Good service & obsession

One of the things I have in common with my friend Nige, is that I absolutely HATE bad service. In my mind there is no excuse for it whatsoever, yet time and time again in this country we money paying customers have to suffer rudeness,apathy and derision from a whole army of receptionists,salespeople and minor officials that are supposed to be there to make our lives easier and a little more pleasurable.
Mind you I had to eat my words today, as with trepidation, I rang our local doctors' surgery in a hopeful effort to secure an appointment before Christmas. In seconds the receptionist gave me a slot within 30 minutes of my phone call!! She was polite , cheerful and helpful (as was the other receptionist at the surgery) The doctor was attentive and thorough and the pharmacy staff couldn't be nicer...........It was, I must admit, all a bit of a shock.
The doc said I had a chest infection AND bronchitis, and told me to take a course of antibiotics, lots of fluids and rest INDOORS........Hey two out of three ain't bad.....this afternoon I have cut the flight feathers of most of the new hens and Gloria and have cleaned a couple of coops out a well as walked the dogs up the Gop......
It all has to be done.


Out of our four dogs, only Meg is totally obsessed with Albert. William is sporadically excited by his rather disgusting toilet habits, (and the very prolonged period of litter scratching) whereas George and Maddie couldn't be bothered at all by the little chap. Yes only Meg is desperate to get up close and personal. Several times she has actually made the mad scramble up onto the table,but happily she has been remained more interested rather than aggressive with a rather laid back Albert.

....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.

Travel writing

My sister Ann and her husband are in the middle of their epic USA holiday. Having left New York they are now in Las Vegas before ending up in San Francisco.

I recieved an e mail off them this morning, and was amused and interested in the city' comments....

House music pumping out in the pool area (one of five) and super sized Americans having their life blood sucked out of them by one arm bandits, affectionately known as “slots”. The MGM Grand certainly lives up to its name, with a foyer as large as two football pitches, dripping in gold and carpet so thick you could loose a bullion bar in it. 5000 bedrooms with the Hollywood theme, James Cagney and Greta Garbo in over sized frames gazing down on marble bathrooms. Far flung vista;s of the purple Nevada mountains in the evening sun and the MGM Lion used everywhere. Art Deco brass lift doors feature his roaring head, they even have the real things, prowling up and down in glass cages along side the “slots”. We thought we had the best hotel on the “Strip” but were wrong - Caesars Palace is serious plastic.- soaring columns swathed in Verses gold, topped by vast painted ceilings that manage to outdo Michael Angelo’s seemingly pathetic attempts. As we entered the Forum we were greeted by Centurions and even Cleopatra and Caesar himself made an appearanceThe Forum, a twisting maze of indoor/outdoor ancient roman streets housed every upmarket designer shop you can imagine in fact we had dinner by the side of the Trevi fountain on a particularly warm evening with painted azure blue skies and fluffy white clouds scurrying above our heads. We arrived at the end of the Forum to be greeted by a three story atrium complete with spiral staircase, of course it had to be more than just that , as we took a trip on our first ever spiral escalator we marvelled at the progress mankind and in particular Americans have made.

Love T&A xx

Interesting ......

"John-the-dogs" and the strange world of the blog

Today I feel as though I have actually joined the village community properly as it were. I went to the post office to buy a birthday card (the cards look like they were printed in the 1940's) and had to wait in the usual old person queue. Now I like this ritual as you usually catch up with the local gossip, but it can cut into your day, if you are in a hurry.The longest I have been in there one morning was 40 minutes!

This morning three old ladies were chatting when I entered, and one of them that I didn't recognise smiled a welcome and said "It's John the dogs!!". This tickled me greatly, as although the nicknaming of people with their job or main characteristics IS a Welsh stereotype,I have found out that it actually does occur! (Auntie Glad's late husband is always referred to as Bob -the railway) So I am now known as John-the-dogs!! Better than John-the-old-poof Chris remarked.

I received an email the other day from a very nice Welsh terrier fan from somewhere in the American Midwest. She had been reading my blog for a while, (which is always flattering) and interestingly had traced her family tree to the Wrexham area of North Wales. She has asked me to enter a blog entry describing my daily routine....so I am warning you I may detail it tomorrow....how interesting!!!!!!!!

