phoebejo

Glad to see you're home! I usually organise Secret Santa in October but my October was so bloody horrible that I kind of forgot it was actually October and the time to do it Does anyone fancy taking part this year?

About six months ago Egletine decided to become a very noisy little madam who constantly whinged loudly all day So she and her friends Princess Margaret and Delilah moved to my friend Tonys house in Swindon. He and his neighbours all have cockerels so excess noise isn't an issue there I've been around to see her since, she's very happy with her husband, a lemon cuckoo Pekin Size doesn't matter, Mr Pekin and Princess Margaret had babies earlier on this year, Tony hatched them and my Princess Michael of Kent reared them. All three were boys I can't keep noisy ladies, they always either go to Tony or another friend Graham who lives on a stud farm.

I suggest a rest of several hours to get over that lot! Sorry to hear about your neighbour. Putting out the bins seems to have become my job. It was Mr Hazells job but for the past few weeks he's forgetten. Late on Sunday night I was peering across the road to see which coloured bins my neighbours had out because it's green one week, black the next. Well they all look black in the dark I managed to get the right one out thankfully. Mr Hazell has gone back to work today. Last week was annual leave anyway so he bunged his three days for bereavement on the end of that. It's too quiet and I miss him

It's difficult enough rehoming pure breed boys, mongrels are impossible. I've got a blue Brahma cockerel who is welcome to stay until he starts crowing, they're very slow to mature so he's probably got a long while yet. He's six months old and has a lot of growing to do. I'm hoping that after Christmas when breeders are on the hunt for boys for breeding with next year he might strike lucky. Or I might win the lottery tonight and can buy a place where I can keep him

Six in March! She was telling me today how she's nearer six than five now Time flies

Georgia calls Frankie 'Filthy Frankie' and says he looks as if he hasn't had a bath in three years A very smart five year old She doesn't like him or Johnny. Janet is her favourite but certainly not mine. I like Kitty

It's not just you Alex, we've seen loads of flies too. We've even had to put our little recycling bin that we kept in the kitchen for tea bags, egg shells etc outside because no matter what we did with it, it attracted fruit flies. It's sat there quite happily since it's arrival in January but now we can't have it in the house. I've seen quite a few other bigger flies hanging around, much to the kittens amusement. I'm glad it's November now. October was ghastly. We buried Alan yesterday, Ian has spent the morning sorting out the last of the bills that needed transferring to our names & account. Apart from re-decorating Alans bedroom we're nearly all done and it's a relief for it to be out the way. We're going out for lunch in a little while and after that I've told myself to start looking forward to Christmas Onwards and upwards at last.....

I love seeing Russell dance

Runty Robin has a magnificent pair of spurs and lays bright blue eggs so no doubting her sex I guess they could just be late developers, either way, if the other two were obviously boys the development of any further boys would be delayed. Now the dominant ones are out of the way, they can show their true colours. Probably best just to wait and see I've got a young blue Leghorn of unknown sex. Initial thoughts were it was a boy, and it's three mongrel siblings were all boys too. I can't tell you how gutted I was with 100% boys The three definites went to the great coop in the sky, but Graham (so named by Mollys friend because it's grey) remained because I really wasn't sure. Graham and his/her mum Princess Michael of Kent have rejoined the main flock and with each day that passes I'm more convinced that Graham is indeed a girl

Mr Hazell is just the loveliest, most thoughtful boy ever After the first few awful days he's done ok this week until today. The funeral directors collected Alan from the hospital yesterday and today collected the suit he's to wear. Ian & his brothers had decided they wanted to see their dad one last time and were told that'd be ok once they'd got him dressed and in his coffin. But when the chap came today to collect the suit he said Alan isn't looking too good and he wouldn't advise the boys go see him. David & Robert were easily convinced but Ian is insisting on going tomorrow because he says nobody else is, it was always him who visited the hospital, nobody else bothered, and he thinks his dad is waiting for him and doesn't want him to think nobody cares I really don't want him to go but I know he'll feel just as bad if he doesn't. I suggested maybe he could sit next to a closed coffin but he said that's a waste of time. I don't want him to be hurt but he's going to be either way A great uncle of his died this week too, a great aunt is on her way out and they doubt she'll see Christmas, he thinks his nan will be next and he's quite upset.

