Notes from Summer Wood...

Suzie from ItchtoStitch told the lovely story of how she and George met- so I thought I would tell you how MrP and I first met too.
We are going to be pitifully short of photos in this story unless I decide to pinch someone elses...
First a brief history- MrP is my "third time lucky" husband- my first left me after 17 years (and 3 children) for his boss because I had got fat! My second was a huge mistake! An alcoholic who was very controlling- fortunately, I got out fast from that and vowed to forever be on my own- if that was the cost of a relationship, it wasn't worth it and I would much rather be alone and happy...
And so I was- I had a good job, a pretty cottage looking over fields and woods, my kids, my gorgeous grandkids, my dogs, my horse Romeo, great friends, my Pekin bantams and my beloved allotment- life was very full and fabulous! "Who needs a man?" I would say.
While I was taking my turn I heard a scream from one of the other girls- I ran out- Saffi had seen a rabbit- cleared the veranda fence and taken off thataway after the rabbit.
The others safely indoors we all set off in search of Saffi- rows upon rows of caravans all looking pretty much the same, she would never find her way back! That awful pit of your stomach sicky feeling came over me and it wasn't hangover (in fact the hangover was completely gone! Not that I recommend losing your dog as a hangover cure you understand...) We spread out asking everyone we saw "Have you seen a black dog with a pink collar?" I could feel hot tears pricking at my eyes by the time I saw a guy sat on his veranda with a beer "Have you seen a black dog with a pink collar?" "Yes it went that way like a streak!- Do you want me to help look for it?"
The guy walked the length and breadth of Filey with me- stopping patiently every few yards for me to catch my breath - then took me in his car to the police station and the golf club house - we walked the golf course, the beach, the nature reserve... the light was fading, the girls had gone home (work in the morning) , the other dogs were in my car, then this guy who I had never set eyes on before that day said "Look I'm going to have to go too- but here are the keys to my caravan stay as long as you need to- here is my phone number- I hope you find her."
I sat in the strangers caravan and sobbed into my other dogs- with first light I phoned the police - no signs of her- I headed home feeling numb and heartbroken. As I walked through the door of my cottage the phone was ringing "Have you lost a dog?" Lucy - the kindest woman in the world- had found her exhausted, collapsed on the nature reserve, taken her home fed her, then taken her into work with her so I could go and pick her up- I never got around to thanking her properly I just managed "you're an angel thank you so much" when I picked Saffi up (so if you know someone called Lucy from Filey, thank her from the bottom of my heart)

I need a little help here...

I didn't make brownies on Saturday- MrP came home from work early and I wanted to show him the chickens then the migraine struck etc. So I made them today- well the ingredients were there and I needed to use up some eggs.

I thought a little theraputic kitchen time may help get rid of the remains of the migraine

Thank you - by the way - to everyone who has sympathised about this migraine- I used to get the fluttery whizzy thing in front of my eyes and my vision would go and I would feel a bit odd and it would kinda lead to a headache - I would have a paracetamol and lie down and it would go- I used to think that people who took to their beds for days on end with them were wimps or drama queens- then this little baby arrived!! No appitite, nausea, strange dizziness, I feel like I have been wearing a hat 8 sizes too small for several days, whizzy fluttery thing, sunlight just hurt!, no energy whatsoever, ear ache, eye ache, pounding headache- the list goes on- I can't take migraine tablets as I take tablets that would be affected by them so I just have to stick it out- can I say if you are one of the people I have ever thought of as a wimp or drama queen I am so sorry from the bottom of my heart. I still have a headache today but that seems to be all it is now- thank goodness!!

Anyway I digress- So I melted chocolate and butter - weighed and whisked- oh how I love baking- popped them into the oven and hey presto - brownies- yum

My problem is how do I explain the missing to MrP?

Thank you so much Bad Penny for my award =O)

I have been soldiering on listing no end of stuff on ebay under the watchful eye of MrP making sure I wasn't "wasting time" playing on the computer- despite a humdinger of a migraine which had me crawling into bed twice over the weekend- MrP has agreed that listing things on ebay is one of the worst jobs ever though...

