Project 365: Days 15 to 21

 

I am taking part in another Project 365 challenge which I started on 19th December, the full set so far can be seen in my Flickr set here https://flickr.com/photos/25431714@N04/sets/72157674219046924

15/365

9 mile frosty  walk on bank holiday Monday, loved the icy leaves.

16/365

Love my Yankee Jars!

17/365

Back to work and slow cooker early morning preparation!

18/365

6am dog walk and we found this window!

19/365

Rain looks so pretty on the windscreen!

20/365

Homemade waffles!

21/365

Woody was upset he hadn’t appeared in my 365 this week!

New Year, New goals

It’s been a while hasn’t it? I think being a full time working Mum has come as a shock to the system!

So, I don’t do resolutions, but I do goals and for 2017 I have a few goals which I plan to enjoy and bring back some me time!

First off I’ve started a Project 365 photo a day series. I’ve completed a few of these before (here’s one) and always do better when I don’t start on the first of January! This current one I’ve been doing for 12 days so far and will do a separate post on that, it’s a challenge, something I enjoy and I love looking back on the photos I’ve taken.

Secondly I plan to make time to make! We live in a small house and plan to move very soon, I have no crafting space and often don’t work on my projects because I have no space and can’t be doinh with the clearing away after! However, this year I made all my own Christmas cards and had such lovely feedback from them, even from people I send cards to but don’t speak to very often emailed me to say how much they appreciated them, which made me feel great!

Third another challenge. My goodreads Challenge was a measly 20 this year and I failed, I read just 19! I was once a 52 book a year person so I plan to get myself at least back to 30, less time playing games on my phone or staring at Facebook in an evening should help!

Finally, I’d like to complete my weight loss goal. I had lost 19lbs since May and only had 8lb left to go, however, December has seen me slip and put on 4lbs so I now have 12lb to lose. I’ve had a fitbit for Christmas so plan to move more (it’s been an eye opener how little I do!) and I want to get back to cooking some healthy home made meals.

So, that’s my plan for 2017 and you are welcome to follow me for progress (and hopefully encouragement!!).

Happy 2017!

News from the Coop: Chickens, a good place to start

I have wanted chickens for a long time, but it must be said the man of the house has taken a fair bit of convincing!

Last year and the year before we had a family of foxes living in next doors garden which was ever so overgrown, however at the end of last year the neighbour had it cleared and landscaped and the foxes seemed to move elsewhere. So this year I won my battle (although once I visited some chickens and took some photos it was quite easy!) 😀

We already had a large run and a dog kennel which we used to keep our rabbit Honey in until she passed away (so it was proven to be fox proof!) originally we were going to adapt the kennel and turn it into a coop, but in the end we opted for a new coop with the pan to attach the run to it (I do still wish we had adapted the kennel and am trying to plan a way to do it).

Here is our set up so far – taken in the rain whilst it was still being double meshed!)

It now has slabs and solar lights around the edges and I plan to pretty it up at bit more with some mini picket fencing around the edge and a few pretty plants growing over the top. Ideally I would like to add the kennel to the side of the run as a shelter but thats going to take some convincing so for now it will stay like this!

We bought the hen’s from Staffordshire Chickens, a small family supplier of chickens who were so helpful! Richard and Gail looked after all their birds so well and answered all our questions. I have already recommended them to a few people who have seen our girls and wanted some of their own!

Now time to meet the ladies:

Top left we have Scramble, who is a Staffordshire Amber Link, she belongs to J and is the brave one who likes cuddles! She was the first to get used to us and is such a character. Always the first one to come up for treats and a bit of fuss and is a very good chicken and is always first up to bed at night.

Top right we have Henrietta, a Staffordshire Calder Ranger. This one is my Hen and she is lovely, a bit bossy, but friendly and probably the mother hen of all of them.

Bottom left is Megg, a Staffordshire Rhode Rock. Megg belongs to A, she is bossy and loves her food and is always last to bed- a perfect match for A! The colours on Megg are stunning, definitely our prettiest hen.

Bottom right is George, she is Staffordshire Blue Ranger, and is named after a footballer apparently, but I have no idea how this makes a chicken name! George seems to be at the bottom of the pecking order with the ladies and seems to get picked on a bit by Megg. We give her lots of fuss and slowly she getting a bit braver! She seems happy though and has lovely coloured fluffy bluey grey feather.

The hens were all 18 weeks old when we collected them and I was expecting to wait a good few week for eggs however we got our first two yesterday (just 8 days after collecting them) and then another two this morning! I think it is Henrietta and Megg who are laying, but George keeps following them in and sitting in the laying box so maybe she will lay for us soon!

So far we are all very pleased with our decision to have chickens they are so funny to watch and easy to care for and we have had a lot of requests for eggs already!