These chickens are sent to try us...

We had a break-in this morning. A fox went for the chickens and we almost lost one. And it was my fault. I forgot to shut the lid of the run. I heard a strange noise and shot out of bed just before 6 this morning. I was half asleep but I knew something was very wrong. I could hear the dogs growling, whining and pacing as well. I raced to the kitchen and let Pluto and Bess out and sure enough, there was a fox in the garden and the dogs went for him – Bess even tried to get over the fence after it. A chicken shot past me and I grabbed a torch and went out into the garden. My heart was racing and I was dreading finding a bloody carcass or a trail of feathers, but luckily the other two were still in the hen house looking traumatised and then I remembered that the third chicken had run past. I went alongside the house shining my torch and eventually I heard very soft, very frightened noises and there was Tabitha hiding under some tarpaulin. I picked her up very gently and put her back in the run and this time closed the lid. I wanted to cuddle her but thought it was better she was back with the other girls who I’m sure are far more effective at comforting one of their own than I ever will be...

That wasn’t the end of the story. The bastard fox tried again about half an hour later and again we all rushed out; the dogs to chase the fox, my partner and I to protect the girls. They were fine and so we all traipsed in and back to bed – muddy footprints (dog and human) all over the flat – and this time we got to stay there until the alarm went off to get up.

The chooks are very quiet this morning and may have been put off egg laying for a couple of days because of the shock. Pluto is a bit anxious, reacting to any little sound or movement. Bess however, is asleep. She tends to live in the now and the now is telling her there is absolutely no reason to be awake.

It looks like the couple who are selling the cottage want to sell some furniture including a gorgeous dining room table and chairs which we are very interested in. I’ve asked them to email me everything they want to leave (they are moving somewhere smaller) and how much. We’re very pleased about the table. It’s huge and rather grand. In the midst of information for estate agents, solicitors and our mortgage people I have taken refuge in the little things, and in my head I am planning where to put all our pictures. It’s like a safety valve – when you’re transferring huge amounts of money from one account to the next, having your financial history gone through with a fine tooth comb, trying to remember where you lived six years ago and faxing off this that and the other, it all becomes too much and so I have decided to allow a small part of me to mentally retreat and concentrate on the fluff; candles and pictures! We’re all working to an impossibly tight deadline at the moment because the couple want to move before Christmas. The good thing is so far everyone is responding magnificently and working very hard to get everything done. The bad thing is I don’t know what day it is and am constantly fretting that I’ve forgotten to do something...

Chickens and mortgages – I am a sucker for punishment!