Decorations are up in the Cattery although Kerry insists that my Christmas tree is more of a winter twig. We only have one chalet free now so we will have a lot to do over Cristmas and the new year.
Two Fat Alberts (Hercules) went over this afternoon, I wonder what the cats made of that, sitting in their nice warm beds having a cosy cat-nap, then the roar and drone of those big machines lumbering overhead.
The ducklings have moved up to the field now although still protected from flying predators under a mesh frame. We lost two ducklings to the crows last spring, it was very upsetting.
I thought the chickens had stopped laying for the winter but they still seem to be popping eggs out regularly.
I ordered fruit trees for the new orchard , 2 eating apples, 3 cooking apples, 1 pear and 2 damson. I hope alpaca manure is good for vegetables as I collected 5 buckets of it today.
Joy
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This is the calm before the storm at Rose Cottage Cattery, with Christmas and new year bookings coming thick and fast (like the snow up North) it’s good to have a chance to spruce up the chalets.
Weatherproofing the wooden buildings was a timely job as it seems to have been typical Somerset weather since we finished. Seeing the droplets of rain bouncing off the wood, instead of being sucked into the grain, gives me some piece of mind.
We have invested in some beechwood step-stools for the double chalets, when two cats are sharing we felt both cats needed somewhere to sit and watch the world go by - or me struggling up and down with mops and buckets. They have proved very popular so we may have to buy some more.
The four ducklings are 3 weeks old now and making an awful mess, they are much too young to go outdoors, especially in this weather but everything in their enclosure has to be changed daily.
The young chickens are still small enough to sneak through the fence into our neighbour’s garden where the grass is greener, well there actually is grass next door, our field is a quagmire with the occasional island of greeny-brown.
Five ducks are still laying every day, the Khaki Campbells are good layers and as this is their first year, I am expecting eggs all winter, which is good for my egg customers. I might pop some more eggs into the incubator after christmas ready for spring.
Joy
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