Fresh Eggs For Breakfast

Breakfast From The Coop

Having had a bit of a late start yesterday morning we decided to take a flask of coffee and a box of chocolates to lotty with us so we didnt have to go back home and waste time. Once we arrived there John suggested that we could put the kettle on the fire and boil the eggs that we'd just collected for breakfast. John got on with making the fire whilst I pottered around a bit and and collected a few twigs. The fire was being a bit temperamental for a bit but it did eventually come together enough so we could leave it and get on with other things.

Having been to Homebase a few days earlier we had a few more packets of seeds that we could get on and plant. So into greenhouse one we went and filled quite a few pots with compost. We started with two more trays of onions, which means we have around 100 onions planted so far, but at the rate we use them we'll more than likely be planting quite a few more of them in the very near future. We also planted a dozen cauliflower seeds too. We didnt grow them last year but im quite sure we can grow just about anything. The chickens seemed very interested in what we were doing and one would sporadically turn up at the window to have a bit of a peek in.

By the time we'd done half of our planting the eggs we're ready and we sat down and enjoyed them for a few minutes. It was a very cold morning, so I was glad our fire had eventually got going. We sat around it for half an hour or so just being happy to be warm for a while.

As we had been talking about cooked breakfasts all morning we'd made ourselves very hungry and the eggs as nice as they are wernt quite enough to satisfy us. We went home for a change of clothes and a cup of tea and discussed our eating options. We decided on cobs but as we were leaving the house John drove in the opposite direction, but he did have another idea up his sleeve, and we stopped in Codnor as its the only place we've found that sells battered black pudding. The other reason for taking this drive was because of the garden centre we would pass on the way home. We looked through all the packets of seeds first and picked out some more sweetcorn and courgette seeds and also picked up a packet of strawberry seeds. The we ventured off outside to see if we could find strawberry plants. Just as we were starting to think there were none we turned a corner and there they were. So happily we went back off to lotty to unload our purchases into the greenhouse and put the girls away.

An Even Colder Morning At Lotty

Once again we were slightly late this morning so we decided it would be a very quick visit to let the girls out. Having seen David on his way in we decided to pay him a visit with a box of eggs to see if he could give us any advice on our new strawberries as his were amazing last summer. He told us how and when to plant them, how to stop the fruits getting dirty and what to do with the runners once the plant has fruited. We'd been in his plot for around twenty minutes and Johns feet were getting very cold so we said our goodbyes and thought we were on our way home. As we were passing the school plot the teacher stopped us to let us know that one of his chickens had now started laying, as he was sure he would have to wait until next spring now. We had a little speculate as to which of his girls it might be, and we all agreed on the one with the biggest and reddest comb. He then invited us in to have a look round.

He showed us inside his poly tunnels and the new pond that the kids had made and generally told us what they were doing. Having also had the strawberry discussion with him he showed us a few trays with an abundance of strawberry plants in and told us we could take as many as we liked. We were absolutely freezing by that point and hastily got going as soon as we had the opportunity. So now we have alot of strawberry plants and seeds and half an idea of where they're going to live.

We had planned on doing some work at lotty today but by the time we arrived back there wasnt as much time as we'd hoped. So John did a little bit of pruning on a few of our apple trees which gave me just enough time to plant a few of the strawberry seeds. Having spent a good few weeks/months with not much to do around lotty it been great to have so much to do there and its lovely to see greenhouse two as full as it was in the summer. Im hoping we'll be busy with it right through until next winter now. With all the new seeds we've bought lately iv got a whole lot of adding to do on my planting spreadsheet and will be having a look on there regularly so we dont miss any planting opportunities.

First Plantings For Next Year

Off For A Drive

After a bit of a late start this morning we were off to Homebase to pick up some potting compost and have a look at what seeds we could get our hands on. The Blur saw some cat grass seeds and decided she'd like to plant some for our cat Toby, whilst John and I chose onions, Italian Purple tomatoes, carrots, peas, squash, parsnips and sprouts. The teacher from the schools allotment told us that parsnips are hard to grow and that he'd so far not managed to produce any so its made me determined to grow some next year. Apparently cauliflowers are hard to grow too so theres another challenge for me. With the seeds paid for we hoped we could get to McDonalds within five minutes before they stopped serving breakfast, and we were just in time.

And So To Lotty

John had to do a bit of bumpy driving up the lane as a van had parked right in front of one of the gates and he said he couldnt reverse up the lane. So John had to drive into the retainer plot so the other man could drive down through the gate and let us past. But we got there in the end and unloaded the car. As we were going to start planting I thought id rake the greenhouse floor as the chickens made their dust baths in there and it was full of small ditches. Next time I'll remember to shut the door as id only turned my back for a few minutes and they were back in there making new holes.

John meanwhile was taking the backs off of some pallets so that he could make a new compost bin. He started off by the original bin and put all the excess wood in the wheelbarrow until the Blur and I took it so we could clean out the chicken coop. We came back up to find him with a pallet, hammer, axe and crowbar. They're not the easiest things to take apart, but at least he didnt hit himself in the wrist with the hammer. When he'd got the pallets how he wanted them John fixed them together and transferred the top layer of compost from the existing bin into the new one, revealing a chickens buffet worth of worms and some lovely compost ready to be used.

Once those jobs were done and we had a good fire going we decided what seeds we were going to plant and where. Most of the seeds were to go into pots in the greenhouse, but a few have to go straight out. So whilst the Blur and I were in the greenhouse planting cat grass, chilis, peppers, aubergines and onions, John was outside digging over soil and adding compost to where we are going to be planting our carrots and parsnips in a few weeks time.

It seems like a long time ago since the three of us last spent so much time at lotty together, so it has been lovely to spend the day there with them today. John said that last year he didnt plant anything as early as he probably should have so im hoping that the work we've put in today will make our crops even better. Thank you for a lovely day John and Blur.

My First Year At Lottington

It Started With A Fire

It seems like forever ago since I first set foot in lotty, it was nothing like my expectations of a few metres of plot with nothing to separate one from the next. It was a shock to find the massive, fenced off piece of land that lotty actually is. Having never lit a fire of my own before it was one of the reasons John took me there in the first place, and make a fire we did. Cat food boxes filled with shredded paper, and a few bits of wood to start, and John sat making me a fire lighter from a cane, string and a bit of petrol. We've had plenty of fires since, but that first one will always be the one I remember most of all. We toasted (or burnt) marshmallows on it, we made grass fuses and tried to dry myself out by it after being drenched with water by John. It was an amazingly hot day for the time of year, but the heat wasnt going to spoil the fun of the fire or my first weekend in Nottingham with John.

I dont remember doing too much actual planting or anything else there from that weekend, but I did enjoy it and knew that I would be back there again soon enough.

Getting Into Gardening

It wasnt long before the veg caught my imagination too. I remember feeling slightly jealous sitting in Bristol looking at photos of the potatoes that John had picked and eaten, and wanting to be there to share that with him. At first I felt like I was in over my head, not knowing what to do or when to do it (though I do still feel like that at times) and had to constantly ask what I could do. It wasnt long before I could go there with a list of tasks and a weekly routine.

