Tuesday's musings

Today, Tuesday, I was out of commission for the day. No work up the allotment – by order!

I was up early as usual and went out to see my little banties. Pumpkin and Freckles were out of bed early and as usual Freckles made enough noise to wake the neighbourhood – the little blackmailing loveable monster.

So I dashed into the run and shushed shushed her and picked her up and gave her a cuddle.

Pumpkin did her usual circuit training, and they went into excited ecstatic mode when they realised that I had sneakily put something on the top of their run.

They jumped up and down and all over my feet trying to see what it was. – My left over breakfast cereal – oats and bran and some dried fruit.

I couldn’t eat it, so OH suggested I gave it to them for a treat.


I put it into a little dish and hung it outside on their run and they chattered so excitedly to each other then dived in on it. Picking bits up and squabbling over each morsel – checking out the other’s beak full in case the other one had something better than theirs.

They are looking at me as if you say 'Do you mind, we are trying to have our breakfast in peace' - So I left them to it!

Pumpkin did her usual and pinched every bite of Freckles’s and ran helter skelter around behind the hen house, then back again – whilst Freckles tucked into the raisins whilst Pumpkin had stolen a mouthful of oats. Too quick for me to get a photo though

Dilly was still in bed so I opened to door to see if she was up, so that she could share in the fun.

She was in the nest, and raised herself to her full height (six inches) and attacked my hand, with a loud indignant shriek.

Bless her, it was so funny, and her little pecks were nothing compared to those of the big girls – who peck at my rings, my trousers, my feet, in fact anything they can to show their affection – but they are a bit heavy handed, so I have stopped hand feeding them corn without my gloves on.

So, I closed the door on Dilly and left her too it. I think that she might be getting broody as she sat on the nest until quite late this afternoon, and whilst she was out eating what was left of my breakfast, I quickly popped out to retrieve two hot eggs from the nest.

When I was weeding around the broad beans I came across this.



It looks like a perfect egg – but in fact is a stone. I might put it under Dilly if she goes broody! Do you think it will work?

I took my physio specialist half a dozen bantam eggs and a sealed bag of purple sprouting broccoli which she was really grateful for. She loves the free range eggs I take and the odd slices of cake or bits and pieces from the allotment.

No results from the MRI scan as the system to the hospital had been down for a week, so I will have the 2 week wait for the written report after all. What I thought was strained muscles in my back and behind my ribs, from using muscles that I hadn’t used over the winter (planting the potatoes and onion sets) turned out to be spinal injury problems – which is a nuisance. Still I will rest up a couple of days if I can force myself and hope it eases a bit.

OH took my up the lottie on the way back, and I got to see my Norfolk lasses and make a fuss of them, and collect another three huge eggs – and to look longingly at the bit of weeding I so wanted to do.

There was evidence of a murder on the plot – white feathers – the farm cats had been on the prowl, or was it someone with a gun? Looks like it was a pigeon – not enough evidence left even for Sherlock Holmes to work out whodunit.


Freckles and me are playing a battle of wits this week. I am not quite sure who is winning at the moment.

Every time she hears the back door go, or sees one of us she goes into her loud shrieking mode. So I have told OH not to talk to her - just to ignore her – and I am doing the same. Apart from when I first went out to let the banties out in the morning.

I am not going to go in there if she is shrieking – and will only go in there if she is quiet. I hope to try and cure her of her mindset – shriek and get attention or a treat.

Place your bets now as to who gets their own way!