera garden and if we can keep these happy my wish  will come true
 
One of my ducks died last week and when Mike described the position he found her in I was not happy as she did not die in her sleep. Mike took this picture of swanny and the remaining duck and it is clear that swanny has her by the neck and my suspicions were confirmed that in play, swanny probably killed her, but she was 8 years old and I think in ducky terms that is a jolly good innings but as always, swanny is forgiven again and again and again for being such a nasty piece of work
 
 
 
Mike and I were walking around the garden a few weeks back making a mental note of what needed to be done and the mound was a bone of contention. I wanted to plant some of my privet plants to develop a cloud clipping and mike suggested chucking a hand full of nasturtiums seeds but I dislike planting seed in place and prefer to be in control using  the sow and pot on method, so neither ideas were taken up. We were then working in the allotment this week and found that one of the raised beds waiting to be planted was full of little nasturtiums looking fab but in the wrong place.  Mike suggested I transplant them to the mound and there you go, without any effort Mike gets his way and in a mornings work the mound is now nasturtium corner and very nice will look too in a few weeks’ time
 
 
 
 
 Cock a doodle doo, my gorgeous cockerel doing his thing and keeping us up with all the local gossip as when one cockerel starts up they all join in and we know an event has happened somewhere in hen land
 
 
And then there is Napoleon our pet cockerel who now wonders around the garden at will. He joins us when we are eating on the terrace and when Mike goes on the field he runs over to greet him. We call him Napoleon because he is small, stroppy and French and insists on attacking the big cockerel just to feed his ego so  we may just rename the big cockerel …Wellington
 
 
The allotment is starting to look great and the construction work is finished, it is only filling the beds and planting them and that will finish before June smacks us in the face
 
 



And finally, I have been using an old stair case propped up against the wall as my boot store and as Mike had another set of steps in his work shop doing nothing I suggested it might be good to put them together to make a clever set of shelves and then the idea blossomed and underneath, could become a home for HOSS. In an afternoon of make it up as you go along I had exactly what I wanted and more. I can now sell his proper cage as he now sleeps in doors and does not need a full blown kennel. The other great thing here is that Mike built this from stock.  We try now and then to have little projects where we only use what is in stock and recycle as much as we can, very satisfying and cheap and with the cost of bread these days necessary……
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




 
 
 
 
 

 

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