What really captured me about lotty was silly little things like seeing a poorly plant and doing my best to get it healthy and producing veg. Our sickly tomato plant for example went on to be one of the healthiest looking plants there.

Not only have I learnt alot about growing food but also about cooking. Having to find things to make with what we have available at the time was tricky to start with, but the more I did the more I thought about what I could do.

Trying New Things

Until id picked and cook my own I had never tasted freshly cooked beetroot that hadnt been pickled, and I was surprised at how much I liked it. The Blur was the one who really took on the trying new foods idea. Despite having always eaten vegetables before she was now willing to try just about anything. It was great in the summer when John and the Blur would do their daily picking and testing rounds of grapes and peas. The Blur tried radishes, beetroot, beans, peppers and chilis for the first time. I found that there were recipes for pumpkin other than pie.

Things To Make And Do

One thing I have really learnt this year is how to build things with what you have and no tape measure. It started with the chicken coop, the went on to rebuilding the Charlton Heston shed. I led in bed thinking how the shed had gone from being battered and falling to pieces to something the looked good and was usable, and all by our own hands. The Charlton Heston mystery kept us amused for a few weeks. Trying to work out what the message said, the finding all the little coincidences surrounding the film and Charlton Heston. We also made a swing, a tree house of sorts, a bird table and the base of our aquaponics system. To begin with the morning after a busy making day at lotty would leave me feeling like id been ten rounds with Mike Tyson, but gradually its made me stronger and I now wonder what it would take for me to ache like that now.

Chickens

Now one of the main events for us all was the build up to and the arrival of our girls. The coop we built together is one the best features of lotty and the best one coop I have ever seen. Every part of our chicken journey has seemed full of excitement, from owning building the coop and owning our first bale of hay to the two times we drove to and from the farm to collect our girls. I never would have believed on the first day how much joy and amazement they would bring to my life. Theres not a moment I spend with them when I dont feel happy to have them. They're so much more than I could ever have expected, watching their personalities come out, seeing Alison finding her place in the world. Rita being our middle aged, upper class lady who's got something to say about everything. Betty who seems to need the reassurance of some time in my arms having a cuddle. Marge being the first at your feet when there's something good on the menu (or even if its not that good), she's also a damned good explorer. And Penny who likes to see the world from higher places and will always come sit on the bench next to me.

I cant not mention Cairo. Bottom of the pecking order but always willing to fight it out to make sure she got her fair share. There's always a place in my heart for her, and she'll be remembered just as well as all the other.

Random Conversations

One of the most enjoyable parts of lottington is the random weird conversations that make everything that little bit funnier. Ant pants is one of the very first that I can remember. Trying to work out how many ants you would need, how would you get the skins off and how would you put them all together. Another was of the car seats that looked like some aliens that we'd seen on star wars.

My Final Words Of Todays Blog

Its been an interesting journey for me and not just one that is about learning to grow veg or look after chickens. Its one that has showed me that I am so much better at things than I had previously thought, how much I am capable of, that I can not just achieve things but achieve what I feel are great things, and I can see my own potential. This is not something that I have done alone.

Thank you Blur for all the things we have done together at lotty that have made me smile and laugh, especially the silly games.

Thank you John for giving me this and for the encouragement, love and support.

I love you both and look forward to more springs, summer autumns and winters with you both. xx

An Afternoon Pottering

Behind The Fence

I decided to spend Tuesday afternoon pottering at lottington whatever the weather. I had a few jobs to do so when I arrived I spent the first 20 minutes trying to find a net big enough to put over Johns Brussels sprouts, mine had already been done and was keeping the chickens away quite successfully. Whilst doing this I noticed the Blurs class go out on the field to do P.E. and it wasnt long before she noticed me too and gave me a wave. Giving up on finding a net I go on with my second task of reinforcing the chicken coop fence and trying to find a secondary latch for the coop door. Having my mp3 player on it took a while to realise that the Blur was at the fence with her teacher calling me. I downed tools for a bit and went to say hello. They were peering over in hope of seeing the chickens. Not wanting to disappoint I caught the first chicken who had her back to me, which ended up being my favorite girl to cuddle, Betty (she always seems to be in need of a bit of affection). I had to laugh when the teacher asked Blur what the chickens name was. She answered 'Um...... Polly.' I dont know if her mind just went blank from being put on the spot. She confessed after school that once back in her class they were discussing the chickens she completely forgot Marges name. One of the boys said he didnt realise she lived there.

Now, as the girls have taken the hut to be their beauty parlour they are regular visitors in there which is fine except they have no concept of not pooping on the floor. Being fed up with the smell in there it was time to wash the floor. I blocked the door off with a window pane that was big enough and cleared the floor. Rita didnt see the barrier as an obstacle, jumped up and knocked it over, giving herself a bit of a shock. 'Bloody hell Nicola, I need a nice cup of tea after my ordeal' I think she'd say.

After my little show and tell it was off to greenhouse one and sadly had to throw away the pumpkins that had gone rotten and the sunflower heads that wernt much better. Having nothing left to do, I sat down outside with a blanket wrapped round me and just enjoyed being there for a while. Penny came and sat next to me for a bit. I like to be able to pick out little personality traits for all of the chickens, Alisons didnt come out until after Cairo had died and for Penny its taken a while for me to recognise her personal habit. But sure enough she has one. She likes to explore higher areas, which I think comes from her knowing that all the best treats in the hut are up on the table. Now as I explained about the state of the floor I hastily remove her from the surfaces in the hope she'll learn that I dont want her up there (and pigs might fly.)

I was very impressed with the Blurs shepherding this week as she managed to get the girls to walk in a line along the fence and into the coop. I wish it was always that easy.

The Site Inspection

When we arrived at lotty this morning to let the girls out we were thinking about how much we needed to cut the hedge as there was a site inspection by the council this morning. David walked past and John said 'I think David needs a couple of eggs.' Davids wife wont buy or cook him eggs after she got ill from one when she was in her twenties. He came in and told us that our hedge isnt too much of a problem and we said we'd planned to do it as a winter project. He gave us some advice on planting sprouts and told us a few other things. He was dubious as to whether some of the crops we have just planted would grow but I think he likes that fact that we tend to be experimental with what and when we plant. On our way out he called us into his plot and gave us a lovely, heavy white cabbage in return for the eggs. We've now considered leaving eggs out with a note offering to swap eggs for veg. I told John that someone had left out a big bag of Jerusalem artichokes out in the week for other people to take, but as I didnt have a clue how to cook them or what with I hadnt taken any.

We returned this afternoon so that I could clean out the coop and John could make a big fire. After all the bad weather this week the fire didnt want to get going, but what there was of it warmed my hands up after using freezing cold water to wash the chickens tarpaulin. John came down and had a look in the coop and said he wished he could go to sleep in there. I told him that when we have a barn i'll make it nice and cosy for him to go in. It may look cosy but sometimes when I have to crawl in there to sort it out I think id rather have a proper bed any day.

Once again despite the cold weather im glad I got to spend a few hours there this week. Roll on spring when iv got more to do there than I have hours in the week to do them.

