Downton Abbey

Now I am not a follower of this "Upstairs Downstairs" drama DOWNTON ABBEY ( the blatant rip off of the flower show storyline from Mrs Miniver was unforgivable) but I have noticed the rather sweet performance from the Yorkshire actress Joanne Froggatt as the spunky maid Anna......

Look out for her, she's a find

The Burtons depart and a gift from the ghosts

Chris' family left for their long journey home this morning. It has been a nice and therapeutic visit. I use the word therapeutic personally here;  the commitments of animals and the long distances between North Wales and Broadstairs has meant that my own contact with the in laws has been somewhat limited and one sided and it has been lovely to rekindle a family relationship and to share the facets of our lives with each other after so long.

Last night Leo burst into the cottage with full wizard make up on. William was somewhat intrigued by the presence of such an ugly midget,(above) but the mask was soon removed so that the usual bout of dog hugging, stomach tickling and muzzle kissing could continue.
I have been fascinated with each dog's reaction to Leo. They are obviously not used to the maelstrom which is a child's behaviour, but each one has reacted rather benignly to the rough and tumble.
George spends most of the time being dragged into uncomfortable looking positions so that ears can be scratched and tummy's tickled and has enjoyed every minute of it. William has been tolerant and polite which is his way and Meg  has surprised me the most with a sudden and rather moving show of concern when after a rather tiring day Leo had a fit of the sobs.
Hearing the commotion, Meg raced over and to the astonishment of the room climbed up on Charlotte's knee to search the face of the distraught Leo.....I have never seen her do that before.

So with the family gone, the cottage has resorted back to it's quiet "normality"......I caught one of the ghost hens looking rather stooped and unwell. After a brief struggle I managed to give her the once over and caught sight of a small egg stuck firmly in her vent! Bless.... not built for egg laying the battery hen had defied the odds and had produced her first,somewhat undersized but perfectly formed prize!
I had an inkling to how to help. I gave the fat girl a gentle prod with my plastic rake and she started to waddle towards her hen house ( the plastic rake means bedtime in Ghost hen language)
When the ghost hens move they invariably increase their abdominal pressures ( because of their big weight) and when they walk they fart and expel poo with a fair and rather disgusting gusto....
Getting her to break into a hefty trot, she let out an almighty raspberry and the egg shot around a foot and a half out of her back end!!!
Half pleased with herself and just a little surprised, she turned to check out her first egg., lying in the grass and I managed to snap the above photo!
Never a dull moment  

X-Factor 2010 - Matt Cardle Singing Bleeding Love - Live Shows 4

It's been a week

since we met up;;;I have missed him

Bless ...hated this song........

but I am still obsessed!!!!!.....

cute cute cute

Dog love in

The Burtons on the way to the beach

Leo's love in with the dogs has continued over the last 24 hours and will continue, I am sure over the next 24 hours, Last night all three have been hugged, sat on, hugged again and kissed until exhausted dogs and lip chappped boy collapsed into a fitful overnight sleep.. After cooking them an eggy bread and bacon breakfast ,I have just packed them all off to the beach for an hour's dog walking, which leaves me just enough time to sort the cottage and me out before we all go to Llandudno for a nice lunch at Osborn House.
I am cooking Leo a Halloween dinner tonight, he has his outfit all sorted out!

Operation Dog Snot Removal

Too much to do...... too little time.......
I am just about to wipe a thoughtful skid mark from the kitchen floor and a disemboweled field mouse needs shifting from it's last resting place from the kitchen top.

True to form it's raining........
more muddy footprints all over the house before our visitors arrive

Big Breaths John....Big Breaths

Visitors and culling

Tomorrow Chris' Brother Jonathan, wife Charlotte and nephew Leo arrive. in Trelawnyd
They live way down in Broadstairs in Kent and in the ten years ( to the day!) that me and Chris have been together, this is their first visit to our home all together ( remember Leo visited earlier in the year!) As you can imagine it is an important visit for us.
Yesterday I have shampooed the dog smell out of the carpets,wiped the dog snot from the windows and bought fresh flowers and a Halloween pumpkin for the house.
Today I will give the cottage a general scrub, and will try and tidy up the garden in preparation and early this morning I have put together a hamper for Jon and Charlotte to take home with them.  

In the hamper I have put my own fresh produce (leeks, artichoke hearts,pumpkin,onions shallots and sprouts) I then added my own jars of picked onions and pickled spicy beetroot and topped it all off with six newly laid eggs, some donated green chutney from old Mrs Jones and some bought honey from Eirlys' farm.
Visitors need to be fed well!

Yesterday, the sick ghost hen fell over when out for a drink and was unable to get up again. Luckily I found her quickly and knew there was nothing more I could do , so in the field and with a  heavy heart I sat and stroked her for a short while before putting her out of her misery. She was the only the second hen I have culled myself since Bob the retired poultry keeper showed me how to dispatch my young cockerels last year, and no matter how necessary the job, I really do hate doing it.
Three juvenile cockerels need culling next week and I think I will ask Bob to come and help me again with the job.......As I sat on the grass in the field with a dead fat hen on my lap I realised that I will never make a proper farmer!
I am just too soft

Friends

I was moaning just a little that my two local friends are "off the radar" so to speak after reading my blog
I received a very funny email from my friend Nige ( who lives 50 miles or so away)
This is part of it
Very Funny

But you know, of course, that you always have someone to call/e-mail
if you need a chat/rant.
Here's my assessment of your options:

Nuala = stress-free long-distance telephonic love-in

Mike = vicariously heterosexual discourse

Bel = creative firestorm with a touch of gender outrage!

Me = post-apocalyptic glitter, with a fricassee of narcissism


Hey, I think you've got a nice mix there!

lol

Family

From left to right
My Brother Andrew, twin sister on My mother's knee, unknown old lady, Granny Gray, Auntie Judy wit Stuart, Auntie Margaret with Ian, Uncle Bert, My Grandfather ( I don't remember him), my handsome father and a rather fat ME

I "found" this on facebook tonight