The weather is unbearably hot and sticky and the dogs are fed up. It is too hot to put them out during the day so they have to go out in the evenings. I have been grooming in the shade as much as possible but they all seem to be blowing their coats big style.

The Malinois pups have been crashed out trying to keep cool, with quick bursts of playing and lots of paddling in their water trough.

The chicken coops arrived and we now have four pens ready. Today saw the arrival of four Silver Laced Wyandottes (you wouldn't believe how many different breeds of chicken there are), these are the Bantam version and are very spectacular. They are very young birds and hadn't a clue about going to bed in their new house so it was a job to catch them and put them to bed. The chicks were badly affected by the humidity and we now are left with only two sadly--fingers crossed they will survive.