Halifax .... Nova Scotia

It's just struck me that there are loads of Canadians worried that a small city in the province of Nova Scotia appears to be going down the tubes.... And that there must be a lot of bankers wishing that they were in charge of a small, cold, North American city rather than presiding over the great big mess o' credit crunch. (For anyone interested in learning more about Halifax the city rather than Halifax the bank, check this out on YouTube: Halifax.)Anyway, Spring looks to have sprung (though we did have some snow today), and Fereday has returned to work... this fact is very apparent to any Fereday twitchers in the neighbourhood... they will have noted that the pained, crab-like gait he adopts on Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings (a by-product of Wednesday night's Morris dancing practice sessions) has become the standard throughout the week.I do think that Spring is particularly cruel to gardeners, out they come from their winter semi-hibernation, muscles gone flabby, sporting a 'jumper basketball' (the long-carried and cared for result of Christmas dinners and parties), and rather than easing in with some light pruning or gentle ramble round, it's straight into digging for victory (in the veg patch).This year, Fereday has the added delight of contending with four chickens while he digs over one of his client's veg patch. Not having seen this post-modern piece of rustic theatre, I'll do my best to bring it alive for the purposes of the blog....Fereday arrives,chickens gather,Fereday moves to veg plot,chickens follow,Fereday shoos chickens away from feet and spade,Fereday commences digging,Fereday shoos chickens away from eating worms which come up with first spadeful,chickens do clucky swearing at Fereday,Fereday recommences digging,Fereday shoos chickens away from eating worms which come up with second spadeful,chickens turn air blue with clucky swearing,Fereday tells chickens he's giving them names.... "Jalfrezi", "Bhuna", "Tikka Masala" and "Nugget", chickens cluck names for Fereday back at him (while not claiming to understand clucking, it's fairly clear these aren't polite names),Nugget gives Fereday the evil chicken eye,Fereday recommences digging,Fereday notes Bhuna appears to have possession of a little figure shaped like a gardener and appears to be twisting it between her talons,Fereday is convinced that chickens are practicing voodoo and are to blame for aches and pains,....Fereday - Nil, Chickens - 1.

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Comments

Kerrie John-The garden design Co March 5, 2009 at 8:34pm

No chickens, but did my first bit of bending, digging, Falco trimming and all round moving since December, two days ago. Believe me, after a few hours my hips and lower back bones felt that they were on fire.

This can't be good for the (as in my case) getting older body. Like binge drinking. Thinking I will have to give both up soon.
Cat Fereday March 5, 2009 at 10:31pm

Sauvignon is a valuable anesthetic... who needs liver anyway... I never liked it! Hic!
Kerrie John-The garden design Co March 6, 2009 at 7:24pm

I have found that also Red is just as good for numbing pain. Isn't a liver eaten with bacon? Sounds disgusting, no wonder you getting pissed.