On Saturday afternoon in an effort to shake off the migraine - which tablets have no effect on at all- as I said I had crawled back into bed for a quiet lie down- only to be joined by MrP ("I thought I would join you") and Tequila the cat who likes to "look after" me when I'm not feeling good by lying on top of me and massaging gently with his claws and purring full blast in my ear- so I lay for a couple of hours between a husband and a cat, listening to next door vaccuming and their dogs barking constantly- MrP and Tequila were fast asleep! We got up and did a mad dash, seeing to horses and chickens and walking dogs - then off to the shops to buy a Scalextric set for MrP's business partners 60th birthday! I made the huge mistake of volunteering to drive so MrP could have a drink at the party and so sat for 3 and a half uncomfortable hours drinking diet coke, nursing a migraine and watching everyone else get drunk... great fun!

Sunday the migraine got worse so I repeated the back to bed thing- joined once again by MrP and Tequila and this time lay for an hour and a half between a husband and a cat listening to next door's dogs barking, excited chatter as they had a barbeque and a tractor spraying in the field over the road. I'd had enough and decided a walk in the fresh air was the only cure- I have to say a walk in the woods near the cottage was bliss- the dogs loved it- it didn't shift the migraine but I did feel a whole lot better after this...

I've been chicken shopping- too excited for words!! It was a lovely drive out in the countryside on this gorgeous bright spring day

and the result is 3 lovely new ladies who have come to stay.
I would like you to meet:

Bluebell- she is a Bluebell hybrid so not very imaginative with the naming but it suits her- she should lay dark brown eggs

Daisy- she is a Speckledy and should lay brown speckled eggs

and last but not least Sweetpea - she is a White Star hybrid and should lay white eggs

the girls are getting to know each other in Riley's stable while I finish fencing and hen house cleaning.

You know the saying? If you want a kitten start by asking for a pony... (If you need any tips on this method give me a shout- I am olympic standard at it) Well I did a bit of an odd version of it last night.
All of your lovely blogs about the antics of your chickens have made me realise that I'm missing having them around- that and paying a fortune for a box of very mediocre eggs from the supermarket last week.
I had said that I didn't want any more until we moved to the cottage, but what I want there is a few Pekins and Silkies to hop about the garden making it look lovely.
The space where the old chicken run used to be, to the side of the feed shed at the stables is looking very sad- I planted a willow tree in memory of my little friends and it is playing host to a couple of fruit trees and some rhubarb and raspberries until I can transfer them to the cottage, other than that it is barren- I have planted a few flower seeds but nothing has started popping up yet- I can see it getting over-run with weeds... It is also a "storage" space for the wheelbarrow, the roller, our 'sitting out with a drink' chairs and various bits of hosepipe.
I have already said that I have plans to make the old hen house into a chicken palace ready for the Pekins and Silkies- but nestled behind that is the old nursery hen house (where I would put the young pullets to find their feet before Grace and Mabel started bossing them around)
Also yesterday while "listing" on ebay I came across a perfect 1950s cooker in green and cream- (not the one in the photo but one very much like it...) it would be perfect in my newly planned shabby chic cottage kitchen- it was at a bargain price! I knew MrP would never go for it- so on his return from work I bustled him infront of the computer "Look sweetheart! How gorgeous would that be in the cottage?" He smirked then totally baffled me by agreeing- I needed a diversion so I buttered some scones and sat him down- "do you fancy mash for tea?" always a good softener (MrP is a mash addict). He then, as predicted, started giving me reasons why I couldn't get the cooker- it would cost a fortune to get converted to calor (no mains gas at the cottage) - and that was if they could do it on one that old etc etc.

The other conditions included getting my finger out and sorting the horses out (okay but not in the cold... did he not take photos of me with that Riley boy just the other day??). Opening the gorgeous wine we were supposed to be saving for special occasions (it was fab! yum!!) and understanding that a drop in price meant that my dreamy new kitchen with intergrated everything at the cottage would be out of the question and I would have to "make do"- okay! plans already hatching in my head for a deliciously retro shabby chic cottage kitchen instead ...

I saw this beautiful butterfly while walking the dogs yesterday - so pretty!
...

Well the looking more like a girl for MrP had a fatal flaw- I meet him up at the stables after he has finished work so looked my normal scruffy self but with a bit of mascara on- oh well I tried.