In winter I crave more daylight, staying outside until it’s too dark to see. So June should be a joyous month for me, but I feel an odd sense of overload. It’s still light at 10pm and the sun rises at 4.30am. My brain shuts down with the sun, so a touch of hyperactivity and insomnia has struck me, leaving me feeling permanently sleepy. The chickens are similarly affected, not wanting to roost until it gets dark and demanding to be let out when the sun strikes their hen house. The cats are at it too, leaping on our bed at 5am nudging for attention and breakfast. I’m perpetually knackered.

But the days, the glorious, glittering June days. The meadow shimmers in waves of golden buttercups underswept with a warm haze of purple clover. Look more closely and the yellows separate into the lemon yellow of yellow rattle, and the bright yellow birdsfoot trefoil. Patches of lighter blue reveal meadow cranesbill or vetch. And the most observant will spot deeper purple spots of meadow orchid. We are lucky to have it – and it is lucky to have us. It’s not ancient, so it’s not protected, but it is precious and treasured.

All six chicks are doing fine – no fatalities since hatching which we are quite chuffed about. Not sure yet how many hens/cockerels we’ve got. But watching their behaviour I’m going to say I think it’s 5 cockerels and 1 hen :-(

Pics to follow tomorrow – too late now to faff about uploading them…..

June 17, 2009  
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