Fox alert!!!!!



Bob and his girls in the snow

 Well, we got the snow that was forecast this morning and quite a bit of it too.  It's now turned drippy, a bit slushy and very slippery!  The chickens weren't too bothered about it - especially when leftover pasta was on offer (yes, that's why they are flocking round Bob!).  It was still snowing when we got up this morning and when Bob went up to open the chicken house before breakfast there were fresh fox prints in front of the run!  PANIC!!!!  ALARM BELLS!!!!!  Calming down a bit though, they went along the path several feet away from the door then turned back on themselves and up into the woods.  Strangely, they didn't veer closer to the chicken run door so presumably our visitor wasn't too interested.  Could be that Bob coming out of the caravan scared it off (not a bad thing) because the tracks were very new - they were very clear and in falling snow they don't stay that way for long.  For all we know, the fox trots along through our garden every morning and normally we just don't know anything about it.  Anyway, we left the chucks shut safely in the run for a bit longer than we usually do today.  Glad they have the old pigsty as a run - with its stone walls and brick floor it is unlikely a predator could dig its way in.

Today we have both been working on the door.  Nailing it together is definitely a two man job, but Bob had to make do with me!  There's quite a bit of do a bit on one side, turn it over, do a bit on the other side, turn it back and so on and as the doors are quite thick oak, they weigh an awful lot.  As with everything, this job took at least twice as long as we expected (hopefully the next one will be quicker now we know what we're doing!).  It is now all nailed together and clenched of course!  The hinges are ready for us to collect, so we'll get those tomorrow when I go to give blood.  Then we can cut the door to length, fit the hinges and try it on for size.  It will be sooooooo strange to have a real door.  At the moment we 'lock up' by unrolling a sheet of burlgar-proof plastic and tucking it into the wall cavity!