Just when a chap mentions peace and quiet, things get a little more hectic! Sunday saw us selling our wares at the Country Day at our local race course. Here's The Big Boss looking every inch the Pork Provisioner!
Which is clearly what a lot of the punters thought because they happily bought all our Spicey and Pork Pies and a fair proportion of Lincolnshire Pasties, Pork and Game Pasties and Boars in Blankets. Trade was a little slower on the bacon, hams and gammon but that's not really what people go to the races for so maybe it's not such a surprise.
We'll be taking part in a number of similar Country 'Adventures' over the coming weeks - each of them a bit of a leap in the dark as far as guessing what it is people will want to purchase so The Boss is now wandering around with the proverbial wet cloth over his head trying to work out the logistics...... Not a pretty sight.....
Meanwhile, 
Ginger was looking suspiciously like she would deliver her piglets whilst we were away on Sunday but she chose to hang on a little longer.... Linda had taken a bet at 7/1 that she'd deliver today but we half expected to find a note waiting for us telling us of the happy event.... She was out and about as normal for breakfast on Monday and, as is her wont, went back to her ark afterwards for a little snooze. She didn't appear for tea so I peered over the fence and saw a tiny ear twitching... when I went up to have a closer look I found her contentedly grunting whilst four little stripey things noisily suckled. They were quite lively already so I'd guess she delivered them soon after lunch! I was a little surprised to see only 4, but relieved that there were not 10 of them.......
Ginger was looking suspiciously like she would deliver her piglets whilst we were away on Sunday but she chose to hang on a little longer.... Linda had taken a bet at 7/1 that she'd deliver today but we half expected to find a note waiting for us telling us of the happy event.... She was out and about as normal for breakfast on Monday and, as is her wont, went back to her ark afterwards for a little snooze. She didn't appear for tea so I peered over the fence and saw a tiny ear twitching... when I went up to have a closer look I found her contentedly grunting whilst four little stripey things noisily suckled. They were quite lively already so I'd guess she delivered them soon after lunch! I was a little surprised to see only 4, but relieved that there were not 10 of them....... Things were not so peaceful when I went out last thing in the evening to check everything and shut up the Poultry.....
"Funny?" I thought to myself .
"The weaners aren't usually out and about and making a noise so late in the evening." And Ginger was making a great deal more noise with her new family than I thought was absolutely normal. Then when I shut up the Poultry Palace I noticed that the Puddings and Delila were all a bit restless too. Most unusual.
It was as I was going along the yard checking the horses that I glimpsed a grey shadow trotting along the Church Field.
"Funny shaped deer!" I thought.
When I shut up the chickens in the Field pen I realised that the deer in the fast fading light was in fact a pig! Trotting merrily up and down.
Panic!
Rush up to house and fetch Boss who was on his way up to bed. And out we go. Transpires the wandering pig was Precious: would seem she and Samson had a major difference of opinion and she legged it over the fence (breaking down two fence posts en route- well, she's a large lady) and out on to the bridleway, eventually finding her way back through the hedge (we surmise)and down - via Mangal's food station - to the Church Field where, by the time we caught up with her, she was lingering by the gate to her old pen. Which we opened and in she trotted.
And stayed whilst we
went in the now fast encroaching darkness to fix the broken fence before Samson, who actually wasn't showing the slightest inclination to do so, decided to wander off in search of his dearly departed. The repair job was hampered by the fact that the repairer had to crawl on belly and elbows under the dense hawthorn hedge in order to reach the broken fence posts.... Precious's route had clearly been through the thinnest part of the hedge... unfortunately the broken posts were the other side of the densest part.... That sod Murphy again......
went in the now fast encroaching darkness to fix the broken fence before Samson, who actually wasn't showing the slightest inclination to do so, decided to wander off in search of his dearly departed. The repair job was hampered by the fact that the repairer had to crawl on belly and elbows under the dense hawthorn hedge in order to reach the broken fence posts.... Precious's route had clearly been through the thinnest part of the hedge... unfortunately the broken posts were the other side of the densest part.... That sod Murphy again...... Job done we then had to move Precious out of her old pen because it's next to Mangal and he was showing far more interest in her than either she or we wished...... that entailed moving a few other pigs around. Finally as darkness fell and the moon rose high in the sky we retired for the night... silently hoping that all our 4-legged family would still be in the correct places in the morning....... As can be seen from Precious's demeanour at breakfast this morning, she at least was contented and well rested!
Never a dull moment......
No comments:
Post a Comment