Snow And Hail

Sundays Snow

Having looked out of the window early on Sunday morning and seeing snow on the ground my first thought was lotty. Not just the chickens, but our recently planted onions and potatoes. They've so far managed to survive the frost but I was unsure if they'd be able to cope with a layer of snow. Luckily the onions seem to be just fine. As the potatoes are planted alot further down and then covered in a foot of hay I cant as yet tell if the weather has had any effect on them. Im hoping the hay has offered them some extra protection.

Aside from having cold feet (the bottoms of chickens feet are similar to ours) the girls didnt seem too put off by the snow, although they did seem quite keen to get into the hut as soon as the door was open. As Saturday was particularly cold, I took some tea to lotty to drink whilst I cleaned the coop out. I felt slightly bad as all the chickens had to drink was some near freezing water. So I got an extra mug and offered the girls some tea. It seems Rita may not live up to our impressions of her wanting to come home with us for tea and cucumber sandwiches after all, as none of them looked impressed and turned their beaks up at the offer.

Mondays Hail

Yesterday afternoon I watched from the kitchen as a huge dark cloud rolled closer and closer to the house, and eventually pelting down what I can only call the worst hail storm I have ever seen. As much as I love our chickens I have to admit that chickens in general are not intelligent creatures, so the concept of going inside during the hail probably never occurred to them. When I arrived to put them away they still looked ruffled and damp. Now as I said the hail was coming down hard, so much so that it snapped one of the thick posts that is part of the girls run. Although we no longer keep the girls in there anymore its essential for getting the chickens away at night. What made it even harder was that it was my first time putting them away on my own as the Blur had gone to a friends house straight from school. I put the tub of chicken mash in the coop which tempted two of them in. Alison and Betty were unceremoniously and in Alisons case indigently caught a placed inside. Marge on the other hand decided to give me the run around and escaped the run by jumping over the fallen fence.

Repairs

After letting the chickens out and giving them something to eat I found a new post, step ladder, gloves and a brick and proceeded to strengthen the fence again. The step ladder has a rung missing from my apple picking in the summer and its really not very steady, so very carefully I climbed the remaining steps and started banging the post in with the brick. Two blows in and all the concrete stuck to the brick shattered over my head. I was still brushing bits out of my hair whilst paying for my shopping.

To end on a high note I can say for definite that all five of the chickens are now laying. Payment pending we have sold our first dozen eggs to a neighbour. Now all we need is as many egg boxes as we can lay our hands on.

Hours Of Entertainment

Looking Hopeful

A few weeks ago we planted some onions outside and have been told on numerous occasions since that they wont grow. Well on the weekend we found the first shoots appearing and now there are around seven or eight. After that small success I thought id have a quick nip down to the greenhouse to check on the peas and beans albeit doubtfully. Once again to my surprise there were definite shoots on the broad bean side. Its been lovely to come home and say 'guess what, its growing.'

Unfortunately having the girls roaming free at lotty means they assume anything there is chicken fodder, including onion shoots. Not wanting them to go the same way as our pak choi and spinach it was time to construct a chicken barrier around them and at the same time protect the brussels plants. For the brussels I stuck 4 canes in the ground and tied some fabric mesh around while the chickens made the most of their last moments with them. Not being able to find any more suitable mesh for the onions I had to think again. The only other option was to make a cage around them. It wasnt long before I regretted putting the wire panels behind the shed and piling everything else in front of them. Standing precariously on the wood pile, wrestling with the panels took longer than making both barriers.

5 Chickens = Priceless

Ever since we got the first three girls we have always said its the best entertainment you could buy. They have so much personality, from the raptorseque run to Ritas middle aged woman tendencies. Other plot holders tell us how the chickens run along the fence to see them too. Brian has been looking after chicken Johns hens as he's not been well. He called me over and said he'd been bringing extra chicken mash (basically anything left over from the previous nights dinner) for our girls and they loved it. So the next day we took the remains of our Sunday dinner to lotty in a container and set it down in the run. We watched for ten minutes as Alison assaulted any of the grey hens who dared approach the food. She made allowances for Rita as they pretty much seem to be best friends. Even after Alison had had her fill the second the others went near she'd run over and give them a good nip (when I say nip its slightly more aggressive than that) on the neck. We couldnt stop laughing at them. Im quite sure the other girls are terrified of Alison when there's good food on the menu.

Having just discovered that four of the chickens are now laying it was a surprise yesterday to find 5 eggs in the coop. My first thought was I must have missed one the day before and it had been rolled into sight by one of the girls during the night. But this morning there were four eggs in the coop, none of which were Alisons (her eggs are very different from the other girls eggs.) This leads me to believe that Betty is also laying now, though I will give it a few more days before I say it for certain.

Having recently taken more of an interest in the other wildlife around lotty, iv been trying to find ways to attract more birds. Having built a bird feeding table and put the bird house back up, yesterday I bought a wooden feeder and some peanuts to hang on one of the plum trees. Im hoping if they realise there's a constant food supply in our plot they'll want to raise their chicks in our bird houses.

Its been cold and a bit wet lately but its still been a pleasure to spend time at lotty with our girls.

An Afternoon With The Girls

Some Survivors

Now despite the frosts two weeks ago Johns broad beans are still hanging on and growing, though the last beans taken from it were not of a standard to be eaten. Also the carrots I planted havnt all died yet so I am holding out some hope that they're going to grow into yummy carrots which also depends on them not being trampled by clawed feet. There is still no sign of the potatoes or onions yet and we may be disappointed but I havnt lost faith in them, even if it means they dont start growing until the spring. The peas and beans we planted in the greenhouse havnt put in an appearance yet either, but it does look like we have some mushrooms growing there (pity they're not in the boxes I tried growing them in.)

And Back To The Girls

I decided yesterday that come rain or shine I would be spending an afternoon with the chickens. Theres always that lovely moment when the chickens see me walking up the lane to our gate and run over to greet me. Five little beaked faces all looking at me expectantly. Not wanting to disappoint I popped into the hut to find the left over french stick id brought up in the morning. I thought we had lost two of the girls but quickly found them behind an apple tree where they'd made a new dust bath spot. Crouching down as much as I could so as not to get too muddly I filled my hands with bread and held it out. Seemingly my teeth looked like a better meal to Marge who had a good try at pecking them. It only confirms my fear that to them anything white must be bread which is why I always close my eyes when they're close to my face.

Now after my surprise at finding henry mouse last week im a bit more cautious when im moving things around in the hut. I did see him again running behind some shelves on Monday when I also saw a squirrel in lotty for the first time. Although I dont mind the mouse being around, or even eating the chicken food, I just wish he wouldnt make holes in the bag so when I pick the bag up layers pellets spill out onto the floor. My bird table seems to have been used by smaller birds which is a good sign, and I also put the bird house back up in the hope that the robin (who iv now named Beano Bobbin the Robin) will move in.

Having pretty much given the girls bread everyday I have been trying to find other little treats for them like peas left over from our dinner, which Alison doesnt seem too keen on. Today I bought some raisins and Im hoping these will go down well as they're relatively cheap and iv been trying to find something to satisfy Alisons sweet tooth. I'll also put a few down on the bird table as a treat for the robin.

The Wildlife Of Lotty

A Surprise For Picola

Not knowing what time John was going to arrive at lotty with the pork cobs I packed a few home comforts (tea, book, and mp3 player with an episode of Family Guy on) and headed over after dropping the blur off at school. Having also brought along the remains of our french stick the girls were even happier than usual to see me.

