Autumn 08

I can't believe that 7 months has past without me adding to this blog. So much has happened in this time. As you know Steve had a kidney transplant last December. Unfortunately he has suffered many other problems since then, and is now no longer able to drive or to walk very far at all. His mood has changed too, and he gets very down and grumpy. He's had numerous neurological tests, but the outcome seems to be that it is probably a side effect of his anti-rejection drugs, which of course he will always need to take. We are both very happy that he is free from dialysis though. He thinks alot about the person who has donated the kidney and their family, and has been quite down about it at times. On a brighter note, if you remember I went to visit Richard, Zoe, Ellie and Archie in New Zealand for nearly 4 weeks in January 08. I hadn't seen them since they emigrated in 2005. I was really sick on the flight over and it felt like 29 days not 29 hours, but it was over eventually. When i failed to appear at the arrival gate in Christchurch Airport, and then an announcement was made asking Richard to make himself know to a staff member, they were very worried. All was soon ok and after a few days of good care from my family i was right as rain. A talk with their GP and a trip to the chemist for some stronger travel sickness stuff meant i could relax about the trip home.I had a really great time, and we went all over the place. I met their friends and felt very happy to see their lovely home and new life for myself. My most scary moment was getting into their boat from a high jetty in Littleton Harbour. There were no hand rails to the open -backed steps down to the water, and i felt drawn to fall into the sea. Richard reversed the boat into the water on it's trailer and i drove the car back up the slipway to park it. In my panic about getting into the boat from these steps i left the car keys on the jetty. When we had finished our trip i couldn't find the keys to get the car to pull the boat out, and then I remembered where i had left them. Just before Richard had time to explode, a lady in the boat next to us heard what was being said and told us she had found the keys. Oh happy days!!!!!! Anyway, after 3 weeks of pampering i felt totally relaxed for my return, and no travel sickness. Anyway the rest of Spring went pretty quietly until in the early hours of June 15 when my sister Tudie rang to say that her partner Michael had suddenly died few hours before. This was such a massive shock. She had kissed him goodnight and left him working on his laptop. Shortly after she heard a noise and came down to find him almost dead, and he did die very shortly after. Her children went over to her immediately and she returned to England the following week. Since that time she has been living with Steve and I, and will be doing so for the forseeable future. I travelled to The Isle of Man with her for his buriel and I have been back to Ireland with her to help pack up the house. It's all done now and is in storage. Her friends in Ireland have been fantasticaly supportive since the moment it happened, and her neighbours even put us up during the week we went back to pack the house. She is a bit better now and has today gone away for a few days with an old girlfriend. It's a real pleasure having her here with us, though i'm sure at times we must drive her mad. Zoe has recently stated Uni in NZ. She's doing a degree in Psychology and Social Studies, and Archie started school in June. . Steve and i have just returned from 10 days in Norfolk. The weather was great for the whole time and it was a lovely relaxing time. We pottered about in the car visiting all out favourite places. Steve now has a mobility scooter, so that meant we could get out and about a bit more than when we went for a few days ealier in the year.

Jevan, Wendy and Connor are still in Scotland and Connor started school in January and is settling in. We've seen them a couple of times this year and it's amazing how quickly the Connor has grown.

There is more news on the chicken front, but i will save that until another day. Bye for now xxxxx

Autumn 07

Well it has taken me so long to get round to updating my site, but better late than never. We've got yet more new chickens. After losing Penny, Steve replaced her with 3 more. These are Rag, Tag and Bobtail. Rag and Tag are White Sussex and Bobtail is a Bluebell. We've had the allotment for a full year now and it's come on in leaps and bounds. We've some success and some failure. The best things were the great fat sweetcorns, courgettes, onions, peas and beans. The worst were celery, broccoli and peppers. We've now got raised beds and we are getting them ready for next year. Steve has dug them over and is now busy putting manure on them. Hopefully next year will be more successful, but this one wasn't too bad for beginners.

It's only about 14 weeks now till i go to NZ. I can't wait to see everyone again. I can see from pics and the webcam how much the children have grown. I am quite worried about the journey because i don't travel well, but i know it will be worth it. I think it will take me the first week to recover. Poor Steve is staying at home because he can't fly that far with his medical problems, but the lovely Tudie is coming to look after him for me while i'm away.

Steve's Richard has left school now and has gone to college. He is doing a 2 year course on public service. He then wants to go to University. His ultimate goal is to be a Police Officer. I'm sure he will achieve it because it'a all he has ever wanted to do.

Anway, here are a few new pics of the girls and the allotment...

Highland Fling

For 3 days in May I escaped to Alloa, Scotland to visit my son Jevan, his wife Wendy and my lovely little Grandson Connor. This was special because it's the first time i have ever been to their home since they moved back up to Scotland. I flew up to Edinburgh early on Tuesday morning, so had all that day, all of Wednesday and I flew back Thursday evening. It was very strange and a bit worrying to leave Steve behind, but i spoke to him on the phone lots of times, and he had his dialysis at the hospital while i was away. We had a lovely BBQ with some of their friends on the first night. Poor Connor gave his bed over to me and it was nice to share time playing with him and his sidekick, Justin, his very bestest friend in the whole wide world. We went to have a look at the old house we had lived in when Jevan was born in 1975, which is in Craigiehall, South Queensferry, Edinburgh. It's funny that he was born there, we left for Germany when he was one, and never returned to Scotland, but he has ended up marrying a girl from 25 minutes up the road!! It's a small world. Wednesday saw us 'doing' Edinburgh Zoo, a place we had been to several times when the boys were little. As soon as we arrived i remembered that the zoo is built into the hillside, and how we had struggled getting the baby prams up there all that time ago. Much easier this time with no buggies but the legs 32 years older. Still i managed it without too much of a problem. It was lovely to see Connor enjoying the animals and both he and Justin laughed the whole day, especially at the fighting Rhino's and marching penguins.

