Turn my back and ....

   I went to visit my youngest daughter in the UK for her birthday and Halloween. Of course as soon as I left it rained. Before I went though I cleared the broken apple tree branch and 

Carved Champeau pumpkins

cleaned out the Ixworth and chicken coops and for the last time the duck coop. The ducks have gone to a new home with a few lady ducks to chase!
   I managed to pick a few more tomatoes but on my return all outside tomato plants were dead. They have now been cleared. Finally  managed to plant some garlic. The rain while I was away was enough to make the soil workable. I also threw in some broad beans in but the seed is very old (2012!) so I am not going to expect too much and I will feel lucky to get any! There is still much tidying up to do and on the top
of my list will be to sort out the Egyptian 

I reckon a garden witch!

 (walking) onions. Once more I am leaving them to over winter. This will be the last time as I will need to dig them up next year to separate the bulbs and start again. As I write this the sky is dark and spots of rain are falling so maybe there might be some more rain.    On the chicken front up until I returned from the UK they were laying well but since my return they have pretty much stopped. Probably due to the short length of daylight at this time of year. The two chicks that survived, both males, are now fast approaching the time for them to be dispatched and put in the freezer. Shame really they are attractive birds but we do not need any more cockerels!