As John and his friend Richard were coming to pick up the generator I thought it might be helpful if I made space to move it and clear the clutter from on top of it. I picked up a deckchair cushion, screamed (or as much of a scream as im capable of) and ran out of the hut. Im really not scared of little creatures, it was just the surprise at finding a mouse in there. Whilst out of the hut during my scare I looked for the girls who were all at the bottom along the fence. I had to do a double take before I realised we hadnt acquired another black hen and it was a cat sitting quite happily amongst our girls. I ventured back inside talking to the mouse, who I have decided to call Henry, telling him that I didnt mind his presence, just try not to hide under things that im moving.

Having had a few more eggs than usual over the last few days im hopeful that we now have four layers, but I have to work out whether its Betty or Penny.

As with most of my blogs there is always so much I forget to write, so today I found myself some paper and a pen and decided to do a quick draft in the hut. Once again to my surprise, but without the screaming Henry ran across the floor trying to find his way out. I know I shouldnt really but I couldnt resist offering him a few small pieces of bread as he really is very sweet. What I cant quite work out is how he managed to drag an apple four or five times his size over to the generator, which is now covered in mouse droppings.

There are a few robins around lotty which John has fed biscuits to over previous winters. This year however may be slightly different as our girls have chased it off whenever its attempted to share their bread. Not wanting it to miss out on a bit of extra food over the winter im going to try and find him a little spot to feed from thats out of reach of bigger beaks. Iv taken a look at our wood pile and the possibility of building a bird table seems very likely.

Empty Greenhouses

The Last Of The Tomatoes
After the few mornings of frost we have had the tomato and chili plants finally gave up and it was time to pull them up and leave the fruits to ripen. Greenhouse one is now empty, which I suppose is better than it being full of wilting plants. We covered the potatoes we planted a few days ago with hay taken from the chicken coop, so Im hoping the chicken waste will help in the same way that manure does. Having planted out potatoes this week we also decided to plant some onion sets to see if there is any chance of them growing over the winter. John had a quick look in the bottom greenhouse to see if any of the peas or runner beans had started to appear, but came back telling me the only things growing in there were weeds.

There And Back With A Beak
When we arrived at lotty yesterday we could see Marge outside of the gate. With a bit of encouragement in the form of bread we managed to lure her back inside the confines of the fence and thought no more of it. Ten minutes later we found Marge hanging round the gate and watched for a while to see if we could figure out her escape route. It didnt take long before we were out of the gate to round her back up, though this time it was slightly harder as she hurried herself under a bush and headed off towards chicken Johns allotment. Finally back in I picked her up and took her down to the coop to be shut in the run for a while hoping this would stem her adventurousness for long enough for me to block any more escape routes. Id hardly turned my back on her when I realised that Marge was once more missing. This time she'd squeezed herself through the hedge into next doors plot which meant we'd pretty much just have to wait for her to come home by herself.

By the time we got to lotty in the evening to put the girls away she was in the coop, probably very ready to go to sleep after her busy day. I had worried her escapes were going to become a bit of a habit, but as we were there for a couple of hours this morning and she didnt get out once im hoping she's seen and done all the things she dreamt of and is now happy being a stay at home chicken like the others. When we were talking about Marge later in the day I hoped that she was going to write a travel guide for all the other allotment chickens, and John suggested that it would be call 'There and Back With A Beak.'

Quite a few people stopped and chatted with us today and the girls really do seem to be the biggest talking point. David came by and was telling us about when he lived on a farm as a boy, and how they used to supply eggs and milk for the whole village. My award for best chicken impersonation is going to David as he sounded even more chicken like than our girls.

First Frost And More Layers Than You Can Shake A Stick At

Letting The Girls Out

Yesterday being Johns birthday, I decided to let him have a lie in and went to let the girls out as soon as I thought it was light enough, that being 6:45. Thats not to say that I didnt think about letting them out earlier, but the thought of how cold it would be put me off slightly. What I wasnt ready for when I left the house was the frost. The mornings lately have been cold, but this really was something else for me. Rita and Alison hadnt been laying for a week or two, but to my surprise the was an Alison egg sitting in the nest. I like to think that she knows her eggs are Johns favorites and layed one especially for him to have for breakfast on his birthday. I did laugh a little bit when Marge padded off for a drink and seemed slightly confused as to why the water was hard. Given the freezing weather I hurried off home to say happy birthday and warm myself up a bit.

Picola Finds A Pallet

Back off to lotty in the afternoon I was there for five minutes before I realised I needed to go to the shops for some provisions. On my way there I noticed a wooden pallet in the car park of the high school next to the allotments, so on the way back I popped in and asked if I could have it assuming it would be the same size as the ones we normally get. Slightly off the mark it turned out to be about 6ft by 4 1/2 ft and extremely heavy. I do like to think that I can do everything myself, and I thought 'its not that far, i'll be fine.' I'll admit I should have gone and fetched John to help. What should be a two or three minute walk turned into a half an hour trek lugging or trying to drag the pallet which felt like it weighed as much as me. One jacket less and alot of sweat later I swung the gate to lotty open and announced that Santa had arrived. John seemed happy with my find and got to work straight away taking it apart. I did have a go at hammering the screwdriver underneath the planks and like every other time Im given a hammer to use I came away with a lovely bump and bruise on the top of my hand.

Roll On Spring

Yet another frosty morning today I decided it would be better to wear a few more clothes. So with a t-shirt, jumper, jacket and yet another jumper and two pairs of socks on we left the house and hoped I had enough clothes on to keep me warm, maybe tomorrow i'll pop on another top.

Rita and Betty came running out but Marge looked out and seemed to be in two minds as to whether or not she should go back to bed until the sun came out. Alison was sat cosily in the nest keeping all of the eggs warm. I did feel sorry for Rita who appears to have the same problem as me in keeping herself warm as she was standing up by the hut this morning with one foot off the ground shivering. Being Rita I think it probably meant 'John, im quite cold enough I think its time we were off home for a cup of tea and some toast.'

On our second trip of the day to lotty we got to work putting up the legs to the structure that is going to house our aquaponics system. Using wood from the pallet I found yesterday we attached the legs together and screwed in a few extra planks for stability. All we need now is the corrugated plastic for the roof and the tanks and we'll be able to start using the system.

Winters Coming

Wellies And Layers

Well im more than sure that winters on its way now. Dressing to let the girls out in the morning seems to be a case of wearing as many jumpers and jackets as we can find, and not to mention the wellies, best worn with John very long woolly socks. Mine and Johns wellies look exactly the same and there are a few times when I'll put his on by mistake, but whatever way you look at it at least our feet are keeping dry.

The girls are having to be put to bed earlier and earlier each week and its down to about 5pm now. Luckily if were a bit late they'll put themselves to bed, and I like to think on those days that Rita walks along saying 'come on girls, time for bed, lets show John and Nicola how good we can be.' Putting the girls to bed is not as much of a palaver as it used to be. A few claps behind them and they're running off home. The three gray chickens seem to be resigned to the fact its bedtime and go straight in, whereas Rita and Alison know they can string it out a bit longer by staying under the coop once in the run. Were only getting one egg a day at the moment, which could be for a variety of reasons, like shorter days or they're going through molt.

