20 January

Having brought home three little hens just to keep  Wilma from being lonely, I now have to take Wilma on excursions every day not only to keep her from being lonely but to give the three little hens time in the coop without her looming, harassing presence.  She accompanied me as I put out the washing, did some weeding (mainly to keep her entertained), gathered some rich soil from under a pile of rotting leaves (for the garden, but it was so full of hoppy things I put a bucket aside for the little hens) and then when I sat on the deck eating lunch, she spent her time sunbathing, then lying in the shade under the chair, then aimlessly pecking at the deck and finally yelling at me to follow her back to the coop.  I thought I could give the little hens their bucket of dirt to sift through, but when we arrived the three of them were so content dustbathing together, I couldn't bring myself to let Wilma in till they had finished, about a dusty hour later.   She then wanted to take over the pile of dirt, even though she had already had hours of access to all the dirt in the whole garden and the bush beyond.