Yay!! School's out! Well, we have finished school for this academic year. There were days when I thought we would never make it through to the last day of term. But we did, and boy, does that feel good.

We've been away for a few days, staying in a friend's caravan, since we finished. It was our 'unwind' time so that we could recoup a little energy to start in on all those tasks that had been left, and left, until they were nearly mountains instead of molehills. We were so tired that it seemed like every time we sat down, one or other of us would nod off. We felt felt like really old folks instead of just middle-aged. So now we are back home and need to start in on all those jobs.

The hens have been suffering from all that heat too, and are laying fewer and much smaller eggs. Two of them are still broody. It is time they gave that up and got back to the business of laying eggs.

It keeps raining today and we had planned to spend this afternoon at the allotment. Maybe those soaring temperatures of the last two weeks will have dried up the weeds.......?

I've just been reading another blog written by somebody that lives on a croft in Scotland.

Http://www.stonehead.wordpress.com

The entry for Monday 10 July is one which impresses me greatly. I love it when you can take something which is no longer serviceable and turn it into something else that is useful. This is a lovely example.

We've got a busy week and a busy weekend ahead too. And 9 more days left at school. I need to leave my desk tidy (well, tidyish) for the end of term. Today I took one pile of papers and found that so many were out of date that they could almost all go into the recycling box. Well, that is one way of clearing up! I doubt the rest will be as easy but at least there is one clear corner to encourage me and spur me on.

This is an edit - just to see if it works.

We've been having an unpressured day today - a long lie-in, pottering round doing a few jobs, a slow lunch and a bbq at a friend's house this evening, for their birthday. There are too many jobs to do and not enough time to do them. And definitely not enough energy to do them! We decided that a slow day with a few jobs done might mean that we survive to do a few more during the week.

Four of the bantams have gone broody this week. They were laying quite well and then, suddenly, broodiness strikes. Mrs Ratbag is in the guinea pig run with nowhere to brood so we're hoping that it wears off quickly so the next one can go in...

It is a good job that we're no longer reliant on those bantams for eggs!

Well, my dream house has been sold. I finally emailed the estate agent again after ten days to find out why they had not been in touch and I got the reply today. I suppose it is all for the best because the price was a little high. But I'm sad anyway.

My hens are laying well. The new little ones are laying between four and six every day. And we had three from the others yesterday - which means I had nine eggs. At this rate, I'm going to need to enlarge my customer base. I'll have to think hard about that. This week and last week, I've been able to give a few eggs to most of the people who so kindly give me bags of 'hen food' when they have it. In fact, a friend knocked the door this evening and handed me a bag of not-quite-so-fresh-anymore salad stuff which the hens will enjoy picking over tomorrow. I often come home from work and find a bag on the doorstep containing a bit of stale bread or some veg or fruit. My hens do get a proper diet of layers' pellets and mixed corn, I hasten to add, but that is their main course. The bits of fruit and veg are their 'pudding' and the part of their diet which provides variety and interest.

It is two and a bit weeks until the end of term. And I am very tired. I am going to spend the first week of the school holiday sleeping so that I have enough energy to do something useful in the rest of the holiday!