I have a new phone – this in itself is not particularly interesting unless we need to go into the kicking and fighting I did trying not to have to succumb to another phone. I liked my old phone. However now I have a proper fancy phone and it has this very interesting button that you press and it tells you how many miles you have walked that day with your phone in your pocket. 
Yesterday I walked 7.01 miles (11.28k) before dinner. Not bad really. Most of this walking was aimless wandering trying to remember why I was walking where I was walking in the first place.
It also has a very nice camera which I am trying to learn how to use. 
Look at the sweetcorn, we might be eating it by next week! I hope our new Volunteer (who arrives later today) likes sweetcorn.
But first a piglet shot.
This is the most achingly beautiful shot. I wish the wee girl had been in focus but still it portrays the fragility of life and the guileless confidence that we use to navigate it. It is still very dim in the nursery but this dimness (though not good for the images we crave) is working to the babies advantage. Poppy (so far) is very calm, she sleeps and feeds a lot gently grunting and the babies are quickly learning to hug the walls when she is up. If I see that she has risen and is eating I quickly give her the prepared eggs and milk and fill her feed bowl and water bowl back to the top, I have never let these run out so she is never hungry. And I never fill them at the usual feed times or if she is lying down. She barks loudly at the babies when she is about to get up. And like Charlotte she lies down away from them then calls them over to feed. With her pen totally boxed in, meaning she cannot see out at all, there is none of that jumping up and down. Flailing those hooves like knives like Charlotte did. The floor is covered in shavings bot straw. All the big doors are shut. All is quiet.
I am going to keep her locked down like this for a number of days yet. Not only does she need to learn to move with babies underfoot but they need to learn to get out of the way. And if it is working there is no need to change it, they have a huge pen. So far so good.
Did I tell you that one of the chicks that hatched on the 4th is pure white. Another Godot.
Dear raggedy Godot. Almost time to change the guard. I will get Amanda our new girl to help me release Godot and bring Mr Flowers into the Peacock Palace for a break.
Sheila my favourite pig in mud!
The new boar is still in his small pen, but is waiting quietly, he seems a very content lad. When I am sure he will come when I call he can come out into the field to graze a bit each day.
The peachicks are under their Table Mother. Yesterday Lady Astor was bred by the Lady Vet we will know in three weeks if this took. In August she will come back and breed Aunty Del. Things just keep moving along. And I actually got to sleep last night.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm,
celi
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
58 responses to “Miles in a Day”
Very happy for you, Poppy, and piglets! What relief you must be starting to feel.
You must be breathing great sighs of relief at Poppy’s ability to mother her piglets without all of Charlotte’s hysterics. I cannot imagine the terror you felt each time you went to the barn when Charlotte was there with her little ones.
Are piglet ears as soft as they look?
7 miles in just a normal day? Holy cow! We’re on vacation in Philly, averaging 6 miles a day and I’m crippled, I’m limping and putting arnica on twice a day. No wonder you’re in such good shape.
Those babies are so adorable and I love their little tails.
You will love your phone, you’re tech savvy so will do better than most right away. Glad you got some rest, have a wonderful day!
Robin🐥
So glad the piggery is going along well! Congrats to the new Mama!
Me again. Be aware that the thing in your phone that tracks your walking is taking up a lot of your battery life. There were all sorts of things in my new phone that were “on” that I didn’t know about. It took my 16 year old son no time at all to turn off all the extra things that I would never use that were eating my battery behind my back.
Great words Carla. Hidden things suck the life away, as do adding all those ‘helpful’ apps. I have a nice phone, but keep almost nothing extra on it just because I want my battery to last more than 12 hours 😉
ah yes I know- and thank you! – I will turn iit back off when I am bored with it!! It is fun at the moment though..
The piglets are so sweet! And so tiny. Ha you have a built in pedometer. I’m reading Paying guests by E. F. Benson at the mo and Colonel Chase has a pedometer on his bike and carries one with him all the time. His clicks when he walks, I presume yours doesn’t !😀 Have a fab day x
So much wonderfulness! And you got some sleep! 7 miles in a day. I loved seeing the babies, all of them. Enjoy the phone. I don’t know what I’d do without mine helping me find my way everywhere. Have a wonderful day.
Your photos have made my Monday a happy, happy day!
Oh, those dear little piglets! 🙂
Enjoy the sweetcorn — I make a delicious sweetcorn and black bean salad with a lime juice and maple dressing. The recipe can be found here: http://thevegan8.com/2015/05/30/southwest-lime-corn-salad/
That first picture should be gracing a book of fairy tales.
Love the way you say Poppy “barks loudly at the babies when she is about to get up.” Could be the old woman who live in the shoe with so many children…
A peaceful quiet start to life is such a gift.
Hope the day goes well.
That’s her!! The little one in the slightly blurred image….the one I won as the prize for guessing 5 on the 4th!! You can overnight her…I’ll be waiting! 🙂
Ha ha ha ! You are wonderful.. c
Sigh- such absolutely wonderful images- we are all so relieved to read how well things are going- give yourself a big pat on the back for setting up such a calm place for the piggies.
We have a ways to go but so far so good.. c
Such wonderful photos, especially the tiny piglet under her Mama and the sunflowersplus the sunflowers amid the corn. Just lovely. Miss C., I don’t know how you are able to keep from scooping up those little dolls and holding them to your heart. It takes such forbearance. I love how Poppy grunts softly while they nurse then let’s them know when she’s going to get up. Amazing nature.
Any idea what kind of bird that is in the first photo?
Here’s how stupid I am: I was expecting pink piglets and was surprised they look just like Poppy! DUH!
Seven miles! WOW.
That little bird is a barn swallow – so beautiful and so small
I’m so glad that Poppy is proving to be a good mom!
My goodness they are so tiny, the piglets! I’m not a huge pig person but they are adorable.