Boo has begun stealing ripe dry maize out of the field. They call it field corn here.
Oh yes! He eats it! He is one BAD Boy. Bad Boo.
Sheila is on a diet and deeply unimpressed. Did I tell you that I have decided to breed her myself in January. I don’t want to risk another psychologically damaged sow. I shall begin the research. (sigh) I am so new to all of this. We were talking about it in the comments lounge yesterday. I am only six years into developing our own little farm out of an industrially cropped field. Previous to this I worked in the film industry. I grew up on the beach. The only things I ever really concentrated on as a kid was when a surfie tied a towel around his middle so he could get changed. Will the towel drop? I was not born or bred to farming. Boat building maybe. Art and writing maybe. The stage and film definitely. But not farming. And now I have decided I am going to go breed my own pig. My father (who is one of the original member of the fellowship but is too shy to comment) will be shaking his head. The girl had such promise he tells his friends. She could come up with an argument for anything. Would argue black was white that girl. Now she is deep in research so she can breed her own pig because she does not trust the swine herd to keep her Sheila safe and calm and gentle.
No Daisy has not grown a hump! Though we woud still love her if she did. That is the high point of the boot of the cows dining car, but it was slim pickin’s yesterday when I looked at what Camera House had collected.
I will tell you why I was distracted and did not take enough pictures. My Son Sam has been telling me for years that I should listen to talking books when I am doing mundane stuff. Like dishes and cooking and CLEANING! So a month or so ago I brought myself some breathtakingly beautiful red head phones. I could plug them into the kindle and listen I thought. They are splendid headphones but they are still in their box, sitting in a pristine state upon their soundless cardboard ears. I move about too much.
Yesterday when I was in a certain big box store with the Matriarch buying printer ink for the local library, I spied some tiny kindle speakers. So when I got home I down loaded Cats Eyes by Margaret Atwood, plugged in the little red speakers and read a book without my eyes. Fantastic. While I loaded the pots with vegetables, restacked the dehydrator, thought about cleaning the ‘fridge (then thought against it) and made the custard for the ice cream and cleaned and cleaned I was transported. Days of preserving makes a mess of the kitchen! So you see. Thank you Son Sam. Mama is a slow learner but you were right. Listening to books while I work is great. But I was inside cleaning way too long and lost the light for yesterdays photos. Distracted you see!
And now Daisy has a hump.
And big ear piggie (no they are not named ) was shot straight into the light and turned lavender. But who can resist those ears! Poor luvey!
Do you see that little table in the picture above, that is the bee table, it was swarming with hungry bees yesterday.
and there are thistles in my fields… back to work everyone!
You all have a lovely day.
your friend on the farm, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
91 responses to “The Corn Thief”
Celi, doing the insemination yourselves is not nearly as difficult as it may seem! I was very skeptical at first, but after watching the Youtube video several times, it wasn’t so bad! We searched for semen…couldn’t find our heritage pig semen, Gloucestershire Old Spot, for anything near what we could afford, so got Spotted Hog semen from Iowa. It was sent with boar urine to excite the pig, the tubing and everything you need, and 3 tubes of semen each…so enough to do the procedure 3 days in a row. And Roxie got pregnant! And Sheila is so tame that no doubt she’ll do whatever you want. Just keep an eye on her and do it when she is into her heat cycle! Bernie, the pig who didn’t get pregnant was nearing the end of her cycle, and we think that’s why it didn’t work with her. And you are right, it will be much less traumatic for Sheila!!!
Oh good heavens, such information LOL. I am learning a lot on this blog – not sure I will use it myself, but it is so interesting!!
It’s amazing what you can learn to do by yourselves from Youtube Lyn!!! I haven’t even written about castrating our piglets for the first time. Now that was something else! And we learned that from videos on Youtube too! 🙂
As the daughter of Scottish grandparents, I love thistles! We’re surrounded by field corn and soy beans out here. I haven’t seen any doggies chewing on the corn, but the raccoons sure love it!
What a bad, sweet doggie you have. 🙂 Love all the photos!
Did you know when John whisked you away to his farm, that you would ever be spending your time in such quests?
Books on tape is an especially wonderful tool to use when reading a book by a foreign author. I “read” Abraham Vergese’s “Cutting for Stone” on tape and it taught me the proper pronunciation of Ethiopian names in the story.
