Goodbye Shaggy and Leonie

Yesterday was a sad day in Owl Wood as the very beautiful Leonie-Hen had to be dispatched.   She was suffering, nothing more could be done to help her.  She has been buried, with full honours, along with all those other feathered friends who kept us well supplied with eggs through the years.

Six became five.

Then, just a a few hours later, we found Shaggy lying spark out under a tree.  Dead as a Dodo.  She had been running around, scritching and scratching like a good 'un that morning, no sign of a problem.

Leonie was a beauty but Shaggy was quite ordinary in appearance.  

The loss of Shaggy hurts the most, she was a wonderful little character.  The smallest of the hens, shy and yet friendly, she kept her distance but was always there first for treats, never aggressive with the other hens.   Every night she was the first one home to roost, often an hour ahead of the others.  

Our hens have a wonderful life roaming free in Owl Wood with good food on tap as well as all the insects and fun they can find in the woodland, they supply us with excellent eggs in return.   I know they both had the best of chicken lives.

Four hens remain.

I don't think we'll replace them when they go.

Apart from that, the weekend has been a good one.  We took two grandchildren to visit the local donkey sanctuary.   I forgot to take my camera, so I had to use my granny phone, which doesn't do much more than make calls, at least I got a couple of snaps - which was really lucky because I hadn't got my glasses either.  It was very much down to point, click and hope.

Six buckets of carrots later we were able to leave, but only after promising to return.

I have done lots of walking around the fields and saw these little beauties as I passed through one of the farmyards.

Harvest is well under way, the landscape is changing as fields are being shaved, including the one in which  Parsonage Cottage is sited.   Dog walks will be easier, no need to take the lane for a few weeks, Dobson will enjoy cutting through the field.

Despite the heavy cloud, the skies have been filled with delight.   The Red Arrows flew low over our home, in two 'V' formations.  Unexpected, but wonderful.  They were so low I could almost have asked for an autograph.  

A couple of hours later there was a wonderful WWII plane flying overhead, a Lancaster, perhaps.

Much later and the fly past was a very noisy gaggle of two dozen geese.  their 'V' formation was not as tight as that of the Red Arrows but the noise they made exceeded the decibels of the Hawk jets, or whatever they fly these days.

The barley field around the house has been shaved, the combine was working all day.  The field is mere stubble until Farmer T and his mother come back to bale the straw, which won't be until they have harvested all their other fields of barley.  

A Little Normality is Good

We enjoyed all the fun of Christmas but it is wonderful to get back to a little normality.   Now that the decorations are being packed away the house is being gradually restored to slightly less colourful order.  

The fridge and the pantry are looking more streamlined as our meals return to normal, too.   We didn't go mad and over indulge too much, but even so, I can feel the difference.      My body works better on less food and no alcohol.   Goodbye, Prosecco!   Hello tap water and smaller meals.

I am looking forward to getting my craft work cupboards opened again, there is a quilt which needs finishing and another one which has only just been started plus there are lot of other ideas for projects which are jostling for attention in my head.

This won't entail any expenditure, the fabrics and wadding are all there squished into my cupboards and shelves, just waiting for me to get cracking.

Outdoor jobs need to be done.    While the trees are bare, we need to cut down some which are crowding the hedge line.   Plenty of opportunity for fresh air and exercise as we work on those, with free firewood as a bonus.

The vegetable garden pathways will receive a good deep layer of mulch, as we shred all the tiny bits which are of no use for anything else.    Nothing will go to waste, unless we come across some blackthorn - we love harvesting the sloes, but it is nasty, spikey stuff to deal with otherwise, so any trimmings will be put on a bonfire.

Of course all this activity will provide much entertainment for the hens, they will be around watching the floorshow, watching out for grubs and insects and generally getting under our feet - but then, Owl Wood is their home and they love anything which is out of the normal.

Hens in the Owl Wood

All our previous hens have been saved from a one-way trip to the pie factory, after a short life time of battery egg production.   When we collected them they were almost devoid of feathers and bewildered.  

After a few weeks of good food, and a gentle introduction to the freedom of the Owl Wood, they would feather up and their individual characters would begin to develop.  

The only trouble was, they were all brown, so although we have always named them, identification of individuals was sometimes a little tricky.  We always grew fond of them and I like to think that they enjoyed their time with us.  



Last year, when we had just one remaining brown hen, we decided to indulge ourselves and have a mix of hens who would be easy for us, and the grandchildren, to identify.

This is Susie, the largest hen, very friendly - always gets under our feet in her eagerness to be around us.

This beauty is Frankie, a quiet and friendly hen.   She is incredibly beautiful.

The cheeky girl is Leonie, her golden 'mane' is quite something.

This is Shaggy (named by Hector, when he was going through a phase of enjoying Scooby Doo).   She is the smallest one and always the first one to go to bed, sometimes and hour or two ahead of the others.

This is Queen Mab a speckledy.       Bossy as can be -  and always ready to peck a finger or chase the dog.   The two cats are very careful to give her a wide berth.

...and finally, here is Dreamy Dusty.    Always the last one to come running for treats and the first one to wander off.    I'm rather fond of her.

They have been very productive, apart from a brief spell in the summer when we almost had to resort to buying eggs from the market.     Most days we get five eggs, sometimes six.

They do lead a wonderful life in the little woodland, freedom to roam, good food, plenty of insects, and a daily treat of a small amount of finely grated cheddar cheese.     They are all cheese-monsters, even Dreamy Dusty comes running for cheese.     They also have a daily bunch of spinach, which they nibble at through the day.    It worked for the ex battery hens and it also suits these girls.

After School

This post is for you, as promised, Hector.

Love, Granny

xxx

Checking the tyre pressures, essential pre-drive checks.

Retirement at Parsonage Cottage is far from dull and rarely peaceful.    Two of our grandchildren live nearby and on school nights they spend a couple of hours with us - having their tea, talking about their day, followed by a little television viewing, or playing some very lively games on the Wii.    

Fine evenings will often find us outside in our little patch of woodland playing Hide and Seek - very noisy Hide and Seek as our granddaughter finds it impossible to hide without giggling loudly.    I always lose because the animals (dog, cats, hens) give me away - that and my white hair!

Tonight, however, I had to laugh because Dobson, the dog, was having a wonderful game of 'Tag' with little Miss Pinkerton, the ginger cat.    At first I was going to intervene, then I realised that she was actively encouraging him to chase her.     It is the first time I have seen them play together like that, I hope it won't be the last.

Young Hector loves those evenings when he is allowed to get his car out and drive it around the wood.  It is an old one, built by a different grandfather, for his grandson.    I found it listed on ebay several years ago and got it for a bargain price.   Grandpa Max did quite a lot of restoration work on it, fitted a battery, then insisted that Hector should learn to drive it properly and take a driving test.

He passed with flying colours and is a real star at reverse parking.

He went that way!

The evenings are getting darker so having functioning headlamps is an added attraction.    By 6pm their parents are home (thank goodness) and we are exhausted.