Milla, Florence and Odette join The Bok Flock

Edit:  For new names please see this post.

Last night I dreamt that I took Astrid on holiday, she was roaming through rolling hills of green with lots of other chickens.  There was a huge pond and a little island in the middle where the chicken house was.  The hens all flew across to the island in the middle of the pond at dusk and no one needed to lock them in because foxes can't fly.  It was a lovely dream.

Today I went to visit Mr Lavender and his sister...I missed Mr Lavender as he had just gone to a new home but I'm told he's happy and doing what roosters do best (ahem!) but I met his sister who looks just like him minus the saddle feathers and long tail!

Long story short, I've ordered a large, sturdy, completely fox proof coop that will be ready in a fortnight and I'll take Mr Lavender's sister home at that time.  The current enclosure I have will be too small for her if she isn't allowed to free range every day during the time I'm at work now that I'm paranoid about foxes, as she is now a proper hen and no longer a baby!  She is even laying!

I'm a bit shy to tell you that I also brought home three babies, about 8-10 weeks old.  I couldn't help it, I fell in love!

This is Milla - she is a porcelain belgian d'uccle (pronounced 'dew clay') pullet, they are sometimes called mille fleur due to their markings and that's where her name comes from.   

This is Odette, a very shy baby girl.  She is an astralorp like my beloved Astrid was, but she is a blue astralorp not a black one.  I don't think I could have another black coloured hen - not for a long while anyway - I could never replace Astrid.

And this puffball here is Florence.  She is a frizzled pekin cross something...she is the youngest, still cheeps and looks rather like a baby eagle at the moment!  She fell asleep in my lap tonight.

The girls are fast asleep in the laundry at present.  I'm loathe to let them sleep outside for as long as possible because I'm still paranoid about the foxes.

I took a poke around the garden today, something I usually can't wait to do but have been reluctant this week knowing my flock were missing.  The garden really needs work, I need to dig compost through all the beds and do lots of weeding!!  

Does anyone know when to harvest fennel...?  They've gotten nice and plump but I don't know when to harvest them!

The peas have grown so tall they are now tangled in the potato flower that overhangs the fence!

Anyone know what this is?  I planted it but cannot remember what seeds they were...do you ever do that?

Chillies still producing despite the frost

Cape gooseberry are so mysterious!  I'd never eaten one before until we went to Malaysia recently and I found one on top of a mini cheesecake!

So lovely to see buds fattening on the fruit trees, hurry up Spring!

Even in mid afternoon it was only 10 degrees...

The sage pineapple flowers are so generous, they are ever present

How cute - but slow growing - are brussel sprout plants!

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend  x