It all began two weeks before lockdown (The first one! You know, the sombrero squashing one). As a family we decided after a recent move to our farmhouse, we would get some chickens, so we could have a daily supply of fresh eggs. Something we had been wanting to do for years. We did a decent amount of research and decided we were competent enough to look after some sweet little raptors. So after scrolling through multiple websites recommending this or that coop, we settled on the -not so cheep- Eglu Coop. Easy to clean, easy to move and super safe for the Ladies. Also it looks really good!
The coop was delivered on the 21st of March, and we picked up our eight point of lay chickens the following day. The day after that we were all in lockdown.
The first week of lockdown was actually quite a welcome break! We had glorious weather, and the chickens turned out to be a nice distraction from all that was going on outside our little household. There were no eggs yet, but still the kids loved them and enjoyed the challenge to see if any of them would let them stroke them, or pick them up. By week five we were getting a little worried as we still had no eggs. We were beginning to think we had been sold faulty chickens. Can chickens be faulty? Can you return a faulty chicken? Who knows, I didn't ask, because just as I was planning to email the lovely lady who sold them to us, they started laying, and OMG they didn't stop. Regularly producing eight eggs a day, before we knew it we had over 100 eggs even though we were eating them and giving much away. However now that we are in winter I know to not give too many away in the Autumn. They really do produce a lot less on those cold short winter days.
So the chickens had settled into lockdown life well, and don't get me started on how settled into lockdown life the dog had become! The kids were enjoying home schooling, as were we. For the first few weeks it was fine, but when lockdown didn't end, we realised that our business was at serious risk, and a few weeks later -our industry decimated- we had to accept that our business would never be the same again. I won't pretend that we didn't both spiral into the depths of despair, because we did! I won't pretend we didn't obsess daily over what new Covid news was out, in the desperate hopes that things would return to normal soon, that the sombrero resembled steamrolled roadkill and that everyone could hug their granny again, because we did! We knew quite early on we would need to stop watching the daily press conference, because each one resulted in our hearts plummeting into our stylish, yet affordable boots.
I ask myself a year on "how have I managed to get through the last year". Truthfully, i'm not at all sure I have! It may be that I am actually insane, languishing in a padded cell somewhere, fantasising about writing in my blog. However, assuming that that's not the case, I will say that it's not a small amount of crazy that has got me through this. Being a little bonkers is very helpful sometimes. My closest friend is always just a message away, and she is equally, if not more bonkers than I am! Everyone needs a bonkers friend! She's the one who says something so off the wall you couldn't possibly return to your original miserable headspace! Never in my life has laughing been such good therapy!
Another very special friend, introduced us to Geocaching last year, which I will tell you all about in one of our upcoming review post!
So my mantra is....
Eat Crisps
Laugh lots
Stay Sane
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