New year Greetings

Here’s hoping that 2009 has started well for you.

TH and Chickpea have been having loads of ‘chill and recover’ time this year, with both feeling on the verge of ‘going down with something’, but thankfully not quite succumbing. (Yet). This has tended to keep them ‘grounded’ at home, with the hatches battened down and drawbridge up. Having been intending/hoping to invite folks round for Conviviality, Fostering of Friendships and Partying with Pals, this has been a little disappointing. But bugs is bugs, and not nice to share.

Billy the Kid, our House Guest of the Season, thankfully seems immune to the nasties, steadily exploring and claiming the house as satisfactory territory, and checking that Ms Mog is not receiving Preferential Attention. He is a fine orange cat, allowing Mr Mutt to share his space so long as Mr Mutt is appropriately deferential. The chooks were most concerned to see a feline living next door to them, and made sure the neighbourhood were aware of their disgust. Billy, however, was totally non-plussed, especially when he realised the chair is ideally placed for the sun shining in through that window on a good morning ! And the chooks forgot he was there after about an hour of fussing.

So all is generally well with The Household Here – apart from poor Myna, still overcome by broodiness, determined to occupy the nestbox and desperately keen to hatch non-hatchable eggs, so making laying difficult for her companions. Advice to separate her from the flock and seclude her in a ‘broody-coop’ has been taken. She’s not impressed. We hate seeing her discomfited in this way, but hope this is the quickest way to help her back to normal. (More likely she’ll decide the conservatory is a preferable domicile and complain when returned to Outside !).

Soon it’ll be Epiphany, and time to take down the twinkling lights that gladden our hearts and remind us that this is also our ‘Wedding Anniversary Season’ – celebrated in style this year with loads of candles and the Cathedral’s Carol Concert. Thirteen years. Who’d have thought it !