So remember those cute little chicks, born in May? Well look at them now. They’re a bit like surly teenagers, which I suppose they are really. We still have no idea what sex they are so we’ve not named them yet.
Meanwhile in the hen house, our little Janet has two tiny chicks of her own. I must say, since we introduced new cockerels, Jedward, there has been a lot of activity.
It’s amazing how much glamour and excitement a helicopter can bring into one’s life even on a wild and windy day. Irish Lights have been using our field to land their helicopter, collect and deliver building materials over to Achillbeg Island were they’re improving access to the lighthouse.
When we lived in London the sound of a helicopter sometimes kept us awake at night. We knew it would be a police helicopter chasing some criminals or other and so it became quite a menacing noise. Now it’s the sound of excitement. I love to see it swoop over our roof and watch it hover as the next load is attached to the hook before it sweeps out over Clew Bay to the Island and back again. Then after all the excitement, I get to make tea for the pilot and flirt a little 
What do they say about counting chickens? Well it had to happen I suppose. The little runt chick died yesterday. Still 6 chicks out of 7 eggs is not bad going. Fingers (and claws) crossed for the rest.
For once, ‘bad mother’ Calypso is looking after her chicks properly! Regular readers will be aware that in previous years she has abandoned her chicks and on some occasions, pecked them and thrown them out of the nest. This has meant that in the past, we’ve had to try and raise the chicks ourselves in a cardboard box in the kitchen. This always causes problems and definitely reduces the chances of survival for the little cuties, especially when it comes to the time we have to re-introduce the chicks to the flock.
This year however, she has behaved beautifully. She has 7 chicks. On the day that she left her nest, she left one chick for dead but it recovered after Al discovered it in time and I kept it nestled in my bra for a couple of hours (yes, really). She accepted the chick back and has been looking after them like a proud mother. In the last few days she has brought them out into the run for the first time and has been demonstrating scratching techniques and other hen-like behaviour. It’s been a joy to watch.
We haven’t even thought about naming the new chicks yet as we have no idea what sex they are… In the past, my eagerness to name them has resulted in hen’s called Mick and Dave and a cockerel named La Toya! Naming suggestions are welcome.
Here she is leading them into the hen house. The one in the love heart is my special favourite.
The view of Croagh Patrick across Clew Bay from The Mulranny Park Hotel
I’ve been painting quite a lot recently. I’ve put 3 new paintings in my online portfolio. There’s the one above, one of Trudi and one of the view from the shore in front of our house. Mounted prints of the picture above will go on sale at the Mulranny Park Hotel in the next few weeks. The original painting is quite large. Full sized digital prints on canvas (Edit: I originally typed ‘giclée prints’ here. It’s the same thing but giclée sounds too pretentious) will also be available for sale there. I’m quite excited about the whole thing.
I’ve added a new picture to my online portfolio. The picture was painted as a gift to our friends Harry and Kate who we stayed with in France, earlier this year. The items in the picture are all things that have meaning in their house.
By the way, you can read about my professional experience there and download my CV. If you have any work I could do for you, illustration or publishing consultancy, please let me know. I’m a joy to work with!
*It’s the name of a Pat Metheny album! and the only title that came to me.
I do still have things to say about RTÉ.ie and alcohol advertising. I just don’t know where to start! I was happy to get a response but I’m left feeling quite deflated and annoyed by it. Will have a go soon.
Meanwhile, we’re trying to get the house as watertight as possible for the winter. The days are really starting to shorten now. The chickens are doing well. Of this year’s chicks, it’s clear now that Bruno is definitely a boy and that Janet probably is also. Hopefully Latoya and Tito are girls. It’s early days for Tito still.
We have huge changes to the site coming soon. List item numbering will be ‘rolled out’ (as Al would say) across the site soon. Numbering will mean that items can be inserted into a particular place in a list. You’ll also be able to make list items (or just selected text), bold or italic or ‘tada’…. a link!
The picture above was taken on one of our last summery days (Note: Trudi’s head).
l-r Trudi, Janet, La Toya and Tito
We’ve been leaving the hens in the run recently as little Tito is too small to be roaming free outside even with his mother. There was sunshine today and who knows when we’ll have some more? The weather was nice enough for me to sit out on scarecrow duty so I opened up the run. Tito has now had his first trip out. He didn’t venture very far, but it’s a start. As you can see; Janet and La Toya are growing up fast and Trudi is still fascinated. I still don’t have a clue what sex any of these birds are!
Beaky at his best
Poor Beaky, he of the golden feathers, has been in a bad way recently. He had a badly damaged leg following a fight with Verne. Al was brave enough to do the decent thing and put him out of his misery and no, we haven’t eaten him. He’s buried next to Marylin.
Marilyn on the day she arrived here 31/03/07
Marilyn was found dead this morning. She was by far our prettiest hen and a real lady. We don’t know how old she was, there was no sign of foul (fowl) play, so we imagine it was just old age that got her.