Gloria has settled down today, but still looks rather slutty when compared to the dapper Boris. I have caught up with the jobs as although it has been incredibly windy, the rain has kept away.

Aunt Judy is coming to tea later (and to watch Strictly Come Dancing) so I have made an apple pie from scratch. I did start by cheating, as we bought some pre made pastry yesterday, but Albert walked over the rolled out pastry just after digging away in his cat litter....even I ruled out carrying on after that........

My one and only pumpkin

Albert , leaving his box-being watched carefully by four pairs of eyes

Rogo, (son of Duncan) just starting to show his cockerel stance (Nonnie is in the background)

Miss Gloria and Albert moves three feet

My efforts to find a mate for poor Boris have been fruitful! Some good old farmer saw my poster plea in the feed wholesaler today and by early evening I had Gloria firmly tucked under my arm, ready to meet up with her new mate. The farmer was due to cull his entire flock just before Christmas, so I feel rather smug at "saving" one hen out of 300 birds, who hopefully will have a nice life in my field.
Gloria is definitely a "farm" girl in looks, she is scruffy, slightly shop worn, and looks ever so slightly like a good time girl that has seen better days. Believe me, she was the pick of the flock....as I discarded several more "slutty hens" before picking her out.
Boris, found the whole new girl thing rather stressful at first, and bounced around his enclosure rather hysterically. In the end I just picked them both up and shut them both into the turkey house for the night. I hope everything will be peaceful tomorrow.

Albert has left his cardboard box several times throughout the day but has only ventured a yard or so on top of the kitchen cabinets. We have relaxed and given him his head and left him to it, and he has responded by allowing us to scratch his head or tummy every time we pass. The dogs are slowly getting used to his tiny black face popping up and into view every couple of minutes, and are getting less and less interested in his presence, but the test will eventually come when he climbs down to mix with his housemates.

Russell Howard

I think Russell Howard must have had at least a few red bull type enhancements (if u get my meaning?)....... his comedy show, was subversive,overactive,brilliant and very very funny.The usual blue rinse audience at LLandudno's Venue Cymru was replaced by the "youth" of North Wales, and everyone was out for a good "laugh-type" evening...He was a lot better than I originally had expected.......
It was a lovely late Birthday gift as we had a brief Birthday supper at Osborn House before we went to the theatre.
Got back at around 11pm.- Albert was still fast asleep on the kitchen table

Albert

Not the best photo of our latest arrival, but hopefully Albert will be as laid back as he now looks.
William has been fairly hysterical since the little chap got installed on the kitchen table, but things have settled down a little since everyone has been fed and watered.
I have always had a cat in the house for the past 20 years, indeed Joan will be a very hard act to follow,, but it does feel nice to have a cat around again.I think that Chris is also secretly happy at having him, even though he is fairly vocal at all the negative connotations of having a new kitten (shit, poop and wee)
Put my "I want a female turkey"posters up in the vets and the feed shops this morning, and have organised catch ups with Nige next week in Manchester and a hook up with Mike, Johnney and Jane in Sheffield on the 23rd, which is great.
Tonight I am off to a comedy nite in Llandudno with Hazel (a late birthday gift for me!!)

Matchmaking, and Albert

Lonely but looking a lot better than he did. Boris has now been re housed in his enclosure with the slightly hysterical ducks. I have rung around to see if I can find another mate for him without success, and have designed several posters advertising for a female to be put up in the vets and animal feed shops.
I had better luck with the local animal centre who now has a small dog friendly cat available for re homing..The little black chap was taken in as a orphan by a family with three staffies, and subsequently has "no fear" of dogs.He did look rather sorry for himself when I went to give him the once over with George in tow.
George is rather a vocal Scottish Terrier, and bays loudly when he sees anything he is not used to, so I was surprised when the cat hardly raised an eyebrow when George started performing. Mind you the effect George did have on the 8 other cats in the shed was quite electric , as most of them short several feet into the air at the sound of a screaming dog.
The cat will be vet checked today and inoculated and flea treated before I collect him tomorrow. The animal centre will also neuter him free of charge in a few months time, which I thought was a bit of a bargain.
I have already christened him Albert.