A few things happening again at the moment, Chris is definitely keeping himself busy. He’s moved all the trees that he chopped down from the side of the field, to the bonfire at the top of the field, it took quite a while. Apparently we can have a bonfire on the 23rd June, otherwise it’s illegal, for any reason, so we’ve been told and on looking into it, it seems to be so… The 23rd of June, Irish bonfire night, or St John’s Eve, or Midsummer, whatever you would like to call it really is when people have them. Here’s an article I found about it, I don’t endorse some of the views, (especially the burning of protestant bones, we’ll just be burning wood) but it’s an interesting overview of the celebration. http://www.castlebar.ie/Nostalgia_and_History/Bonfire-Night-in-the-West-of-Ireland.shtml
Then, yesterday, he started getting the greenhouse ready, doing some welding to repair and make the joints stronger and painting the reinforcements he added to the frame to make it stronger (to protect them from rust). It gets very windy and wet here and so needs to be as weather proof as possible.
We had five Buff Orpington chicks that hatched last week and appear to be very healthy, they’re already getting bigger and even have signs of feathering already, on their wings. There was a sixth one that I helped hatch, I didn’t want to, as I already know it can cause problems, but it wasn’t progressing, it had broken the shell (pipped) in the wrong place and had got stuck. I left it and left it (over 24 hours) and then took the decision to help it. It was completely ready to hatch and wasn’t attached to the shell, it just didn’t get the chance to push out and it isn’t walking. I’m trying to treat it, I’ve read up and learnt about what to do, but I’m still not sure whether it will survive. It’s very sweet and I’ll do my best, but I still don’t know. I’m waiting for another heater to come, so the chick is mainly spending it’s time on me, for heat, at the moment. ‘Helping’ it is just one of those decisions you make and have to be prepared to take the consequences really. I’m just glad the other five are so healthy and well and hatched without any problems.
In relation to life and God and everything… I’m feeling we’re in some sort of transition/change period, not completely sure what yet, I just know the feeling. Nothing radical like moving again or anything, (as far as we know anyway haha) just something. I guess we’ll see! I’ve felt this before and things have generally happened, so I’ll just trust God with it! Cryptic…
See you soon!
Cathy.
The Shepherds Adventure 