Quackers

I must be bonkers, I'm a sucker for a creature sob story, especially when it involves 'dispatching ' of the said creature unnecessarily.Which is why these 3 funny young things have taken up residence in our already chaotic home..

Lily, Stanley and Hilda...



Stan is named after Stan Laurel as he's the dopey comedian. Have you ever heard of a duck that's afraid of water?..we have to actually put him in the paddling pool and he then does somersaults and flaps about having a marvelous time making the clean water nice and muddy! Lily is the white Aylesbury and Hilda a mix between the two. They do a little dance when they see each other, bobbing their heads up and down whilst walking sideways and making a noise that sounds like laughing. Stan the man who resembles a walking stick (he's a runner duck, the chappie in the middle) seems to walk an extra 10 steps for the others one which is rather funny to watch...we call it 'timmy tiptoes', something Harry used to do when he was about 3! Luckily we had a house already which is ideal for them to sleep in, the difference between them and the chickens is that you have to tell them to go to bed, the hens go to roost at dusk by themselves..but with these 3 characters we have to say "come on, go to bed now " and in they go making a bit of a song and dance about it.
I dread to think what my lawn is going to look like this winter.They have a plastic apple shaped sandpit for a pond at the moment but more water seems to end up over the sides.
The dog wants to play with them, the rabbit isn't quite sure of them,the hens just follow and stare at them and the cats are rather cautious too, but me.. I'm already in love with these dear funny little ducks...I really must be quackers.

p.s..thanks for putting up with my stupid face for so long...I think some of you must have very dirty computer screens after those nice comments you left!! lol

Ten

Hooray it's raining, I know I shouldn't be pleased about it..but I get to play at home today, or rather waste some time at home when I have 5 million jobs to do..Harry has already told me off for being 'immature' today which I found hilarious..bums to being 40 and sensible I say!! I want to be known as the daft one forever.Anyway, before small children start crying and the birdies emigrate early at the sight of my ugly mug...where was I? ah the number 10
I do like the number ten, I do think I'm drawn to that number, nice and even..
TEN.
Maybe it's my lucky number.

My favourite childhood house was a number ten, an old Edwardian, shabby but homely house, forever being renovated, full of animals and other people's kids, the one before, number 55 (5+5= 10) and the one we live in now is also a 10 (although they mostly use house names on our little lane)
So anyway, it may come of no surprise that our 9 feathered ladies have now become a nice and even 10.

'Nine, ten a big fat hen' as the nursery rhyme goes...

This is Elsie #2. A young blue Orpington, complete with frilly pants of the finest, fluffiest ,softest grey feathers. A gentle soul with a nice nature and a friendly face.
The other Orpies, Betty , Bess and Dolly have just accepted her presence but those hooligan chickens from the rough estate and who've spent some time in chicken prison getting beat up and terrorised, haven't.
What bullies they've become. They's right chaarvs they is (that was in a Malvern accent incase you were wondering about my grammar)
Little madams.
I find my fluffy purple duster on a stick breaks up the squabbles and the comedy Benny Hill style chases around the garden.(Imagine the boys as chickens if you click the pink link) I also find that placing the said fluffy purple duster on a stick in the garden at strategic points stops them going anyway near my most precious plants or jumping on my 'early morning cup of tea table' and pooping.I Don't think those ladies like purple much (me neither if I'm honest)

Elsie came from the Malvern Autumn show, Pete and I went a couple of weekends ago (free tickets again..yay!) to drool over yet more vintage caravans (oooh they were very lovely indeedy) and for me to hold that beautiful Bengal Eagle owl again and stroke cute donkeys and doggies and chickens and shop for another garden obelisk from the cheapest obelisk making man on earth. Bliss.
Thing is though,like a numpty, I forgot my camera to show you it all. Oops, sorry about that.

mad dogs and Englishmen

Hmmm, maybe that should read 'mad Englishmen and a few dogs'
George and I went down to Newnham on Severn several weekends ago (infact it must be nearly a month ago I wrote this post...crikey!) to watch my mad brother-in -law attempt to ride the Severn Bore for Josies charity. We stayed in my sisters old farmhouse with five insane dogs and 18 other people including my eldest sister and her family from Northumberland and my other sister who lives in Thailand, all to witness the big event. Madness I tell you...but a good sort of madness...

The Severn bore was meant to be the biggest it has been in twenty years.(photos from google)

We could spot Jim quite easily from high up on the river bank amoungst the serious surfers and canoeists in their black wetsuits, after all, it's not often you see a large built man in a Spiderman costume in a bright yellow rubber dingy with his equally well built policeman companion in a Captain America suit.

It was quite strange to see this wave suddenly come rushing the wrong way down the river , turning the flow of the water and making the river rise several metres.Something to do with full moons apparently .
I think the wave forgot it was meant to be the biggest in 20 years.More of a fast flowing 'ripple' if you ask me...


It was mightily entertaining chasing them along the river from pub to pub with the hoards of other people who turned out on a sunny Saturday to witness this strange phenomenon.

Until they disappeared that is.
We waited. And waited.Still no Spidey came past...

A couple of hours later and a few miles down river, two very wet and exhausted superheroes finally appeared to much cheering.


They raised quite a few quid .Over a thousand pounds in the end.

nice 'muscles' spiderman

Spidey told us later that the 'little wave' looked pretty big when it rushes towards you at a speed of 20 knots. Ok we'll believe him. He is, after all a 'superhero'.

Spiderman poses for the bemused kids
(we think he had been eating lots of pies since he made his last movie.)

talking Japanese

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh how I wish I could speak Japanese. wish ,wish, wish I could.
This lovely parcel of vintagey fabulousness arrived today.
Eye candy indeedy.
Fans of Paumes books will already know what I'm talking about but I was, until 5 o'clock this afternoon, a Paumes virgin.
Oh my, what have I been missing?
...I'm so excited I might have to have a poo at Paul's house. (I'm sorry but that advert makes me laugh SO much!)
Anyway, take a look vintage fans.
You may need a sit down and some hot sweet tea after taking in all these lovely images ....Now this little book seems to sum up everything I love.
Fifties stuff, vintage stuff,pretty stuff, shabby stuff ..STUFF in general.It is just Fab.


If you are already hyperventilating and feel the need to get one too, go directly to the Paumes site, you can pay by £'s in paypal who convert it from Yen. Mine arrived very quickly all the way from Japan for about £16 including postage.
I rather think a new obsession has arrived don't you?This page must be dedicated to Julia!...
p.s Betty says thanks for all the egg appreciation, it shocked her so much laying such a whopper she decided to loose her feathers early (it's molting season) so the hen run now looks like an exploded feather pillow. (Her big massive egg made a lovely spinach and red pepper frittata though..yum)
I have so much to tell and never have time lately...I have been away to watch 'spiderman' ride a wave,(more on that one later) A first visit to a massive local fleamarket where I got some brilliant finds (including that lovely vintage paper lantern in the photo above) and next week I have two whole days off as my mummy is visiting me from France.Whoopeeeee!!
No doubt girlie shopping, cake and copious amounts of tea will be involved...roll on Tuesday!!
x

Massive

Betty, the oldest chicken in town, laid this MASSIVE egg the other day...

Ouch.. It had THREE yolks. One for the family album there Betty!

Thanks for all the nice deckchair comments by the way..to answer a few questions, I bought the crochet blankets from a lady who makes them on eBay quite a while ago, the keep calm one from eBay too, but more recently and the spotty fabric, Jane from Worcestershire, is indeed from Dunelm Mill! (I think you and I must have been there at the same time!)
x