Eggs (and shoes) are like buses

When we first bought our eight point of lay pullets, we fed them for months and months without sight of an egg. Eventually our first egg arrived on Boxing Day. Thereafter, the hens went off-lay in early November and the next eggs turned up around Christmas each year. In reality they must have staggered their activities, with some moulting and ceasing to lay earlier than others, and clearly only one was laying at Christmas.

It was not long after we acquired the hens that we found one of the Cochins was not at all a P.O.L at all but in fact a cockerel. He was re-homed. Then one of the Black Rocks went walkabout soon after that and never came home. Not much later a  Cochin had to be dispatched due to a health issue. We continued with two Cochins and three Rocks for a while. We still had more eggs than we could cope with in the spring, they went completely off-lay in November like clockwork and then the first egg each season still arrived at Christmas.

Last year we lost three hens to some mystery illness and are now down to just two Black Rocks.  It has been a long dry season, with this pair going off lay practically in October. Come Christmas it was clear that one of the hens lost last year must have been our festive producer because there were no eggs for us over the holiday. Luckily the local shop has started bringing in Free range eggs, so we did not have to forgo eggs altogether, though the shop’s offerings were pallid and unappetising compared to those generously bestowed upon us by our girls.

Mr L has been checking for eggs regularly but had to confess yesterday that during the recent Easterly gales he has not ventured out. Thus it was  that he arrived at the back door with seven eggs. Our girls have been busy! NTS: don’t expect eggs before mid-January next year

It was Spaghetti Carbonara for lunch today – delicious.

Mr L went out to check the coop whilst I was cooking and he brought in another egg.

Portuguese Custard Tarts have been requested. I will fulfil that request as soon as I am able to find some fresh cream. NTS: need a new tub of cinnamon sticks

So… yesterday I admitted to the great extravagance of buying new shoes, not something that I do very often under normal circumstances. Only today I went and bought some more – well, bought some boots.

You see, I had mentioned in a comment to LizH, my wonderful Moshulu boots, only being very old and decrepit, I could not remember their name and had to look it up.

These boots I saw in a shop window one day when we went to Kendal to buy a camera. They were in the Sale and I fell instantly in love with them.  They are still as good as new –  as soon after I bought them my bad toe suggested that it did not wish to associate with these boots any longer, thank you.

In reminding myself of the brand name, I found that Moshulu have an online shop and…. a Sale and they use Royal Mail for delivery! I asked Mr L how we are fixed for money and he said I could go ahead. So I shall soon have some low-heeled, soft leather ankle boots. Sadly red was not available in my size (how I miss my red pixie boots!) so I have ordered some in blue, to wear with jeggings. What are jeggings? A miracle crossbred garment of jeans/leggings parentage. I find them very useful (and comfortable) and they are very cheap from Matalan. The boot-jeggings combo will be so useful when we go away in the campervan.

I really should re-home the  green boots.