Bye Bye Chickies (Sad Face)

This week has been such a MAD week! I did my Charity Event on Sunday and have been playing catch up ever since with my organisational skills ;-)

 I got a promotion at work and have been busy this week finding out my new responsibilities!!

My decorator rang on Sunday evening to say he could fit us in this week for some painting, cue clearing rooms, emptying bookcases and moving furniture (post will follow) and.... I had to say goodbye to my chickies.

I have kept chickens for the last three years or so and when I got them never thought I would grow to love them as much as I have. They really have wonderful characters!

I started off with 18 - yes! 18 babies! They came with their 'Mother' who was obviously a very broody hen as she was found sat on all these eggs which she couldn't possibly have laid!

We lost a few along the way in the early days and once fully grown found that we had more cockerel's than hens, so more had to go until eventually we were left with 9.

A couple of years ago the fox took four so we built Fort Knox! We have enjoyed the remaining 4 hens and the cockerel ever since, giving them free range of the garden when we are about.

In Fort Knox scratting around - their very favourite pastime!

Roosting on the RSJ - they would gaze at their reflections in the study window for ages like "Why are they in there and we're out here - it's not fair!"

They come to a whistle from me, necks outstretched, running so fast like little Jurassic dinosaurs! Mr.L says its cupboard love. no.it.isn't!

Our cockerel is amazing - always putting himself in the line of fire for his girlies - attacked three times by dogs (actually the biggest problem for chickens).

He always allows his girls to eat before him and taps at the door with his beak if he knows I am around!!

One of the hens was also attacked really badly and my Daughter 'A' bathed her wounds and massaged and drained her lungs daily and she fully recovered.

Waiting for me to give them a treat of peas or corn at the back door! That's Miss Greedy at the front!

Plentiful eggs which I sold at work and made the yellowest pancakes EVER.

So it has been with a sad heart that I have let them go to a new home. We hope to sell our home this year and will be down sizing and am sure we won't be quite as rural as we are now.

My colleague heard me talking about rehoming and put me in touch with his neighbour who has chickens and was looking at getting some more.

We also had a really good hen house that I wanted my flock to take with them.

I felt it was better to let them go to a really good home now, than rehome them in a panic if we sell up.

So on Tuesday night they left, with their house and food for a new life. The chap was really nice and I know they will be really well looked after. 

The last few days have felt strange and oddly quiet...

XX

East Lancs Hospice

 With the help of family and friends I held a Charity Event last weekend for East Lancs Hospice, a charity very close to my heart.
 

 

On Sunday was the annual Tower Trudge walk - a 10 mile walk that comes along the bridleway outside my house.

I decided this would be a great opportunity to have a Coffee, Tea & Cake Stall, not just for the walkers but for cyclists and other people passing and family and friends who wanted to call by.
 

 
 

Friends and Family donated cakes or helped on what turned out to be the most glorious day. Loads of cakes and biscuits were laid out and a large water heater borrowed. We had a fabulous system with everybody working together.


 

How good do these Cup Cakes look?



We had entertainment, provided by my Pap and his piano accordion!



We even supplied plasters for blistered little feet - aaawww! *Too Cute*



Mountain Rescue took it in turns to call for a quick brew and slice of cake. The beautiful Springer Spaniel here is Bella - currently being trained as a Search and Rescue dog!





And horse riders stopped by to say hi - the horse is 'Flame' - absolutely gorgeous!


 

What was meant to finish around 2.00pm went on - last customers around 4.00pm!! Then it was BBQ time for all my lovely helpers who I am so grateful to - THANK YOU! XX

 

The final amount raised isn't in yet as a friend took some cakes to her art club, another to the College she works at and I took the remainder in to work.
 

When the bucket and collection box are opened I will let you know!

XX

Breton Stripes

Like a lot of people I love a Breton Stripe. They have long been a fashion staple for many people, myself included.

I have always bought stripy tops from allsorts of stores but every year, probably for the last 3 years have looked at the Stripy Breton Boden Tops, picked them, put them in my basket and proceeded to then dump them (does anyone else do that? Bad trait!) 

I decided to do a quick Google of Breton and this is what I found:

Breton /ˈbrɛtən/^[3] (Brezhoneg) is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany (Breton: Breizh; French: Bretagne), France.

The flag of Brittany is called the Gwenn-ha-du, pronounced [ɡwɛnaˈdyː], which means white and black in Breton.

The very first Breton Tops would have been black and white stripes like the flag of Brittany, now you can buy them in lots of wonderful colours.

Anyway, last week I decided that this should change and this time didn't dump them! I chose two; classic navy and citrus (which is actually more of a lime green).

The quality of them is amazing, I'm sure these won't go out of shape, shrink or fade like their cheaper  predecessors. Lots of people admired the citrus (lime green) one over the weekend

and my Mum said she could see they were a lovely quality!

Despite  bagging 20% discount, when my parcel arrived I had not one but two free unexpected gifts inside! The lovely French blue purse with padlock fastening and the brightly coloured floral and bird print notebook. Love a notebook - I write lists of lists! Another trait of mine!

Boden currently have a whopping 30% off dresses so get over there and grab a bargain!

XX