On Wednesday I had an appointment with my chiropracter, who does an amazing foot and leg massage. This (along with some other stuff) has really been helping with the issues in my lower leg, and my leg is smaller now than it has been for years.
I also had to go and get some chicken feed, and go and muck out the allotment chickens. I planned my time carefully, allowing a few minutes contingency.
It went wrong immediately.
I got up to leave the house and I could hear the chickens squawking, but not from the usual place. As I walked across the kitchen, I saw Shelby had her face ressed against the front cat flap. I realised that there was a chicken... no, more than one chicken..... out on the driveway.
Next door has a young terrier pup, Mason..... I ran out the front. 3 of the youngsers were running around the driveway, shrieking. I tried to catch them, but they were too full of panic to let themselves be caught. They also refused to be herded through the cat-sized hole in the fenvce whence they had come.
It took ages to get them back in. Then, I had to herd all of them into the run. I had been planning to leave them out (a risk, I know), but that was now impossible. The 3 girls would show the other 2, and the 5 old girls would also want to get in on the act. I had to spend more time getting them all shut in their run, and filling up hanging feeders to occupy them, before I was able to leave.
Mason trotted into the drive to say hello, just as I was leaving.
A narrow escape for the girls.
