Blossom photo just like...

...buses! You blip one and the next day another comes along! 
Today I was down back to the village hall to help out with a Spring re-launch of the Calstock Outreach Group for refugees. The only time I had to take photos was as I arrived and left so the blossom tree it is again!
The day started with a flurry of Facebook messages and texts to arrange the pick up of my chest of drawers! Vegan Jo's husband was free, but could not get hold of the chest owner, so told him to get on with his day, then she came on line to say fine, so messaged him again! I then went and cleared the hallway, stairs and existing wooden chest! No response from him so messaged her to say looked like a no go. Then he rang my doorbell! Finally we were all go and with a lot of huffing and puffing we got the chest down her stairs, in and out his car and up my stairs! 
So, back to the original plan of the day - helping out in the hall! Grabbed gymnastic ribbons and dressing up hats and Angels wings and went down! For the next 3 hours I made and served cake, tea and coffee! So many cakes donated - many vegan, some decorated with spring flowers, all delicious! I wasn't on the kitchen rota and I have no idea who was, but for the most part it was just me! Then others would drop in saying "lets get this on track" because someone wanted tea or coffee and none was ready - because I had washed the pots and was waiting to make fresh - Grrrrrrr! It was all a  good laugh apart from that but hard work - with the collection of cups, washing up, cutting cake in between serving! There was french sticks and hummus later and I sliced bread like a demon and put out bowls of olives and moved the mountains of cake to put them out. Once back in the kitchen I looked out and all the other calstock helpers were there tucking in!  I finally realised it was time to go when I could have swung for a rude old lady! A calstock resident she had just brought a cake and was dismayed to see it still on the kitchen side. I explained the man dealing with it had just been called away for a photo but she wasn't listening and grabbed it and took it round herself, saying it had been a lot of trouble to make. She then yelled through the hatch to me for plates!!! I wanted to say I was a volunteer and was not being paid to serve and if she wanted plates come and get them! But I  smiled sweetly (?) and found some for her. I'm not sure why we tend to make allowances for the elderly who are downright rude - I bet they always were and it's not their age that should excuse them!  Anyway  I packed up my hats and left after this before i was rude to someone! ! Other helpers found some of the locals / English visitors to the village  rude as well!  The refugees were very polite even if their command of the English language made some of their statements bizarre! But I couldn't even say hello in their language! 
Colourful Mai had seen the sunday coop opener who had mentioned Nyla was looking poorly - I had clocked her friday looking a little off and had hoped it was a temporary upset as nothing specific on checking her over, so wasn't surprised. To my horror when I went up she had collapsed by the coop hatch and was swollen and breathing in a bubbly fashion. I popped her in the trug, did the chores, put the others to bed and took her home. I syringed water into her mouth then put her to sleep  in the trug in my bathroom next to the heated  towel rail . With any luck she will die peacefully in her sleep. Every year it seems to be the same story, after getting through the winter and with the arrival of Spring we seem to loose 2 or 3. Never the same reason and never the ones you think it might be. I wonder if a cooperative is the best way to keep chickens - maybe the variety in care, treats, cleaning and opening is too stressful / inadequate? Maybe it's just what happens. I hate seeing anything, anyone suffering although the next rude person better beware!