Spring Snow Dump!!!

This morning was a surprise to all. That eerie silence was all around and on lifting the bedroom blind and 'Oh My Godding' we raced outside as quickly as possible to explore the newly covered white land.

I couldn't wait to see how the chookanoos would react to the white blanket of snow covering their pen and donned in my nightie, green wellies with chicken hat, I raced into the pen taking pictures of the landscape as I went. The new recruits, Dora and Minnie were first out trying to escape Basil's amorous morning affections, while the others point blank refused to come out of the hen house being scared of the new floor before them.

The newly rotavated vegetable patch was under an undisturbed blanket of its own leaving me puzzled as to what to do this Sunday. Not easy to plant when you can't even see the borders! Plenty to do in the greenhouse though so not to worry. The tomato plants need potting on for a start.

By 12:30pm the snow had all but gone and the sunshine came out and that Spring feeling reigned once more. I decided to tackle all the weeds growing up through the gravel in the greenhouse as they were begining to overtake everything else in there. The heat from the sun had really built up by the afternoon and I kept having to pop out for a breather. I must have collected over 120 snails out of there a couple of weeks ago only to find the rest of their reletives and friends today among the weeds. I'm hoping I'm snail free now and that no more of my prized seedlings get munched!

Minnie and Dora are finding things a little more easy going now on their 5th day with the old crew. The constant squabbling and pecking has now faded and peace seems to be descending on the coop once more. I didn't realise how tame and friendly Buff Orpingtons were.

I sat with them for a while today in the sunshine and Dora hopped up onto my outstretched legs and made herself at home after snuggling down. On day 2 they were eating corn out of my hands and made it very clear that they felt safer with me in the pen for the first two or three days, not daring to leave my feet! I'm just trying to work out the pecking order now and who sits where? ...time will tell.