Cowpats & Mad Mary

Mad Mary the Bantam (those eyes....illegal substances???)

The usual wind and rain has buffeted the cottage all morning, so I took the dogs down the sheltered Gypsy Lane for their walk. The lane is a bridlepath situated between two fields and therefore is almost covered with Oak and Hawthorn. so it remains sheltered in the most inclement of weather.

During a particularly heavy downpour an already soaked Meg came across a huge, smelly cowpat and immediately swallow dived into the centre of it. She was absolutely covered in Tish (inside AND out), and resembled a small walking turd when I got her home!

I left her outside the back door when I went upstairs to run her a bath when the wind (which has been gusting over 50 miles an hour) blew open the kitchen door!

When I finally came downstairs, Meg had merrily bounced all over the living room, and with typical terrier gay abandon had rubbed herself over every piece of carpet with every other dog in tow....the place looked and smelt like a midden!

So for most of the morning I have been shampooing carpets and scrubbing skirtingboards whilst breathing through my mouth, Meg has been dunked in a warm bath TWICE......and I have a ton of unmentionable material lodged firmly under my fingernails.....

This afternoon I have cleaned more shi*e out of the coops and pig run, and took a few fragrant minutes watching the power struggles work themselves out in the new hen enclosure. With five new hens now incorporated with the lame Bunny, Bantam Cockerel Roger and wyandotte bantam Mary, I was surprised to see the normally placid and quiet Mary assuming alpha female status. Suddenly this tiny hen is running the coop on almost military lines, dominating the new hens which are twice her size with a rather tough, assertive flourish.

Even the the "teenage" chicks in their run (below) have been put firmly in their places albeit through some stout chicken wire; ;funny how the pecking order changes with the sudden appearence of a few new faces.

Tonight Chris and Janet have hired a local village hall in which to practice their "ballroom moves"....after I lock up the hens I am off to the pub with Geoff for a pint....