Travels with my camera

Picture the scene. Just back from shopping, unloading the car of carrier bags. I had already taken one lot in, front door wide open, Diddy boy half way up the hall on the way out of the front door when I came back for this lot. A car pulls up. Bloke in a suit, doing stuff on his mobile phone and then comes up to me and introduces himself as from the Council. Following up a report of vermin in the area. Says someone (I didn't catch the name) had reported that I was keeping chickens, and that it wasn't helping with the problem. So I said I haven't got a chicken anymore, I had to have it put to sleep! Well it was true. (What I now have is a cockerel, a bantam, not a chicken.) Meanwhile, I am slowly shitting myself looking toward the front door in case Diddy comes out. I keep repositioning myself at the boot of my car, so that the guy is looking in the opposite direction from the house! Effing hell! Was I sweating, well it is really hot again, I was actually in a t-shirt. I said well I still feed the wild birds, I suppose I'm not allowed to do that then? And he said, no, no, that was fine but could I stop putting food down on the floor. So I said well I was cutting right back, and explained about the RSPB and trichomoniasis etc and he was most impressed. He said it was the Council's Pest Control Officer that had seen my chickens. Well that explains a mystery. Apparently he was in the area a few weeks ago. I came home one day to find my side gate open, and was livid, because it did mean that the chicken and cockerel (!) could come through into the front garden. I thought maybe Western Power had been as they have right of access in to get to their wires and pole (I get paid compensation for that) Anyways, I guess it was him. Thanks mate. I said who had reported me, was it the bloke behind, and he says, no, no, you've not been reported. Ha I bet! I guess it was the airgun toting family from behind that I reported for shooting birds, thought he'd get his own back and report the rats, and that I was the cause because of my chickens and feeding birds. Stuff you mate! So now, its a good job what happened with poor old Darky did happen, and that I am keeping Dids inside now most of the time. I said I won't use a ground feeder for the birds anymore then, and he was quite happy. Got him off the subject and we talked about the trees being lopped - apparently it still may happen soon and I will then be swathed in sunshine hopefully, which will dry up the top of the garden a bit and may also make the rats decide to bugger off elsewhere hopefully. I am still against them being poisoned though, but if someone else does it I can't do much about it. I just think it's disgusting that an intelligent, sociable creature like them has to suffer in agony for days after being poisoned, it's not right that anything should suffer an awful death like that, it is not humane. We also chatted about poor old Paddy across the road dying, he didn't know about that, and apparently he had been asked to clear up the garden a bit because it was in a mess! They obviously didn't think mine was then, which is a relief, I have lots of old aviary panels and crap stacked up behind my shed. If they want to pay for a skip, I will gladly dump the lot!

Anyway, back to the original story. Thank christ Diddy boy didn't come out of the door! The bloke went off quite happy, said they will re-assess the situation in a few weeks, whatever that means. Anyway, with Dids being indoors when I'm out, and only in the small back area when I'm in, it's unlikely that my secret will be discovered, I hope!

One other thing, poor old Emma is really in the wars. Not only has she had the cystitus problem, the scratching herself to bits problem (both of which are a bit better now, but not completely cured) she has now hurt her front right leg. She can't put any weight on it at all today, I've checked the pad, the claws, the joints, and can't seem to make her even wince, but if she's no better on that tomorrow morning it will definitely be a trip to see Damien (be still my foolish heart...) I think she must've jumped off the bed awkwardly and twisted it. I thought she was limping slightly when I took her out yesterday, its a whole lot worse today though. She didn't want to walk at all poor little thing, just got her out of the car behind Morrisons for a wee wee and she wanted to go back in, so that was that.

Oh well, best get on and do something I suppose, dunno what though, its a funny time, it's because I met Pat in town, earlier than I would normally go out, we shopped, lunched, shopped again, and then I was home at 3 oclock, whereas it would normally be 4 oclock. Hmmmm. Cuppa tea I reckon. And a wander round the garden. Oh Ryan came last night, didn't see him, went to bed early, but his dish was empty. :)