Blame

I'm not sure who or what to blame for yesterday - I had a fall! It was a blowy day and the fall occured during the afternoon walk. I was feeling tired as I'd been up in the night three times with Oscar due to him having a runny tummy the result of a bone he'd munched. I gave him the bone so I guess I was to blame? Good on Oscar for pawing at me to let him outside! Oscar loves to chase and pounce on any moving item, a ball, a stick,  a brush as I sweep the floor, even the end of a hoover as I move it across the floor, and of course anything blown by the wind. It was this that caused the fall as he spotted a leaf blowing along the ground and ran after it. Unfortunatly I was not prepared for this as it was behind me and Oscar simply pulled me off my feet and I fell backwards and sideways! Tore my trouser and grazed my knee! He came snuffling around me as I lay on the floor and then sat up gingerly assessing the damage to myself! I think oscar thought it was some new kind of game! So do I blame the leaf, the wind, Oscar, my lack of attention or Oscar once more for making me tired and less attentive or myself once more as I gave him the bone that made him have an upset tummy and therfore me tired?!!
Sunday I had to be on the plot at 8.30 as I'd convened all coop members to meet and move the hens fence as the grass was growing up it and draining the battery. I was not feeling my best as Oscar had woken me again in the night and my knee and body hurt from yesterdays fall. I walked Oscar in the woods and he decided to go AWOL in the same spot he had done so a few weeks ago. Thank heavens the whistle and the reward of a bit of smoked sauasage brought him back, but I had to climb up the bank to guide him down as although he is excellent at jumping a fence in pursuit of something he is nonplussed as to how to get back over it! Thank heavens the fence ends further down so I just had to walk him and me through a patch of nettles!  My tummy was  a bit squirly by the time we got home so I was even further delayed getting to the plot and was not in the best of state physically or mentally! If I'd  realised just what a tough job moving the fence would be I would have cried off and stayed home!
The bottom of the fence was actually buried in the ground by moss and grass roots. What made it even worse was that as we have a double fence ion some parts tussocks of grass had grown either side of the fence and they were a nightmare to dig out! Also the brambles I had cut back from the plot and laid along the outside of the fence to deter potential predators were hidden in the grass and just waiting to take their final vengeance on kness and hands! 
The good news was that the new friday close member and her son joined us for  the hen induction and stayed to help! She lives opposite the allotment and they loved looking after the school hens so were delighted to join the coop, the school hens having died. The son stayed inside the coop and played with the hens and stopped them trying to escape as the fence was lifted!  I also fell in love with a mattock! The sole male coop member had brought it up to tackle the brambles and so I had a go with it on the grass tussocks. Oh what an efficient and easy to use tool! I am so going to buy one! 
One by one the members left due to family commitments and it was just Colourful Mai and myself doing the final pegging down. She then went to her plot to plant some sweetcorn and I said goodbye to her and was heading off when I decided to do do a final sweep of the fence to make sure all was secure. Well of course it wasn't! One secton had not been pegged down! I spent another 45 minutes securing it and when I looked up Colourful Mai had left! So after 3 hours of hard labour I headed home, leaving the hens happily foraging in the long grass they now had access to inside the plot! Although I felt exhausted I was also very chuffed that I had managed 3 hours of hard labour and being in the company of other people! I took it easy for the rest of the day, apart from another 2 walks with Oscar!!
Oh - spot the big black crows in this dead tree!