I heart counted cross stitch!

I must point out right from the start that I don’t actually DO any kind of cross stitch, I don’t even have much interest in starting (although that could easily change), I just seem to buy a lot of completed ones.

Whenever I see one in a charity shop or at a car boot sale I really have to stop myself from just buying it - I’ve started forcing myself to be critical and only buy the ones I really like because frankly I don’t have the wall space. I don’t know what it is about them, but I have a sneaking feeling it’s because they remind me of the games we played on our ZX Spectrum and Amiga 500 in the 80’s and 90’s. Especially the smaller ones.

The Perils of Rosella anyone? No? Really? Well I’ll show you:

You see? I think I must miss four pixels to the inch.

This is my most recent purchase and it’s a big one although it only cost £7. The subject appears to be The Spanish Village of Insane Perspective.

I’ve cropped in so you can just see the giant random black animal behind the teensy tiny blue and white lady under the arch. Also some of the crazy roofs. It’s amazing, I love it!

These two are modern but I couldn’t resist the Monarch of the Glen! I bought them both for £5 and they just need blocking and framing.

Finally, I found this lovely fire screen last week. It was marked down from £8 to £5 and I nearly bit her hand off for it. It makes more sense in real life, but it’s a picture of sailboats in a harbour.

Anyway, I think I’m probably a bit obsessed, but

I counted cross stitch!

Beccy xx

Where’s all the snow?

This is a photo I took this time last year – clearly we didn’t have blizzards but at least we had some snow.

So far this year? Nothing - not a single flake. And I got a shiny red sledge for Christmas too!

We have taken to driving up into the hills to try and find some to at least crunch around in. This photo was taken this morning in Hebden Bridge and we have to drive over some pretty high hills to get there. It was raining and grey all the way, much like the weather we’ve been having for ages. Hebden Bridge always looks lovely though no matter how gloomy the weather gets. I just wish it would snow!

Beccy

Building the hen run…

I’ve been trying to think of an Alcatraz/Colditz based hen pun but my tired brain can’t come up with one.

The thing is for a while now a couple of the hens have been regularly escaping. It was pretty easy for them because we’ve always had a Heath Robinson approach to run building and hens are really quite clever.

But this one is different. It’s taken quite a few weekends to plan and build the new run even though it’s a pretty basic frame because it’s an impenetrable fortress using fence posts, 2”x1” treated wood and chicken wire.

We’ve always had a lot of trouble with mud before (and hen churned mud can get really quite smelly) so after a bit of research I decided to put down a layer of weed-supressing membrane…

…and then a thick layer of bark chippings. The membrane allows water through but stops the hens churning the ground and the chippings sinking without a trace. It’s hard to tell from the picture above but the chicken wire extends across the floor of the run for half a foot and the membrane was laid over the top and pinned with lots of tent pegs.

We put boards around the edge of the run to stop the chippings from being kicked out by the hens and I had some big branches from when I cut the hedge which made perfect perches.

We kept the old gate, I just extended it upwards and added chicken wire. With any luck the hens won’t escape anymore although I did notice them walking along the fence tapping every few inches which reminded me of Jurassic Park.

So maybe they won’t escape, or maybe it’s just eggstremely (*sigh*) unlikely. I’ll keep you posted!

Beccy