When we were children growing up on the beach we had a dog, her name was Tessa, she was a Golden Labrador Cross (no-one was terribly sure what she was crossed with) – often she would run off up the beach road and up to the little shops around the bay and beg for scraps from the back door at The Butchers. (The Butchers was right next door to the Fish and Chip shop so all was not lost if The Butcher had his door shut) She received all kinds of cut offs and scraps and treats and she got fatter and fatter. So every now and then Dad would get out the long chain and put her on the Diet Chain by the shed. And there she would sit growing thinner, under the gum tree, surrounded by children and tree swings and cats and the sound of the beach and chickens but no butchers shop.
Tima is not pregnant. We took her to the vet in the borrowed jeep, and he rolled him machine outside and scanned her flanks but she is empty. Which is very good to know. Now we can proceed with all the cards on the table.
Not even a little bit pregnant. What she is – is a little bit overweight. A lot overweight. So onto the diet chain for her and no fraternising with Tane for a while.
Then put them back together at a romantic moment when they have missed each other for a while and she is in a more fertile mood. Ah well. We still have Hop and Pop Poppy, God help us all. And if Tima breeds it will be lovely but not critical.
She lives on pasture (and no more scraps from the kitchen) so she and Tane are free to keep.
Today Kim and Fede and I will lay out the new pig area, with one big pen (and a hut and creep) for Poppy to farrow in. The goats are in the Rat House paddock, now that Kim and I have goat proofed that. Things are ‘moving right along’ as Our John says.
Once we have built them a shelter the goats can stay out there at night too.
We have had more rain, downpours, and it is still so humid that the sunflowers and corn are growing at a startling rate but we cannot get in with hoes to weed, so today we will have to go in and hand weed the worst of it between showers or that will get all out of hand. It is like living in the tropics in the rainy season.
I hope you have a lovely day,
Your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
40 responses to “The Diet Chain”
I also am sad that Tima is not preggers I was looking forward to the trot of tiny trotters. How did she manage to get so overweight when all your animals are fed proper food, or was somebody naughty and feeding her from the table…still never mind, she enjoyed the ride!…so we all wait expectantly for Poppy…..God Bless us all xxxxx
We may all feel sorry for Tima on the diet chain, but we do know that you have her best interest at heart. I am sure it will be difficult to bid farewell to Fede when his time is up. I think we will all feel a little lovelorn. He has not alone become very much part of the farmy but of all our hearts too.
TIMA!!! Oh my goodness, you are on the DIEt. Horrible my sweet friend. Personally snorts-snorts I think you are beautiful! XOXO – Bacon
BACON!!! we missed you.. how is your own sweet and chubby self.. c
Snorticles my friend! I’ve missed ya’ll too. It’s been crazy here but I’m surviving and holding my own. XOXO – Bacon
I’m sorry about Tima. Next time. Is that a tractor load of Rhubarb?? Or is it weeds…..
weeds..
Sorry about Tima, but it’s good to know for sure and be able to make plans accordingly. Better luck next time, after the trip to the thinning spa, Tima!
Is that a load of burdock leaves to be fed to someone? It’s one of the few plants here my goats are not interested in eating, unfortunately.
Out to do chores in the rain…have a lovely day 🙂
Compost ! and our goats love eating it.. weird.. c
I can’t remember, miss c. Did the hay get all baled up before the rains returned?
Yep baled and in the barn! Success at last.. c
Oh what a shame but cheeky little missy she is for taking all the extra rations! Hopefully her little stay at the Farmy Spa will do her the world of good and it will be like a honeymoon when she gets back to her boy! It looks liek rhubarb ont he tracotr but I’m sure it’s not?!
I’m sorry about TIma too. She’s so cute you know she’ll have cute little ones –hard to wait though. At least TIma won’t be stealing Poppy’s thunder. Poppy will have sweet little piglets too.
We got flooded yesterday and I don’t know what to do. Spend the day hosing and disinfecting the basement today only to be flooded again the rest of the week…more rain coming. Also our hot water tank is “out” and it isn’t just a matter of relighting the pilot light. The inside has to be dried with a heating element. Takes days.
Maybe I should be on a diet chain 🙂
Between kid’s activities and the rain, the weeds have gotten out-of-hand in my garden. Today is supposed to be a rain-free day, but again, we have activities which means I won’t be able to spend the time I need in the garden. UGH!!!! Somehow, I will get it all done. Nothing seems to be happening the way I had hoped it would this garden season, but if I can get a good crop of tomatoes for canning, I’ll be happy with that.
In the meantime, I discovered a beautiful zucchini plant growing in the compost bin. I had thrown heirloom zucchini scrapes in the compost pile and the seeds love the compost. That’s okay with me!!!
I hope you have a lovely day on the rain-free farmy today.
Poor Tima. I’m hooking myself to the Diet Chain, too. If it doesn’t fit in my Bento box, I do not eat it for lunch. Fortunately, there are a lot of squishy foods. I can pack a bit in there.
Yeah, moonpies can be carved to fill in gap between tomato and celery … right? 🙂 Laura
You know it!
My sunflowers and corn are going nuts also. We have had a ton of rain and I am in Colorado were it is mostly a desert or at least semi-arid. Global warming?? Lovely animals.
We are not growing by leaps and bounds here, too wet and too cold. We need warmth and sun…badly the corn is three weeks behind. Not good.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
Oh Tima, “Drat, drat, and double drat!… Curses, foiled again!”
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Aw, Tima. She’s so cute. 4:51–Rise and Shine–I hope that was instruction for the sun! Looks like a busy day, with a vet visit thrown into the mix. What a blessing to have extra hands around to help.