Hog-maneigh: Or 'A message from Mangal'

"It's not just the humans that reflect at this season of the year: I've been having a bit of a ruminate myself. Me and Bread (Ginger to you all) were having a little chunter whilst chewing the broccoli just this morning.  We've a lot to look back on - we've produced 9 families between us since we first met which is no mean feat. The Honeymoon may be over but we're not past it yet - we've been cosing up this past couple of weeks ....well a chap doesn't want to boast but come spring and I'll eat my tail if there's not another brood of mini Mangals running about the place.
And then, as she pointed out, it's not all just about the two of us: there's the other branch of the family. Samson (have to admit he's been a pretty good sort since he moved in here)

with Delila and Precious have produced a fair few porklets between them, not forgetting that little hussie, Aster with her two girls. That's 23 litters between us here at RectoryReserve alone. No wonder there's piglets running around here, there and everywhere. Further afield there's Andromeda and Truffle who've left the Reserve to run with JD. Three piglets there already and another batch any day now. Then there's Gavin and Stacey and their offspring, and Lotos and Bonnie and their families and Polly who's still about these parts too. So the Great Hog alone knows how many little porkies that adds up to.

To think, 4 years ago Ging and I were the first Curly Coats about these parts in decades. Compared with Dodos we were. Humans came from far and wide to admire us. 
Now everyone's heard of the Curly Coats of Fulletby. We've been on TV 3 times this year alone: we're represented at many of the best local farmers markets; we're on facebook and twitter (curlycoats07). So, I said to the G-biscuit this morning, "What next?". "Don't you worry your handsome head about that" she said. "Just leave it to the Boss - he'll come up with something." "Our children are our future. We'll leave the rest to him". She's right you know. I've been worrying about this for days and nights and now she's written my Hogmaneigh message for me ; the past is where we come from, the present is where we're at and the children are our future....may yours be as prolific, blessed and merry as Ging and Mine!

Look who's come to dinner

 How many of us are lucky enough to see mice in the wild? The Bestest Gundog and I see them quite often when we're out on a beating day as they scuttle along the hedge bottoms. But to turn around and find one looking up at you, just like that, is not exactly commonplace.

This little chap was hanging around this afternoon waiting to join the pigs for dinner. He just sat and waited his turn. No wonder feed bills are rising.......Probably does it every day. First time I've noticed him but you'd need to know where to look in order to see him.

When he'd had enough he skidaddled across the mud and off through the fence and down the field to... ....... wherever field mice go to. No wonder Waifa cat was hanging around helping us with teatime chores!!!!!

Present from Santa Mangal

We all know that Mangal has a 'thing' about dinner bowls: sacrifices to the Gods 'n all that when Ginger's time to return to him comes round again. Well, he's really excelled himself this Christmas. Look what I saw in the ark this morning! Yep; the remains of a feed sack.
So, if a bowl means "Return, I can propitiate the Gods on your behalf" just think what a whole feed sack must mean! The fact that it was empty when Mangal requisitioned it is neither here nor there: an empty bowl foretells food to follow; an empty sack must at the very least suggest one knows the source of all feed. How more charming could a Boar be. "Worry Never Ginger, I can provide". Now - that must indeed mean a very Merry Christmas and  Prosperous New Year to Number one Sow methinks.......

Merry Christmas

Nature's Christmas Gift.

Here's hoping you've all had an equally magical day.

Ho Ho Ho

 "Here I am having a mid-morning rest at work the day before yesterday; humans were all having a bit of a break and sipping some stuff which made some of them a bit wobbly. So I thought I'd have a little lie down in the sunshine. Jolly warm it was too. Thirsty work. It was the last day out before The Important Holiday and most of them, She who must be Etc included, were muttering about how much stuff they had to do before The Big Day. So, I ask you, just why did we finish work so late? Without stopping - and have lunch at the end of the day when it was nearly dark and my tummy was rumbling? Humans!

More funny things. This time last year everything was white and frosty - including my whiskers - and I kept finding hares under the snow everywhere. This year it's taken me all season so far to find just two hares and one rabbit. Well, that's not much to boast about is it? And out in the garden we've got all these things sprouting up through the ground, which is very confusing. I'm looking for pheasants and woodcock and stuff and She keeps muttering about daffodils and primroses..... 

