They are forecasting snow in Dordogneshire on Saturday- we're well South and won't get any. It's 12C air temperature here and much warmer in the sun. 'T' shirt weather it is, but has to be covered with a quilted shirt! Seen on the news, in-between the Brexit farce, there are going to be restrictions...

We've been going through old photos as well (bad weather job), trying to put subjects together with a view to deleting some repeats. We also have some videos, mainly of our chickens, because I used to get homesick in England and it was nice to be reminded where I would be in a week or so. Have also ...

Soft fruit doesn't like tap water Marigold- the Chlorine kills the taste in the fruit. Best to do as us, fill the water butt and leave it 4 days for the Chlorine to come out before using it. in practice this means two water butts that can be connected to your watering system. Here the ground holds m...

And 'Bonnes fêtes' ou 'Bonne Noel et Joyeux Nouvelle Année' to all as well (sorry if the French is bad). Charity stuff doesn't really happen much here, although we have seen a new Catholic charity shop in town- so maybe things are changing? Never seen anyone with a collection box either. As we are o...

Rats eat mice Marigold and the mice know it, so if you have mice there are no predator rats. On the other had if you have food sources and no mice you will have rats. We had mouse traps in the loft in England and it came as a surprise to find several mice caught had been eaten- that's when the big t...

We had a week here with no mice either Rick- must have been too cold. But they have started moving again with one or two each morning. Guess we'll never get completely rid of them? It occurred to me that if they can't get food from you they will move to your neighbours. That might cause some upset, ...

Bit worrying that Rick. Not only could a chicken get its foot stuck, but perhaps the whole floor is undermined with tunnels and is becoming unstable? The short-tailed field voles here can dig at an alarming rate- perhaps a metre per night, beaten only by our mole (which so far has avoided the traps)...

Can you use a piece of angled aluminium to close the gap Rick? You can buy that at all the DIY stores here and I think I saw it last visit in B&Q, but I know in England it was always far cheaper bought from a trade metal supplier. We've had a final rush of house mice trying to set up for Winter in o...

Could just be the time of year, or he is moulting, Chickenfan. Our straight combed cockerels all lost their shape in Winter and returned to normal in Spring. I suggest applying some vaseline to the comb and wattles- this will reduce heat lost as chicken's skin is porous and water is lost by evaporat...

I doubt it has anything to do with watering cans, but another meaning of 'rose' is 'Protuberance round base of animal's horn or some birds' eye' (Oxford dictionary 1952). That is the same sort of shaped growth. There is also a 'walnut' comb, which is similar to the rose but smooth- no idea what bree...