Shepherd hut roof now on!!
We spent Saturday morning putting the insulation on and then the roof in single sheets and trying to straighten them up once they were on by tightening them up with straps but it just didn't work, very wonky - so we manhandled the sheets off and screwed it together on the barn floor - lovely and straight. We then tried to pick the whole roof up but highly ambitious and completely stupid really as we had enough trouble just picking up the single sheets!
Hamish and his team to the rescue - Hamish, Paul, Cookie and fork lift all arrived within 15 minutes of Doug's 'emergency' call, they were only messing about in the drier anyway, as the harvest has come to a grinding halt, and with a bit of chin stroking and umming and aaahing, the roof went on, really well - just one scary moment when Paul wasn't quite tall enough to hold his corner as it went up, and the wind caught it and it very nearly came crashing down. Doug is just doing the finishing touches now, to tidy it up. Then there is the glass to put in the windows, the table to finish, cushion covers, curtains and hey presto - All done - we have then got to decide where it is going and to have our first supper party in it....
Yesterday was a big day for me as I had booked some ex-battery hens to pick up - it was the 'rescue day'. So off I excitedly went armed with my cardboard boxes (Doug thinks I am very sad) and picked up 8 new chooks. About three years ago I had picked up a dozen and still had three remaining, but they are getting old and not laying so well now. When I picked them up they looked like you would expect a chicken to look, but these - well! They are sinfully ugly, no feathers, and long bald turkey necks, they would make a small child cry on a dark night. They even gave themselves a shock when they saw themselves in the water bowl and refused to drink for 24 hours. I'm not sure how long I will have to keep them hidden from public view, I certainly won't be winning 'best in show' for a while. Anyway, bless them, even though they are as poor as church mice they are already laying eggs and thoroughly enjoying learning to be proper chickens with wings that flap and feet that scratch for food - everything is new and wonderful compared to what they have been used to. They have to go up a ramp to bed, and the very experience of going somewhere different fills them with excitement- they have spent all day going up and down! Yes, I'm sad, but it is actually rather rewarding to watch...