She wasn't left anything, the will is short and sweet, all of his belongings are to go to Sue, Ians mum. The house was to be shared between the three boys but both of Ians brothers have said they don't want it, it's all to go in Ians name because if it wasn't for Ian looking after Alan he would've gone into a home and the house lost anyway. Ian has been sat in the garden chain smoking since 5am. At least it's not raining. I got up with him then too and have been sorting through all of Alans paperwork. Most of the household bills were in his name and we paid half so now we need to get everything in our name. He'd never let us search for cheaper quotes for insurance, gas & electric so at last those bills ought to go down too, he's been with the same companies for centuries I'm annoyed because he's known his days were numbered for a while yet he planned for nothing. They don't even know if he wanted to be buried or cremated, nobody would ever have that conversation with him. Ian & his brothers want him cremated with his ashes scattered on White Horse Hill. Sue wants him buried in Faringdon He's got bank accounts all over the place, insurance policies here there and everywhere the details of which we know nothing He was too lazy to do anything that might've helped once he was gone, it didn't matter to him so why bother.

It's horrid seeing my lovely Mr Hazell so upset He didn't think that he would be, so his reaction has come as a surprise to him. I said it's not to me because I know how sensitive he really is. What hasn't surprised me either is how awful his family are In the seven years we've lived here, not once has Alans sister visited yet tomorrow she says she's coming around to take his guitar collection away I used to like her. Not any more. So typical of the way certain people behave when someone dies. I vividly recall how my mums cousins broke into my great grandmothers flat the very day she died to have away her antique rose bowl. Fink I needs another cocktail before I go to bed.

The circle of life. We've just found seven baby Mollies in Mollys biggest fish tank We are delighted that black daddy Molly & white mummy Molly have had babies again. We recently raised two of their babies to adulthood, they're white with black freckles Seven babies are now safe in our nursery tank but we need to go buy baby fish food so I'm taking my girls out whilst Mr Hazell is in the pub with his brothers.

Alan has kicked the bucket. He'd been in hospital for eight days, Ian got a phonecall at 5.50am from a Dr to say they were trying to revive him. We knew by the time Ian got there he would've gone. Ians office is near the hospital so he's now sat there all alone calling his mum and brothers. He wants to tell the girls when he gets home, they think he's just out on a call because he's on call this week. I hope he arranges cover while he's at work but I doubt he will. Alan tried his hardest for seven years to make my life hell. I nearly killed myself because of him. I hope he rots in hell where he belongs.

Sorry it wasn't better news :GroupHug:

Alex that was cruel to planks A plank could dance better I suspect

It's a ladybird larvae Who would've thought something so ugly could turn into something so cute?

Kara has nothing to worry about, there's no chemistry whatsoever between Artem & Holly. I'm not even sure they actually like each other.

I'm loving watching Russell Grant I don't think we've ever seen a celebrity so obviously enjoying dancing as he does

:laugh:

My money would be on an infection. Tumours don't hurt initially or so I'm told. Hugs for you and Barney

There were some sights in the group dance I think Harry & Holly looked the most promising.

Got 10 eggs in the incy, all due Saturday but two have arrived today They wanted to come out to see Jedward on telly later

I think they're probably moulting already, I know some of my ladies are. The only other thing would be mites as some of those can cause feather loss. It might be an idea to worm them too, I'll be doing mine this weekend with Ivomec. That's good stuff that kills mites too! I quite fancy hatching ducks next year. I've got a solid kids paddling pool they could swim in. I wonder how noisy they'd be though.