Going Gently

Buffs and Bantams

11 chicks so far under the heat lamp in the kitchen
Albert is in a state of nervous exhaustion

The weather was so bloody awful this morning that Nigel scarpered for warmth of Stockport slightly early and who could blame him.( I stole this photo he took yesterday in Llandudno from his blog) The deluge was so heavy that embankments near to Chris' gym started to give way under the constant seepage from the saturated fields and a huge lorry crashed and shed its load on the slick roundabout at St Asaph.The field is totally waterlogged and now resembles Flander's field.
The mayhem in the kitchen has settled down a little, as we now have 10 bantam and buff chicks all asleep under the functioning heat lamp. Two of my sub adult hybrids are going tomorrow.....the first of my babies to be sold!

Chaos

Poor Nige.....not only has he had to put up with a cottage full of animals, he has had to fit in a social visit around William's haircut (above) a sudden disaster with the Belingo's exhaust and a kitchen full of hatching bantam chicks.

We dropped William off at 9am, then drove to Llandudno to do some Chrimbo shopping.......the belingo sounded very much like a small, VERY noisy tank by the time we got there, so shopping had to wait for Mr Kwick fit to bung on a new exhaust for 300 soddin quid!!!!!!!

By the time we got back to pick William up, it was time to walk the dogs then have a small panic as the the new tiny hatching bantams needed transferring into their heat lamp cage in the shed........the temperature was far too low for them so the whole operation had to be moved into the kitchen. where Albert is now flexing his claws in the hopeful wish that the tiny chicks can be reached through the bars................

So far three tiny golden bantams have hatched .........just 14 to go.......Nige will be suffering from migraine by the time he is going home...his nerves will be shot to ribbons

Ho Ho Ho

Janet has been experimenting with designs for her Christmas Cards.
Jess is not looking too happy with the idea

Chris away

Chris has gone to a conference in Harrogate for three days, so before friend Nige calls down tomorrow night, I have a good 24 hours to catch up with a pre Christmas "spring" clean.
Albert was let out this morning for his second jaunt out of the cottage....and did come back to the safety of the kitchen after an hour or so.....(I did catch myself standing at the garden gate waiting for his return like a parent at primary school!)
William (right) goes for his haircut on Thursday...boy does he need it

Spread too thin

I felt slightly sorry for the Police officer that has recently taken over responsibility for the policing of the village ward. He has 29 villages to cover, is supported by a small team of PCSOs ( plastic policepersons) and obviously has inherited numerous housekeeping problems from each of his small communities.
At the community forum meeting this evening, I tried to be upbeat and supportive, as I recognised his slight desperation at being constrained by policy and protocol, but I did feel that he had a certain lack of background information to hand ;certainly when he was discussing speeding problems through the village.
To many of the older residents of the village, the answer to all problems would be more bobbies on more beats.....and although the Pc said all the right things, I think he never quite reinforced how thin his resources actually are. Working in the nhs for so long, I recognised his library of "proactive" phrases and platitudes, which his referred to constantly, without actually calling a spade....well a spade.
Anyhow after a hour or so, an "action plan " was agreed upon between him and us ( for what it's worth), but I guess his stress levels were somewhat reduced by ticking that audit box after attending yet another community meeting in the first place.....

Duffy does Lulu with a touch of Dusty

There is no denying that Bangor born singer Duffy has a phenomenal voice. Tonight at Manchester's Apollo, she thundered her way through a succession of Northern soul inspired set pieces with a maturity that belies her 24 years, yet apart from a couple of cracking songs, the whole concert seemed rather ....well.............just a little dull.
Duffy sings with some gusto, but she is not really a stage performer who is able to engage and communicate with her audience. I must admit her two limp backing singers ( who looked liked two poorly made over drag queens) didn't really help her and the concert's overall look either.
Better choreography and a more spunky repartee would have made a good night into a great one.
Hazel and I didn't compalin too much as we both got the tickets for nothing....

Louis Xavier Walkden-Williams

It has been a long time since we all went to a family Christening. My mother, rather famously got smashed before the Church service at my great neice's do and berated the vicar for having a"tin" font!...but that is another story for another day to be sure.
Today my Nephew Peter's son, Louis was Christened at the pretty Church in Dyserth, and it was nice to be able to celebrate the in a rather festive style...as both Church and restaurant reflected a Yuletide theme.
Peter is one of the most sociable people you will ever meet, and it was lovely to be included in their day......makes you feel a little old though!