Monday 3 November 2008

Nick, chicks and rally madness



It dawned on me yesterday that, although my blog is called 'Life in the Preseli Hills', I have written about everywhere but the Preseli Hills recently.

But the hills are still here and I suppose I avoid writing about life in them because, at times, it seems so mundane. Anyway this weekend there have a been a few happenings of interest, not least the subjects of the above picture.

They are (to me) Nick and his chicks or (to Hannah and Rosie) Troy, Gabriella and Sharpay. They were on Freecycle and we had an empty chicken pen, so ours they have become. We collected them from a farm in St Nicholas on Saturday afternoon and this morning were rewarded with our first cockadoodledoos.

You see, we had a theory about a 'free to a good home' cockerel. We bet that he would have the loudest voice in the world and that we would be startled out of our beds at the crack of doom by his blood curdling yell. Luckily, this is not the case. He's a sweetie. He thinks he's a big bad cockerel boy, cookadoodlin' like a good 'un. In fact he's more of a toot tooter. Perhaps his voice will break and then he'll have the last laugh.

Other excitement was when our little lane became the stage of a car rally. This lane is my school run and is chock-a-block with steep twisty hairpin bends and 90 degree corners. You can see why the rally boys wanted to whizz along it at 3 am. Yes, it was a night stage. I woke up in the early hours of Sunday dreaming of motorbikes, but I could still hear them. The rally cars! I shook Brian who said " off" and "duck" or something, so I pulled on a woolly pully or three and headed out into the sparkling night.

The stars were out, it was crisp and clear. It was completely bonkers. Lots of little cars with their drivers and torch clutching co-pilots zooming past the end of our drive. Overhead I saw two shooting stars. It was magical and bizarrely funny.

This morning on the school run I saw the scars of the rally; rubber everywhere, skid marks and dinks in the hedge banks and, in one particularly bendy bit, the perfect impression of the front of a rally car in the bank. I can just see it now: "Left bend, right bend another left, I said LEFT!"

"BANG!"

Other bits of Preseli life include a new pony, more of which in future blogs, I'm taking part in NaNoWriMo again, we've nearly finished the kitchen, and the washing machine has been fixed and is now 'boring' rather than 'shock and awe'. Right now, the kids are back at school after half term and I'm off for a three and a half mile run in the sunshine.

13 comments:

  1. Love the chicks but I'll leave the rallying well alone, though we get the occasional teenager who thinks our lane is a race track.

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  2. I love the chicken.
    We get the rally drivers too, I know what you mean. I prefer them coming at night..... much safer to be in bed than on the road when they are around!

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  3. Not so quiet in those hills, after all. I am glad that you did get all layered up and outdoors, and got to see the shooting stars! I cannot remember the last time that I saw any. With all the city electric lighting, I don't think we would see them even if they were passing above our heads.

    Glad that you are again going for the novel. I very much enjoy your writing!

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  4. Hilarious as usual. Don't you love Freecycle? And the rally sounds a hoot - I adore the thought of a car imprinting itself in your verges (ooer, that sounds rather rude (said a la Kenneth Williams or, dare I say it, Russell Brand)). Hope you enjoyed the run!

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  5. You are a madwoman but I take my hat off to you both for the cockerel and the nano.....
    Rally? Eeek. Apparently we had a major cycle rally whizz past our door yesterday but I somehow managed to miss it.

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  6. Rally or no rally night skies where light pollution doesn't reach are fantastic. I always feel very small and vulnerable when I look up into the foreverness of a clear starry sky.

    I think seeing your cockerel has answered my own poultry query - What I thought was a hen must be a cockerel after all. I was hoping it was just a well developed hen. My George and Preseli Troy could be twins.

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  7. Gosh you seem to pack lots in. Lucky you seeing shooting stars.

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  8. Love the chickens. I am plotting to acquire some more, just another half dozen or so, you'll hardly notice.
    I would be a bit spooked by the rallying. I like my lane quiet but the hill is so steep it doesn't really lend itself. However once a month we do have motocross on the other side of the main road and the noise certainly carries!

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  9. You weren't dreaming the rally cars, were you?!
    Good luck with poultry and Nanowrimo (good for you!) - now about that three and a half mile run... just add another 10, that's all! C'mon, you know you want to!

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  10. Takes me back to rainy cold shivery trips to Welsh forests to watch the very much lamented Colin McRae and sexy ole Carlos Sainz belt around spraying stones and mud at every turn. I loved it - even sleeping in the car, teeth chattering.
    Nanowrimo again? You are brave. I'm getting all the emails from my local group but ignoring them steadfastly.

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  11. I wonder if the rally drivers come back and tidy up after them.

    Good luck for the novel writing, you will be great at it.

    CJ xx

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  12. Now how is it I never get anything on Freecycle? Whenever I try the item is already gone by hours and believe me I check regularly!!!! Your new chooks are lovely Mags and glad they will not disturb your peace too much xx

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  13. Hi Maga lovely chicks!!!Haven't been on the blog world for months,will catch up with your lovely blog later.My mum had the pleasures of the revving of engines and smell of burning rubber the other night too!!!Will e mail you as I need some advice about schools etc by you.Hope you are all ok,beckyx

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