The water at the allotments was turned off last Thursday so its been time to sort out the water butts. As always we have found our own ways of attaching pipes to all the gutters and they seem to be working. The only thing I hadnt thought about when I found out the water was turned off every year was that we still needed to give the chickens water. So come Saturday (the water butts not being full) we drove to lotty with a bucket and two plastic containers full of water. Given that none of the containers had lids and the area we live in has more than its fair share of speed bumps we had a very wet car by the time we got there. It probably didnt help that we the container our new fish were given to us in also didnt have a lid so even more water was sloshed about on the way home too.

Planting and Pulling

Yesterday it was once more time to pull up more of our plants. The courgette and outside chili are now gone and the weed barriers have been taken in ready for use next year. Whilst I was pulling up plants, John was busy digging over one of the old sweetcorn patches as we'd found some potatoes suitable for planting. After adding a bit of blood, fish and bone to the soil I popped the spuds in and were hoping that with a few tricks we've learned on protecting potato plants over winter we'll be eating our own potatoes again by the beginning of next year.

In my seed planning over the last few weeks I found that at least one lot of peas were plantable at this time of year. We had a little look around until John suggested that we plant them in the floor of greenhouse two. After more digging from John we had a row of Feltham First peas in the ground. After asking if we had any more bean type plants that could be planted I found some broad beans and they went into the greenhouse floor too. Were hoping to get a few onions planted in pots in the greenhouse too before long, and if we can find any other veg to go in there it'll be planted soon enough.

Ready For Winter

Spreadsheets And Google Maps

I pretty much spent the beginning of the week sorting through all the packets of seeds we have, putting them into envelopes and writing the sowing instructions on them. Once that was done I made myself a spreadsheet and had a few hours ticking off what could be sown in each month saving us the hassle of having to go through all the packets every month. Now we can just look at the sheet and pull out the seeds we need. That being my part in the organisation of next years plantings, it was Johns turn to have a little go at planning. He found a satellite picture of lotty on the internet, cropped it and then made boxes around all of our planting areas so that I could edit it to show the exact planting positions of all our crops next year.

Having talked recently about planting potatoes over winter I found a bag of spuds in the cupboard which looked in a condition ready to be planted. Having not yet completed the growing plan I am still thinking of a good position for them where the weather wont affect them too much during the cold weather.

The other task I had to under take was the cleaning of greenhouse two. Like every job at lotty I was joined by the girls who stayed and kept me company and tried not to complain too much every time I turned around and nearly fell over one of them.

Bonding With Betty

Its been a lovely week with the girls so far. On Tuesday I took in some bread for them and sat on the steps of the hut to hand feed them. As the jostling for the best position came to a head they realised the prime seats were on my lap. Its not something they ever really do so any extra moments like that are welcome as it shows they trust us (especially the new girls who still arnt quite as comfortable with us as Rita and Alison are,)

Yesterday after letting the girls out I was slightly worried that Betty was still in the coop as she is usually the first out. I put my head in to see where she'd got to and was surprised to see her sitting in the nest. To begin with I assumed Id got it wrong and it was Betty not Marge laying, until I went back to lotty later in the day to find Betty out of the coop but looking under the weather. Usually the girls will run off if you try and touch them without food being in your hand, but as I bent down to stroke Betty she didnt move a muscle. Hoping that she wouldnt mind I picked her up and spent ten minutes stroking her back which she seemed to appreciate. Still slightly worried about her she was the first girl I looked for the next time we got to lotty. By bedtime she was already in the coop and looking even more under the weather. I was worrying most of the night as to how she would be this morning. I tentatively opened the coop door today and Betty came running out like yesterday had never happened. It was a relief to see her back to her normal self, fighting the others to get the best food. She also seems to be more comfortable with me today, standing still to let me stroke her back rather than running off like the others do.

Whilst Betty was not so well yesterday, the others made up for it by escaping into the wide world of lotty lanes as I was informed by three separate people this morning. So today I have had to scour the fence and hedge for signs of an escape route. I put metal mesh against the bottom of the hedges and repaired any parts of fence I deemed big enough for the chickens to squeeze through, and am hoping it'll be enough to keep them in.

Breakfast At Lottington

Sausages and Fresh Eggs

It was a bit of a chilly walk up the lane first thing this morning despite the sun shining, so we couldnt wait to get into the sunshine at lotty. Once inside the gates it was straight off to let the girls out, and not a moment too soon by the looks of it. Four feathery bums (Alison decided to take her time coming out) were high in the air while they got their first taste of grass for the day. There was one egg in the coop (Marges) which was still lovely and warm. While John got on with lighting the fires and chopping down a bit more of the hedge I ambled off home to pick up the Blur and some provisions for the day.

By the time we got back the fire was nearing cooking temperature so off into the hut I went to chop up some mushrooms and wrap them in foil with our sausages. By this time Rita and Alison had laid their eggs for the day so having three eggs now John put on a pot of water to boil. The sausage and mushroom sandwiches were just what we needed but the real treat was extremely fresh hard boiled eggs. They'd not travelled more than a few metres from nest to our bellies, though I hope the girls wernt watching and wondering what we were doing to their eggs.

Pellets and Pots

After our lotty feast it was off to Newstead to get the girls some more food. While it was just Rita and Alison the food hardly seemed to go down at all, but with three more mouths to feed the pellets have been going down quite quickly. They were hand fed a few this afternoon and gobbled them down at lightening speed, even after being given bread, melon, grapes and worms to eat.

I started pulling up the weeds that had grown up around the inside edge of greenhouse two and put a few boards down to try and stop them coming up even more over the winter. Then it was time to sort out the plant pots. John put the water boiler over the fire and between us we cleaned around 250 little pots, with John on hot, bleachy water duty and me on cold water rinsing. Part of me wanted to do the hot water part but only up to the point where the water was boiling and couldnt have put my hands in it if I had wanted to.

As is usual for a Saturday were now at home smelling of smoke and ready for a cup of tea and something to eat. There were lots of people around the allotments today (most probably due to the committee meeting) but I seem to have seen alot of new faces this week. The chickens seem to be the stars of lotty though as everybody asks after them whenever they pass. Its been a good week at lotty, being that we've had lots to do, so lots of time spent there. I have more planning to do next week as we have all our seeds at home so I can plan out what and when we can start planting for next year.

Once again thank you John and Blur for a lovely day at lotty.

Plans, Plans And More Plans

Saturday

After coming home one day last week with a new innovation (for us at least) for growing veg at lotty, John was up bright and early on Saturday morning and off to get some legs for the shelter to our upcoming aquaponics system. He came home with a car full of metal legs and hundreds of nuts and bolts which had spilt out in the back of the car. Having breakfasted on some of our girls beautiful eggs it was off to lotty for a hard days work. On arrival the car was unloaded and it was down to business. Whilst I cleaned out the chicken coop, John was at the top of lotty clearing up and chopping down part of the hedge. We decided that it would look nicer if all of the wood, glass and bits of metal were around the side and back of the Charlton Heston shed. This may not sound like alot of work but there was plenty that needed to be shifted. Whilst I was getting rid of the broken bits of glass I found several sheets of pvc sheets, which when put together said The Agony Aunt Family. We have no idea why it was there but it kept me amused for a few minutes.