For lunch i had Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, a meal i adore but have not had for soooo long. It was lovely, but i then spent the evening being sick and went to bed early. Little piggy me.... We had a nice slow day on Thursday, when i went into Alloa withWendy and the boys for a bit of shopping and to get Steve his favourite McGowens Highland Toffee. It's a very pretty little town which felt as if it was nestled in a valley surrounded by hills, making it feel small and protected.

I was happy to see that where they live is a really nice little estate with views of the nearby hills from the front windows. Jevan and Wendy seemed to know so many people in the area and seem very settled.

Anyway, i can go again now i know that Steve can manage short periods without me, and possibly he can come with me if he feels up to it. Hello to Little (big)Diesel from Cookie Cat

Some Summer

Well. Some summer this is turning out to be. Enough rain to float Noah's Ark.. The only things doing really well are the courgettes and pumpkin, cos they need plenty of water.

Since my last blog we've rehomed the 2 Black Rock hens, because they were poor layers, and they have been replaced by Lavender and Cloudy (named courtesy of Ellie) who are Bluebelles. However, disaster struck again last week. I went to the nest box to collect the eggs as usual and found Sweetie in there. When i tried to move her out of the way i knew something was wrong, and in fact she was unconcious. We tried hard to revive her but she died. Her friend was Penny ans she is not very happy at the moment, going around squawking her head off.

We've bought another Rhode Island Red and another Warren. They are Sweetie 2 and Marmalade. Hopefuly new friendships will form and all will be well. Jemima is now let out of the pen whenever we are at the allotment. She is the only one not to run away if you try to catch her, and she enjoys following us around the allotment. She now expects to be let out when we arrive and she dashes out as soon as the pen door is opened. Her favourite thing is a good dig on the compost heap, to get the copious amount of worms there. She finds them faster than she can eat them and lets 'spares' hang from her beak while she swallows!!

The rain has made doing much on the lotty almost impossible, but the runner beans, mange toute, peas and carrots are coming on. The onions started to go mouldy and the lettuces have been mostlyeaten by the biggest slugs and snails you have ever seen. My lovely row or celery has gone to seed and tastes vile... Deep joy.

Finally, Cookie says 'Hello' to Rex in New Zealand xxxxxx

Hello from Chicken Squad 2

Our new birds have arrived and are settling in nicely. We haven't got a roof on the big run yet but will have in about 3 weeks. The chickens are much safer in the new hen house because it has a run attached, so they can be out at night but still enclosed, away from nasty Mr Fox. They've been roosting on a tree trunk in the small pen when I've gone down at night, so i have to lift them to the pop hole to go right into the house.

We have 2 Marans, who lay lovely dark brown eggs. They are grey with white markings (called Silver Cuckoo), and they have been named as Sweetie and Blossom, by Ellie in New Zealand. There are also 2 Rhode Islands (Red) which are lovely red/brown fat chickens. These are Henny and Penny the 2nd. There are 2 Black Rock chickens who are ugly brown and black, but are supposed to lay loads of eggs once they get going. These are Paxo and Bisto. Luckily they don't know what these brand names are for!!!

We've had 1 egg each day so far, but the breeders told us they were all a bit young, so it may be 5-6 weeks before they are all in production.

Mr Fox

Well, bad things have been happening in the world of chickens. Last week Mr Fox came along, eyed our girls up and gulped them all down. Well not quite, but he did jump over the 6'6" fence and break all their little necks. It was heartbreaking to find. There were feathers everywhere and little bodies all over the place. I feel so bad because they must have been very frightened before it got them. It was our own fault and a steep learning curve. As the weather had been so mild we decided to leave them out at night so they could come out of the henhouse as early as they wanted next day. Well this was ok the first night, but on the second they were done for. We had already ordered a new henhouse to arrive in 5 days time, with run attached, to go inside the big run so we can leave them out in that. We also planned to put a roof on the large pen. But too late for Henny, Penny, Daisy, Rosie, Flapper and Sweetie. We are getting new hens next week and won't be so careless again. There is not much point in naming them because Steve calls them all Gert or Fatso!

Oh. I have also been dieting since mid January and have lost 1st 4 lbs. Yippeeeee.

Hi again. The weather here is very strange. We went to Bakewell last week and going over the moors it snowed so i stopped and took some pics. I'm glad i did because 10 minutes later it stopped and since then it has been gloriously sunny. The daffs in the garden are all up, and a few are ready to flower. What happened to the winter, it can't be over already. I'm sure we will pay for it in the long run. We'll probably have snow for Easter.
This morning we went down to see to the hens in tee shirts. They are all doing very well, but we think Daisy (one of the Light Sussex) is a boy. She/he is much bigger than the others, her wattles and comb are bigger, her legs are fatter and she has become megga vocal. As soon as we hear her crowe she's had it. Not that either of us could do the dirty deed, but Pete, our allotment friend who keeps chicks, will help us out in that department. They are giving us 5 eggs a day now, which is more than we can manage, but i have a queue of people at work who want to buy them off me so it's not a problem. Until next time..........