Thursday, March 02, 2006

A Smiley Day Today

Eggs - Total to date: 264 - Day 117

KoKKo 88 (86grms) 29.11.2005 Personal best weight
Adelaide 88 (80grms) 26.02.2006 *New Personal best weight*
Ginger 88 (78grms) 22.2.2006 Personal best weight



Eighty eight eggs each - I can't believe it! So many in such a short space of time.

Boy oh boy oh boy was it cold this morning.- it still is – but at least the sun came out.

The ground was frozen solid – hard as rock – the girls didn’t seem to mind though – as usual. They are still scratching around in the wood chips and a blackbird is sitting on the pergola watching them. If he thinks that he is in with a chance of a morsel he is mistaken.

We went into town early-ish this morning to get some things for the garden – trying to grab a bargain before they were sold out. I managed to get most of what I wanted. Two cold frames – they called them mini greenhouses but you would have to be 18 inches tall for it to be so. I got a couple of hats to keep the rain off – Pat laughed when I modelled them – and so did quite a few customers – well, its good to bring a smile to some of the stern winter faces isn’t it? I got two as I need one up the allotment – and tools etc always seem to be in the place that I am not when I want them. I.e. here when I need them up the lottie and there when I need something when I am gardening! I bought a couple of those polythene cloches – which will probably drive me demented trying to assemble them, a new fork and a new rake. It will be a real treat to use something brand new never been used before, and not rusted up or rotted or held together with gutta tape! I shall christen them both just as soon as the soil is soft enough to dig! Pat was off getting other things whilst I was browsing the gardening bargains for the day. He bought some fresh fruit and 10 bars of plain continental chocolate – our 4 squares a day – essential for a good heart! Mine sure feels good whilst I tuck in every night to them – so it must be working.

Talking of tucking in – here is what I had for lunch. It is our Thursday treat of eggs and wedges, and I decided to have a smiley face. Pat wanted a slice of organic bacon, so it has turned out more of a grimace with smudged lipstick.



The eggs are from KoKKo and Adelaide, the potatoes are Cara – my home grown – thanks Cara for giving up your life and your skin to make my wedges, and the organic pig was called Smokey – at least I think that was his name as it said ‘Smokey Bacon’ on the label!!!

It was really tasty - despite how I made it look!

I nominated today ‘Smiley Day’ some of us have been in the ‘glums’ now and again lately – weather and health giving us a touch of the blues.

Now that it is March though and spring should be on the way (sooner rather than later hopefully) I decided to buy a couple of bunches of tulips - those lovely bright droopy sort which I just love.



I scrunched up some chicken wire and put it into this very old vase I had, cut some conifer from the hedge and just placed them in it to flop about. I took this photo, then moved them to the low oval coffee table in front of the patio door where the sun is shining on them - and they are lighting up the room.

Pat just came in with a choc ice for me - and remarked how beautiful they look - for a man to notice such things they must be looking good!

The chooks have just had left over pancake from last night – just a wee bit and some ripened pears and are tucking into come broccoli leaves that I have just ripped off the stems and put into their cabbage cage. I have chopped up tiny little bits of bacon fat to give them just before roosting time – they’ll love that.

Three eggs again today – all lovely and brown, there is hardly any difference in their colours lately.

Our snow has thawed and gone now – I hope those of you that still have it are snuggled up nice and warm.

A short while ago, the opening bars from a Glenn Miller song (from my door bell) announced there was someone at my door. Another reason to smile. A book for Pat and another for me - which I ordered ages ago. Pat's is about West Ham - the football team he supports and mine is - yes a cookery book. The River Cottage Family Cookery book. I got it for a fraction of the price it was a Christmas - so I shall be trying out some recipes and letting you know how they turned out! Off to sit in the conservatory for a read.

Thank you for logging on to take a look at my daily ramblings - and for leaving all your comments - I really enjoy reading them.

13 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:26 pm

    You have certainly brought a smile to my face today.

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  2. Anonymous4:50 pm

    well i wish you were my neighbor, with your bright upbeat attitude, and self motivated personality! i do have one neighbor who is much like that, she cooks up a storm, but doesnt have an interest in art, gardening or animals....
    i tend to have motivation in a seasonal way...VERY motivated in Spring...my attitude and appendages thawing with the sunshine and warmth of longer daytime hours.... by end Summer i am melted and let the garden go rampant...maybe i will do better this year (i always hope to improve) i must admit i am a lazy gardener...i really should be one of those folks to use black weed blocking plastic to mulch with....i hate the look though...i do need to do this however, knowing my lax weeding abilities...hee,hee,hee...

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  3. We are neigbours aren't we - cyber ones!
    I know what you mean ahout the black membrane - awful - and the weeds grow through after a few years.

    Never mind a 'wild garden' is all the rage at the moment.

    Should still be in fashion this year too

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  4. I grow tulips, when they bloom will post pictures. patsy

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  5. I grow them too - but it is way to early for them yet - they are just poking above the ground and come after the daffs

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  6. yes if you would give me a plug i would love it I want to find more blogs in England , I read yours every day. I laughed when you used the machine to pull the air out of your bread. I study your picture to see what is in the back ground. Any thing England is my cuppa tea.patsy

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  7. Tis done - check out my links on the right

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  8. ok i did delete your email address but i printed it out first and am going to emails direct from time to time with pictures and questions. patsy poor

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  9. http://sapodilla.blogspot.com/ i know i'll lose you for ever when you read this blog. you will never come back me. you will be in guanna from now on but just had to let you see it. talk about different lives. patsy

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  10. Anonymous11:05 pm

    Hi AL!
    You've done it again! lifted me out of the doldrums! THANK YOU!

    Poor Pat , bet his lunch was cold by the time you'd finished your 'David Bailey ' Session LOL!

    Hope the old bones (yours not Pats' He He) are not complaining too much? Sending healing/comforting vibes your way.... nite nite

    Sandie (must get my own blog...)

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  11. Thanks Sandie

    He was eating his lunch whilst mine was getting cold.

    I should have edited the picture - it was more colourful in real life!

    But it was just a bit of fun to make you all smile on a lousy day.

    Seems to have done the trick

    Go on - get yourself a blog - you will be brilliant at it.

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  12. Anonymous8:05 pm

    I love reading about you and your girls, but I must make sure that my chooks don't ever read your blog. I can't have them expecting hot meals and visits several times a day!

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  13. Molly .........thanks

    You just can't resist them. They can see us eating lunch - well Adelaide can, she stands on the dust bath roof or the Eglu and looks all around. I am sure she tells the others what we are eating.

    She knows that after lunch one of us will go out at sometime to get a choc ice. If it is Pat they give him a cursory look and carry on doing what they are doing, as they know he'll not give them anything. If it is me they race to the gate and start calling out to me! Not loudly - just a friendly sort of noise and if I don't got over to see them they don't make a fuss.

    Such fun!

    ReplyDelete

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