Meanwhile the Blur was up in the pear tree making herself a tree house. She started out with a blanket, a piece of corrugated plastic and a plastic sheet and seemed quite happy up there for a while. I took a sheet of wood from the hut and placed it up there as a more sturdy seat. John thought it would be better if it were nailed down, and so off up the tree he went with hammer and nails in hand. The Blur seemed to like this new house and the next time I passed the tree she was led down in her house reading a comic.

As is normal for a Saturday a fire was lit. John found an old dustbin type water boiler and took it down to the fire and it wasnt long before we have some lovely warm water to dip our hands into.

I finally decided that it was time to take down the runner bean plants. They have given us so much and I was holding out pulling them up in the hope they still had a bit more to give, but I know when enough is enough.

Sunday

On Sunday morning it was off to let the girls out and collect the eggs. With one of the new girls laying were getting three eggs most days now. Having raved about Alisons amazing eggs to anyone who'll listen, we decided to give one to David. In return for the egg he gave us a punnet full of brussels sprouts and five huge carrots, which solved my problem of what veg we were going to have with our Sunday dinner. The sprouts were about the ones I have ever eaten and John kept passing them from his plate to mine as he said he'd never heard me go on so much about one piece of veg. Even the Blur managed to get two down her.

Dinner and washing up done and dusted it was off to lotty to carry on with our plans for the auqaponics. This entailed digging a big trench as our starting block. Im not sure how many trips down to our soil pile this took but my hands were extremely sore by the time we'd finished (John thinks we shifted about a ton of soil.) The Blur during all this was swapping jobs frequently, she did a bit of stone collecting, a bit of digging and lots of raking. Once the hole was finished we thought it would be good to see if we could jump over it. Given that its roughly three metres long me and the Blur didnt stand much chance. Luckily the Blur took the driest side for her attempts, whereas I on the other hand managed to pick a spot that had just had water tipped into it. Needless to say my trainers were a bit muddy by the end of it all. John cleared the ditch on his first attempt, despite him wearing boots.

Monday

Though not much was actually done on Monday I had a big planning session for what and where we are going to grow things next year. I listed everything we wanted to grow, then drew out two plans. This left me with a big patch that would need to be dug over. I also had to go to a place near lotty to find out about a big tank which we'll be needing next year. We have all we need to know about sourcing our aquaponics systems components and it'll be coming together as and when we have the materials.

Having forgotten to check for a few days, I had a look at our sole surviving chili plant which is outside and im happy to say the chilis are finally turning red. Hopefully it'll only be a few more days before it is completely red.

Tuesday

Now having said there was a big patch that would need to be dug over, that was my main task for today. Arriving at lotty it was straight down to the coop to let the girls out and check for eggs. There were two already in there but after the telling off I got from Alison on Sunday for taking eggs I thought it would be for the best if I left egg collecting until after Ali had left the coop, by which time there were three eggs all of which she had sat on herself.

Then to the digging. It seemed like a never ending task, but was manageable with the help of a flask of tea and a packet of biscuits. During one break I sat on the bench surrounded by chickens who all seemed to think that my legs were food. It wasnt long before I was laughing at the situation and being glad that we had them around to keep me company.

Its been a very productive few days and reminiscent of the summer when there was always an abundance of jobs to be done. Thank you John and Blur for giving me a lovely weekend.

Fun With Chickens

Money Well Spent

Having had the new hens for a week now were starting to recognise their personalities. They have been more adventurous, and innovative in the last few days than the others have been since being given the run of the allotment. They have realised they can reach grapes higher up the vine by jumping, which has provided us with plenty of entertainment, having not seen Rita or Alison do this until the new girls arrived. They have ventured inside the hut for the first time and one has explored the shed.

Betty has so far shown the most personality of the new girls. She quickly got the hang of eating out of our hands but seems to think our hands are also food. She likes to chase us around assuming we have something for us and if our hands are just dangling by our sides she will have a peck to see what she gets. This would be fine if she was gentle like the others, but she tends to be a bit rough.

Rita and Alison are starting to get used to having other chickens around and its nice to see them all together when we walk into lotty. Thats not to say they wont still give them a peck as Alison proved when Betty kept stealing the pieces of apple that were being offered to her.

Also to prove their adventurousness we have been informed that we had our very own episode of chicken run. One of the new girls managed to find a hole in the fence big enough to squeeze through and escape. Luckily chicken George spotted her and got her back in, and also covered a hole he thought she had escaped through.

In Other News

This week we have picked the last of the runner beans and they are on the agenda to be taken down this weekend. The carrots we planted out a week or two ago have started to appear which I myself am rather pleased with as I thought it might have been too late for anything to happen. Despite the weather the Blurs cucumber plant outside is still thriving and we have several good sized fruits growing from it. There were two small melons on the outside plant, but it looks as if one if the chickens thought it would be fun to pick it off and run it halfway down lotty.

One of the sunflowers has been acting strange and has around ten heads running up the very top of the stalk. We have taken the heads off of the other sunflowers and are drying them out so we can give the seeds to the chickens and the Blurs hamster Bam.

My dad came for the night and had a good look around lotty. He went back to Bristol with a bag of goodies from lotty and a recipe for pumpkin pasta. I did also let him know that pumpkin pie tastes alot better than you would imagine.

John came home from work yesterday with an idea for growing tomatoes and other similar plants, which is going to give us some work to do over the weekend and me something to write on Monday.

Way Over Due

Lots To Update
Its been a while now since I last blogged and so much has happened. We no longer have a sweetcorn alley. The last of the cobs were salvaged and then with a bit of effort the stalks were pulled up. We were keeping the cobs in a box in the shed, but since we now have a mouse around the place they had to be put up higher where they wouldn't get eaten. Greenhouse two is nearly empty after having to pull up most of the plants. The melon plant gave us a few melons, and after letting one ripen a bit we had a taste. It was just as good as we could have wanted, not that the chickens were too bothered when we gave them some.
The purple carrots have also been used. It was great to see them. The purple outside runs a little way into the carrot and then its orange again. They have a much gentler taste than the normal carrots which I prefer as im not too keen on carrots in the first place.

We have an abundance of runner beans which are hanging in the shed to dry out so that we can use the actual beans (father beans.) These too had to be moved out of the way of tiny paws.

Old Girls And New Girls
After the trauma of losing Cairo, Rita was a bit under the weather for a few days. Alison really came out of herself and took charge, trying to keep things as normal as possible. She started to trust us more, and eat from our hands. She has a bit of a taste for pears, apples and plums and for some reason she likes to have a peck at peoples shoes. Rita on the other hand prefers grapes. Given the chance I expect she would eat the whole vine.

We have now let the girls roam free around the allotment and its amazing to watch them find bugs in the dug patches. Both girls will join us if were digging and pick up worms or centipedes. Rita always does a lovely run when she spots a butterfly or fly around the place and its funny to watch her catch them. Its been amazing to have them so close to us and to see their personalities come out.

