A peculiar occurance up the allotment this evening

Feeling rather drained in the hot weather - the temperature was 98f when OH came off the golf course!

I have been doing indoor things for most of the day - with the curtains closed in the rooms where the sun was shining, and all the ceiling fans on.

I sorted out my little 'office' and filled a huge cardboard box of paper back books for the charity shop. I also decided to go through all my file of recipes cut from magazines or off the web, and if I hadn't made them in the past year they were shredded and went up my allotment this evening. After sorting out the filing, etc I ended up with a sack full of shredded paper.

The garden is looking stunning in the heat and sunshine, and all the flowers are in bloom at the same time, rather than being staggered as usual. It is almost as if they are rushing to flower and set seed, as without any water they might die. I hope that it does not look sad in July and August. Even the lilies seem to be rushing.

It is a kaleidoscope of colours and the perfume is fantastic. Even my son remarked on it yesterday afternoon when he walked through it. He in not one to comment on things like that usually!

I went up the allotment this evening when the sun had weakened with the intention to just change the water and food for the chickens, and maybe do a bit of watering if I felt up to it. I should know better than to make 'plans'.

As I walked down the length of my plot to the chicken's meadow, I saw a very big rabbit in my flower bed area - in the third quarter of the plot.

I did my scissor jump over the fence and the rabbit ran away but could not get out at the bottom. It tried to jump the fence and bounced off. It then ran up and down the grass paths when I walked towards it and made a running jump from one side to try and leap the side fencing, but even bounced off that. It was so funny to watch.

It then kept repeating the same thing but running headlong into the fence at regular intervals all away along the fence until it disappeared through it!

I looked closely at the fence to find a perfectly round hole in the chicken fencing a few inches above ground level. It looked as though it had been cut out especially for a rabbit entrance! I am not suggesting any ill doing - but it does rather look suspicious. It is close chicken wire, and not rusty, and there were no ragged edges. A mystery to me.

So after that bit of excitement I continued on to let the girls out and set about moving their run, as they had eaten all the grass in it, in just over 2 days.

I like them to have lush fresh grass. The metal tent pegs that hold the mesh to the ground were set like concrete, and I had a real job to get them out, it can only be because of the dry weather and the soft ground contracting as it dried out.

I could not shift the fencing posts of the moveable mesh fencing so it had to stay put until it rains.

When I am up there, I leave a big gap in it so the girls have free range whilst I am working. They are never in any hurry to 'escape' the enclosed area. They always rummage around for insects etc and I have to call them before they come running outside.

There seemed plenty of insects for them tonight to keep them amused. It was really a hard job to move the run tonight - I must be getting weak!

As 'the boss' was expecting me home within half an hour, I had to phone him to expect me a bit later - over 2 hours later it turned out to be. I never wear a watch so have no idea of time when I am up the lottie.

The 330 feet back to the shed seemed a long way tonight especially as I made quite a few visits. I had to drag some chain link fencing out which was entangled in some bindweed that had crept over from the other plot.

It was too heavy for me to carry so I did the sensible thing and got the wheel barrow, which I loaed up with all the tools that I would need - but I always end up going back for something else.

It took longer than I thought to repair the fence by putting the length of chain link along the side of the original chicken wire fence. I really needed a bit just a few feet long, instead of the long length I had. Banging supports in to the ground was tough, and it took me a while to attach the fencing to them and then to the chicken wire to double the protection. - If they get through that I will give up the fight and let them eat the flowers and try and grow ones that they do not like - cactus might be a good idea in this weather.

It was just getting dark by the time I had finished.

The chickens happily rushed back into their run when I called them and ate some of the fresh food as if they hadn't been fed for weeks!

Pheasants were calling to mark their territory.

On the telephone wire that spans the field a flock of birds flew in and settled on the wires so many - and they were all facing my way and looking at me.

It felt like a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds!

I soon locked up and headed for home - in a bit of a rush, as I forgot to put the tools in the shed, so have them in my car.

No way was I going to unlock all the padlocks just to put the things away with dozens and dozens of black birds watching me.

Not that I was bothered though!!!!