Confined to barracks!

  

Mr Lottie was playing golf a couple of mornings last week, so I took the opportunity to do a spot of garden maintenance

 

The woodland borders needed weeding, and plants needed thinning

 

And there was a lot of cutting back of dead foliage and collection of leaves to be done.

 

As usual the chooks were great company, getting under my feet - and almost under the fork.

There is a least one chook in every photo, but they camouflage so easily it's hard to spot them.

 

As fast as I was digging over the beds etc, and sweeping up the debris off the grass, the lovely little tinkers were going crazy at the abundance of disturbed insects etc and in their manic scratching of the damp soil they were throwing it back onto the lawn

 

So as a temporary measure, I put down the thick 'lumps' of wood - ex dismantled pergola to keep the soil where it should be. 

Bluebell and Daisy are doing their innocent 'not me' act!

 They are such wonderful company 'talking' away to each other and to me when I talk to them!

Mind you, it does delay me, as I just have to stop to look.

I am working my way around the garden - next job the salad bed needs seeing too.

The chickens are confined to barracks now - only three more days to go - it's just whilst they are  on their worming medicated meals - a precautionary measure when you keep chickens - to ensure that they stay happy and healthy and haven't picked up any parasites from wild birds.  They are so used to freeranging from morning until dusk, they do complain bitterly if they happen to see us!  They have a big roomy run, so are not deprived - but try telling them that!