Sparky gets Sniffy & Hen Comes to Tea

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Sparky, taking time to smell the flowers.My giant poppies are a brief seasonal treat. They are delicate. When I spotted Sparky having a jolly good sniff I was - concerned.I am happy to say the poppies survived Sparky's attention.

Unfortunately the wind and the rain took care of them later that day. They were nice while they lasted.

This little red hen is the sole survivor of the original rescue hens. She is an old girl now. Throughout the time we had the gang of four she was always the quiet one.

She wasn't greedy, grumpy or gregarious, she just stayed in the background, feathers golden and glowing, always gorgeous, but aloof.

Now that she is without her old friends she has developed quite a character, or should I say, we now have the opportunity to fully appreciate her character and her habits.

She doesn't doearly mornings, she likes a little lie-in. Then she likes to go to bed nice and early, with a mug of cocoa and a couple of digestive biscuits to dunk and nibble as she watches Emmerdale Farm.




She doesn't like to be handled, or to take food from the hand...unless it is Harry who is doing it when she suddenly becomes compliant.

Her routine has developed into escaping from the Owl Wood twice a day. Somehow she gets herself over the fence onto the old pew and then flutters heavily into the log store area.

Little Red Hen then comes through the vegetable garden, round to the patio and taps loudly on the kitchen door. She will not be budged until she has had a tasty scrap or two, then she quite happily walks back and waits to be let into Owl Wood.

Scone is her treat of choice at teatime.

No doubt while Jonny is home her breakfast treat will be bacon scraps or cheese rinds.