Tuesday 28 February 2012

Z winds down

Jamie has been forking over the kitchen garden, getting it ready for the new season.  The ground is not as moist as you'd expect in February, if we don't get a lot of rain soon then it'll be a difficult growing season. I'll start things off early, with our light soil it'll be the only hope.

This evening, the Sage was having a meeting with someone in the drawing room, so I skulked in here, putting together notes for a letter I'm going to have to write later in the week, when I heard a squawking chicken.  Looking out of the window, I saw a young black labrador chasing her - rushed out shouting "DOG, DOG - RUSSELL, DOG CHASING CHICKEN!!(!)*"  By this time, the dog had caught her, but rightly realised that I was a greater threat than the chicken a temptation, dropped her and legged it across the field.  The Sage came out, I briefly explained and he chased the dog while I went to look for the chicken.

The Sage has had a word with the dog's owner.  I think it'll be kept on the lead when being walked on the road in future.  I couldn't find which chicken had been caught, they were all clustered together and promptly decided to go to roost, some in trees and some in the henhouse.  None was left, let's hope the poor girl was unscathed.  It can't have been more than five seconds and he didn't shake her and labs have soft mouths, he wasn't a vicious dog.  Very upsetting though.

Anyway, the Sage took some time to return so I went and chatted to the fellow he'd been talking to, and when he left I went to have a long and relaxing bath.  Face mask, intensive hair conditioner, I lay back and did nothing at all for quarter of an hour or so and then rinsed them off, got out and dried myself and slathered myself with body creams.  The Sage had better not try to hug me, I'll slip right out of his arms like a cork and hit the ceiling, I'm that slippery.

Tomorrow, I must buy more wine.  I've just opened the last bottle, a very nice Côtes du Rhône - I'm reminded again that the nicer the wine, the less I drink.  All I've got left, other than the good stuff, is a couple of glasses of sparkling something-or-other (not even champagne) in the fridge.  One was opened last night, I needed a pick-me-up.  Feeling a bit jaded?  Mm, yes.  I'm doing something about it though, I take great care of myself and have just lit a candle and am listening to the divine Elisabeth.  Actually, I'd intended to sit with the Sage, but he's on the phone and I don't intend to be wound up by listening to it.

Oh, by the way, Blogger is playing silly buggers, not only with the almost unreadable word verification but by changing the pop-up comment box, which now doesn't give an option to subscribe to comments.  Since they're the best bit, I've changed to embedded comments and the box is at the bottom of the post instead of in a separate box.  And the automatic spam detection is excellent, none of the spam that reaches my email notification ever gets published.  Honestly, if you just turn off wv you won't find a problem.


*if anyone ever wonders about this, JonnyB has rights over !!! and he's far too exalted a blogger (rarely as the dear boy blogs since his book deal, mind you) for me to stand up to.

11 comments:

Rog said...

Shouldn't you have shouted "FENTONNNN!!!"

Z said...

I lost my head, dear boy. Lucky the chook didn't, mind you.

Blue Witch said...

No comment box at all visible for me now, other than a 'reply' box.

Oh well.

Z said...

I clicked on Add comment, it vanished and reply came up, I clicked on that ... played silly buggers for a while, but it seems to be co-operating now. Sorry, hope they put it right.

luckyzmom said...

I don't like changes.

Hope the chicken is okay.

Blue Witch said...

The main 'new comment' box flashes up, then disappears instantly. I can only see reply. And the font within the boxes that appears as you type is tiny.

It's the same on all blogs using comments below posts like this: I noticed it first last week at AQ's.

Pop up comments are *so* much better.

Roses said...

I really hope your chook is okay. Not good, not good at all to have a dog creating havoc with the lovely ladies.

And yes, I agree, the nicer the wine, the less squaffed.

Lawrence prefers white wine and rose. We've compromised and drink the rose together, but I find that more like alcoholic ribena and knock it back accordingly. Happily, it doesn't lead to me feeling bleugh the next day. Which is just as well really.

Z said...

I agree, BW, but they changed the pop up comment box, I don't like the new one and you can't subscribe to comments, which is one of the best bits, I think (I know it isn't as far as you're concerned as your blog doesn't offer that option). There is another comment option, I'll look at that.

By the way, the comment box appeared as normal this morning and is behaving itself.

I don't either, LZM, not unexpected ones. I wouldn't mind if they gave an option. And the Sage says the chicken seems to be quite all right, some missing feathers but that's all. So lucky I was there and that the dog was more interested in playing than killing.

I'm the same, Roses, especially on a warm summer's evening. I drink a big glass of water before I go near the wine, so that I'm not actually thirsty! Likewise, a square or two of dark chocolate is plenty, but put me before a bar of milk chocolate, especially if nuts are involved, and I'm a very sorry Z after I've scoffed the lot.

Rog said...

Testing. Isn't it.

Rog said...

Yes.

Unknown said...

We buy wine from 'Laithwaites'. Super stuff! *Slurp*.