Chook (and Doris)

W&N watercolour on DalerRowney 220gsm (135lb) Smooth heavy-weight sketching paper 

This is Chook, my other rooster (besides Artemis) and he’s a Silky x Bantam, and almost twice Artemis’s size. But he runs like the wind if Artemis should even just look in his direction! Out of my 8 hens, he’s got three that dare to defy Artemis and hang out with him – Doris, Babs and Ginger. They’re actually very brave, because besides incurring Artemis’s wrath, Chook is rather large and almost squashes them while “having his way with them”!

CHOOK AND DORIS PLANNING AN ESCAPE :

Chook: You know what the problem is? The fences aren’t just round the farm. They’re up here, in your head. There’s a better place out there, somewhere beyond that hill, and it has wide open places, and lots of trees… and grass. Can you imagine that? Cool, green grass. 

Doris: Who feeds us? 

Chook: We feed ourselves. 

Doris: Where’s the farm? 

Chook: There IS no farm! 

Doris: Then, where does the farmer live? 

Chook: There is no farmer, Doris. 

Doris: Is he on holiday? 

Chook: He isn’t anywhere! Don’t you get it? There’s no morning head count, no farmers, no dogs and coops and keys, and no Artemis and fences!

Doris: In all my life I’ve never heard such a fantastic… load of tripe!

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Surviving winter

We've had some extremely cold days a couple of weeks ago, but at least my garden hasn't suffered much (so far!) this winter, thanks to the fact that, over the years I have slowly but surely learnt which plants survive our harsh frosts and which don't - those that have been killed by winter I just have not replaced and I am very careful when I buy anything new - indigenous, hardy, preferably perennial and water-wise to boot. 

A bigger danger to the garden than winter, has been my chickens! The only plants I have left since getting those darlings are those that are too big to be scratched up or too unpalatable to be eaten! 

Three of the little darlings hanging around in the hope of getting a tit-bit… Micky (the black one) Megs (in front) and Doris behind her - Artemis the rooster is is at the back keeping a vigilant eye on his ladies.

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