27 September 2006
Diddy Boy's new des-res
Decided to get stuck in and get another job done off my list today - Diddy's new pad. It meant clearing out the back porch/cupboard/storeroom/utility room/ex coal cellar? I still never know what to call it. It is brick built, and adjoins my kitchen, and forms an enclosed porch, its about 3 feet wide, and including the double back doors, about 10 feet long. Nice area for my boy, bigger than some banties live in all their lives. It also meant clearing out my shed which is outside the back door, so that I could put some of the junk in there. So I got everything out of both, all over the kitchen, path, grass, and then it started to pee with rain, typical. It ended up that I couldn't really change anything much round at all, just no more room in the shed until I sell some stuff or chuck it.
Anyway, managed to alter things, tidy in general, and set up a snug thermal lining on the wall, it gets a bit damp in there, despite my putting two coats of masonary paint on the outside, and I put the nest boxes in from the old chicken house, not that Diddy will lay eggs of course, but he does like sitting in them sometimes, he spent a lot of time in one yesterday actually, was breaking my heart to see him up in the house on a nice day - he must've been feeling old and lonely (know the feeling...)
Fixed a perch up and a sort of bodged cover over the top with some boards, but will have to get something a bit better when I go out, but it will act as another shelf above his roosting area.
The weather turned really evil this afternoon, it chucked down, and went very dark, and in the end, I didn't let him go back out (I had grabbed him and run for cover when the heavens opened about 1 oclock.) He settled down in the woodchip for a while, but then wanted out, but it was just too awful for him. It got dark here just after 5 oclock, had to have the lights on, and he desperately wanted to go up to his old house. I nearly relented, but in the end, I put him up on the perch and told him to stay. I was in the living room on my laptop and watching Deal or No Deal, and he came in the living room to find me! Lol. I don't mind if he goes into the kitchen, as its quarry tiled floor, and I'm not house proud, but I don't really want him in here.
Put him back, and pushed the door to so there was only about a 4 inch gap to let a tiny bit of light in, and he then settled down for the night, bless him.
I feel a great sense of relief, knowing that he is now safe and dry. I don't have to worry about anything getting him in the night, and of course, he can still go outside all day every day if weather permits, but if it's rough, or I want to go out for any length of time, I will shut him in and know that he's safe. The back area of the garden is more secure too, I may well just let him have that bit for the winter, although he does like to stay up near my aviary, I think he feels happy being able to see my other birds. I've got to say this, although I said I wouldn't get any more, if the right little hen became available, I could still have another one with him in this new pad. A little elderly Pekin hen would be okay, but I wont get a young one, despite the fact that someone is selling some in Carmarthen.....
Of course there is another great advantage, I won't have to worry about going up to let him out early in the morning. I've always had to do that in all weathers, I think it's unfair to keep them shut in a house with no food or water, especially in the summer when it may have been light for hours, and they will have been itching to get out. I've always let them out by about 8am. So now, I just have to go to the back door....
Other than that, not much today. An aborted walk with Emma, drove all the way to Llandysul park, and walked 100 yards to the river, and 100 yards back to the car, end result, we were soaked! Waste of time really, but she kept pestering to go out, but then when we got there, she didn't want to walk. She doesn't mind the rain really though, and I would have gone on, it was quite warm, very windy though, but she wanted to go back, so that was that.
Anyway, managed to alter things, tidy in general, and set up a snug thermal lining on the wall, it gets a bit damp in there, despite my putting two coats of masonary paint on the outside, and I put the nest boxes in from the old chicken house, not that Diddy will lay eggs of course, but he does like sitting in them sometimes, he spent a lot of time in one yesterday actually, was breaking my heart to see him up in the house on a nice day - he must've been feeling old and lonely (know the feeling...)
Fixed a perch up and a sort of bodged cover over the top with some boards, but will have to get something a bit better when I go out, but it will act as another shelf above his roosting area.
The weather turned really evil this afternoon, it chucked down, and went very dark, and in the end, I didn't let him go back out (I had grabbed him and run for cover when the heavens opened about 1 oclock.) He settled down in the woodchip for a while, but then wanted out, but it was just too awful for him. It got dark here just after 5 oclock, had to have the lights on, and he desperately wanted to go up to his old house. I nearly relented, but in the end, I put him up on the perch and told him to stay. I was in the living room on my laptop and watching Deal or No Deal, and he came in the living room to find me! Lol. I don't mind if he goes into the kitchen, as its quarry tiled floor, and I'm not house proud, but I don't really want him in here.
Put him back, and pushed the door to so there was only about a 4 inch gap to let a tiny bit of light in, and he then settled down for the night, bless him.
I feel a great sense of relief, knowing that he is now safe and dry. I don't have to worry about anything getting him in the night, and of course, he can still go outside all day every day if weather permits, but if it's rough, or I want to go out for any length of time, I will shut him in and know that he's safe. The back area of the garden is more secure too, I may well just let him have that bit for the winter, although he does like to stay up near my aviary, I think he feels happy being able to see my other birds. I've got to say this, although I said I wouldn't get any more, if the right little hen became available, I could still have another one with him in this new pad. A little elderly Pekin hen would be okay, but I wont get a young one, despite the fact that someone is selling some in Carmarthen.....
Of course there is another great advantage, I won't have to worry about going up to let him out early in the morning. I've always had to do that in all weathers, I think it's unfair to keep them shut in a house with no food or water, especially in the summer when it may have been light for hours, and they will have been itching to get out. I've always let them out by about 8am. So now, I just have to go to the back door....
Other than that, not much today. An aborted walk with Emma, drove all the way to Llandysul park, and walked 100 yards to the river, and 100 yards back to the car, end result, we were soaked! Waste of time really, but she kept pestering to go out, but then when we got there, she didn't want to walk. She doesn't mind the rain really though, and I would have gone on, it was quite warm, very windy though, but she wanted to go back, so that was that.
# posted by flicker : 19:30
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