Caligula's replacement.

We had a rather nasty visit about a month ago. We lost beautiful Caligula the Scot's Grey cockerel who has repopulated the Highlands & low lands - or so it would seem. We lost Dame Edna our magnificent huge Lavender Orpington & two of his three degrees - Black Orpingtons. We also lost two Scot's Grey hens & three young Orpingtons - one of each colour - Buff, Black & a Lavender.
Pyscho the smallest & fierciest Scot's Grey hen in the whole world suffered horrendous injuries, but she's survived ( which is incredible) & is still pecking all the other chickens into line & back to chasing fat cat up trees.

Hamish is a much smaller cockerel than Caligula but having been raised from an egg is posibly less of a thug!

The big girls new wee pal.

The Sky Is Alight Tonight.

I never wanted an oblong house.

Starting to make sense!

Well - I think it looks great.

The View From The Upstairs Lounge

And how we look from the road.

Well we can always say that we were waiting for the trees to grow - that's why we have taken so long.

I don't want to impose the house on the wonderful landscape - I want it to nestle, to sit well. I have an aversion to, what I call 'sore thumb' architecture - that is why it steps down the hill.

More Windas - Bbig 'Uns out front.

You may be able to see the view reflected in the windas.
I nearly had a nasty stepping along the board that over hangs, to over stretch, but kinda woke up.

Windas are getting put in.

Even got some windas in - notice I've painted them - 3 coats too.

They're hardwood - none of your plastic - thank you.

We know where the bits go - honsetly!

Getting a hand.

Roof

The Roof is a fancy, complicated affair as the house steps down the hill so will be bananna shaped in a way to catch the view.
We've made some progress recently, getting some windows in etc.

Sun smacking the hill

Purlins & rafters.

Well are we fed up of the Winter.

We seem to be back to gales & hail showers, wind that takes the face off you & grumpy cats & grumpy two legs too.

The only thing that takes me outside apart from animals is a bit of arson - even though it's only setting fire to junk mail it warms the cockle does a bit of fire raising.

Goat Kids Of Little Loch Broom.

Down at the hotel car park we spied the goats & the little kid ambling along. On the other side of the road there was a kid bawling its head off - not long born. Its Mum had wandered away a little. The kids are appearing daily & started coming last week. Quite early but I have seen them as early as January 17th. They are amazing & quite capable of chasing up steep slopes within a very short while of being born. Nature is wonderful.

Too many cockerels.

I've too many cockerels. They are far too handsome & special to eat so I'm advertising them for sale.

I'm just back from the vets - luckily he comes out to Gairloch from Conon Bridge - so not too bad. Mrs Chuckles is not good. She appears to have an internal injury which is better than what I first thought was wrong with her - coccidiosis - which is a parasite that eats away the intestine - horrid, horrid thing that is in the ground & would probably go through the whole flock. I have had it in very young chicks, the Scot's Greys, and lost half of them even after treatment.
I think one of the cockerels is responsible for the injury. She's had an anti-biotic & anti-inflammotory injections & I'm just waiting to see how she goes on. Not a lot I can do. She's in her own house & apart from the blood loss she looks chippy. Vet thought she was very stressed - that can be the journey too. One of the biggest killers in birds - really. I hope she's okay as she is such a cutey.
I really need to address the cockerel issue though - so I'm hitting the local press with ads.