brooding

We have a broody hen sitting in an old Victorian Broody coop. I love this contraption. It does look a little jail-like, but it's so solid and perfect. I wonder how many hens it has held?

Speckeldy is sitting on 9 eggs. Esmé and I had to collect eggs over two or three days in order for her to have enough. After much deliberation I consented to her becoming a mother hen. Remember what happened to our last batch of chicks? One word: fox.

She is sitting on her own eggs crossed with our Warren/Red cock, plus a mixture of white, blue and black hens mixed together agin with the red cockerel. I am interested to see the variations that will occur in these new magical strains of hybrid hen!

Once on the nest if you have more eggs to add, you just need to place them near her and after a minute or so she nudges them underneth her along with the rest - she acts all; oh! How did I let two of my precious eggs roll out! Hens are so simple. It's a pleasure sometimes to deal with the simpler creatures on this earth (I tell ya).

I have been marvelling in Spring, see that little yellow golden field perched on the hilltop? It's like treasure.

Blossom on my new little apple tree.

And very glad that I can do so whilst still being able to view my feet. Hello feet! I am growing daily. And have already moved onto sleeping with a pillow between my legs and lying on top of a lambskin. Soothing for hips.

Isaac's little low celinged room has been painted in his vibrantly chosen sunny yellow. Those Earthborn paints are GREAT to use. They *are* more expensive, these clay paints, but *one* coat. Seriously, was all it took. So I guess if you were using a lesser sort if paint and applying many layers it may work out similar priced. I enjoyed the feeling of painting with this stuff. And no scent, of course, other than a rich wet-clay smell. We used their range of eggshell for the wood work and it dried super matt and super super quickly. So good!

I am still deep in curtain making, but feel reluctant to hang them in a room that will not be painted for a couple of months yet.... we have some damp issues over winter and need to strip lining paper from ancient crumbling walls. So not a quick neat job like the boys rooms. Still, it feels so nice to paint and freshen things up. I am winging it with the curtains, lining and all. They are turning out so well. So grateful for my MIL giving me her mothers very very old Singer. My new cheap-o version bust up pretty quickly. This is heavy and steady a machine and churns out stitches just perfectly. Felix picked himself the 'colour of the sea', clay paint and for him this turned out to be a pale-ish lilac. We have yet to start his bigger room. He has sooooo much junk Lego, that it's a big effort to even contemplate starting to shift it all out. But we will do it. Of course. he is eager and slightly envious of his brothers non-cream room. And his room has no ceiling beams! Joy of joys. Cobwebs and cutting in. that is what ceiling beams mean. Although they are useful for being so solid one can bang in nails and hooks for various hangings....

My super old banger-car finally gave up the ghost. So it was time to hit ebay and get another. We snagged what seems to be a wonder (fingers crossed it stays so). And I feel I have crossed to the dark side by driving a 4x4. BUT. It's a 7 seater! With room for the dog too! It's like a little diesel tractor and we are all enjoying it. Especially Esmé, as seen. I think my average journey is five miles, so hopefully this car will last a good while. I have never driven either an automatic (it's like cheating!) nor been so high up, I sometimes feel like I am in a lorry or bus, we are getting to see things over hedgerows we didn't know existed previously. It's pretty fun.

My garden is a pleasure to be in. Everything is growing growing.

Any idea what these are?

We know what this is - do you?

King Alfreds Teacake fungi of course :)

Growing... me too (21/22 wks), and looking sort of tired in these pics.