Farewell toTrinny and Susannah

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud! Although in the picture above Trinny is actually ice skating. The weather has been abysmal, the chicken run is either a quagmire or an ice rink and I have decided that as I can no longer free range the girls due to the dog problem am going to downsize the flock and hope that fewer hens in the run will make for the odd shoot of grass and maybe a bit less poo. It was not hard to decide who should go, last in first out just like in all the factories that are closing around us. Trinny and Susannah are off to live a life of luxury in a posh Omelet Cube ( state of the art hen hoose) in Renfrewshire, thanks to a very kind fellow Omleteer offering them a home. They will leave on Sunday. I am also hoping to rehome The Veras but if they do not go then of course will keep them until a home is offered. It may be with two less that the mud, squelch, poo problem is a bit better.

The Dove from Above has been returned to the flock and is doing fine. She had two weeks inside, during the worst of the weather and on Saturday I put her out into the homing run as a trial to see if she was flying again, she did and is now eating and drinking with the others so it is good to know that for doos anyway a pinch of bicarb is all that is needed for 'Going Light'

I actually waded through the mud and did some gardening yesterday, I dug over the failed spud patch, the spuds I had put in for Christmas got frosted, however I was delighted to see that some little tatties had grown and we ate them last night, delicious. I also harvested some more Jerusalem Artichokes, if you can grow nothing else you can grow these. I am going to make some soup with a recipe from my 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton. I am busy perusing the seed catalogues to choose what we will grow this year and have settled on Bolthardy Beetroots which last year were great, plus more Broccoli of the purple sprouting type and lots of tomatoes in the greenhouse. Also a few varieties of courgette and maybe some Spring onions and lots of lettuce and herbs.

Now off to make my soup, I understand that Artichokes have a reputation for being wind inducing, I will let you know, although in this house who would notice?