Blow Up

Today was the day the last straw broke my back re the chicken coop - and it was literally over straw!The broody hens are breaking eggs daily so I had asked members to clean the nesting area daily. For the last 2 weeks the only person doing so has been me. Every time I cleaned the nesting area the same dried grass from my plot on the same cardboard I had put in the last time I cleaned. I was furious,  and let the members know in an email to all! So as well as stating the above re straw I sent the following! 


This morning I took up 2 charged batteries, a bag of mash, cleaned the plot of stalks from veg they have been fed, cleaned the bin, the coop, filled up the bag with straw, sorted the rat bait, emptied the poo bin. I would have cleaned the water bowls but had had enough, as this is something that doesn't seem to be done often either - a fine sludge lining each one. I would have liked to have done something on my own plot not spent the whole time doing stuff no one else seems to bother about.
I have intended to dig out the rat nest but noone responded to my request to clear the nettles. If you are not bothered by the rats then fair enough - I'll leave it.
I have also periodically been clearing the long grass around the fence - I have asked previously for you to do a little each time you go up but I have not noticed it being kept down. 
Basically do the basic chores or I will give you more - for if this continues I will no longer be responsible for charging the batteries, changing them over, getting the food, doing the accounts. I have done them as I was quite happy to and as not working have the time. But if you can't be bothered to do even the basic chores Ido not feel like continuing to do extra.

I think I made my feelings clear don't you?!


Having sent this it was off for Oscars playdate then home to let in the window cleaner. Oh my did he ever do a good job on my conservatory inside and out! I gave him biscuits and coffee and we chatted about everything. The Exile came down with Ginger for a cup of tea and we looked at the old postcards of calstock I'd bought on ebay which led to the discovery the window cleaner used to be a photographer, weddings etc! After 10 years he gave up as someone had advised him that the day he woke up and thought "Not another wedding" was the time he should stop! He now has his own window cleaning business and only works for people with a good sense of humour! 
Once the cleaning was done he helped me rearrange things - this Plumbago was moved as it was blocking the door! I do love changing rooms around - feels like a new room!
When I  checked my messages I found lots of apologetic ones from the coop members! One cited her summer insomnia as a reason for not being as effective on the coop chores - I mean seriously?!! The other asked if I was all right and was there something else going on with me?! Well I have a bad knee and a nasty IBS flare up but as you know my frustration with the coop goes back years! She asked what we could do to change coop matters and I said I had done what I felt was necessary and if this didn't work then not only would I cease doing extras I would leave the coop - taking the Eglu that houses the coop and the 2 Orpingtons with me!!! I have enough room on my allotment and as the coop comes with an enclosed run I wouldn't need to go up to put them to bed - at least not during the summer! Lets see what happens!

Oh and the electrician called today! He had a look under the sink and said he would order the water heater! I can't believe he didn't already have it as he knew way before lockdown about it! Plus my Builder didn't come as planned this week as he is digging his land to replace a septic tank which has broken. Thats fair enough but after living with a half finished kitchen since lockdown, and thinking it was going to get going again this week, I felt frustrated!  
This is of course insignifcant against the current time. I think the whole pandemic and it's mismanagement by our inept PM and his cronies, is finally getting to me. On an optimistic note  I hope the Black Lives Matter movement does indeed see the beginning of real change, not just facebook hashtags and the removal of statues. Can you sense my cynicism? When men like Boris and Trump are in positions of power, when a virus is ravaging the world and lo, these two countries have the highest death rates, when still people go to beaches and leave mounds of waste,  I have to ask just what does it take to change peoples behaviour?