2018 made me quite crotchety, what with having needles poked into me, bits cut out of me & teeth pulled. It has taken me a while to restore my equilibrium which is always easier the less people contact I have.
Not that I never people. Obviously I do but I'm one of those odd bods who don't get lonely in their own company & am perfectly happy pottering about all on my lonesome ownsome. For people we had a friend arrive with her big city grandchildren to meet our chooks, who dutifully allowed the children to collect their eggs & cuddle them. So funny watching everyone try to deal with live mealworms. The children weren't sure about the worms; the chickens weren't sure about the children. The chickens wanted the worms & the children wanted rid of them so everyone had to compromise!
I spent a week with my mother in January. She will be 85 this year & going strong. Likely to outlive all of us. While I was away the MOTH kindly looked after my animal collection but we have had a scorcher of a summer which sent all my barred rocks broody & he lost one who disappeared, went into a broody trance & expired. I did find her body when I got home & duly buried her & of course my chicken child, who is never here, was rather upset. However we are going to build a bigger coop & I am adding variety to my flock. Eye candy: silver laced Wyandottes, Silver Campines, Speckled Sussex...maybe.
After waiting 12 months the soil for our raised garden beds has finally arrived. I promptly planted out some veggies & my chooks just as promptly staged a mass break out & mowed down the lot. A more secure run is in order. Anyway I finally have soil I can plant freesias in & will be doing a mass sowing of bulbs as soon as they arrive so that Spring should be heavy with beautiful scents.
I also spent a lot of time with the grand~kids, which has made me wonder how I ever managed with 5. So exhausting! And we now have a 3rd on the way as OT & his Beloved are due Septemberish.
So our little world keeps turning, though this year is shaping up to be even more exhausting than last year. At least I can't complain that life is dull.
