Respect and Blanche comes home

My god, I couldn't log into blogger last night and had a small panic attack. Shows just how much my diary routine is "fixed" doesn't it. Anyhow I am busily preparing for mother-in-law Sorrel's visit this evening. Yesterday I have washed windows, cleaned the inside of the car( BIG JOB), vacuumed, bleached and spring cleaned half the house. It is a ritual I do every time anyone comes to visit, but I do take particular care when Sorrel visits.

I thought about this when I was on my hands and knees, rubbing fluff from a skirting board. Is it purely an obsessional manifestation? ......perhaps.........Is it just a case of showing off that we are doing fine up here........probably just a little. But I think the the overwhelming reason for the effort is respect. You want a guest to feel comfortable. You want them to know that you think so highly of them that you actually go that extra mile to prepare for them

Anyhow it is 7.30 am on Tuesday, and I have walked the dogs and sorted the poultry out before two 14 ton lorries bulldoze through my field with tarmack for the Church paths.The work had to come, but I am glad that I have organised to take the scotties for their haircuts at 8 am so that I cannot watch the heavy work. Once the tarmack is down, the perimeter fence Will be erected and my field will again be private, but for today, I know all the lush green grass will be churned up and wrecked......

Ripley and her siblings are over 5 weeks old now and are at least a foot high now. Foster mum Blanche needed to be moved back to the main hen enclosure and so I moved her yesterday morning. She seemed unconcerned after the move and quickly stuffed her face with corn and went to bully the new girls Shelley and Elizabeth Spriggs for a bit.But I guess the baby like quacks from her ducklings were all a bit much for her and withing minutes she had scaled two electric fences and promptly sat on top of the duckling run, clucking noisily at her babies.

So this morning, she is still in with the six young ducks, and I have locked them in whilst the heavy traffic is passing their run.

Me, I am now off to sort the scotties out then back for more hoovering