STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS...WE HAVE EGGS

Not just any old eggs, but duck eggs.

Eggs from the ducks I grew from babies.

Eggs from the ducks I've spent eight months housing, feeding, watering, talking to....

Eggs!

Two.

And here's the proof.

It's a pity I didn't spot them before they got dirty (and old). I thought the first one was one of the fake plastic eggs I put in with them. It was only when I found the second one that I realised......

We got eggs.

Mist rolling up the hill tonight

Quick post. Self-explanatory! Quite magical weather.

Pictures of Wales

For those of you who have expressed an interest....some recentish pictures.

We are very, very lucky to live here.

This is a rather random selection, not coherent, but atmospheric, I hope.

I've cheated a bit. Some of these are this winter and one or two are last winter.

I am too much of a butterfly. Would love to do some more and better photography, but have so many other things to do..................................

The Ducks

Being a dilitary sort of blogger, I think I haven't posted a picture of the ducks. So I shall. They are the bane of my life! As they involve a longish walk up the bank, carrying water when it hasn't rained, much of which ends up in my wellies. And a longish walk up the bank to get them into their house at night. Great fun in the summer. Not great fun in the Welsh winter.

This particular breed is rather neurotic and they are so similar it is impossible to think of them as individuals. So they are just 'the ducks', whereas all the chickens have names and personalities.

However, I am doing them down a bit. They quack when they see me, they splash happily and funnily in their pond and I know that, eventually, they will start laying eggs. I just know they will.....

And I shall post the minute they do.

There is talk of a gander, but that's a story for another day.

The cat, Dogger, does not bother them at all. He looks fierce here, but he was just putting this on for the camera. They quack at him when he comes up with me to feed them, which he often does. He is, I must say, not a lot of help! But it's nice to have him around.

Successful few days away

At a fair. By the seaside. With central heating. Great.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=652006720&ref=nf#/pages/Vicki-Cockcroft-Jewellery/10610562908?ref=ts

But I'm glad to be back home.

Need to get dressed and go and discuss things with the sheep and the ducks and the hens.

And congratulate myself on a successful event where I met friends and did a lot of good work.

Charlie Settles in. In the Kitchen

Well, I was warned. This afternoon he casually strolled into the kitchen, with several of his entourage following him. Now, I'm not against this in particular, but it can get messy, so I asked them, politely, to leave.

As you can see, he is settling in well, bless him.

I have managed to stop him fighting with the Pekin cockerel (complicated set of gates and fences between them...) and he is fully established as 'leader of the pack'.

He's actually rather a nice natured cockerel. Some are not so nice. He doesn't make aggressive gestures when I'm around, he doesn't run away, he just potters about. This is good!

And, spring must be on the way, as the eggs are appearing in larger numbers, more frequently.

This week-end, though, we are being threatened with a huge gale tomorrow night, followed by snow and wind. Wonderful.

I won't be here to take pictures, which is a shame, but I will try and take some of Llandudno. For non UK readers, this is a Welsh seaside resort. Lovely in June, pretty grim in January.

Charlie has arrived

This is Charlie. He is a Brahma cross Light Sussex cockerel and he arrived with us yesterday.
He seems to be happy, bossing the hens around and crowing loudly. He will, no doubt, make more appearances in the future.