england football

I was very disapointed in the England performance against Japan. I know it was only a friendly but it shouldn't matter. You should give your all when wearing an England shirt. Lets hope that the players show a little more spirit when it's the real thing! ( rant over!)
Yesterday we had a mini tornado which came out of nowhere and blew my washing into the next field almost. I have more washing out today. It is supposed to rain,well it is a bank holiday,but at the moment it is sunny and quite pleasant.

blossoms

I love it when there are so many trees and shrubs flowering. It makes my garden look good.You will see that I have my England flags flying ready for this afternoons game. It is only a friendly but it should be fabio's last chance to sort the wheat from the chaff. I have my doubts about the England squad. They don't seem to have any fire in their bellies these days . Lets hope I will be proved wrong!

My leg.

Thought you might like to see a picture of the injury I sustained to my shin this morning. I had decided to clean the windows before the sun got on them. Unfortunately I slipped off the chair I was using as a ladder. A hugh egg came up on my shin, It's subsided somewhat now although it bloody hurts! However my windows are sparkling and clean and are not making me ashamed everytime the sun shines on them!
Ed the duck is still going strong and swimming merrily in the pool despite mother hen having a fit every time the duck goes in the water. The farmer told me yesterday that it is ok for a hen to raise ducks but not for ducks to raise hens as they inevitably drown them by introducing them to water not knowing that they can't swim.
The farmer also tried to give me a cockerel but I have decided to wait until I know the sex of the three chicks that are merrily running around. it will be hard if they are all males as they will have to go.
The meter reader came yesterday. He's going to get me half a dozen rescue hens from the battery farm. They will come around the beginning of June. That will be fun and games! How well they will be accepted by the other "girls" remains to be seen.

Nice lovely pink things

I have no idea what they are but the flowers are georgeous. neither of us can remember planting such a thing but there it is.

Dinner

We ate dinner outside this evening. It was like being back in Australia. Almost as warm too! I wanted to show you the plate as it is a showcase for Grahams home grown veg.

solitary duckling

we don't know what to do with this duckling. How will it learn to be a duck when there is only one of it being brought up by a hen? Still we can't do any thing with it yet as it's only 4 days old and we are enjoying watching it.

One week old today

The chicks are one week old today and doing very well. The mother hen however is crackers and running about squaking like a mad thing!

Another new arrival

One duckling has been born this morning and it's so big compared to the hen chicks. Mother hen however will defend it to the death as I found out earlier! I have had to move them into a shed as the other hens don't seem too friendly towards mother and baby. Graham is in the throes of making them a shed but has run out of wood. it looks as though they might be wild ducks in which case we won't need a shed at all ,they will be off as fast as their little legs will carry them. Photo's later. sheila x

Look how the other hens have come for a nosey!

Yeees!!

Two little balls of yellow fluff have appeared overnight. Only three more to go. The black hen is still sitting patiently on the two duck eggs. God knows what we will do if they hatch out. I have been told that ducks can be brought up by hens but the hen goes frantic when the duckling goes in the water! Will try to post photos later.
sheila

Now only 7

Graham checks our ducks every day and now there are only seven so that means something has happened to the other three. I don't know if it's a barn owl thats getting them or even a fox. I wonder how old they are before they can fly and look after themselves?