Simple living in the country - back to basics

Cheery_Daff

Thank you all xx

Surprisingly, I've not actually had any cake today!  Had flapjack with my egg butty earlier, Mr Cheery got me some fudge which I've been munching through the day, and we've just been to the pub for a pizza

I did have cake twice yesterday so not exactly deprived... 🙄😂

Karmacat

Very enjoyable eating there, Cheery, I hope the long weekend is enjoyable for you too.

earthgirl2

We have one indestructible hen maybe 7 years old, and another bout 3 years old. We don't get any eggs. I am not really sure what to do. Do ex battery lay well? I could get 2 ex battery and put them with my old hens maybe.

Cheery_Daff

Thanks KC 😊 and hello earthgirl 😊 In my experience, yes, ex batts do lay well - the two we got in January (to put with our older ladies, aged 3 and 5.5) have consistently laid an egg a day ever since. Ours have all started to slow down once they got to about 3 ish (so after having them for about 18 months/2 years) but pretty reliable til then. 

They can tend to be quite feisty when you first get them though, living in the conditions they've been in sends them a bit mad, and they get desperate over food etc, so best to keep them separate but in sight of each other for a couple of weeks (just with a partition down the run etc - we put them in the coop together to sleep).

Cheery_Daff

Evening chums 😊

Not much to report from the last couple of days. Mr Cheery had a gig with a relatively new band last night, actually got paid which was nice! It wasn't a particularly spendy night - other people bought him drinks, and I paid £2.20 I think for a blackcurrant and soda and a packet of crisps 😂

We did nip to the charity shops today, only bought two books (for a total of £1.50). Oh, and a cafe trip, which was £10.70. 

Mostly this weekend I've been building my greenhouse staging, which I'm very pleased with! It's wonky but sturdy 😂 I don't mind wonky - I've built it all myself from old pallets and scrap wood so it's all been free 😊😊 And I've had to build most of it inside the greenhouse, as once I'd manoeuvred the first bit into place, I then didn't have room to bring anything through the door sideways 😂 So it's been a bit of a logistical challenge to figure out which bits of pallet would fit where (of course they're all slightly different sizes and shapes 🙄) and of course the ground itself isn't flat so that doesn't help either 😂

Only remaining bit now is my bench to sit on 😁 I've got a bit of pallet propped on top of some breeze blocks temporarily, but I'd like it to be higher up. Might put another pallet layer, that should be enough. I don't think I've got anything sturdy enough to make actual wooden legs that I can sit on 🙄😂 

Aside from that, lots of flute playing today, and I did a bit of batch cooking - mainly a pasta bake for the freezer, but I also used up some biscuit dough and some flatbread dough from the freezer. Biscuits were OK, but flatbread mix needed more flour and I didn't have any - made a right mess trying to roll it out then gave up and just threw the lot in the oven on a tray - doesn't look good but might be able to toast a slice, we'll see 🙄

Cheery_Daff

Oh, I came in to do a list for tomorrow! 

* text friend to arrange time to chat
* ring mum at some point
* finish greenhouse staging!
* strim grass?? 
* put pasta bake into freezer
* banks & YNAB
* more flute playing
* Facebook post about poor old Budgie Chicken 😕 (I like to do a memorial post about each of them)

That'll probably do. Mr Cheery will be out for most of the day, and I'm going out at 4. Priority is finishing the greenhouse and maybe even getting some seeds sown! 

rtandon27

Well done on the DIY staging! 
I'll be joining you in some gardening today - plant plugs need potting up and grass needs mowing! May also do some pruning as a few shrubs are being bullies and choking out their neighbours!

Tescodealqueen

Just back from hols and catching up. Belated birthday wishes and so sorry to hear about Budgie Chicken xxx take care xxx

Cheery_Daff

Thanks TDQ, hope you had a good holiday. And hope you got out into the garden RT! 😊

So, I did actually get most of those things done! Didn't finish the greenhouse staging but did make some progress. Didn't do the strimming, or the banking, but I did do a big shop so that's something ticked off at least.

Off tomorrow too, and it's the start of IronMay! 😱 It seemed like a nice idea in the abstract, but faced with all that exercise as an immediate prospect it seems rather daunting 🙄😂

However, I know several people who have done an IronMan ALL IN ONE DAY so since I have an entire month to clock up my hours, I can't really complain! 

I'll do a short run tomorrow (very short, just a mile or so) and a longer bike ride. Hope it doesn't rain!

Jessy103

Belated birthday wishes, cheery 🎉🍰🍾