Having had Rita and Alison for around ten weeks now we decided it was time to get some more. It took a few phone calls as the farmers wife had just had a baby, but finally on Saturday we were off to get the new girls. Having gotten hens all the same colour last time we thought it would be nice to have a bit of variety this time and were going to go for three differently coloured hens. Unfortunately when we got to the shed there were only black or silver girls there. So after a bit of a kerfuffle in the coop John handed me the girls and we were soon off to lotty to get a better look at them. They were named as they came out of the box. Firstly there was Betty who can be distinguished by the brown patch on her breast and her exceptionally dark eyes. Second was Penny who has a medium sized crop, and lastly Marge who has the largest but palest crop.

Rita and Alison came over for a look and to be honest I'm not sure they were too impressed. There was a whole lot of clucking and pecking before their disgust at the new arrivals drove them back to the top of lotty where John was waiting with a handful of grapes. Ritas personality has started to really give us a laugh over the past few days. We imagine that she has the voice of a middle aged upper class woman who doesn't realise she is a chicken, and likes to complain to John about 'those bloody chickens'.

The girls do now seem to be getting along. It was lovely to walk into lotty yesterday and see them all in the same place, side by side. I usually head straight for the coop to check for eggs, and after giving her a call Rita will join me, though yesterday it was Marge who followed which was great to know they were getting used to us and not seeing us as so much of a threat. The new girls havnt yet eaten from our hands but I'm sure it wont be too long. Maybe a good session of digging for worms will encourage them a bit more.

Goodbye Cairo

A Fox In The Run

Its been a while since I last blogged, and quite alot has happened in that time. We have sprayed our veg for flies and caterpillars, planted over 100 trees, and planted some cabbages. But most of the news is on the chickens. Its been quite a strange week with them really. Having not had much time around lotty this week it was nice to have to clean the coop out so I could spend a bit of time with the girls. They all seemed happy to have me there. Rita was in and out of the coop checking to see if it was ready for her yet. Cairo found a seat for herself on the wheelbarrow, which, whilst being slightly inconvenient, it was nevertheless lovely to have her with me. The second I had finished Rita was straight in arranging her little nest. I watch her for five minutes, then came back to check on her progress regularly. She hadnt laid by the time I left, but I suppose its not the easiest thing to do.

When we returned later that evening to put them to bed there were a few strange things around the coop. Firstly Rita cowered when I went near her which is unusual as she is the most sociable, and I had to pick her up to put her in as she wouldnt move. The other two were already in the coop, which is unusual in itself unless Rita is already in there. Whilst putting Rita in, John told us to come and look at what he'd found. In the corner of the run was a soft shelled egg. I googled it the next day and the possibilities were either Rita had, had a shock and just dropped it where she was standing, or it was one of the other twos first attempt at and egg.

Yesterday (Saturday) we were away most of the day and didnt get back to put the girls away until around 7:30. Walking down towards the coop I could see that something wasnt right. The food had been knocked over, Alison was outside the run and the other two wernt visible. After getting Alison into the coop, we found Rita curled up in her nest and was quickly joined by Alison. Cairo unfortunately was missing. Given the feathers scattered around the run, and the fact that there had been an obvious disturbance we can only assume she was taken by a fox.

Cairo was a lovely girl. She was working her way to the top of the pecking order and despite her position in the hierarchy she was still willing to fight it out with Rita for the biggest worms and best dust bath spot. Im just glad she had a happy life with us in the time that she had here.

Nuclear Cucumbers and Melons

Charlton Heston

Ever since we saw the writing in the shed saying 'Charlton Heston, Planet of the Apes 1968' there have been a few strange coincidences surrounding it. Firstly, John went to watch the film in 1968 just before he turned ten, and we found the message just before the Blur turns ten. Secondly we have just found out that Charlton Heston died this year. For anyone else this may not seem odd, but its been a bit of a talking point. All these little things that seem to have coincided with each other. Its just a shame we'll probably never know why it was written there in the first place.

Seeds At Last

I had waited for over a week for the postman to bring me the new seeds and finally they arrived yesterday. I opened the envelope and pulled out the two little bags, and then the growing instructions. Its not as simple a process as I was expecting but none the less im giving it a go. The first thing on the list is to place them in a bowl of hand hot water for twenty four hours. Now they are sitting in the kitchen waiting for me to get on with the next step this afternoon. From these instructions I have learned that germination may take anything up to five months, so a little patience is in order. In the meantime I have two other projects which should keep me busy and stop the itchy feet.

Those Cucumbers And Melons Again

I know I have talked about them quite alot recently but while some things take time to grow the cucumbers and melons are sprouting up left, right and centre. When Brian popped in the other day to see the chickens, he looked at the melon plants and pretty much said they didnt have a chance. Well just yesterday I found another big one. Not eating size just yet, but at the rate they're growing it wont be too long. I cant wait to be able to take one down and show him that it can be done. We have three big ones inside, with many more going the same way, and one even bigger one outdoors.

Since sitting the cucumber plant in a big bowl of water the cucumbers have swollen visibly day by day. Im sure it wont be long before we're giving them away as there are so many on the plant, that if they ripen at the same time we'll be over run with them just like we have been with the courgettes.

On the pumpkin front, there are now an abundance of them. Philip has four good sized fruits with lots of new ones growing all the time. Patrick, after a slow start is growing into a monster just like Philip. Though the fruits may be smaller for now they have turned out to be just as enthusiastic as the ones on Philip.

Our Girls

We have had the chickens for nearly two weeks now and they seem to be enjoying their new lives at lotty. Most days we have arrived to find that at least one has escaped from the run, this is usually Cairo, although Alison has been regularly joining her for an adventure in the big wide world. Rita has escaped once or twice, but I thinks she knows where she is better off. We are getting an egg a day now, but were not quite sure if Alison is laying or not. The general routine when the girls escape is for one of us to hold the gate open and one to round them up. I have had to do it alone once, and on finding something to prop the gate open with and being sure that Rita was happy to stay in the run it wasnt so hard. Yesterday John put a net over the gate posts and the gate, as their preferred method of escape is to jump up to the gate then exit. We arrived after that to find all three girls safely in the run. I have got my coop cleaning down to a tee now, its not the nicest job in the world, but its lovely when you put your head in after and it smells of fresh hay and wood shavings. The shed we moved over the weekend has now become a mini barn, and its far easier to get everything in and out.

Putting the chickens away at night has become easier. Cario and Rita go in first, the Blur taking Cairo and me taking Rita. Then once Alison has realised the other two are in she'll hop up in there herself. Im pleased that Alison has worked that out herself as it gives her the little bit of personality that has until now been a bit lacking.

Chicken Run

A Beautiful Sunday

Slightly later than our normal Sunday mornings, we didnt arrive at lotty until half past eight to let the girls out. As John usually does this on his way to work it was a little treat for me to see them getting up in the morning. John has been telling me all week about how Cairo escapes the run every morning, but id never seen it myself. Well now I have. She was not too hard to round up as she didnt appear to actually want to be out of the run and all it took was to follow her around the fence and back in through the gate.

We picked a few apples so that I could make apple sauce for our roast pork dinner and some runner beans, which seem to have a new crop every day.

