I'm home this weekend feeling sorry for myself because I'm full of cold. My throat feels like I've swallowed the proverbial cactus and I'm all sniffly. It doesn't help that this was a really busy weekend for me and I've had to spend some time trying to find people to do my jobs for me at church. And I don't feel like trying to phone round. It was a real effort. Also, there was a music in worship seminar tonight that I really, really wanted to go to and I am home alone with only my hankies for company,

The Light Sussex have not started crowing yet. This Wednesday coming, we will have had them for 9 weeks. So if they were 6 weeks old when I bought them, they will be 15 weeks now. If they were 8 weeks old, then they will be 17 weeks old, etc. If they haven't started crowing, does that mean that I might have bought females after all...? If they are, then they are heading for point of lay. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high.

What a wonderful week we had in Cornwall! The weather was pretty good considering the kind of summer we have had. We got to see three branches of the family and a friend who has moved down that way to live. And the farm was great. I obviously didn't know exactly what we were going to but it was just right for us. We stayed in a small flat with one bedroom, a living/dining/kitchen room and a shower room. It was quiet and because it was around the back ofthe farmhouse, we were not overlooked nor did anybody else come around there. And the field came right up to the edge of the house so we looked out over a few fields over Bodmin Moor. Wonderful! And there were horses, sheep and cattle in the field and goats and pigs nearby. And two turkeys, four geese, about six kinds of ducks and hundreds of chickens. The lady bred hens so she kept a few of umpteen different types. I could not even name most of them. There were dos, cats and rabbits too.

Each morning we had a select group of Muscovy ducks and hens with an atttendant cockerel who gathered outside our door to wait to see if there was any extra breakfast going. Two of the horses would often come to the fence to greet us and be rewarded with a handful of grass and clover which grew along the fence. I was always amazed at how many cockerels there were around but yet I never saw any fighting going on.

We has a wonderful time and we even stayed an extra day. The lady got in touch and said that the previous people had to leave a day early and would we like to stay for an extra day at no charge since it was already paid for? Would we....? Well, my husband was in the middle of a bit of work in the bathroom but as soon as he could leave it, we just threw a few things in the car and went. We forgot all sorts of essentials and had to go to a Tesco not far away and buy a few things the next morning. However, we happily hit it just right and came out with several meals' worth of bargains so we were well pleased. And that Tesco took manufacturers' coupons which I still had in my bag. So that worked out well too. The only downside to the week was the lane up to the farm which was better suited to a four wheel drive than to our car. Half a mile in first gear takes quite a few minutes of bonerattling. And we only went in and out once each day anyway so it did not matter too much for a week.

The animals were fine while we were away and didn't play my friend at all this time although the hens did not lay many eggs. The Light Sussex have grown but nobody has heard any crowing yet - thank goodness. I have worked out when the Likely Weekend will be to do the deed and that is the one when we have to both be in work on the Satuday and have church and a party on the Sunday. So I hope my calculations are wrong and it can happen the following week. We'll see!