One of the nice things about having a dog is that it makes you get out and do more walking. There are plenty of fields around our house but we’ve been encouraged to explore a little further away. It’s been great to find tracks and forest paths where there are no houses at all so that our new faithful hound can be let off the lead and run wild.

Alas, we have a Labrador who likes nothing better than galloping through the puddles, ears flapping,  and then leaping all over us in her excitement.

Needless to say we come home just as filthy as her!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the chickens continue their naughtiness. Those who have read the previous post will know that we had to put up some corrugated iron to stop them escaping. This failed. We came home the other day and all them were spotted, clucking madly, making for the derelict house a field away. So more corrugated iron went up. As they continued to stand on their house and try for the olive tree above we even put in some ‘tree art’ for them to clamber over.

However, closing the door of the hen house the other night I was sure the goodnight clucks were coming from above my head rather than from inside the house. Sure enough three of the rascals had eventually managed to get into the tree and were there roosting for the night, a hint of smugness in their clucks methinks. It’s great that they can do what comes naturally but getting down means they can choose which side of the fence to land on, and you’ve guessed it… so it’s Chickens 3 Us 2 for the mo, we’re looking forward to them hatching eggs rather than hatching plans…