Opened Tima’s gate – Things did not go as Planned.

Tima is an old KuneKune pig. Most of the year she is free to wander anywhere she wants to. But like all pigs she believes she is allowed to eat anything she finds. And this includes whole fields of wheat and all the tomatoes. So in the harvest season I set her up a camp in the wilding field to keep her out of trouble.

(Plus when the kitchen door is open she visits in the house and when I am away John finds it difficult to deal with a pig in the house ). (Which is fair).

But I am home! The fields are harvested and covered in clover and the tomatoes are on their last legs and too high for her to reach. So yesterday – I let her out of her field.

Tima was ever so grateful and gently swanned across the landscape. Wandering to and fro checking all the buckets.

Mr Flowers walked with her a ways in case she might dislodge an apple for him.

She did.

He (Mr Flowers) has this curious stance when he is standing still. See how he crosses his legs like a child waiting for the toilet. He has adapted well to his peg leg using it as the perfect crutch.

Tima and Mr Flowers walked down the back to check the acorns. All in all they had a lovely morning.

But while Tima was re- familiarising herself with the farm yard the chickens had run to Wai to tell him that she was out. The chickens are the tittle taddles.

While Tima was quietly testing every bowl and bucket for food and contemplating wandering around to the pond Wai was roaring out of his house to see her off. He has never liked Tima. They have never been friends. But they have to sleep in the same bed in the winter or freeze.

So every late summer we go through the same process. The first meeting is never a sweet-heart meeting. They chuffed and foamed at the mouth and Wai swore grumpy mean cursy swear words at Tima who responded in kind.

I raced to turn on the hose (that I had at the ready), but Wai attacked Tima, bashing their shoulders together and rearing up sideways at her shoulder trying to get a bite in- Wai has one very long tusk and would have used it. So, Boo took things into his own hands and broke them apart. Tima ducked to the left and headed into the corridor paddock at speed then picking up her heels she raced for the safety of her summer house with Wai in hot pursuit.

He (Wai) chased her, growling and chuffing, all the way to her gate, chickens squawking and flying in all directions. Tima raced through the gap in her gate and Boo headed Wai off from running in with her to continue the battle as I caught up and shut her safely back in.

This would be serious except that both these animals are geriatric piggies so the hot pursuit was more of a wobbly slow motion fiasco with (not many) teeth and lots of grumbling and pig cursing. And get thee from me Satan.

As I shut her gate Tima threw herself into her mud puddle with much eye rolling and heavy breathing and we agreed to try again tomorrow.

If Wai could have dusted off his paws and said good riddance he would have. He stalked back to his partially cleaned house, kicking a few chickens on the way and the Farmy returned back to calmness again.

I will open her gate each day and eventually Wai will get over his grumpy self. But everyone was happy when it all calmed down again yesterday.

I am going to have to concede that the late summer is drifting into a cool stage. Last night I was cold in bed. But I was comfortable and almost asleep – you know, when you are just not cold enough to force yourself up out of the bed to search out another quilt. And I totally refuse to close the windows yet!

Have a lovely day!

Celi

Sunday Sustainable Podcast.

Go Here: Click on link below image.

https://open.substack.com/pub/ceciliaatthekitchensgarden/p/happy-as-a-chick-with-pigs?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Thank you!

Celi