We have inherited four beautiful chickens. Thank you to the kind donors. On their first day at Mr Noah’s, they were named: Goldie, Blondie, Small and Penny.
They prefer to spend the night on the top perch.
There is strong evidence to suggest that already they are very happy in their new home: they are laying one egg each every day. The longstanding resident is not so content and has moved out in disgust. She has retreated to the trees for the night. The situation calls for urgent reconciliation counselling, before a fox notices.
Update on 3rd March 2022
We have been asked how the chickens are doing and what has become of Rosie, the white chicken. All is well. The brown chickens continue to lay, to the delight of the children. The original white chicken is still around and settling to a distant, but accepting relationship with the newcomers.
In February 2021, we were closed for a week by snow that lay thick for seven days. This year, in the same month, named storms have been the issue. The snow looked lovely; wind just causes damage and work to be done. It is also potentially dangerous for children who would normally be on site.
A wind chime has been torn from the tree and left in pieces. The parachute had already been compromised by storms a year ago and arson last summer; now it is shredded. The canopy over the kitchen window is waiting to be put back when winds subside. The security camera must be repaired. The greenhouse needs restoration after nine large sheets of glazing were thrust from the frames. A water tank blew off its foundation and has been secured against further wind assault. And so the list goes on.
These and other casualties are small issues. What we cannot repair overnight is the damage to trees. The full extent is yet to be assessed. Happily, closure has been for but one day this time.
A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A select congregation attended the burial of Bella, the chicken. Bella had laid every day for nine months of the year, almost all her life. Tired out, she died two weeks after laying her last egg.
What had happened and what we were going to do was carefully explained to the children. They were asked if they wanted to participate.
The perfect white-feathered hen was placed in a cardboard coffin, a grave was dug, and then Bella was gently buried.
A new term has brought conditions very different from before Easter. The battle with freezing conditions and endless flooding has been exchanged for beautiful sunshine and parched, hard and cracking ground.
There remains evidence of a term when we kept warm by making fires. The highlight of the first couple of days back was when one little chap found a piece of charred wood and, without any prompt, used it to draw on a fresh piece of timber an image of himself. He had never done it before. What a discovery!
One pupil brought in tadpoles at the end of term. I wonder if there will be a noticeable difference when children return after the Easter break.
Change is all around at Tarly Pit. There are construction projects on the site, leaves on the trees and seeds that are growing. Every week makes a difference. What will it all look like after over two week’s absence?
Often the children have enjoyed the parables of the lost sheep, the lost silver and the lost son. This time the story was our very own.
We only became aware of the one-day saga when, on Monday morning, we discovered our two rabbits’ disappearance from their secure run. The chances of recovering them seemed poor. They would have been prey to any night predator.
Their absence was mysterious in that there was no obvious route of escape. We carefully examined the condition of their run and the floor beneath the straw. Then we realised that the guinea pig had gone from her separate hutch, as well. The bunnies had not ‘made a break for freedom’. It seemed that they had been taken. To add to the evidence, a cage used for transport was missing also.
The Sunday evening, the creatures had been fed at about 7 pm. The site had been locked and left for the night. By the morning, the animal food had hardly been touched. We concluded that a theft had been committed shortly after locking up. What we did not know at the time was that on Sunday evening, the animals had been found huddled together in the cage, and they had been taken home to keep them safe.
Once we had discovered the disappearance of our pets, Facebook posts were shared and seen by thousands. By the afternoon, information had been received through Facebook and telephone. Less than twenty-four hours after they had been taken, the rabbits and guinea pig were returned to us. Clearly, they were shaken but safely home again.
This modern-day miracle seemed too good to be true. The lost was found. Grief was turned to rejoicing, and tears to laughter. We were so grateful to everyone for support and encouragement, and to those who restored to us the creatures.
Annie Bunny after recovery.
The Easter bunny will take on new significance from this year onwards. Here is a present parable of resurrection: the lost, found, and that mourned as dead, alive again.
For a week, no car travelled the track; no child’s cry of despair or delight was heard. Everything lay in silence broken only by the sound of the birds singing and rabbits scuffling on the white carpet.
In over 25 years in Iden Green, there was only one day of closure. This year we have lost a week due to hazardous road conditions and obstacles to accessing the site.
Doubtlessly, children and staff will return with renewed enthusiasm after the extended half-term break.
The new year began with an icy week for the children. Every day a temperature of minus degrees centigrade was registered. The conditions determined some of the children’s activities.
The children learnt how to keep warm in cold weather: layers of clothing, hot drinks, keeping moving, holding the hand of another, and feeling the warmth of a fire.
There are some vegetables that cannot be left in the ground in the frost without some damage being done to them.
So we had the first crop to be harvested at Tarly Pit. Radishes were pulled and sampled. The rabbits had a feast. It was a harvest worth recording.
Children enthusiastically collected wood for the fire pit. They got warm on the coldest day just by gathering fuel.
Then they learnt to treat the fire with respect without being afraid of it. They safely stoked it with fresh supplies of wood.
Our little people would miss out on so much learning without the experience of that freezing cold week.
