It's summer time....

The swallows were early arriving here this year but they're a fair bit later in producing their families. At present we have just two nests in the stable eaves with fledgelings in them.

This compares with last year when on 7 June I reported that the first batch were already out of their nest. No doubt it has something to do with the cold winter.

The curly coats are a little behind shedule too having only in the past week started to shed their woolly winter coats.

Linda's been busy brushing though and already we are up to 20 oz with quite a few piggies yet to experience what is undoubtedly a pleasure.

There are one or two exceptions but on the whole they all love their daily grooming and melt contentedly to the ground! The picture shows clearly which coats have and which have not been groomed. The two at the back are yet to be started. As the coat comes out the curls disappear and, initially, leave a hazy fluff - that's the stage the two in the foreground have got to -that gradually disappears too leaving just the long hairs on the neck. The rest of the coat just looks grey which is really just the colour of the skin as there's not much hair left - as can be seen on the underbelly and back ham of the nearest pig.

Meanwhile, at four weeks of age, Ginger's Spices are spending an increasing amount of time with their Aunts next door - who seem to quite enjoy their company. Ginger doesn't seem fussed: just has a snooze till they return.

The little ones charge happily to and fro through the bars of the wooden gate between the two pens.

Another week or so and they will have grown too big. Then, like Pooh and his Honey, if they eat too much, they will get stuck in the hole!

That'll cause some consternation....... Ginger's already removed one gate which she considered superfluous - her story was that she needed more space for the little ones - so no doubt she could do the same again if necessary. Whether that would be possible with a piglet stuck in the middle though is debateable!