Poorly chicken

[soapdragon]

I do love what you have done with your garden, CT! 

[Cat tails]

Have to say the monkeys do make a mess! 😂

[Daphne]

Lots of military helicopters flying over, must have been at least 20 throughout the morning.

[mullethunter]

On 8/14/2021 at 12:03 PM, Daphne said:

Lots of military helicopters flying over, must have been at least 20 throughout the morning.

Where are you Daphne?

[Daphne]

Near RAF Odiham, in Hampshire.  They were mostly Chinnooks and I am guessing (maybe wildly incorrectly!) they have been flying men/equipment to somewhere else like maybe Brize Norton or RAF Lyneham as I know both bases have both been used for airlifts before using the huge transporter planes.  Later yesterday morning 9 Red Arrows flew over, and then about 6pm I saw 4 return flying low, one was directly over our house and my Mum said she thought it was in the house it was so noisy!  I also saw 3 different military helicopters go over in the afternoon, in a different direction.  We are on the flight path, so air activity is normal, but this was exceptional.  My Mum actually counted 17 flights, and she wasn't in all morning, so there may have been 30 or more in total.

Edited August 15, 2021 by Daphne

[Beantree]

And we've has exactly the opposite @Daphne; almost no military flights at all this week. Perhaps one helicopter and one jet fighter. I think the effort has been diverted to getting personnel and equipment to Guadeloupe and Martinique where Covid has totally swamped their health systems. Both are in severe lockdowns now, but as so often, too late. With no critical care units available they have had to fly some over, together with the staff and extra people for a rush vaccination programme. They are flying some of the critical cases back here for treatment in Paris.

[Beantree]

First rain for three weeks so we're inside starting a new project; 'de-cluttering'. We didn't end up buying a typically big French house, realising from experience how much effort it is to heat and maintain them. A small house here is the same price, so as a result we did bring a lot of things that are now getting in the way. A large box of chicken feathers which contained some lovely cockerel tails, but which would be a magnet for dust and spiders if we put them on display. 25 years of Christmas, birthday and anniversary cards to each other; two A3 sized boxes of them which have never seen the light of day until today. Other things that we have 'just in case (of something)'. Sure it will be an on-going project now as there are plenty of boxes with contents of which only a tiny fraction has ever been used since we got here and I know the garage has some things in that will never be repaired or used again. Someone told us that your possessions increase to suit the space available and I think they are quite right?

[HarrisonFamily]

On 9/2/2021 at 11:39 AM, Beantree said:

First rain for three weeks so we're inside starting a new project; 'de-cluttering'. We didn't end up buying a typically big French house, realising from experience how much effort it is to heat and maintain them. A small house here is the same price, so as a result we did bring a lot of things that are now getting in the way. A large box of chicken feathers which contained some lovely cockerel tails, but which would be a magnet for dust and spiders if we put them on display. 25 years of Christmas, birthday and anniversary cards to each other; two A3 sized boxes of them which have never seen the light of day until today. Other things that we have 'just in case (of something)'. Sure it will be an on-going project now as there are plenty of boxes with contents of which only a tiny fraction has ever been used since we got here and I know the garage has some things in that will never be repaired or used again. Someone told us that your possessions increase to suit the space available and I think they are quite right?

My friend just made lovely bunting using her old cards she had saved.......just in case you don't want to completely declutter

[Luvachicken]

On 9/2/2021 at 9:17 PM, HarrisonFamily said:

My friend just made lovely bunting using her old cards she had saved.......just in case you don't want to completely declutter

That's a nice idea.

I tend to keep really special family cards.

I also have a pretty box to keep all the cards that I have been given by different children over the years. Some of the messages from parents are just so nice and it is a wonderful reminder of all the children I've worked with, especially the ones that hold a special place in your heart. 

[Daphne]

Those are both really nice thoughts.  In the future a box of cards will bring back even more memories I should think.  Twice I have found it very hard indeed to throw out cards when clearing relative's houses, they are so personal.  I use my own to make card templates for the squares of my never ending quilt.  It makes the quilt feel as though its made up of people I know.

[HarrisonFamily]

On 9/3/2021 at 5:41 PM, Daphne said:

Those are both really nice thoughts.  In the future a box of cards will bring back even more memories I should think.  Twice I have found it very hard indeed to throw out cards when clearing relative's houses, they are so personal.  I use my own to make card templates for the squares of my never ending quilt.  It makes the quilt feel as though its made up of people I know.