In The Wars Again

It was back to lotty in the afternoon with a charged drill battery to do a bit more work on our new/old shed. Not having much to do on it, I made a start on improving the Blurs swing. As the steel wire was not so flexible I removed it and replaced it with some material that we'd found in the old shed. Both John and the Blur looked dubious as they thought the material wouldnt be strong enough. But I told the Blur that I would test it first, and that if it could hold my weight it would definitely hold her. Early on in this task John came down from the shed and told us a plank of wood had just fallen on his head. I took a look and there was a big red blood spot under the skin. It looked nasty but John assured us that he was ok. He had a little rest and watched the chickens before resuming his task. After her bee sting and falling over on Saturday the Blur won the award for having the worst war wounds. Sunday was Johns turn. I hope they are both feeling better, and that today will not bring any more injuries.

Swing finished I tentatively sat down and hoped it wouldnt snap. Luckily it was safe and the Blur sat down for her turn. I did make a few adjustments, like putting a plastic strip around the branch it was hanging from to stop the majority of friction, so the rope wouldnt be slowly cut through.

Glass Roof

That done, I went up to see if I could help John in any way with the shed roof. Now we dont always have exactly what we need at lotty, but we have become adept at improvising. We didnt have enough planks of wood to make a shed roof, but what we did have was a whole pile of old doors. So after picking three very similar ones, John hoisted them up and screwed them to the top of the shed. It may sound like an unusual idea, but with a glass roof it has the potential to be a semi greenhouse, as we will soon be needing more room. It still needs a door, but we did well by getting most of it fixed in just two days. When we started it on Friday, we noticed some writing just above the door. The first bit was obvious and said 'Charlton Heston,' but after that it needed a bit of guesswork. I thought it said Charlton Heston plants ?something? the aps 1968, and as there were no other suggestions we decided it must be something cryptic. When we got home I googled Charlton Heston 1968 and came up with Planet of the Apes. Mystery kind of solved, other than why exactly did someone write it there in the first place.

Another Chicken Run

When John has told me about chickens escaping its always been Cairo, but not this time. After getting Rita and Cairo in (they're easier to catch as they both assume if the Blur and I are in the run we have something for them and come over.) So as the Blur and I converged on Alison she took a good run up and sat on the roof of the coop. After a few bouts of arm waving at her she flew off over the fence and into lotty. The Blur did try and catch her first but ended up driving her the wrong way so that going in the gate was less of an option. So telling Blur to hold the gate I went after Alison who thought her escape would come through the hedge. Fortunately in all her dithering I was able to grab her and put her to bed for the night. But thank you Alison for providing John with an amusing few minutes of watching us chase a chicken.

Moving And Swinging

Up Early Again

Once again we were up and off to McDonalds for our traditional team cheeky monkey Saturday morning breakfast. Before this whilst the Blur and I were still getting dressed John popped up to lotty to let the girls out, and brought us an egg home. So with our bellies full it was time for us to work it all off. John got busy repairing the floor of the shed, and I got on with cleaning out the coop. After the first clean out we decided to put down a bit of tarpaulin in the coop so as to just pull it out along with the hay, wood chip and a few unmentionables. After the first run carrying wood shavings down from the hut I changed method and put the next two bucket fulls in the wheelbarrow, and unsurprisingly managed to tip it up. Luckily it just missed the new rows of herbs we planted last week.

Brian came in for a look at the girls and devastated John by ruthlessly pulling off the unwanted leaves from our tomatoes. The next task for me was to pull apart an old pallet so we could use the planks of wood as a new floor for the shed. I did manage to hit myself in the wrist a few times with the hammer before I get the hang of it and was pulling the boards off within seconds after that. As with the hammering it took a while to get the knack of pulling the pins out of the planks, but i got there in the end and it didnt take long for us to have a brand spanking new floor for our shed.

During all of the work the Blur was stung by a bee. After a few seconds of flapping she gave me her arm so I could pull the stinger out and she let John suck the rest of it out. I was very proud of her for not crying and in no time she was over it all. When we'd done what we were going to in the morning John and the Blur made a swing in the pear tree, using an old stool seat and some steel wire.

After a bit of dinner at home, giving us a chance to get a flask of tea and a change of clothes (at least for me because it was more dress than jeans weather). Then back to lotty to do what we could on the shed. As it may be used as a green house in the future we put a glass roof on the shed and there are plans for a glass door too. With not much else for me to do there other than bandage up the Blur who's been in the wars today, I took myself into greenhouse 1 to start making up pots of compost ready for the arrival of my special project seeds which should be with us by the beginning of next week.

We had a bit of a play around by the fire, throwing on all the bits of netting we found while we were clearing out the shed, and I found a little blue/green flame and John told us we'd thrown on some copper wire which burnt that colour. John the secretary came in with his two grand daughters to see the chickens and told John he was a bit of a celebrity now. We must have the best hens in all of the allotments (but we already knew that).

With nothing much else to do without a charged drill battery, we headed of to the Chinese, to pick up some food and it was mine and the Blurs chance to learn how to use chopsticks. Took a bit of getting used to but we got there in the end.

Thank you John and Blur Blur for a lovely day at lotty.

Worms Glorious Worms

Doddy Little Egg

Running to the coop yesterday I told the Blur not to tell me if there were any eggs in Ritas nest site. She managed to keep a straight face until I got my head in and pulled out the tiniest little chicken egg that I have ever seen. It took me a while to stop laughing and thank Rita, though I dont think the Blur found it as amusing as I did. I showed John when he arrived and he gave more of the reaction that I did. Never the less its an egg and were grateful for any that we get.

Still with all the sun and rain were getting in roughly equal measures our fruit and veg are doing great. The melon (outside) is soon going to need support to hold the fruit up, and the runner beans seem to spring up from nowhere over night. As cucumbers are marsh plants we bought a big bowl, stood the plant in and filled it with water. It seems to be enjoying it and the fruits are swelling slightly faster now, so hopefully it wont be too long before were having some with our salad and in our sandwiches.

A Fun Afternoon In Tommy Cooper

Yesterday John sliced off a corner of grass to give the chickens the start of a dust bath. Rita was straight in there and loving all the bugs she found. John also put the lumps of grass back into the coop and Rita very quickly made both corners hers. Whenever Cairo or Alison came near she was chase them off. Watching her trying to protect both of her territories was very funny, but what was funnier was when she found a huge worm and ran as fast as she could, closely followed by Alison who wanted a piece of the action but without putting in the hard work. So, knowing that they enjoyed worms John and I set about digging up a few and giving hand feeding a try. Well obviously Rita was the first to get the hang of it (the second she saw one hanging out of my hand) and ran over. She even realised they were in the tin I had and started poking her nose in there. Cairo was slightly more suspicious to begin with, but was soon clamouring against Rita for a piece of the action. Alison, being slightly dormant most of the time wasnt too fussed. If one was thrown her way she go for it and even tussle with the others but she wasnt prepared to take one from either mine of Johns hands.

It was a fun half an hour, in the afternoon and I wouldnt have missed it for anything. We did have to wait a while on arrival for Rita to get out of her nest to see if she'd laid, and eventually after a bit of a snooze, she ventured outside into the rain and revealed another egg to us.