Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Good Life

Meet one of our new hens. Yesterday we went to collect and rehome some more ex-battery hens via the Battery Hen Welfare Trust. This bunch were in quite good form with a bit of strength and 'perkiness' about them despite the sorrowful state of their bodies. We first rehomed 10 battery hens 2 years ago and I'm pleased to report that some of those are still with us and have enjoyed a good quality life with considerably extended life expectancy.

The girls below are just venturing out of their transport box, somewhat bewildered at the concepts of sunshine, grass and fresh air. Before too long their combs will change to a more healthy red and their feathers will fairly slowly come back too. In today's rain showers some of them noticeably shivered so we popped them into the hen house to keep warmer as their bodies start adjusting to the variable temperatures of the outside world.


Today's weather was so much better than the forecast of storms and humungous rain so a bit of gardening time was presented. We're currently picking salad leaves, spinach, chard, sorrel, peas, broad beans, radish, onions and new potatoes. Plus one courgette so far. Very exciting! Well we're pretty chuffed anyway. Not too long ago this area was a bleak concrete n mud mess so the change is very inspiring. Most crops are thriving although the french beans are looking a bit peelywally and something ate all but one of the young courgette plants (mouse?). Thoughts and plans already abound for next year - more peas to be grown as they're just totally gorgeous; the potatoes are going in the bed which seems to have an awful lot of weed seeds in it to help clear those out; more beds will be under construction before too long and as usual I haven't really got my head around succession planting.



Friday, July 24, 2009

Holiday Postcard

The freedom of holidays....lots of larking about and some time together here on the long long sands at Holkham with all those fabulous colourful beach huts



watching the waves crashing on the shore at Salthouse



flying kites on the beach of millions of smooth peebles






the weather wasn't always good, you can just about see the driving rain on the following pic taken just south of Southwold, lots of glorious boats and huts on the quayside, a real hive of activity. We'd just spent an hour on the beach but the storm was threatening with spectacularly high and very dark clouds overwhelming the area inshore



elsewhere we cycled on a few trails, spotting lots of butterflys, bees, birds and a few other creatures; unfortunately Steve had a valve blow out so had to walk the final stage of one trip


but just around the corner we were lucky enough to spot this slow worm moving across the path


our lovely trip to North Norfolk is now over, its a very fine part of the country to visit
top food places - The Pigs, Edgefield (particularly fab for carnivores) and Pulse, Norwich (top veggie food)
great campsite - Kelling Heath, nr Holt
fave beaches - Holkham for sand, Salthouse for wind, waves and slightly more wild appeal
best bit of all was also getting to spend some time with our friends in Garvestone - best accomm and food of course, thank you t,j,i,m