Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Sunshine on a frosty day

Norfolk Lasses Eggs Total to Date: 353 Day:154

KoKKo 118 Personal best egg weight 86grms 29.11.2005
Adelaide 118 Personal best egg weight 80grms 26.02.2006
Ginger 117 Personal best egg weight 80grms 27.03.2006

London Ladies Bantam Eggs Total to date: 32 Day:22

Dilly 11 Personal best egg weight 36grm 27.03.2006
Freckles 12 Personal best egg weight 37grms 28.03.2006
Pumpkin 9 Personal best egg weight 35 grms 01.04.06


It was like looking out on a winter wonderland scene again early this morning - thick, hard, cold frost.

The water in the bird feeders was frozen solid, so too in the chicken water peanuts. They didn't seem to mind though and were out and about and bright and chirpy. Particularly Freckles who has been shrieking all day. For absolutely no reason. I kept going out there to see what was up and nothing - she was just doing it for the sake of it. I never knew that such a loud noise could come of out such a small body and she didn't let up!

I picked her up and gave her a cuddle and she quietened down, then as soon as I put her down she started again. Then Pumpkin joined in. It was a really dreadful.

I thought maybe that she wanted to rejoin the big chickens so took the fencing down, but that made no difference she just ran off shrieking when no one was near her. I checked her over and there was no apparent reason for it.

She did dive in the other Eglu and plonk herself down in the nest much to their annoyance, then Pumpkin ran in after her, and seemed to be making a pip pipping noise and paced up and down worriedly - so I took Pumpkin out and put her back in her own Eglu nest.

By this time Ginger had run inside the London Ladies long run and plonked herself down in their dust bath which is in a red square washing up bowl. She sat there dusting herself and flicking all the dirt out over the run, and was there for over half and hour - looking blissfully happy.

When she eventually came out she chased Dilly, the only one not inside, so I put the fencing back up. I checked on Freckles and she had finally laid an egg and settled down, enjoying a cuddle and being made a fuss of, then I put her back with the others. This was just after lunch. Pumpkin too laid an egg and Dilly had laid one first thing.

Adelaide, Ginger and KoKKo did too, so another bumper day for eggs. A neighbour from over the road came to ask for some, so he had half a dozen of the big ones and I gave him some of the parsnips I dug up. He went off to his wife a happy man.


Adelaide and Ginger eating grass - or insects in it


Ginger off to check out the dust bath - having already bathed in the banties dust bath bowl!


Adelaide decided to have a bath and then just relax in the shade - Ginger with the curly tail feathers decided one bath was enough after all.


Pat decided to give the lawn a mow - it was gloriously sunny this afternoon. The smell of the lawn's first cut of the year on a sunny Spring afternoon is wonderful. Another favourite smell of mine is rain on dry ground. You just can't beat nature's own perfumes.

I decided to give the girls a treat and gave them some of the fresh grass cuttings to play - and sat and watched them for ages.

Pumpkin was on egg laying duties when this was taken - Freckles had finally laid her 32grm egg and stopped shrieking!


I then spent time wandering around my back garden and front gardens looking for foliage for my flower arranging workshop on Friday afternoon.

We went into Attleborough this morning for me to get some flowers - we are doing a Spring flower arrangement in a basket. I needed narcissi, iris, tulips etc. I looked in the supermarket and apart from two bunches of daffodils - the last two - all the floweres were summer ones. Roses, chrysanthemums, lilies, carnations, that sort of thing - they must be grown in glass houses!

I then went to the only florist in town and a small bunch of ordinary tulips were £6.99 can you believe! Outrageous. So all I have got are the daffodils. My narcissi in the garden and up the allotment will be too far advanced by Friday, so I will have to do an arrangement with mainly foliage I think. Never mind. I might take a few of my helibores, but I really don't like to cut my garden flowers if I can help it, that is why I am growing them up the allotment.

Pat had a spurt of energy and cleaned out the gutters on the front of our bungalow so plenty more for composting up the allotment. I might take a trip up there tomorrow as there are the grass cuttings and I also cleaned out the chickens again.

I took some photos of the back garden, as well as the chickens.

On a hot sunny afternoon in the summer, I like to get a chair and sit in my gazebo hidden away in the corner in the shade. Well it is hidden in the summer with all the plants grown up around it.

Last year in the bird box on the silver birch tree we had two lots of blue tits nesting and rearing two families

New mown lawn - the garden looking bare in the spring - but packed in the summer!

Just one view of the back garden. So you can see the garden through all seasons.

8 comments:

  1. Excellent raised bed on the left!

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  2. It is rather large - three railway sleepers long, two high and half deep.

    I have another on the right further down, another behind where I was standing, and a two tier one right down the end of the right. I was not really keen of nice tidy gardens - I like the wilderness country garden look, but I needed them for my dodgy old bones.

    But they are country garden wild when they get going - just contained and easy to weed.

    I do have some more 'ordinary' flower beds further down, and 3 more garden areas in the front too - enough to stop me getting bored - with only the allotment to do!

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  3. This is like a daytime soap opera - I have to log in every day to see what mischief the chicken are into now. Then comes the bonus garden show! What a nice garden you have. I really enjoy visiting.

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  4. Thank you PG

    The garden is a bit bare looking at the moment due to the harsh winter.

    Lots of things are poking through the mulch though - so plants have survived so it should be a colourful summer.

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  5. Hi Al,
    Garden looks lovely! The first photo is about the size of my rear garden, which goes to a point behind my holly tree, love that tree it goes to a point too. I have seagrass/raffia 'roosters' hanging in it and there were about 10 jenny wrens in one evening, all sleepy and wondering what the heck I was looking at probably!

    The 'girls' are giving you a run for your money aren't they? LOL!

    Do you by any chance wear aprons? I'd love to make you one out of some patchwork fabric I have, with , yes, chickens on it! Do you like pocket(s)on your 'pinnies? and do you like a full apron or half apron? just need an indication of your size, you wouldn't want one the size I use, unless you wanted a 'wrap-around LOL! I will post a pic of the fabric, also got some with American seed packets on....
    It would be a pleasure to make one or two for you, after all you bring joy to my eyes with the chooks and the gardens!
    Speak to you later perhaps, one more night to do, then last of the house valuers tomorrow morning at eleven, so can't go to bed until she's done her job.Then all I've got to do is make my mind up, which one to use to sell my hovel Ha Ha!

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  6. I can't get over how green it is there even tho you tell how cold it is. There has to be something different that i am missing.

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  7. Patsy there is something different that you are missing..............

    It's "England's green and pleasant land............"

    Taken from "Jerusalem" - now I will be singing it in my brain all day!

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  8. Sandie the roosters sound lovely where did they come from or did you make them too?

    There seems to be a bit of trouble with the blog this afternoon and it is so slow.

    It has thrown me out a few times and I can not access your blog page.

    I am lost for words at your offer to make me an apron - yes please that would be wonderful - but you must let me make something for you in exchange. Bartering is good.

    I love aprons but only have one very old and tatty half one that fitted me when I was young and slim and just about does up at the back. And another Omlet one that I bought myself - which is black so my floury hands which I wipe on it make it rather a mess.

    I would love a pretty one like you describe and a long one with a pocket would be my dream.

    I am a size 12 at the moment - too many cakes, butter, lemon curd and all the rest of it. But hard work and summer salads will work its magic.

    Can you email me so we can discuss this?

    There is so much I want to say.

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