And, if that's not funny enough, we have that twinkly tree in the house again. Why do humans bring trees into the house. She spent ages putting twinkly things on it too. And there are parcels and stuff under it but I've sniffed 'em all and they don't seem very interesting. Not smelly enough if you ask me. But she's quite excited about it all so I suppose it must be important for some reason. All this talk about Christmas really doesn't ring any of my bells. But since She's excited I try and understand.  Funny though.  She said we'd give the little grunty things a special Christmas treat this morning. I don't think they know anything about Christmas. But She and Linda were concerned that the piglets weren't having a chance to get away from the Big Sow that is Delila. Seems they've spent so long tied to their mother's tummy buttons drinking milk that their own tummies have got too big to let them get away through the fence in the usual way. Bliss if you ask me. No piglets running around to worry about. And now it's so muddy in their pen that they really need to get out into the big wide world and learn about other things and meet the rest of the herd - not least the Big Bores with all their  Curly Tails of Christmas Past and Future.    So She cut a hole in the fence and, nosey little things that they are, it wasn't long before they were out and about and now it won't be long before I have my paws full again...... and I'm supposed to be having a few days off before we're back at work again next week...... some Christmas rest that's going to be.  Here I am already keeping an eye on them at feeding time this evening..... my bones tell me it's going to be a busy few weeks ahead.

Anyway, since I'm here and She's a bit busy doing things --- someone came to stay the other day and left what she called an unwanted gift - ---which means she's been making Hot Toddies all day and she's just made another one to take to bed ---- She's asked me to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and to say that She hopes all your wishes come true and all your pressies are wanted ones.......  and now I'm off to see where she put the mince pie for Santa Paws cos all this intellectual stuff makes a dog just a wee bit peckish....... Merry Christmas everybody...."

Easy peasy weanie pigglies

"How'd you get on?" I said to Linda on Tuesday when I got back from a day in the Field with The Bestest Gundog.
"Nearly done and dusted" she said "If it's not too late could just do with a hand to close the gate whilst I get the last one away from Ginger".
I thought she was kidding but a quick look into the barn revealed otherwise.
There were 6 of the Victorians snuffling round their new environment!
The little things were so inquisitive that they'd followed me into the stables when I was doing breakfast so I left a note for Linda saying that if they did that with her in the afternoon she should just shut the door and keep them in there till The Boss and I could help her move them later in the afternoon when we were about. Should have known that'd be like a red rag to a bull. They certainly followed her. Six of them have been following her everywhere for the past three weeks or more. So she deftly caught and carried each one single-handedly from feed room or stable to the other side of the barn! No mean feat with porky piglets. It took two of us to carry Number 7 across the yard after Linda had slithered through the squaddy and snatched him from Ginger whilst she was snuffling the last of her supper. She hardly paused as he was dragged from under her snout by a very small, strong, determined hand!
"You must have eaten a double portion of spinach for breakfast" I said to Linda later over a glass of wine with The Boss by the fireside !
Never have our piglets been weaned so easily........

Whither will we wander....

 Here we are with the promised update. Good thing The Dog knows how to step in from time to time. He's pretty smart as we all know but now he's in his 4th season as a Working Gundog he's become almost psychic - knowing what to do before I even think to tell him. Most of the time that works just fine but there have been more than a handful of occasions when he's been so far ahead of me that he's doing things I'd actually like to stop him doing before he misunderstands what I intended asking him to do. I know he doesn't ever mean to do the wrong thing, it's just that I haven't been able to make clear to him that what he thinks is right isn't quite right in the context of what he's decided for himself to do. You're confused. Anyway working three, sometimes 4, days each week gives plenty of opportunities for rights and if an exuberant, over-eager experienced working dog gets it wrong from time to time we put it down to ........ well, an experienced over-eager spaniel doing his job they way he knows best.

