Laburnum lifts the mood

I feel a bit more human today. Chris had some old colleagues over for a visit this morning, so I have been busy being the hostess with the mostess....having said that I was not too busy to notice the stunning laburnum which is in full bloom in the Churchyard. It really does lift the spirits . This afternoon he has left for a weeks conference in Canada, so I am left with just the animals and all of their needs for company.
The temperature has soared up into the 70s, so I do not feel guilty at resting in doors this afternoon and I may have a quick snooze after I write this....after all I was up at 6am making sure the house was clean and tidy for our visitors!
Chris' friends were three senior nurse academics, so when they get together it is all talk about past nursing exploits.....all of the women agreed that nursing had changed way beyond recognition and made me laugh like a drain when they discussed working on a stroke rehabilitation unit in the early 1980s. At 5pm every evening before the patients were fed, the nurses would all get together in the office and all would treat themselves to a martini!!!! I had to giggle, not everything was better in the 1980s me thinks.

This afternoon I painted the tin cockerel on the field gate and touched up the goose house( below) before Geoffrey and I do some heterosexual male bonding and put it all together.

With Maddie dying I feel as though I have neglected the other animals for a while. This morning I still set out four bowls with dog food, but with coops to clean and water butts to fill, I just sighed and got on with things. Keeping busy is so therapeutic. I have made sure that I have put writing to Maddie's vets on hold for a while. Writing a complaint must be done in a measured and non aggressive way; I can't trust myself to be objective just yet

Pirrie got an extra cuddle this afternoon then was treated for lice and mites, and Theresa the female turkey "on loan" got her lice check up and dusting

I have wormed the rapidly growing chicks (below) and all seem a little stir crazy in their small pen. They are still too small at 2 months old to be let out with the old bruiser hybrids and the cockerels as yet but it won't be too long

In a week or so, the eggs beneath Blanche, Kate Winslett and Lilly should be hatching too....then the goose eggs in the incubator may well be piping....I have more than enough to keep me occupied it may seem

Thanks to everyone who left me a supportive comment on the blog over the past few days and to those that sent me emails and cards I send another big thank you.

I have been moved by the kindness of people and I appreciate it.

johnx