Ticking along...

That darned pesky snow only lasted the day...it fooled me into hoping for a couple of real days of snow fun. The sun came out just after the school run and it started to melt almost immediately.

We did get to spend that time though out in it, the snow shovel was found and I spent a couple of hours shoveling piles of increasingly sloppy snowy/mush so Fonzy could make an attempt at a snowman.  

RV and Loopy were happy to make snow balls and do a bit of sledging down the small bank opposite our house.  We were busy until the light started to fade...I can honestly say we spent the entire time chuckling and laughing, there was practically NO bickering.

{if you had listened into our home recently you would understand why this is such a happy thing to be able to say!}

Weather watch has returned here though as it is C.O.L.D.

I know across the UK the snow is still falling or lingering, but here it is just a bit chilly.

For some parts of the world -5 is laughably warm...but for me it is cold!

The only thing the kiddos dont like about the cold are the odd days when one of them loses or forgets their gloves and their poor little fingers feel Jack Frost nipping at them!

We go through a lot of hot chocolate and tea in this weather {and the odd biscuit to dip or marshmallow to top off}, in the warmer weather I chuckle about how many hot water bottles we have but come the cold I'm grateful for every one of them, I get a warm fuzzy in the tummy feeling when I see one or more of the kiddos wrapped up in the super-dooper blanket I made...the list goes on a bit, but safe to say when we batten down the hatches and snuggle in for a cold snap, I one happy little camper.

The chickens are also of the opinion that below freezing is cold...they are such old ladies.  They pop out once their door is opened moaning {well it sounds like they're complaining} as they take their first steps outside, they have a peck about, they scratch about, they find the corn that I put in with their pellets on cold mornings then they retire to their branch/run and have a bit of a preen, tummies full.

It is hard to grab a photo of them like that though...as soon as I open the back doors they rush to the fence in the expectation of getting a nibble to eat.

They must realise by now thought that the colder weather means a few extra treats for them?  An extra scoop of mixed corn in the morning, along with the tea time scoop, the odd few raisins or leftover greens?  All to keep their little tummies full and keep them warm.

All in all I would say we are ticking along quite nicely 

{touch wood}

The days before school...

We kept busy...

Loopy and I chatted about tadpoles to frogs and she sat happily making a little booklet with pictures of frogspawn {made using bubble wrap}, cute tadpoles, pond weed in 3D, froglets and a few very smiley fishies

The chickens were loved a bit more...

I loved gazing at the wonderful moon...

Fonzy and I snuck down early on Bank Holiday morning, he LOVES the girls, chatting so sweetly to them when he collects the eggs, thanking them as he walks back up the path for the yummy eggs.

He also now tricks me into thinking we don't have eggs for the day, that I caught him with the eggs in the basket should have been the give-away but he still played the part

We've had a lot of wet weather over recent days/weeks {feels like months but Im sure its not!?}

As soon as the rain has cleared we have headed straight out the door, albeit for a short hour or so...

fingers crossed we get to enjoy more time outside soon

Sid...

is a vicious little snitch...

He may look cute and quite cuddly but he is a bolshy little sneak thief who is happy to tangle with me and the garden broom!!

Dont go 'aaaahh bless him' {or her!}

This bolshy little squirrel thinks he is king of the garden...he has jumped up at Fonzy, clinging onto his wellies as he tried to shake him off; he has chased the chickens when they tried to shoo him off; he has jumped up at me as I tried to shoo him with the broom {I promise Im not over stating that}; he clung on like a rodeo rider to said broom when I got him.

My neighbours are now convinced they have the STRANGEST family next door; 

me running in wellies full pelt down the slippery garden, wielding a broom apparently looks a bit odd to the un-trained eye?!

The problem is; he is eating their food and they're fussy little madams who insist on posh organic feed,

so seeing him sprawled out in their feeder picking his way through the contents may look cute but is proving costly

 Any ideas on how to rid us of Sid are greatly accepted!

So far he's been back 2days in a row, thinks the broom is a ride of fun and I can't help but feel he and his mates are ridiculing me...

...and where oh where are the girls whilst he is in there having a slap up meal for 1?...

Defending their patch? Guarding the food? Chasing the offender down? 

