Further to my ‘bit of both worlds’ musings in January – I now
have 3 chickens! Two buff mixed bantams and a gold Dutch bantam - which sounds
like I know my chickens, but I don’t really. This is just what I have been
told. All I know is that they are not the small white Sussex bantams I had last
year [which got murdered by a fox or badger] nor are they like the larger brown
hens I had the year before [also murdered by a fox or badger].
Me collecting my little buffs
They are happy in their little coop and they have started to
lay eggs, which fills me with joy. My youngest son has told me not to let them
out on the grass in order to preserve their lives, as this is what allowed a
fox [or badger] to kill the last two lots. I hadn’t shut them up properly. I
know. I feel bad. The first time was because I was naïve. The second time was
because I had a migraine and was in bed, so strictly not my fault.
I really really want to let them out on the grass as it is
healthier for them and the eggs, and thus for us. Plus I think they will be
happier. But they are obviously happier being alive than dead, or being
murdered, so…
My family has drawn a line in the sand, the other side of
which are a goat and a pig. I can see their point so I have backed down. My
husband bought me a book on how to raise pigs which was cruel, but he thought I
would find it interesting, so I forgive him.
My squash seeds are in, so are my courgettes. I peek at them
every day in the conservatory to see if they have started to grow. I am going
to plant beetroot, parsnips and carrot, onions and shallots. Oh and lots of
herbs obvs. I was encouraged to keep trying to grow stuff when I went to one of
Charles Dowding’s No Dig days in Somerset, just 40 mins drive from me – how lucky
was I? If you can’t get to one of his days google him and watch his vids on Youtube.
Honestly. https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/
AND – I have my Aga. It was delivered by two lovely men. I
say lovely advisedly as they decided not to charge us for moving the thing
because they saw how happy it made me. It always pays to smile at peeps,
people! I am looking forward to coming home from a long walk, or from
collecting wood in the Land rover, popping the kettle on the hob with that super
hissing sound that it makes, then drawing up a chair and resting my chilled
feet in the warming oven and reading a book.
I will raise my bread dough on the top, dry clothes and herbs,
leave stews to bubble all day. It has been too long since my last Aga and I had
almost given up hope of ever having another one, but then friends of mine moved
house and decided to get rid of the Aga that was there as they couldn’t get on
with it. Oh happy days!
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