Richard T Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Due to popular demand (well Kate A was asking because I've not been around much recently) here’s an update about the move that HennyPenny (The Wife) and I made last October from Sarf East Lundun to a picture-skew cottage in the wilds of Kent. Briefly, it’s great! We love it! The story so far ... there’s us two, the two chickens (Rita and Mavis) and the cat. HP and I are coping with the commuting, even though it’s a bit of a drag and involves spending far too much time on the M20, which is a very scary motorway, especially in the morning. The chickens are fine. When we moved, Mavis was coming to the end of her moult and feathers were growing back. Then it seemed like Rita had started pulling out Mavis’s feathers (again). But now Mavis is all feathered up and is at the most feathery that I think we’ve ever seen her. She’s not returned to regular egg laying though. And now Rita has a bare bottom, but otherwise seems in fine fettle. We’re expecting that things will get better when there’s some light in the mornings and evenings so that they can have a bit more time in the garden. The cat seems to be taking longest to adjust to life in the country. She sometimes seems scared about going outside and there have been a couple of “accidents” on the carpet. Also, she’s brought us a couple of presents, so I’ve had to give her a good talking to. But we’re still friends. Tho’ things between her and HP are a bit frosty. We were hoping to be able to rent the field next door for HP to keep a couple of sheep, but the farmer wasn’t keen on us keeping sheep there. As it’s turned out, we wouldn’t have had the time anyway, so we’ve put that plan on hold. There are enough sheep in the area to keep HP happy for the time being. (And there are other farmers who might be more agreeable when the time comes.) This is a bit of a long message so I'll finish there for now. More later ... Richard T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Good to hear from you glad it is all working out HP will have to get used to 'the presents' from the cat - it will only get worse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Great news Richard - you will really appreciate it in the summer - those idyllic warm evenings...... Mmmmm Good to see you back Richard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Glad everything seems to be going OK Richard...........It isn't home time just yet........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted January 16, 2007 Author Share Posted January 16, 2007 HP will have to get used to 'the presents' from the cat - it will only get worse When HP discovered the first "present", she shrieked, screamed and shouted until I told her it wasn't a mouse, it was a vole, and her mood changed immediately to one of sympathy for the poor, ickle, fing. She has a point though. Voles are cute. Richard T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 They are all cute in the right place Which for HP isn't the house Has the cat got a bell on its collar it will help to reduce it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Aren't they lovely. I love the mice too, so soft and velvety I don't like the birds though Our two are 'Natural Born Killers', so I have loaded up their collars with lots of jangly bling - they look like yardie pimps, but haven't caught anything recently so I hope that it has worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted January 16, 2007 Author Share Posted January 16, 2007 Thanks for the reminder Louise. A bell for the cat is on the to do list. Thankfully, she's not caught any birds yet - she never got any practice in London because there were so few birds in the garden there - and I think the birds are laughing at her incompetence. I think that's why she often seems reluctant to go out during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I can just see them now, lined up against on wall, laughing at her - how humiliating. When we lived in Brockley, there were loads of mice on the common, the cat was just to lazy to go and chase them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Hey, Richard! Great to see you and hear your news! Glad all's well (apart from the little presents, of course ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Glad to hear you're settling in well Richard, and that things are almost going well! Nice to see you back on the forum and that life in the country, so far, is going well now where did I put the estate agent details......... A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Lovely to hear how it is all going Richard Any chance of the commute being reduced at all? - it would be nice if you didn't have to and could spend more time in your lovely new home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 keep us updated, your new life sounds idyllic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheilaz Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Hear, hear, I really enjoyed reading the update, Richard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Great to hear from you Richard. The move sounds like a great success, even with the presents! Give her a few more months and she may well have evolved into a champion mouser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Hey, anyone else think that Richard and HP's new place would make a fantastic venue for an Omlet gathering????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted January 17, 2007 Author Share Posted January 17, 2007 Hey, anyone else think that Richard and HP's new place would make a fantastic venue for an Omlet gathering????? No one? Phew! Thank goodness for that! The thought of all those Crocs in one place ... Akshully, when all this started I did promise to organise a small local gathering. I haven't forgotten. Once the weather is better and the ground has dried out a bit ... As for the cat, I don't know about her becoming a champion mouser. Last night she seemed to be having a senior moment. She came into the kitchen. Stopped. And stood there for a good few minutes staring in the direction of HP's wellies with a look about her of not quite remembering what she'd come into the kitchen for. She's daft that cat. And the commuting will get better eventually. At the moment we drive into HP's school in Charlton (she's a teacher, not my child-bride) and I get a train from there into central London. (We have to drive because there isn't a train early enough to get HP to school on time - and it would involve going in to London and out again!). In the school holidays I'll be able to get a train from the local station (Lenham) into London and it'll be much quicker for me. HP of course will never change schools to one nearer home ( ) (I have to say that in case her headmaster is reading this.) And once the sale of the old house has gone through I might be able to afford to change jobs and work nearer to home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Richard, we had a visit to the vets at the weekend, and there we discovered a dinky little contraption that's attached the collar. As the cat prepares to pounce on a bird (and I assume they would pounce the same for a vole, or any other kind of gift they are considering catching for you, or do you think that that would require a whole new routine?), it emits some kind of noise that alerts the 'present' to the fact that it's going to become dinner if it doesn;t move its bum. It's very effective apparantly, and may be worth a scout arund the local pet shop, or vets to find one, if nothing else but for the sake of HP's sanity... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Good old ebay..... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LIBERATOR-THE-CAT-COLLAR-THAT-SAVES-BIRDS-LIVES_W0QQitemZ250072315078QQihZ015QQcategoryZ66763QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem 'Tis the exact thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Look on the bright side Richard, she could be teaching in Lewisham, then you'd come back from work to find it minus the tyres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted January 17, 2007 Author Share Posted January 17, 2007 Look on the bright side Richard, she could be teaching in Lewisham, then you'd come back from work to find it minus the tyres Or just the tyres. Shona - Thanks for the info about the Liberator Cat Collar. I did a google and it has mixed reviews and apparently it doesn't work with small mammals. I'll pop into the pet shop to have a look. Thinking about it, she probably catches the small mammals when it's dark so a light might be more effective than a bell or beeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Keep posting your news Richard. it's great to hear about it all. You must be near Leeds Castle - one of my favourite places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Thinking about it, she probably catches the small mammals when it's dark so a light might be more effective than a bell or beeper. that's a fantastic idea - get her a mini pit-helmet... Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted January 17, 2007 Author Share Posted January 17, 2007 We come off the M20 at the Leeds Castle junction and then it's a few miles on from there (I'm being a bit secretive for security reasons. You never know who might be reading this. I'm sure you all understand. Not that we have anything worth nicking.). We haven't been to the castle yet. Our next door neighbour - John Next Door - tells us that there are public footpaths through the castle grounds so you can see the grounds for free, but the staff keep a close watch and if you stray off the public footpath they're on you in a flash demanding the entrance fee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Richard - I wasn't encouraging you to post your address on here! It's just that I see a signpost for Lenham when I go the Leeds Castle. It is quite expensive for a visit, but just the best place ever. We used to buy a family season ticket, costing the price of just over 2 visits. Then we could go any time we wanted, and did, all year round. You also get guest tickets for free, so we used to take friends there too. Now we have National Trust instead, but I don't think we use it as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