Nah, not a bit of it...

...with the patio door open and unguarded??

yep getting comfy inside!

Wet Days...

Oh like the rest of the UK we've had so many wet days!

The garden which has been trashed by the chickens looks terrible!  Im embaressed to admit this is now our garden...plans are there to improve it but money is needed first, so for now we slip,slide and squelch our way to their house each day

The wet weather has given us more rainbows than I can remember seeing...

Taken on different days...

Wet days have meant more time spent inside...the garden is out of bounds now on wet days due to the general state of it.

Still the Lego is a firm favourite...Im thinking I might sell a couple of toys that are getting less play now that Fonzy is older and put the money to a nice big box of Lego?

I keep finding various creations around the house, hidden in different shelves!

Crikey...

The other week one of our hens laid an ENORMOUS egg...Im talking freakishly HUGE!!

RV almost exploded with incredulity when he found it, I had to do a double take and no photo shows just how big it was!

We use this egg cup as a measure, most sit in it, the smaller ones rattle in it but this one didn't even fit in it!

Compared to one of our normal sized eggs, it weighed in at just over 100g

It sat heads above the others in the egg tray

We held onto it for a couple of day...making sure everyone saw it :)

When I did use it we were very happy to see

2 beautiful golden yolks!

I'm pretty sure the girls laid this the day after the Chelsea Bun robbery...

Bun thieves...

We are I think an odd family at times!  Some may say we're odd all the time, others would say not so odd but I would say odd at times...

There are times when I look out the door and wonder what on earth is going on, sometimes the noise level is an indication of what going on...other times it's the lack of noise

So when I looked out the window and spotted Fonzy I really had to chuckle

The day before I had baked Chelsea Buns...quite good ones actually if I say so myself.  Anyways Fonzy took his outside to eat and dropped it on the patio, before he could bend over to pick it up the girls had swarmed him and nicked it in lightening quick time.

So on this day when I baked cupcakes he was taking no chances!

He had squirreled himself away, dragging the footy goal to the fence providing himself a hen proof snacking chair!!

You gotta admire the ingenuity and determination to eat a cake...that's my boy!

Sunshine, Chickens and Cuddles...

Sometimes you don't need words, the picture says it all for you

xx

Free Range Chickens...

The girls are now Free Range garden chickens...we let them out whenever we're home.  For their own safety I think the days we're out n about they will have to stay in their deluxe home.

Despite having the whole little garden to roam around they prefer instead to stalk us at the patio window, the expectation of food and company

Making themselves at home on all the toys

Enjoying a spot of sunbathing

Another chicken post I know...but they are just so darned entertaining!

Our first EGG!...

Clever, clever girlies!!

I was so surprised to see this little beauty when I popped out in the sun!!

I hadn't been expecting anything for at least another week

It was small 

but lovely and golden

so not wanting to waste the golden treasure...

A one egg recipe was needed and we went back to an old favourite of ours

yummy Rock Cakes

They took all of 15mins to make and bake but less than 5 to be eaten

:)

***

Meet the Girls...

wish I could name them individually...but I cant yet.

The only one that I can tell from a distance is Loopy's which has a darker neck

This is their super new greenhouse cover!  Makes a lovely wind break, rain/snow shield and still let the sun and light in to them and we can still watch them!

They are definately NOT camera shy...

Totally nosey and already providing hours of wasted time in chook watching

This is Loopys girl...pretty gorgeous I think

Not to insult the other girls who are also pretty gorgeous

We can let them out early next week, they put themselves to bed quite happily of an evening so I'm pretty sure they know where 'home' is

Still yet to chat to the neighbours about free range chickens in their garden...

Chickens - Almost there...

So one freezing cold Saturday afternoon I picked up the much 'wantied' Omlet Cube!!

Having heard talk of snow I thought I'd give it a clean and try to assemble what I could...just in case.

It was cold, so very very cold but I managed to get it clean and more or less put together

!!SQUEEELLL!!

I have waited years for chickens and lusted after an eglu for more time than is probably healthy for a grown woman!

And I was so very glad that I took time to clean and assemble it the day we got it as we woke up to this the next morning...

The snow and cold haven't cleared since then.