The season begins

And we are off – miss c is back in the saddle… (an English saddle,  those wild wild west cowboy saddles hurt my bony bum.) And me and my saddle (but no horse of course) are moving fast now.

Thank you for your patience with me and my absence.

Spring has hung it’s hat here for a while. No season stays, the season will drop to the earth for a while then move on.  And we follow. Yesterday it was  blowing and cold and raining  hard- spring nevertheless. 

Yesterday Hop and Pop Poppy came home from the West barn.  She trotted with much anticipation on and then with much anticipation off the trailer and went straight into her old pen with the big outside run and began to look for food. As you would  – being a pig and all. And pregnant too I hope.

Long leggy Auntie Sheila was out –

Due to driving rain I brought Sheila into the barn from her outside house. In error I had left the door open to the sunroom in the barn where Tima has been sleeping and Sheila shambled straight in and claimed the best corner at the door ensuring no intruders.

Tane is still in the big inside pen so he cannot get Tima pregnant and deeply unimpressed by this carry on.

Alex was brought into a small pen so I could put a halter on her. I want to halter her in case she has any problems with calving – she is a heifer after all. Quite to my surprise she stood beautifully and though nervous she let me attach the halter then detach it again because even this big calf halter was the wrong shape for the miniature cow. I was pleased with her behaviour.  Though still timid she is kind.

Aunty Del loves the camera – she is such a flirt.

Later in the afternoon I discovered that Sheila had pulled down the blanket I use to tuck Tima in at night. This one is the same colour as her old blanket from the bad winter when she slept alone. She had dragged it into the middle of the pen then lay down beside it.

When I came in to see what she was up to, she lifted her head and made her good night noises. When I picked up her blanket she wriggled further into her bed and making these low grunts appeared to invite me to cover her up.

So I did. This was early in the evening about 4pm and at her night time check she was still sleeping soundly, still under the blanket. And it was a miserably cold and stormy night last night.  My clever pig.

When Tima came in to go to bed she was aghast. But very quietly agast as one does not want to disturb the biggest pig. So she lay down quietly on the other side and did the best she could.

Good morning. I hope you have a lovely day.

My brain has caught up with its skull and I am ready for action.  My roaming is finished for the year now. Barring any emergencies we are looking towards months of good solid farming with all its attendant ups and downs.

I am looking forward to this season – I have a good feeling.

Love celi