A meal out.

We haven't been treating ourselves - this was just dinner eaten in the garden after work. Even though it was 8.00pm it was warm enough to sit out in a tee shirt and shorts (Luke, straight from his 9 mile bike ride) and a thin silk dress (me, straight from a ten minute car journey). I'll tell you who else has been outdoors too today. Those little cocooned pullets, Mrs Bun, Poppy and Lunar. I've had the greenhouse door opened quite a bit recently so they can have some good air flow through their home but they have ignored the great outdoors and stayed in the safety of their little world. This evening though, out the three of them came, seduced by the sight of leggy green grass tips. Whilst the big gals were in Jack's garden we watched the three tiny chicks feast on spring greens before a passing wood pigeon spooked them enough for them to dash back in. Both Poppy and Mrs Bun are expert fliers and are often found on the top of the hen house roof or on the staging in the greenhouse but Lunar, despite a fair amount of wing flapping has yet to lift off.
One of my aquantancies told me of the fox attack in her son's new flock of hens. Once that fox finds the fresh meat it will be round each night, checking for compromised chicken wire fences or anywhere to dig down and get in. It's literally lambs to the slaughter till the weakness is found so they are now thinking of electric fencing.

I also sat out on the front, elevated deck yesterday afternoon, my legs being warmed against the wooden deck. I took out a note pad and scribbled a hasty plan of what I'd like to have in the front garden. There's easily seven hundred pounds to be spent on plants to make it how I want it but let's go long term and grow a few myself before buying it all in. I'm hoping patience will pay for itself in the long run.