Daydream fund challenge part 4

DaftyDuck

Not posted since first lambing night, but I have been up every night at 3 to check in on progress, and it's now been three weeks of limited sleep - especially as Mrs Duck falls asleep fast, and snores LOUDLY, while I wake up if a bat farts!

Anyway, all lambed. Had a week of holiday to celebrate, but we c0cked that up by hiring a digger to do all the hedges, pulling out dead trees and barbed wire. She's "not as strong" as me, apparently, so she gets the digger, while I get the spade, shovel, pickazxe, pulling chains, chainsaws, wirecutters and billhook. Fair enough, she gets to sit in the cab, radio on if she wants, and I get to crawl through the ditch into the Somme that she's left for me to clear! Teamwork, eh?

Anyway, about 250 metres more hedge cleared, and no rows either. All our hard work looked a wonderful mess, but passers by will think Doris struck with amazing force.

The things you find in the hedges; a 1943 USAF pannier bag, and a massive jar of pickled onions (about 5 kilos) stand out....

Anyway, holiday over tomorrow. Good, I need a rest!

Baaaaah!

Fay

Well my mini day dream is over for now. My husband told me Saturday he no longer wants our marriage and he can't continue. I knew it was coming but his behaviour had indicated it wasn't. I currently feel very broken by it although I know life will go on.
I would be grateful if no one copied this in case I want to delete it at any point,
I will dig up and divide some of my plants so I can take a little of my garden with me.

Davesnave

Fay, so sorry to hear your news.

As you say, life will go on and some continuity can be achieved through taking plants from the garden with you if you must move; just look at Dafty and me with our truck loads of pots!

You may even find the situation liberating once you get to grips with it.

Take care.

ukmaggie45

Oh Fay, very sorry to hear your news - you must have very mixed and muddled feelings at the mo. Cyber hugs from Liverpool.

Davesnave

250m of hedge Dafty? :eek: You certainly know how to make an old guy envious! I think I've done about 60m of laying and clearing, so if the present weather continues, I'm not going to hit my targets before the spring deadline.

Mind you, I don't have a digger. I do have Pete, though, and I've booked him to get the larger trees down that I'm scared to fell because of the likelihood of them falling in the road, Then the Mums on school run can shout at him, not me. Danger money.

Still digging in the conservatory when it rains. I'm worried now that by the time I've removed all the hardcore, bricks etc I'll have too little sand left and end up bringing some back! There's no danger of me finishing in there before we hear the conservatory company's offer. I'm not expecting a hearts and flowers ending to that! :smileyhea

DW is spending some of her enforced leisure time re-drawing the garden plan she made a few years ago, as we try to adapt to changed circumstances. If we end up managing just 1/2 an acre, including chicken runs etc then it should be easier. In a way it's fortunate that the chicken orchard fencing has seen better days, as it won't be wasteful re-locating them.

pink_poppy

Fay, I'm so sorry to hear your news xx

choille

I am very sorry Fay to hear you news. It must be a stressful time for you.

Getting some plants organised to make another garden is good planning.

All the best with things & please keep us posted.

lucielle

Sorry to hear your news Fay. Take time to work out what you want and what everybody thinks you should do.


L

Fay

Thank you everyone. I am very much in the early stages of a grieving process and moments are horrifically difficult, some feel surreal and normal, but generally just feel crushed. It will get better and I will heal, and I hope he can too.

DaftyDuck

Sorry to hear your news, Fay. Who knows what the future holds... If you'd told me two years ago what I'd be doing now, I'd have laughed at you and guessed you were a sandwich short of a picnic. Lacking the ginger pop and hamper too. For you, two years time is an utterly unknown land just the same.

Things I found out today:

• Lambs (particularly male lambs) snore loudly if they fall asleep on your lap. Then they dream, and their little furry lips purse, and suck imaginary milk. When a sibling bleats, they wake immediately, but they barely notice the cacophony of other, unrelated lambs.
  
• When the weather forecast says sunny, it means it's going to hail. Sheep and lambs don't even notice hail. If your own coiffure resembles a monk's tonsure, a hat will help. Trying to wear a lamb instead is a recipe for getting even wetter, if warmer. But it is fun!
  
• Lambs are actually evolving into birds. UP is all-important, be it climbing onto laps, bales, shoulders, heads, or just bouncing UP. Down, and how to achieve it is of less importance, and generally takes care of itself. Other lambs going UP often aid the first in doing the down thing somehow.
  
• Norfolk Horns have ... horns! Let the genteel ladyfolk out in the field again after a couple of weeks inside, and pecking order needs to be established. Chaaaarge... Klonk. KLONK! They don't seem to notice, but if you are sitting on the grass watching, you suddenly become aware that they are, in fact heavier than you, at face-height, and well-armed to boot.
  
• Norfolk Horns are actually sweet. When they've finished boshing hell out of each other head-on for six rounds, they all wander over to the sitting (cringing) human wearing a lamb as a scarf and settle down. They also make very good pillows, until the hail gets too bad for the human (and, as I mentioned, they don't even notice it).
  
• Even a week-old lamb likes a round of headbutting. If no lamb is available, fluttering fingers turning to a fist will do just fine. Play doesn't mean play, it means they want to learn how to KLONK at full wallop. They have solid little bonces, they really do!
  
• With lambs, the job list just grows longer and longer, as it's always preferable to sit with them rather than do anything of any use whatsoever.

{Sorry sizing isn't bril...}