Another marker in the RectoryReserve calendar came - and went last weekend: Our third year of attending Heckington Show.... and, to celebrate, we took the plunge and decided to overnight the pigs there, enabling them to be on show for the full two days! We had a few qualms about the fireworks on Saturday night, but (thanks, probably to Linda popping in to tell them a bedtime story) the piglets were unperturbed and, to all appearances, had a good night's sleep.And why not?
The Mini Movie Stars managed to draw the usual crowds of wondering, 
curious and inquisitive onlookers. Many on whom were interested to know their names!Since we've only ever called them by their collective title, that was a bit of a problem! So, whilst spending hours photocopying further literature (we ran out of every last piece before the end of the first day!) we suddenly had an inspiration:
curious and inquisitive onlookers. Many on whom were interested to know their names!Since we've only ever called them by their collective title, that was a bit of a problem! So, whilst spending hours photocopying further literature (we ran out of every last piece before the end of the first day!) we suddenly had an inspiration: "We'll give them names associated with Tennyson" said I.
"Good idea" said he (Tennyson having been born locally and half the rooms in our house being 'named' after him). Thus, Mavis and Maud - the two red girls - Lotus - the blonde girl and Alfred the little red boy were 'introduced' to their visitors on Sunday!
Before the show we'd been a little anxious about how the four weanlings would manage in a re
latively confined space for two days: but they soon got it sorted. The spare bale of straw in the corner was declared the loo (Smart! certainly no chance of accidentally rolling over into a dirty patch in their sleep) and the rest of the space then proved quite enough to rootle and roll and sleep in. When the adulation, ear stroking and nose-poking all got too much Alfred buried himself under a pile of straw - much to everyone's amusement cos all that could be seen was his tail and what it was attached to! Maud, on the other hand, found that bathing her front trotters in the water bowl was the coolest way to overcome the heat of the public glare!
latively confined space for two days: but they soon got it sorted. The spare bale of straw in the corner was declared the loo (Smart! certainly no chance of accidentally rolling over into a dirty patch in their sleep) and the rest of the space then proved quite enough to rootle and roll and sleep in. When the adulation, ear stroking and nose-poking all got too much Alfred buried himself under a pile of straw - much to everyone's amusement cos all that could be seen was his tail and what it was attached to! Maud, on the other hand, found that bathing her front trotters in the water bowl was the coolest way to overcome the heat of the public glare!As in previous years the Bestest Gundog attended in his capacity of Pig Guard in Chief; happy to talk to passing dogs and be petted by endless children (and some not so young), he nonetheless man
aged eventually to settle down and sleep under the table for the odd hour or two! Whatever the privations of attending the show, it was infinitely preferable to being left at home with Pilot - particularly since the latter, on the Sunday morning before we left, decided to take himself off for a long exploration into the distant undergrowth. We couldn't wait for him to return so Gunner would have been on his own in the house all day - a situation that's never arisen before! Returning home at the end of the day, we found Pilot in the porch looking out through the dog flap and not in the least perturbed! Though he did happily run indoors and collapse in his favourite chair for the rest of the evening, doubtless worn out from guarding the house on his own all day!
aged eventually to settle down and sleep under the table for the odd hour or two! Whatever the privations of attending the show, it was infinitely preferable to being left at home with Pilot - particularly since the latter, on the Sunday morning before we left, decided to take himself off for a long exploration into the distant undergrowth. We couldn't wait for him to return so Gunner would have been on his own in the house all day - a situation that's never arisen before! Returning home at the end of the day, we found Pilot in the porch looking out through the dog flap and not in the least perturbed! Though he did happily run indoors and collapse in his favourite chair for the rest of the evening, doubtless worn out from guarding the house on his own all day!
Mavis, Maud, Lotus and Alfred meanwhile behaved impeccably throughout the whole weekend. More than a few people commented that : "These are the most laid back pigs I've ever seen"..... well..... they did sleep quite a lot of the time, but then they are only babies!Loaded and unloaded like professionals for both journeys too and - just like us - soon after arriving home, collapsed in a heap and slept for the rest of the evening - and much of the next day. Aaaahhhhhhh!
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