Trouble with t'chickens

Elly Chicken is back out of the box now and fully brood-free. Here's a video of her and the rest of the girls partaking in a bit of communal feather dusting. But with only two eggs a day I'm still not getting the full egg quota. Only just managing to keep up with the requirements of granddaughter Izzy, who's a bit grumpy without her daily fix.

Trouble is I can't fathom out if it's the same two laying all the time, or they're taking turns to produce the required orb. Could I adapt the old spy trick of sticking a hair across a door frame to see if anyone's entered (or anything's exited in this case)? How about a dab of different coloured poster paint in the required area so each egg indicates it's owner? It's a bit of a puzzler.

With yet another of my own personal painting the Forth Bridge sessions (i.e. strimming the grass) I've finally decided to have all my raised beds up this winter and convert the front plot to a more traditional and simple two bed system with a path down the middle. Give me loads more room and loads more time. Think I'll also focus on just a few vegetables rather than the scatter gun 'something will grow' method... something like onions, garlic, potatoes, salad stuff, tomatoes, peas and beans, cabbage and leeks.

Started planting out leeks this week... one of my all time favourite vegetables. Placing in troughs this time so I can bank them up as they grow and get a longer white stem. Here's progress so far (click to enlarge).

Have been keeping an eye on the water piping (hopefully the framing for my new fruit cage) just languishing away by itself on the new cemetary area. Spotted someone from the contractors looking over their finished work so went and asked him for his view. He thought it was spare to requirements, so dragged the piping across to my plot. Was more than a bit of a struggle... realised I was never going to drag it any further than the front bit unless I cut it up, and even getting it that far involved some choice language to help it along and a backward fall into the beetroots. Just to make sure it's OK I'll leave it on view and check it out with the groundsman when I next see him. Photo below of its new temporary home.

Played sons John and David pitch and putt yesterday and lost. Whenever I putted the ball shot off at right angles to where I was aiming. Think it's something about being used to turning my wrist when playing squash. John started strongly and waned, David started (just) and got better and better. Result went to John. So I'll have to get another cup to go with the tennis (currently held by Barry), squash (David) and pool/darts (me, hurrah!) cups played for.

Lots more photos and videos below. Thanks for reading my blog. John

	Water piping in its new home. (click to enlarge)
	Tigerella tomato ripening.
	Grandson Sammy's letter about his 'pets'.
	Grandsons Sammy and Connor speaking about how much they like their friends.
	UFOs that landed in daughter Becky's cooking tray and called themselves yorkshire puddings. Apparently they were delicious and spurred Barry on to winning the tennis cup yesterday evening!
	Connor in the sea... he's the head in the water!
	Granddaughter Izzy singing 'Baa Baa Blacksheep'
	John (Tigger) playing golf
	David (Lucky &*@?%!#) playing golf
	Beth and Chris boxing. This is the best of three clips taken at their wedding anniversary in July 2008. Note the serious right hooks from Beth! In all three clips Beth claims Chris is cheating... guess that means she lost!