Fingers and toes crossed today!

We have 6 Gold Laced Orpington eggs and 6 Cuckoo Maran eggs all due to hatch today, so I have been peeking through the window of the incubator at regular intervals but alas, there is nothing, not even a crack, to report yet.

Last night's sleepover went OK, although the YFG woke me at 3.15am to say that she was hungry, so I think I told her to get a biscuit or something, and then she went away! When I came downstairs this morning, they were all still asleep - and it was nearly 9am by the time I had showered and surfaced properly as I felt the need to stay awake on patrol until 1am as they were being a bit silly last night!

FH and I watched "Australia" on the EFG's laptop in bed, and it was a good film, but it was longer than we thought. Each time something happened to make us think that a good conclusion had been reached, another drama eclipsed that one and it went on. It lasts a good two and a half hours, I think, and we had to have the subtitles on as the FH couldn't hear it very well (you can't make the laptop as loud as he likes the TV!) but I would definitely watch it again.

Am I addicted???

I feel as if I might be! To what, you ask - chickens and eggs, is the answer. I am spending too much time browsing ebay looking for new and unusual breeds of chickens for which people are offering hatching eggs. I bought 6 Gold Partridge Orpington eggs at the weekend, which arrived yesterday and are going into the incubator tonight, and since I am going to have to run the second incubator, well, it might as well be full, mightn't it? So I am looking for another half dozen to go in there with them.....had my eye on some Lavender Orpingtons last night, but missed them by a pound; there are three more lots on there tonight, so I will be trying to get some of those, without going over my self-imposed limit!

We are also going to put the three older Buff Orpingtons into the Autumn Show at the East of England showground on 11th October - we've never shown any before but these look so lovely that I thought I'd have a go - they won't win anything as I haven't a clue how to present them for showing but hopefully we'll learn from the experience and find out more on the day. There are sure to be lots of people around who will be happy to tell us what to do.

The YFG had her friend H round to sleep over again last night - it was more successful this time, and they slept in the motorhome in the garden. We all got up late this morning and have had a general pottering day. FH's cousin and his cousin's wife have been here this afternoon and evening, bringing the birthday gifts for the girls, and we have been making plans for the EFG's birthday on Friday: I have to make the cake tomorrow so that she can ice it, and we are taking her friend S to the cinema on Friday afternoon.

Tomorrow we are going to see my dad and have lunch with him, and then go and catch up with a friend who lives in the same town who I haven't seen for about a year - shamefully! She has been busy and I have been too, and our lives have drifted apart from the way we used to be, but we are both excited about getting together for the afternoon tomorrow. Might even have to bake a cake to take along - must get up earlier tomorrow with all this baking to get done.

And last night, I had to buy eggs! My girls are all (well, nearly all) taking a break from laying; they managed three between them today and that just isn't enough. Thankfully, Sainsbury's have some very reasonable free range eggs so we bought some of those. I'll be glad when the newer hens start to come into lay!