Getting Chris to relax, a fortress and good news

Sometimes you experience a day that keeps you busy but doesn't sound that exciting...well not to anyone but me I suppose.
Chris left for a week's holiday in Broadstairs this morning, he needs the break, not only has he working extra hard over the past few months, he has been intermittently smoking again, which doesn't do well with someone's stress levels especially as he has been playing around with his nicorette patches! A week with his family, at the scenic beach in Broadstairs will, I hope, recharge his batteries.....having said this...my request that he leaves his work laptop at home fell on deaf ears!
If I can eventually find a house sitter that can look after the field, we both will be able to take a break sometime...hopefully in Sitges in Spain..........but for now I am on hen watch.....it's going to be a quiet week ...both my friends here Geoff and Hazel are away on holiday...hey ho!
Anyhow this morning my neighbour John helped me collect my new second hand hen house, which was a snip at 10 quid! It had been displayed at a local feed wholesaler and needed a little work to get it back into shape, but essentially was a huge, robustly made coop.

I painted it this afternoon, and fixed the broken doors and then bought another ridge tile to cover the heavy house tiled roof. After an hour or so, it looked mighty fine and sturdy enough to catch the eye of a visiting farmer!

"Do you think it will keep out a fox?" I asked him....and with a chuckle he stated "The only way that a fox would get into that house is with a f*cking hand grenade"

I used the left over paint to tidy up several small enclosures that had been donated to me by the animal rescue centre at Trelogan. I know it is slightly presumptuous but I want these ready for the hopeful next hatching of ducklings that are due in twelve days or so

By 6pm I was buggered. and had a quick moment of cloud watching before Lily clambered up onto my tummy....who said hens can't be affectionate?
The anonymous fruit leaver has continued to drop kind offerings off for Boris. He loves these little treats and today sucked out the centre out of each tomato with delightful relish ( I had to break them open for him.....of course...remember Turkeys are thick as mince.
The great news of the day is that my friend Nia has just had her second baby over in Australia! Little Molly Seren ( Welsh for star) is a real cracker and I am so pleased for her.....after looking after Leo for a five days, I now feel as though I am an expert in child care.....and can talk about babies without my usual reticence!!!
Humm another skill tucked under my belt.....

Off to lock the birds up now....I suspect this week I shall be watching a great many dvds and all the cupboards in the cottage will be cleaned out at last