Up and At ‘Em

You will be pleased to hear that all of the little piglets have quite suddenly popped their heads up above their doldrums and are behaving like little piglets now.  I found them outside playing a few times yesterday and heard Molly calling them in to feed more often.

I can’t tell you how relieved I was.

Alex has started cleaning out the chook house. Poor fellow.

Just before it rained yesterday we revved up and shifted the plonkers line making their yard a little smaller but allowing the tractor in to till one quarter of the pig garden. (Our John was off work due to the rain) There is rain forecast for almost every day in the next ten (I can only see ahead ten days) so we are going to have to train ourselves to take advantage of every rain free hour.

I sat down in the storm cellar with Sheila for a while at break time yesterday.  I wanted her to walk up the five steps so camera house could record it. She is so long that her head is exiting the root cellar at the top of the stairs as her back trotters are only just beginning to negotiate the bottom step behind her.  Imagine having to keep track of four feet so widely spaced apart.  More than six feet in distance from front to back.

She would not come up to show you so I went down and sat with her for a while. We talked about stuff. She likes it down there in the root cellar – it feels safe to her. We had a bit of a chuckle about how she refused to go down there at all at the beginning.  She also brought up her complaint that she had to give her water trough to the plonkers because they have been doing This! (see below) and cracked their last one.

I told her I would buy her a new one but she would have to use an old bowl until Shopping Day. She was unimpressed.

So we both had a little nap in the straw before beginning the afternoon. She is comfortable to rest with, she lies very still, as long as you are me.

It is getting a little warm.

We had our first asparagus feed last night. At least the plants are loving the mild wet weather.

I hope you have a lovely day.

Love eeli

Weather:

Friday 04/14 50% / 0.07 in

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 76F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Friday Night 04/1480% / 0.12 inThunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 61F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

34 Comments on “Up and At ‘Em

  1. I have been picking asparagus for a few weeks now. And the rains have been plentiful in the South this spring. Everything is green and growing like crazy! I feel for Alex since the chicken coop is next on my list of things to do this week. My in-laws are too old to do the task, so it’s become my project. All of your livestock seems to be flourishing!

  2. That’s excellent news – I’m quite sure I have never seen such happy pigs as those on the farmy 🙂

  3. Im just wondering, how old is Sheila? Its nice that you spend time with here just relaxing and talking to her. I have a cat to talk to but I love seeing your farm animals they are so cute.Im sorry to hear about mrs.flowers was she very old and its always sad to hear when one of the piggies die. I guess thats just farm life..I live in the city so I love seeing your farm blog every morning.
    Have a great day Celi.

  4. what a relief…piglets all ok

    So now Sheila has the grumps..she is one wonderful pig ..all 6 feet of her..( don't tell her but there's a lotta pork chops in that 6 feet)….

    Well done Alex..its not nice cleaning the chickens coop! Brave lad 

    Love to all xxx

     

    Sent: Friday, April 14, 2017 at 1:45 PM

  5. Oh Shelia, you’re so gorgeous. That wise eye with its lovely blond eyelashes. I can almost hear her give a big sigh of contentment: comfy bed, good food, and now, excellent company.
    I’m delighted the piglets have rallied, I guess we just had to give them a bit longer to get the maximum benefit from their supplement.

  6. J > Lovely, Celi! The past week or more I’ve spent 10-15 minutes lying in the clean straw with the ram and wedders. I’d love to say it was just for the pleasure of spending time with them as they had their ‘breakfast’. In fact I’m blocking the door of the field shelter, to keep out a rogue cockerel and his hens, who would otherwise dive in between the sheep and steal their food! But it’s still a pleasure to spend time just watching the natural world go about it’s business.

  7. Oh how I miss my asparagus bed. Maybe I should get me a small horse trough for a container asparagus bed.

    So happy the piglets are doing well now.

  8. I am drooling over the asparagus! It is my favorite vegetable! So happy about the little piglets and the anemia resolution. (playing catch-up again – ugh) April 14 – Good Friday – Hope you have a wonderful day.

  9. Love the asparagus right now! so tasty and so many ways to prepare it. My hubby doesn’t like it so is barely tolerating my current a-binge. Last night he put 2 stalks on his plate to appease me! I love the photos of Sheila. We are into another dry spell here, having to WATER the garden now. That is a first for me.

  10. Great news about the piglets. Just saw yesterday’s video and there is no denying those two are full of beans. The Plonkers are really getting big, too, so I guess it’s no wonder their water trough cracks when they go swimming. Are they still as playful at their age now as they were when they were just little guys? Your asparagus is sooooo yummy looking. I must watch out at the supermarket for local stuff here. We do seem to get fresh asparagus all winter, I guess probably flown in from California, but local is fresher and better. Hope you have a great day too! ~ Mame 🙂

  11. Yay for the little piglets! So nice that you spend time with your Sheila. I am sure she appreciates it. I love sitting up in the paddock with the goats and the kids. It’s valuable time spent well :*)

  12. That’s one happy pig sitting in that water bucket! Ahh Sheila, she looks so contended. 😀

  13. Here, it doesn’t matter when Easter weekend is – it always rains and is miserable and then it is all downhill to winter. Those asparagus with two of your farm eggs poached would make a brilliant supper, enjoy them. Yay, the piggies are fine 🙂 Laura

  14. Lucky you…no asparagus here yet. The nights are still too cold. I’m looking forward to the new fresh spears!

  15. Good morning! Feisty piglets, plonkers who enjoy bum baths, and a chat with Sheila. Good times. Too bad they don’t make pink water troughs for animals. I’m sure Sheila would then be impressed. Have a wonderful day!

    • Oh, forgot to mention the asparagus. I love asparagus. It’s gorgeous, made my mouth water just looking at it.

  16. so happy to hear the little piggies are ok! Have a lovely day and give Sheila a loving pat for me!

  17. Fabulous news about the piglets!!!! I was looking at a video of my cousin’s piglets runnng around hilariously on her farm in Massachusetts and I worried about yours. Very good news indeed.

  18. I would love to see the video of the new piglets but don’t seem to be able to find it!

  19. Cleaning out the chook house — that is a nasty job! I hope you fed him well afterwards (I know you did). That asparagus looks divine.

  20. Glad you figured out the iron deficiency in time for most of the litter!
    I’m so jealous of the green gold as my mother called asparagus. I bought a few last year and not a sign of them this year. Sigh.

  21. Good news on the little ones 🙂 Those asparagus look delicious, we had some a couple of weeks ago, but now its gone cold again and growth has slowed down 🙁

  22. All my life I’ve been looking for Sheila. When I find her now and then in quiet safe place, I sit down and we have a talk. As for your Sheila, that description is a timely one for those who have observed lent. I suspect that she has reappeared into the light by now.

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