Armistice Day storm

The Memorial to the War dead in Trelawnyd

The North Wales coast is bracing itself to storm force winds due later today. Already we have had gales all morning and I have spent the time weighting down the coops with rocks and have cleared away anything that can be blown away.One of my egg customers dropped off a load of spare wood which I also sorted through this morning ( and which I will burn in the stove this evening)
The  unpalatable job of the day was to be the culling of the excess cockerels, and with some nifty footwork, one bantam cockerel out of the three earmarked for the chop, managed to escape my clutches and make a dash to freedom. I didn't try and chase the poor chap, kismet allowed his survival and so survive he will! The other two , more substantial males were not so lucky, they are presently hanging in the outhouse awaiting dressing tomorrow. Dressing chicken is something I quite enjoy and am good at


The two unlucky cockerels



Some of the thirteen runners being "jumpy"in the bad weather



The old hens wisely sheltering in the hawthorn

Chris has flown down to Southampton this afternoon with work....I am off to batten down the hatches

ps it's 18.29 pm and I have not known the wind to have ever been as strong! I have just ventured out to check on the hen houses...all ok at the moment but my heart skipped a beat when I caught sight of the three guinea fowl hanging on for grim death to their perches in the near hysterical churchyard elm