The Long Weekend

It's been a long weekend due to the spring bank holiday so we've got lots to report.

Firstly, Skye turned 6 months old this week and remains the naughtiest pointer around...she's still incredibly loveable though.

We spent a few hours up at the allotment both saturday and sunday so got plenty done. We dug out another bed for the main crop potatoes and covered it to keep the weeds down. Then we made another bed where we planted out the sprouts, brocolli, carrots and parsnips. Jilly put some mesh around the peas and tied them up so they are no longer trailing along the ground. I also put together a very slanted compost heap out of pallets, it may not be pretty but it serves a purpose!

The chicken ladies are doing well and i found 2 eggs when i checked today. I expected 1 as Tallulah always makes a tremendous noise when she's laid an egg, alerting everyone to how clever she is! They've had the run of the back yard for most of the day and have discovered my lavender plant, as well as knowing exactly when the back door's been left open.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend!

Night time ramblings

I'm on my lonesome tonight because Jilly's doing a night shift, so i've got Emily for company (hope she doesn't thrash around all night like the last time she was in our bed!). Anyway i hate spending nights without Jilly so am pining for her...i'm a big smush, i know.

The chooks have settled in now, although after getting 5 eggs from them in the first week, we have had none since monday. The weather is horrible and raining loads, which i dont think they're very impressed by! Oh well, on a plus side the veggies will be loving it. Hopefully we'll spend some time up at the allotment at the weekend.

Here's a pic Jilly took of Emily with her chicken, Tallulah. They go together perfectly as they both like talking!

Chickens in the kitchen

We have our ladies! We picked them up last sunday and we're loving them. We managed to build the house and run in just enough time to go and pick them up. We have had three eggs in three days (delicious boiled with soldiers this morning) so we are chuffed with the girls. Their names, by the way, are Tallulah, Blousy Brown, Velma and Bangles and they all have different personalities. Tallulah is very friendly, but appears to be hatching an escape plan similar to Chicken Run! We found her in the dining room the other day! Blousy Brown seems to be the top hen, however Velma is a bit of a bully. And Bangles has taken a while to settle in but she's very friendly too. They all like it when we open the run and let them stretch their legs (and often wings).

All in all they have settled in very well, as have we to the new house.

The fabulous house and run that Jilly built...she's so clever!

Up at the allotment, the potatoes and onions are doing very well, as are the fruit bushes and strawberries. Unfortunately, the beans have bitten the dust, and the peas are looking a bit scabby. Some of them may survive once we have tied them up to the poles though. We've got some more seedlings we're going to go and plant out this weekend and we've cheated a bit and bought some brocolli, carrot, sprouts and runner bean plants from B and Q.