In my Christmas decorations I have kept cards my parents gave each other and the last ones they sent me, also ones from my Nan and Aunt - its lovely each year when I put the decorations up just to spend that little time with them and just look at the hand writing and words - MoonPig Cards and email ones are not the same !!!

[Beantree]

The cards didn't go. I had a last second change of heart when we got to the communal recycling bins (they don't collect from every house). We've decided to go through them all first.

Took our dinning table and six chairs to the charity shop and that was difficult, but we've nowhere to use it here and it's been standing disassembled against a wall for 4 years. The chairs took up a lot of valuable space. Rarely used in England, but it did see 4 years use in our last house, so it was worth bringing over.

[mullethunter]

On 9/4/2021 at 7:30 AM, HarrisonFamily said:

In my Christmas decorations I have kept cards my parents gave each other and the last ones they sent me, also ones from my Nan and Aunt

That’s lovely - I might do that

[Daphne]

My mother has been talking about clearing her house, but luckily I have dissuaded her.  I can't bear to think about it whilst she is still around and I don't want her exhausting herself.  Luckily she is uber-tidy so everything is already in drawers or cupboards, you are quite safe unless you open a door!  Saying goodbye to a dining table and chairs is more than the objects isn't it, you have all the lovely memories, which hopefully will sustain you as you look back on happy meals shared with other people, they are the important thing, not the furniture itself. 

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness....this morning I couldn't see the end of the garden, and last week we harvested 2 types of fig, grapes for wine and eating, pears, apples and plums.  I still have kilos of tomatoes and peaches to process which is slightly less exciting as the novelty has worn off, we appear to have a freezer solely for tomatoes! The incessant scorching days of summer are over, although no doubt we will have the odd hot day so its still a treat to be outside.  It feels lovely, being able to pull up spent plants, dig things over, and plan a buying trip to Spain for new bulbs and shrubs (cheaper and better choice than here).  I think farmers say the early Autumn is the beginning/end of the year, and I certainly feel like that right now.

[Cat tails]

Clearly the world needs more goats!

 

[mullethunter]

Go on Mr Goat!!! The second chicken tried to help too 🥰

[Beantree]

That is a great video; they must have a security camera in place?

To stop buzzard and hawk attacks in our top enclosure we have hung washing lines across the top of it. Whilst a bird of prey could drop in, it would be unable to fly out and they must be intelligent enough to realise that. This is a system we've had in place for over 5 years without any incidents. I can see now an alternative would be to have a goat.

[Cat tails]

On 9/18/2021 at 11:22 AM, Beantree said:

That is a great video; they must have a security camera in place?

To stop buzzard and hawk attacks in our top enclosure we have hung washing lines across the top of it. Whilst a bird of prey could drop in, it would be unable to fly out and they must be intelligent enough to realise that. This is a system we've had in place for over 5 years without any incidents. I can see now an alternative would be to have a goat.

Goats are much more fun than washing lines Beantree!

[Beantree]

I am very reliably informed that goats won't always behave like that so we will stay with the boring washing line @Cat tails.

[Cat tails]

Btw, anyone curious to know how my Gerda sounds when I even consider touching her, should watch the video above on full volume… 🤷🏼‍♀️

And no… it’s not the goat you hear. 😅

[Luvachicken]

My sister sent me this video yesterday.

I love how the other goat hides under the ramp and saves itself.

Does anyone know if the poor little chicken survives or does she die from the shock ?

[Cat tails]

On 9/20/2021 at 4:26 PM, Luvachicken said:

My sister sent me this video yesterday.

I love how the other goat hides under the ramp and saves itself.

Does anyone know if the poor little chicken survives or does she die from the shock ?

Took some googling, but chicken is doing fine. She only had a little wound on a wattle, but is back running for food.

Apparently it happened before and the goats have scared off buzzards and hawks. This is the first time he had it on camera though.

[Luvachicken]

Thank you for taking the time to find out what happened @Cat tails

[Alis girls]

I put it on at full volume. Amazing

[Cat tails]

Anyone watching Strictly this round?

Didn’t know most of the celebs, but it’s a strong group!