Chicken Flockdown and some family pics

 Hello All

Well its all very interesting/exciting/ thought provoking nowadays isn't it?   Storms, pandemics, shortages. fuel price hikes, beyond sabre rattling with Russia ,Climate Change, Conspiracy theories by the dozen.

Makes you think doesn't it? Well it does me anyway. Some folk prefer to continue pootling along as they always have and say "What will be be will be" ( Hands up those who wanted to burst into song there) and believe that it will all settle down and get back to normal. I'm not so sure that when we come back from this all will be the same and in some ways that won't be a bad thing because we surely can't go on like we have been doing. 

The poor chickens are still in (f)lockdown and pretty fed up about it too. even though they have more space than most as I have netted over a quarter of the orchard for them and they have the choice of five hen houses to sleep/ lay hold coffee mornings etc. Obviously I can't advertise my eggs as free range so my egg sign says "Eggs for Sale" only. Someone remarked that they should be cheaper because they aren't free range. This is the opposite of the situation. Pre-lockdown I would let the hens out of their houses and into the orchard first thing, I would feed them some chicken pellets and leave them to finish these before opening their little door to the one and a half acre field. They would then spend the rest of the day until it starts to get dark foraging for the sort of goodies that chickens like, plus lots of grass. During the day they return to the houses to lay before going back into the field or maybe perch in a fruit tree or  two. Now in Lockdown I let the poor little things out into the netted off area of the orchard, which also houses the pond and any food they get is what I feed them. So they are now fed twice a day plus any greens, weedings, blown brussel plants stored squashes etc that I can find to keep them from going stir crazy with boredom. So NO they are not cheaper!

We are so lucky to still be young and fit enough to be trusted to babysit our great granddaughter , who is eighteen months old ,  now and again. What a joy! I didn't think it was possible to love a baby anymore than one does a grandchild. However, don't tell the grandchildren but we absolutely adore this precious child. Here she is reading a gardening book and choosing which vegetable she wants to grow.

 Last month our eldest girl went to Windsor castle to receive a medal for distinguished service in the Queen's honours list. She says that Princess Anne asked really good questions and showed an understanding of my daughter's role. I'm not sure as she would want to be identified ( my daughter that is) so have chosen this shot, but I just wanted to brag a little !

We will be having our first public meeting of our Civic Society for over two years,  in the middle of April. It will be interesting to see if we can ;pick up where we left off. So much has changed. 

 So there you go,  another rare but rambling post from Derbyshire.

Take Care all

Love Gillx