What's new (again)

Building work virtually finished, though it is still waiting to be painted. We've had a nice big terrace doing this week - at the expense of the lawn and some bushes. The digger driver "thought" the perimeter of the lawn was just a load of weeds! The problems come with men "thinking"! OH reversed the tractor and trailer over a willow tree. I agreed it was not a nice tree, but it did stop drivers of vehicles (and OH) hareing into the yard and hitting anything in their way - hens and chicks, peahen and chicks and dogs and cats.

We had one or two "it's obviously your house" moments, followed by "do what the h..l you want". From me to him that is.

The cat left home. Well, Whitey took to straying, went over the dried-up river after girls, and either couldn't get back or found somewhere better. The latter I think as he was gone for about 6 weeks. Ater telling a neighbour about it, her sister-in-law phoned to say they had him. It's amazing how many people you get to know through straying animals. When at our last farm, Whitely Mark 1 also left home (after girls again). The neighbour I was talking to had found him and taken him in, and was a bit worried that we wanted him back as that day she had taken the cat to the vet to be castrated! I assured her she could keep him, but privately thought that would serve him right! Not long after that he had an accident and lost a leg. Am not sure if he is still going strong.

Talking about losing legs. Not far from where we live now we have seen from the roadside a lone calf on its own in a field. Obviously a pet calf being reared on the bucket, but when Laura and I passed the field recently saw it only had three legs! (This is not a joke.) We have also seen it since, looking very well and obviously cared for, but sadly our French, or nerve, doesn't stretch to stopping at the farm and asking what has happened to it - the leg, that is.

The pea-chicks are now nearing weaning from the mother, and going on their way. The only things that are prolific here are the hens and cats. There seem to be more hens hatching eggs than laying for food - they lay there eggs in places that are impossible to locate. I am getting a hen-house before the summer to preserve the garden and eggs and cut down the number of cockerals.