As for what else has been going on. We (Linda and I that is, The Boss being philosophical about these things) bade a sad farewell to Ludo (that's her on the right), Clarence and Aster (below) at the beginning of the month. We'd known for weeks that they were going but when their new owners came to pick them up we realised how much we'd miss them. Ludo is one of the Indoor Games litter born in the snow last November; along with her sisters, Cluedo and Scrabble, she spent a good deal of time indoors so we got closer to them than would have been the case otherwise. When they moved outdoors in the spring they quickly became the noisiest group on the estate (till Darbie & Joanie came along that is!). They all grew into very fine young gilts and, with her distinctive snout markings, Ludo was definitely the strongest of the three. No wonder she was the pick of the bunch for breeding.
Aster and Clarence, meanwhile, had grown into a handsome couple, quite devoted to each other. Though we shall miss breeding from them here it is rewarding to know that they have gone to a home where they'll remain a couple. Aster's already proved herself a first-class mum so she'll surely go on to breed many beautiful litters with Clarence. He, of course, will probably not at all mind sharing some quality time with Ludo whilst Aster is otherwise indisposed. They've all gone to an excellent new home near York and we will be overjoyed to hear the news of tiny trotters in early 2012.
Unlike the Indoor Games, Ginger's present litter - the Victorians - born on 23/4 October -  have been rushing around hither and thither almost as much in the past fortnight as the Pork Provisioner! Not unlike the PP there is almost nowhere they won't go! Wherever we look, and even when we don't, there they are - nibbling boots, climbing inside vegetable trugs, rootling in the stables, investigating the chicken pen, stealing corn in the Poultry Palace, following Linda on her tractor down to the end of the Church Field and, here, even digging up the lawn outside the Kitchen window. A nice young man has been feeding the herd breakfast on the occasional mornings recently when The Boss and I have had to leave home before daybreak; on the second occasion the piglets were "running around everywhere" so John spent 45 minutes rounding them up and putting them back in with Ginger! Unfortunately he decided the quickest way with one of them was to pick it up: it squealed, Mum grunted aggressively and that started the whole herd off. All except Mangal - who went into his ark and dissociated himself from the whole affair.
"We had a hell of a job calming everyone down and freeing the piglets from Ginger's pen when we got home!" The Boss told John the next day when the latter hailed him in his car to ask if everything was OK! "She was doing her nut and wondering how she was going to make another hole big enough for them to get through before they drove her completely mad!" he continued. Poor John was mortified. "And you needn't think we'll be paying you after you upset them all like that". Well! It's a good job John can take a joke.
What's not a joke is the hectic schedule the Pork Provisioner set us in the run up to Christmas. Nine markets in the past 14 days, 6 of them consecutively and 2 on the final day - have tested stamina and systems to the limit. We're not finished yet but we are over the worst of the rush! The bad points? Leaving home before dawn; freezing no matter how many layers of clothing; spending the evening packing up for the next day...... The good points? Customers coming back to say how much they loved the products they'd bought; selling out of our best sellers before lunch-time; selling out of our new Chorizo the day we launched it; putting our feet up in front of a blazing log fire on the last evening.
The year before last we did our very first market at Christmas: last year many of the Christmas markets were cancelled due to all the snow: this year we've done as many as we could get in to; whither will we - piggies and people - wander this time next year? If we only knew.......... (and if The Dog knows? He's not telling......!)

Just to say

She asked me to let you all know that normal service will be resumed very soon. It's been a bit hectic and there've been lots of market things going on and the computer wasn't working. We've been out a lot too so between days in the field I've been doing lots of sleeping....... anyway, watch this space for the catchup ... there's loads been going on .. and that's without the hares I've found for her...... well someone's got to make sure there's a decent meal on the table in the evening........ And the pesky cat's been busy too - never seen so many mice - and then there's the piglets running everywhere... so many tales to tell you all .....

A subtle progression?

It started with a visit to the birdtable, moved to sleeping in the Poultry Palace and progressed to the outside Pump House. Snow came but the stranger stayed outside. Gradually though it ventured indoors for short spells. Then, as suddenly as it arrrived it disappeared.
"Gone!" we thought. Didn't dare miss it; it hadn't been here long enough for that. Then one evening it was back.
And stayed. Came indoors more frequently and gradually moved from scullery to kitchen to snug to... spare bedroom. Probably thought that since nobody else slept there she might as well.
As a precaution we took her to the vet. Found out that she would soon have had kittens. Little rascal. That's why she was behaving strangely before she left for a few days.  Found herself a comfy home then sneaked off to find her mate! Not stupid then.
Pilot and Gunner accepted her without question. She probably told them to. Wasn't long before she was telling us what she wanted. Couldn't call her quiet cat by any stretch. Soon she was not only coming for walks with the dogs in the morning - scared me sometimes thinking we might lose her in the long grass or the wheatfields (she knows her way around though) - but doing the evening rounds with us too whilst impatiently demanding that we hurry up and go up the road for our last-thing walk! When the first mouse was brought in we thought it charming.... now it's a matter of: "Now what's she got?" and I haven't caught as many in the house in the previous 11 years as I have in the one since she arrived.
A year on I realise that quite a few little routines and habits now revolve around her: We leave the porch window open all the time so she can come and go (will that change when it gets really cold I wonder?): I feed her breakfast while making morning tea (none of the others get that): I look for her now when doing the morning feeds (I'd never find Puddy Cat attending to the daily chores!) and talk to her during evening stables: our nightly walk up the drive is punctuated by Words with Waifa; before bed I check if she's with the dogs or on 'her' bed upstairs. We know when her Miaow means "Out" or "In", "Food" or just "Hello"; she's not a cat to pick up and cuddle but she purrs like a lioness, demonstrating how much she appreciates contact with other creatures - human or canine.... and she seems determined that she's here to stay.
Puddy Cat might agree to differ but the skinny, shy creature that arrived last November has made a subtle progression into a place which would be empty and sad without her.

