Rain, rain and more rain

It looked like rain yesterdayand when it did rain boy did it rain.   Always the optimist I decided to dig out a path alongside the house which meant some serious work, so in some ways I was quite pleased when there was a shower.  Good excuse for a cup of tea.   But not when it kept on doing it and on and on.  So I had to give it up as a bad job in the end, but I reckon you can see the shape.  Lots to do so it’ll be a week before I can move to the next phase I suspect.

Anyhow this morning I’ve got work to do and the clouds are as black as night again.  thank goodness this afternoon it’s mostly talking to new clients – 2 gardens to inspect and a wedding to discuss.

Hens confusing me a bit.   Thgere was a soft shelled rather mottley looking egg in the coop last week, but Elsie and Ivy continue to lay every day.   Elsie in her nesting box as she should do but Ivy has taken up a spot in a flower bed.   Still at least I know where to look.   But one of the others, and I fancy it was Daisy was found sitting on 3 eggs in the woods.   I lifted her off and she didn’t seem too worried but we’ve had no more eggs from her – unless she’s hiding them.   One of them laid 3 in the drain as well but I’m sure that was Ivy.

However they’re all pinking up nicely and looking well, and of course they’ve only been out of captivity for about a month (apart from Elsie of course) so I have to let them get into a routine and back to normal chicken activity.  Speaking of which, normal chicken activity involves so much digging and pecking.  I’ve got a bit of temporary fencing and it’s moving around the garden almost daily in an attempt to keep them off the flowers or the lettuces or whatever takes their fancy this week.   Hostas yesterday.   The hostas have been there since before they arrived and they didn’t show a spark of interest, but suddenly they’ve completely stripped one of them.

I discovered them taking an afternoon nap in the shed doorway yesterday.   I didn’t know hens took naps, they seem to be constantly trawling the garden for titbits but not!  Daisy had been left behind and was a bit slow to find her perch.