....a day in the life........

I have had a bad chest now for three weeks, and today sounded rather like a wheezy old chronic TB sufferer rather than a healthy man-of-the soil. For the second time recently I have taken sick time from work and hopefully will talk my GP into giving me some antibiotics tomorrow.

So tonight, we have lit the log burner and as there remains a definite chill in the air, I have settled down on the couch with William and Maddie (Meg and William are sitting in the kitchen watching Albert's every move)--and holding a large lemsip am relaxing with my blog.

I said yesterday that I would answer an email I received from Mrs M in the US,(I risk sounding like Humphrey Littleton on I'm sorry I haven't a clue here) basically she wanted me to add a bit of detail to life in the village and my routine here at Bwthyn-y-llan.So with apologies to those that already know the facts...here goes.

I am not sure just how big the field is, perhaps an acre and a half , and it has been split up into vegetable and fruit plots separated by strimmed grass (see above) and 4 poultry enclosures. The largest enclosure is 100 metres in circumference and comprises of three hen houses with 27 hens.Most of these hens are older hybrid birds that are slowly approaching middle age! They are overseen by a white leghorn cockerel called Stanley. There is a smaller 50 metre enclosure set up next to this one, which is acting as a "nursery" at the moment.There are two smaller hen houses in this area,one housing 5 juvenile birds that were raised by one of the red rocks from the big run(Rogo,Nonnie,Linda,Belle,Susan) and the other housing the youngest 4 chicks (hatched from my own incubator a few weeks ago now), these four chicks have not been sexed or named as yet. Young hens cannot be put into the large run with the established flock as hens are quite mercenary when bulling smaller,younger birds and kill them with alarming ease.

The other two runs are both 50 metre affairs, one housing the 22 runner ducks (who live in a large green shed) and the turkeys (Boris and Gloria) who have their own shack and the other housing my five favourite hens, my tame buff orpington flock. The four tiny chicks in my shed will be joining these fat girls when they are old enough, and will hopefully form a nice breeding flock of their own,

Most of the spare pastureland has been utilised with four large allotment plots, and this year I have planted black current and berry bushes in between these and the open "driveway" which has to be left open for access into the Graveyard behind the Church. I would love to ultimately have a goat grazing in this area, but who knows?

Our cottage lies on a one track lane on the West side of the village.and was originally constructed in 1674. It was re modeled in 1864 by a Mr Thomas Parry and was said to be a small ale house (where people could buy homemade alcohol before, and/or after visiting Church) Until fairly recently the cottage was a "smallholding" and had a cow byre and pig sty located where our cottage garden now stands.

Our garden is tiny (we were unable to buy the original cottage garden and orchard located some 60 feet behind our back door) and it cannot sustain four boisterous terriers, so the dogs get four good walks a day, which is time consuming but necessary. We usually walk up the "Gop" which is a large ancient Hill fort and burial mound (the second biggest in the UK). The Gop overlooks the village,(the top photograph was taken half way up).Prestatyn beach is only ten minutes away by car.