Tima

Timatanga Moana, who rode home from the KuneKune farm on my lap. Cuddled into the crook of my arm.  For two hours. This image was taken from the back seat of the jeep by The Matriarch. It is way too gorgeous to look at only once.  Who ever thought a wee piggie would sit on my knee that long.

She is small, small enough to lay in my lap with plenty of room left over. She is chubby and smiley, has short legs and tiny tiny hooves and plods about the floor making a sound that is a cross between a purr and a small tank engine chuff. When I scratch her belly she slides to the ground and makes a whistly song.  Her long soft hair is a tortoiseshell mixture. Red, black and white. She is set up in the Snug with a bed of hay, a bucket to hide in (Poppy now reverses into her barrel and sleeps with her snout poking out.. so cute) and her food and water and a heater. Each time she comes out for a walk we go a little further.  I don’t want her senses to overload. She will become anxious. I love her calm friendliness.

Her family lives out in the fields in North-West Illinois. Here is her father. The one on the left.

Here is her mother. And this is her Aunty.

The whole lot were very tame and very sweet. Living out in pastures with little shelters. These are tough pigs. They have a very.. um.. distinctive look!

This is Tima (pronounced just like Tina). When we finally went into the nursery to see the little ones, the litter  hid in the corner under their warm light.  I slowly sunk down onto my heels to take a picture and one little piggie disengaged herself from the others and very slowly sniffed her way across the room to me. She reached up and touched my knee with her nose, regarded me for a moment with a clear brown eyed gaze, then continued on to have a drink of water. The others cowered in silence against the wall watching. “Which one is ours?” said John softly from the door. “This one,” said the breeder and I at the same time,the camera forgotton, watching her have a drink before leaving home. I had chosen her from a photo weeks ago and she had chosen me yesterday morning. Magic.

Timatanga loosely means beginnings and Moana means the sea or the water, they are not meant to mean anything when put together, just a first name and a second name, like Cecilia Mary. I love the sound of the words too. We will call her Tima.

She will stay inside until the weather is warmer, she comes to her name when called and Boo has got over his excitement. He is way too excited about this little pig and spent all last night lying in front of her closed door.

And now I had better get busy. My days are filling up but I have planned every new event to have a consolidation break in between. Next will be the plonkers (Their milk is ready!!)  and Queenie’s calf. I wonder who will be first!  I hope you have a lovely day.

Your friend on the farmy

celi