It's Been a While...Again

...since I last posted. Much is the same, much has changed.

I've almost entirely changed my flock of poultry - having accumulated some, sold some, lost some I've now got 4 pens/coops, with a trio in two of them, 6 in another, and 4 ducks in the last one. I'm currently treating Emu (an enormous and handsome Speckledy cockerel who was reared from chickdom to keep another chick company) with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds as he has a swollen foot. He's been to the vet quite a bit so I'm not counting the ££££ I've spent on a rather worthless rooster - he's a male hybrid so I can't even breed from him due to his parentage, but did I mention he was really handsome? At least it's not Marek's disease which can afflict chickens who haven't been vaccinated as most commercial hens are, but the vet gave him a thorough going over and couldn't find any tumours so fingers crossed.

Simba is another cockerel from the batch of chicks, and we had to keep him as Amber used to brood him in the crook of her arm and consequently got extremely attached to him. 'Him' of course, so that involved getting another coop...

I'm still knitting although plodding rather than rattling through projects as I once did. I'm working for myself part time as a beekeeper/gardener and have less time to spend dossing around enjoying myself. It does mean I managed to justify getting a bit of domestic help - Jo (who I think one would term as a "treasure") has done an excellent job on the house so far, although I was mortified last time when I came down and found she'd pulled out the blanket box which has been there for erm, since we moved in..."Ooohhhhh, let me get you a bin bag" I said :-/ as she unveiled 5 years' worth of crap. I returned later in the morning to a sparkling lounge and all the hair bands/marbles/Lego and plastic beaver sitting neatly on top of the blanket box. However - she then dealt the killer blow: "I found a cheque book in among the sofa cushions..." Nooooooo, not the sofa!!! I then apologised for the amount of Cheerios and guinea pig poo that I knew was under there, just knew yet never cleaned up. I could have got away with it too as she said "Poo? Oh I thought it was guinea pig food". I may as well let her do my fridge now; I can't sink any lower, surely?