Blog Silence - sorry!!

Posted by Rosie

I've just realised that it is a week since we last posted so thought I'd better get typing and assure everyone we are still here!

We had a friend staying last week who volunteered to come over and help us out - so we got her gardening, filling holes in the gite walls and dog walking amongst other things. The garden is looking pretty good on the digging front but dare I say it, I desperately need some rain. Seedlings are emerging but being so dry, they are very slow to grow on. I don't think I have ever known such a dry April (not one shower) and the strong winds earlier in the month further contributed to the soil drying out.

We also need rain to get he grass growing - as fast as it grows the sheep eat it and I am still having to give them hay. Not that I am short of hay; I said to the local farmer that I may need some more hay and did he have any and a week later he turned up with a large round bale. It won't go to waste though, even if we end up using it for bedding, as straw is the same price if not more expensive than hay at the moment. Talking of sheep, little does this little fellow realise that he is getting his last bottle feed tomorrow morning. He's a healthy 20kgs (measured on the bathroom scales!!) and I am out of powdered milk. Could be a bit noisy round our way tomorrow then.

Poultry numbers are on the way up. Both Hilda and Matilda (the ducks) are sitting on a total of 26 eggs but as we are not sure whether Matilda's eggs are fertile (we have never seen her and Harold do the special cuddle as it is known around here) so we have swapped some of Hilda'a eggs into her nest, marked them and will see which hatch. May 19th is hatching day for Matilda and Hilda a couple of days later. One of the young ducks has also started laying and Ben found a soft shelled egg under the hedge. I've not found any more yet but she is sure to lay others somewhere.

I bought 4 new hens at the market last week - the buyer, as usual, assured me they were ready to lay but I didn't realise they were THAT ready - one laid an egg in the box on the way home. I was going to get a picture of them but on the way there I found this swallow on the drive. Unfortunately it died a few minutes later, I assume from exhaustion. Very sad but it gave Tom and Ben a wonderful chance to see a swallow in close detail. Chicken pictures will have to wait I'm afraid.

Simon said he'd be along late to write a gite update - just don't mention how the volcanic eruption in Iceland had delayed the installation of out kitchen or how it went putting in the front door and french windows....................!!