Big Sigh

It's been a week since we returned from Sweden

And in that week

I have had no casualties to the badger

Three new girls arrived this week to boost the egg numbers

And the new ex battery hens are due to arrive next week..so

I have made a decision

I am going to learn to use a shotgun

( ok I can't kill badgers but I can kill the odd fox)

I am going to have a word with the RFWF 's son

I am sure he'll teach me

Don't hate me readers

" I am BIG ...It's the flower Show that got small"

I think I would have made a rather good PA
As all morning I have sorted out Flower Show Business.
I have sold £40 worth of raffle tickets,  delivered Show Schedules, conscripted three gardens into the " best garden class" , drank two cups of coffee at kitchen tables , accepted a plant pot full of leek seedlings and  spoke to a reporter from the Flintshire Leader about interviewing Auntie Gladys in her role as longest serving member of the Flower Show Committee.
The reporter was very nice, but I could tell he was slightly on edge  when he spied six bags of smelly dog poo standing proudly by the back door wall.
" I sprinkle them around the field borders to keep the badgers away" I explained as he laughed nervously and his eyes went just a little rounder when Winnie trotted past , showing him a cherry tomato that she had triumphantly  retrieved from underneath the fridge freezer.
Anyhow, Gladys is an old pro when it cones to reporters and photographers, so I have left her to it
" alright Mr DeMille ......she's ready for her close up"

Caryl

Never mind the crew member in the  bandana

Daryl ( Norman Reedus) and Carol ( Melissa mcBride)

Are together again in the filming of series 5 The Walking Dead

Be still my beating , sad heart

Jesus Loves me ( This I Know...for the Bible tells me so)

Some animals suddenly become extraordinary tame. It's an odd phenomenon, for it doesn't always come down to the fact that they are hand reared or cared for when ill.
Some animals just take to you, whether you like it or not.
Jesus , the only chick on the field this year has had a checkered little life since he was hatched on Easter Sunday.
Raised by the last crackhead whore who rejected him  as soon as he feathered up, the little hen has suffered the last of the badger attacks ( his coop had it's nesting box ripped away in the night but he was small enough to keep out of the way of hungry teeth) then found himself bullied by the larger hens in a succession of robust hen houses before being set up in his own raised coop out of the way of  predators.
His adventures has made him strangely confident, and over the past week or so, he has actively sought me out every time I appear,forcing himself in my hand time and time again to be petted.
Perhaps it's a case of not biting the hand that feeds him

I think the photo captures his personality quite well

I have a feeling he's quietly bananas 

beneath the feathers

Calling All Entries & A Country Church Service

Former novelty veg entries

We are having a Flower Show Meeting this evening around Auntie Glad's table.

It's a time for agreeing who will do what on the day, and as usual the whole event will generally look after itself

( with a bit of help from our now 13 strong committee )

For those that are interested in entering.

The Trelawnyd Flower Show Schedule can be seen here
Click on the link

http://trelawnydflowershow.blogspot.co.uk

The show is open to all and we are always delighted to
receive entries from all over the county and from postal entries from blog readers
( go on! Enter the photograph section...or the hand made greeting card perhaps?
Or some of the craft sections?....it's a bit of fun)
If you have any queries , my contact details can be seen on the Flower Show Website

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Anyhow on a more restful note
When I was out on the field last night on " badger watch"
I could hear singing and music coming from the church
I didn't know there was an evening service on
I took this brief video
Even though I am not a church goer
The sound of the voices of the small congregation rather moved me

Nite nite

Heaven

Today's earlier blog seemed a little serious

So I will balance it with a little bit of luxurious frivolity

With Chris working away, I was only going to have a bagel for tea

But Val & Peter from Anchor house 

Called round and dropped off a cannon ball sized , bespoke black pudding scotch egg

from the Hawarden Estate farm shop

http://www.hawardenestate.co.uk

It was bloody lovely!

More For Less

The crime figures for our region for May
Five villages 10 reported crimes
In Sheffield ( central) the figure was 1135

It is generally thought that a good tv documentary should be an informative, balanced, interesting and thought provoking piece of work.
Last night BBC aired the second part of Police Under Pressure, which is a sobering look at community policing in and around the city of Sheffield. The programme was less about coppers banging to rights scumbag criminals and concentrated a rather depressing view on just how the force is having to cope with massive cut backs in funding whilst having to adhere to government targets in crime figures.
The simple message was clear for an fool to see.
The city police was was expected to DO MORE
With LESS police officers and FEWER support staff.
As Americans would say...you do the math!

One after another, tired looking and demoralized police staff kept on repeating the corporate mantra of work "being a challenge" to the camera, where we the audience all know that the clear  elephant in the room message is you can only fire fight a problem for so long before anarchy surfaces.
The bubbling unrest between Roma and Pakistani communities in the Page Hall area of Sheffield being a sobering case in point.

We take policing for granted. In the Uk the public takes the health care system for granted
also.....both organizations are teetering on the edge of an abyss...and collectively none of us are doing anything about it.
We just expect help to be there when we pick up the phone.....

Community policing in Trelawnyd

Winnie guarding the cottage this morning