Holes

Was woken at 3:20 am by the loudest thunderclap ever. Power knocked off. When I got up at 7:30, the phone and garden gate electrics were dead - yet again. Have to come to some solution even though it's insured, it's a real pain. The phone was plugged into a surge protector but that didn't help.

Off to Memmingen early for an MRI or MRT of my innards. I have no fear whatsoever of the process so couldn't work out why my innards had shut down yesterday. This morning the pains in my back suggested it was probably more kidney stones. MRI was not of the kidneys so although I did try to hint it would be useful if they could have a look around, I suspect they didn't. The personnel operating the machine can't any way give out any medical information. The worst part was having to drink over a litre of contrast agents but even that was OK.

Afterwards tried doing a bit of shopping in the local DIY but cut it short feeling rather weak, probably due to the very humid hot weather and not having eaten for 24 hours and only having had the contrast agent to drink in the previous 12 hours.

Back home collapsed on the sofa but just managed to programme the new router. Luckily in the course of the late afternoon and early evening, things had returned to normal and the innards were working again.

Angie had disappeared for her Monday fitness group and I took a look around the birds, (chickens) and bees. Yesterday a wild bird chick fell out of its nest landing just a foot away from me. I got a ladder and placed it back in the nest. Today Angie found 3 chicks from the nest on the ground and has reckoned to have found a different nest which the mother has taken over.

Just as she takes care of the wild birds, so the brooding hens and chicks get special attention. They have been rehoused and protective runs built all over the place. With the extreme heat and sun, the housing has to be covered and looks like something out of Lawrence of Arabia.

In the Blip, the newly acquired house for the moment placed directly on the ground and housing one brooding hen who at long last produced one chick today. Flash is always fascinated by newly born chicks and is excellent at herding them if they happen to get out.

The other brooding hen is in a separate house and the chicks which were born over the last few weeks have now been abandoned by their adopted mother but seem to be getting on well. At night they come into the two storey house in the extra photo from their very large wired off run. Inside there is a small ladder which they use to go to the upstairs bedroom and in the mornings before we let them out they can scratch around downstairs in the grass and have breakfast.