Ahh, I never thought of audio books as a way too hear the proper pronunciation of names, etc. Ronnie! I may go back and “listen” to the Outlander series….all those Scottish names, phrases…that I just know I was miss pronouncing! 🙂
Breeding Shelia yourself Cinders? I have no doubt at all in my little mind that you will become a professional at it! And I just think there is someone way across the seas in N.Z. that will be thinking the very same thing!
Reading the Outlander books is distracting enough, let alone listening to them but they’d be amazing if read in the proper accents 🙂
I am getting such a kick out of you Celi! My hubby and his father raised pigs! Lots of pigs!!! I used to love them too until they tried to eat my shoes! The babies are so adorable. I could never get over how the sows were able to nurse the little piglets without squashing them all. Hubby said that they did sometimes. Worries worries…
There is a lot to it when you raise hundreds of pigs. But one should be manageable! For me anyway! LOL
They raised pigs, dairy cows, sheep and chickens (layers). I raise chickens (layers and meat birds) ducks, geese, and turkeys!!! Years ago they used horses for work and sleigh transportation. I should have been born back in the day! Love horses!!!!!
Neighbors on other local farms have beef cattle. They scare the life out of me! Huge beasts and they can be very unpredictable. Dairy cows are sweet and gentle!
I like chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys! From little to butchering time…I can manage them easily enough. We have an electric plucker so it makes it so much faster! 🙂 I’ll never forget the day the Jehova Witness group showed up and I came out with my bloodied ax and they hopped in their cars and took off! LOL Never have been back! 😉
Good luck with the insemination project! I can’t wait to hear how it all goes!!! I would do the same! No injuries to my pretty sow! Love to hear your news!
My parents used to say that they could drop me off in any part of the world and I would survive! LOL Life can be so interesting!
P.S . If I were ever to have a tatoo…it would be a thistle. 🙂 They are beautiful! Look but don’t touch! Just admire! LOL
Yep, field corn aka: pick’n corn, feed corn, or even CORN MEAL…or ground corn or golden corn. My dogs love corn like that also. I let them eat it, I figure why not I like corn also.
Insemination of a pig is not hard. Oh, I see someone else already told you how to go about it, so I won’t waste space here. The hard part will be getting the semen. Be sure you get the type you want…be very sure! After that life is good.
Linda
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I took a bad fall this week while distracted by the cell phone, so be careful…but even as I say that, I’m really curious about those tiny Kindle speakers. I think I must have some of my own! 🙂 Your photos are gorgeous, even the ones right into the sun. I think you definitely inspire all of us to consider way beyond the “who we have been” to look directly into the future and consider unmet expectations, possibly changing direction to explore new “who we may be” adventurers. I’m sure advanced animal husbandry was never on your university transcript, but it will be now. Good for you! And I hope it goes well. Your overall goals are just wonderful. ox
are you alright? falling at our age is not like falling when we were EIGHT! not quite as bouncy anymore.. I am going into the kitchen to cook now and am quite looking forward to turning on my story and working at the same time. It is just more fun! I promise not to fall! c
I am pretty bunged up, but ok. It was definitely the result of multitasking, so that’s where my warning came in! Lol! I’m sure you could really get lost in a good book and with all you do…just be careful. Lol! I sure don’t know the answers! Ha! We ought to be able to work and listen to a book! 🙂 ox
So I am going to ask what is probably a stupid question, but why not breed Sheila the, um, traditional way? Is it to iffy or takes too long?
I don’t have the room for a boar here. They get a bit mean and destructive sometimes and we have such a little farm. breeding them yourself is not uncommon.. c
So green there… sigh… beautiful!!
Is Boo a Blue Healer? (or one of a type of Healer) very smart dog! Didn’t know dogs would eat corn! Lovely farm you have!
He is indeed a Blue Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) a very determined character too! Welcome Anne Marie!.. c
your blog begins my day; Boo has traces of the Terrible Tommy Bangs in him (Alcott, Little Men)
Good, old, Boo. He sure makes your life interesting — like it was a bore before he came. Went to the market but didn’t see any fig trees to ask the vendors what kind and whether they’re hardy enough to withstand our winters. Maybe next time, though it just may be too late in the season. I did some pickling earlier and have a bit more to do yet this afternoon. I’d like to make a batch of cherry jam, too. Have to make sure Zia’s cupboard is full for the Winter. 🙂
Have a great afternoon & evening, Celi!
We battle those thistles every year! In fact, in most of the Midwest, a rancher can be fined for not eradicating them on property. Generally, I think they only fine if the rancher allows them to get out of control and does nothing about them.
Tomorrow i PROMISE I will take my spade and start murdering them, though i may have to cook a few too and see what that is all about! c