Yesterday we all went up to let the chickens and ducks out together. The ducks were braver and ventured out fairly quickly, lured by a big tray of water. The chickens took some persuading and we grabbed them in the end. They decided they actually prefer the duck hut to the chicken coop but they don’t get to make decisions like that so we soon put them straight!. We tied Bonnie up as we want to introduce her to the birds slowly and let her know they are not for her to play with! Ady and I then installed a fence around the birds, about 10m square. For our first proper fencing task we were pretty pleased with the results 🙂
” alt=”” />
The birds all seem pretty happy and although they are still pretty people-shy now I am sure the kids will soon remedy that!
We went home for lunch and then did some errands in the car – we had to drop off some washing to the castle and get that started, fill up water containers, check a pile of stuff we’d been told was up for grabs in the castle walled garden (more fence posts, some fencing wire and a couple of corrugated sheets, perfect for us) and collect a landrover roof we’ve been given as a pig arc. We also arranged to collect another chicken house soon that is in someone’s garden as a goose house ready for when our goose and gander arrive in July. So pleased to have housed all our livestock for nothing :).
We borrowed some stuff from the library – need to find out more about that, it’s an outreach branch of the highlands library service and we get fairly regular deliveries of stuff – books, dvds etc but it is in dire need of organising and sorting, something I’d be only too happy to do.
We did some online stuff – ordered a brush cutter, gas heater, fencing tool and various other bits before wandering back up to get dinner going (Ady) and put the birds to bed (me). I sent the kids home before me and rang my parents for a proper catch up chat. I am missing my Dad lots, especially when doing stuff like building the fence and bird houses. Not that he’d be particularly helpful infact probably more critical but I am used to doing stuff like that alongside him or at least with his input.
I talked until it was nearly dark and I was getting really cold and then walked back home. Ady had fed the kids and they were all watching Kung Fu panda. We ate and it was another late night.
Inevitably followed by another late morning – today’s pledge is to be setting the alarm for early and getting our arses in gear as our plan of spending 90 minutes each with a child (swapping over each day) has not got off the ground really. This morning we were even more taken by surprise by Ali appearing with Eve while we were still not dressed or breakfasted :oops:. They stayed for a couple of hours and had a couple of coffees and chats, Eve got to meet Humph and all of Scarlett’s soft toys and I got some tips for food shopping. They left and we had lunch.
Davies and I did some more of his story book, with lots of talking about spelling, punctuation and writing generally. Scarlett and Ady read a chapter of a book together. We left the kids and dog at home while Ady and I did the taking the rubbish and recycling to the pier, collecting water and emptying the loo run. We also collected some of the stuff from the walled garden and brought it up to the static ready to take to the croft. I think that’s why I’m not calling it ‘home’ yet actually – we still have a dual location for home!
We collected the kids and have come back down to the village to exchange library stuff for more, order some more online stuff, pay for a gas bottle (for our hopefully arriving soon gas heater), email calmac to book on empty jerry cans one way and full ones the other, check what time I am working on Wednesday (I’m helping Claire in the tea shop as she has a big lunch to cater for 60 people and needs a hand, at £7 an hour and as much food as I can eat that works for me :)) and try and so some photo uploading and blogging.