Three Hens in a Box

I dithered over writing tonight. I have so many blissful things to show and share, but the simple easy things my family's enjoyed seem self-indulgent luxuries when I compare them to what's happening out there in the world and parts of our small island. As my blog is about me finding the happy in the everyday and celebrating that I decided to chat away.

Hens are on our minds this week. Our ladies are getting older and haven't laid an egg for a few weeks now. They seemed a wee bit run down so I fed them a dollop of scambled egg with garlic to perk them up a bit. Now we've gone for shock tactics.

After finding a perfect hen lady on Monday and making plans to visit her this week, eggy things were all around. When we went to the sweetie shop yesterday Little Bun spotted these 50's eggcups in the window next door. She knows me so well that girl.

All ready for breakfast nestled up with our other treasures. Definately need to finish up that paint job I slapped on a year ago don't I.

Somehow my needles ended up working a few more stripy egg hats last night too. The colours of our new eggcups inspired me to make some new ones to sit on top.

Yesterday the girls showed they know a mean thing about a flat pack DIY project. Four years ago I bought a chicken coop off ebay, then a friend just gave me one all made up and even put it in my run for me. For four years it's nestled up with the logs in the woodstore pleading to be made and not burnt. Yesterday I finally dragged it out and we got going with the Alun keys, a faded plan and tons of patience.

It's like Barratt Homes meets Cold Comfort Farm dilapidation. Plan is old house for old ladies, new house for new girls. When they all fall madly in love, they'll move in together and have a paint party (colour still to be agreed).

As it happened the project I run has been put back a week, so not earning, but then more time with my lovelies. As we're so impatient it meant we could go pullet shopping this afternoon. I got hopelessly lost trying to find the farm, so Eldest was on the phone being talked in by farmer Jen and yelling directions to me. We arrived at an idyll of goats, three week old kittens, more hens and ducks than you can shake a stick at, the most nutty eccentric seven year old I've ever met who gave the Tour and Jen sat calmly straining honey slowly into jars in the middle of it all.

After chatting for an age - knitting, bee-keeping and animals we went off to pick our hens. From the top are Olive a Red Rock (she nearly was called Cabbage - Eldest couldn't stop laughing and said she loved it as a name even though it made her laugh, could she please call her that? I thought it would be mean calling her a cabbage, now I just think of Olive from On the Buses), next up is Bluebell who is a Bluebell (after Little's now no more and beloved Guinea Pig. Mr Bun's cousin was briefly a Bluebell girl many moons ago in Paris so I like that too) lastly we have a Magpie Ranger who we've simply named Maggie.

We finally got home about 8pm (I got lost on the way home too!). They are so lovely and used to handling so liked a cuddle before bedtime. We had to quickly push them in as Hennypenny came out to see what all the noise was about. Thought a surprise in the morning was soon enough to find her world's changed.

Before I pop off I'll add a couple of pics of our other dreams. Wandering down peaceful paths and having a small ramshackle meadow with a sheep or two for Little Bun to love.

Fingers crossed our Ladies think the newcomers have always been here and just let them be part of the gang. Think that's just wishful thinking don't you?