Chick Flick

On the Friday before the wedding, there were a couple of important developments round here that made me almost want to stay home!

The first one was that the little ducks went out onto the pond with the big ducks. Suddenly they have feathers, and don't look very different from the older ducks, just a little bit smaller. Firstly we introduced all six ducks together, then the little ones followed the older ones down to the pond, the older ones almost flying, and the little ones running like the clappers, trying to keep up. Then they met fairly large scale water for the first time, and decided they didn't like it. In the end, it was one of the older ducks that came up and encouraged the little ones to try it. It was very sweet. And of course they took to it 'like a duck to water' (so sorry, it's the best I could do at short notice).

Secondly, Mr O let Penny out, one of the broody chickens, and off she went to get some fresh air and sunshine, when the next thing he knew, one of the cats had dived in and attacked a chick. None of us even had a clue one of the eggs had hatched, and Penny certainly didn't, as she'd gone off for lunch and left it there.

In his haste, Mr O picked it up and tucked it in with Peggy, who prompty and unswervingly adopted it. As he picked her up to pop the chick in, another chick fell out from under her wing and fell in the water pot. Mr O quickly retrieved it and put it back under his (or her) mother.

This is the best I can do for a photograph, at the moment:

as they are very small, run round a lot and keep hiding under mum. They were about the size of sparrows when they were born. I'm not sure what's the cutest, chicks or ducklings.

Penny has been a bit depressed, though, and when we let her out with Peggy (who strutted up and down proudly showing off her babies) she just stood staring at the wall for twenty minutes, but then went over to Peggy, as if to say, "One of those was mine, you know." She reminded me alarmingly of my maternal grandmother. I do feel sorry for her, but she is still brooding, so let's hope to goodness at least one of them, or one from the incubator, actually hatches, so we can give it to her.

Then the next, unrelated thing. We went in a cafe for breakfast while we were in Worksop, and there was a little second hand bookstall. Money from the book sales goes to 'Help for Heroes' and there was a chart on the wall, showing how much money they'd raised (six hundred pounds, I think). I asked them if they would like some cards to sell, and they said they'd really like some, so I am going up on Friday to drop some off. How exciting. I said just to see how it goes, and if they don't sell, not to worry, I'll take them back, but if they do sell, I'll make some more. These are some of the cards that will be going:

Not very difficult to make, but I spent a pleasant enough hour yesterday putting them together.

Sorry, I put them in their cellophane bags before I remembered to take a photo. Thanks to Margaret at Christian Chick Crafts for recommending a supplier to me. She is a total inspiration and mine of information. Her cards are so professional, I hope mine end up as good as hers (anytime soon, would be nice!) I am rising to the challenge of not buying any crafty stuff for the whole of July (in other words, 'It's nearly killing me!') Actually it's really making me think, especially for the scrapbooking.

I must add, that it's all too easy, come the winter, to say, "Oh, we had a rubbish summer!" so I just want it on record that it has been hot here every day for several weeks, at least since before Wimbledon Tennis started. We've had no rain for three or four weeks, and will probably have a hosepipe ban if it carries on much longer. It's driving me bonkers, I've actually been driven to wearing skirts, a rarity indeed. I've taken the horses off the second field to let it grow before putting them back on it, but it isn't growing because there's no rain. The horses hate the heat, and the flies are driving them bonkers. I have to put suncream and fly gel on Barnaby and Lindy every day, poor things. And if I don't ride by 8.30am, it's pointless riding until about 8pm, but I have run out of energy by then. Am I the only person praying for rain?