In Cahoots....

 Delila's last litter of piglets was born on 16th March. It was the evening Clarissa Dickson-Wright was featured on The Great British Food Revival talking about the revival of rare breed pigs and associated pork dishes.
At precisely the time the programme was being aired and Clarissa was saying "My Delila, what a magnificent pig you are!" said MP lay down and gave birth to 10 bouncing piglets. We named them all Clarence or Clarissa in her honour and very nice pigs they've turned out to be too.
Some 6 months later Delila's turn to farrow came round again. Over the past 3 years an order has been established: Precious, then Delila, then Ginger. Thus, Precious farrowed on 2 August, Delila should have farrowed in the latter half of September and Ginger obligingly delivered her litter on 2 November.

"She probably just missed a cycle" we said of Delila when she'd still not farrowed by the beginning of October. "She probably missed a couple of cycles" we said when nothing changed by the end of October!
"Fancy Ginger farrowing before Delila" we said a week later.
"Have you checked Delila lately?" The Boss said to Linda a few days later.
And a few days later again: "You're sure she is in pig?"
"Nothing's changed" Linda kept saying. And then: "I think it looks like her bag's dropping" said The Boss after he'd done breakfast duty a couple of weeks ago. But still  nothing. "You'd better have stern words with Delila" The Boss said to Linda one day last week. We all agreed she must be  in pig because she was definitely very round. "Or Fat" said Linda. Secretly we were cutting back her hard feed ration just in case it was  just fat! When subtle changes - dropping of the bulk in her tummy, slight enlarging of her bag - did happen I think we all thought we might just be willing them to happen.
Last Friday evening a repeat of Clarissa's episode of  The Great British Food Revival was aired on TV.
At breakfast on Saturday I remarked to myself that Delila was definitely changing shape and meant to say to The Boss that we'd probably have piglets on Monday - Linda's day off. But The Bestest Gundog and I were off beating and I was in a bit of a hurry so I forgot.
The text came through when we were on the Beater Bus after lunch: "Delila's had her piglets!"
I admit I leapt in the air with joy - and not a little relief. I got a few funny looks but that's part and parcel of bush-beating! And then it occurred to me. Once is a coincidence but twice?
Question: (a) How did Delila know that CDW was going to be on TV again? and (b) How did she know which night it would be?
Admittedly, when CDW called Delila's name, said magnificent Sow snapped her head up and locked on to Clarissa like a magnet. Was something deeper going on? A meeting of souls? A sudden inextricable telepathic bond. Clearly they are in cahoots ---- but how?

All in a days work

"I started writing this for Her last week cos She told me we had some busy weeks ahead. I thought a few minutes each day might turn into a picture of what we do at work. Tuesday was a typical working day: up early to feed all the other 4 leggeds and the chickens and ducks too. Then off in the little red car to the village to meet all my mates. Except my favourite, Amy - a black labrador - wasn't there again. But I soon didn't miss her because after what seemed ages we were off. She Who Must be Obeyed walks slowly and whistles a lot and I run helter skelter everywhere looking for the pesky birds. Sometimes they're slow or get tangled in the bushes and I catch them before they fly and SWMbO gets growly with me. Can't work out why. Thought my job was to find birds and bring them to her. We wait around a lot too in between.It's difficult to sit still when there are so many exciting smells in the air.She doesn't seem to notice them though.  And there's lots of banging; sometimes a bang makes a bird fall out of the sky and I think it's part of my job to rush off and get it as quickly as possible, but she gets really whistley if I do that and often shakes me; but if I don't get them when they fall she tells me to go and find them later. I'm still trying to work that out. We do this all day long; lots of running and lots of waiting; and at the end I'm whacked. But not so much that I can't get up for dinner.

 The second working day of the week started like the first: guarding  squiglets whilst SWMbO fed all the others. Then it was off in the red car again .
When we got out we were at a different place from the day before. Not one we go to so often - big gaps in between.Not so many dogs and the people are different too although I recognise one or two familiar smells from the other place.
I like this place; it seems quieter and less frenetic and she lets me get on with my work in peace. Although on Wednesday she did growl at me and shout once when I went to fetch a bird from the field after a big bang.
I had to leave it and go back later and that confused me and I couldn't find it at first  but after a while I understood what her arms were saying and I found it.
There are lots of big birds at this place; here she

 took a picture of what she called swans who kept flying overhead, though by the time she got her clicker thing out the swans were almost too far away to see; but you can just make out the two black dots in the very bleak sky.
It was a very warm day again and I had a lot of running around to do, what with finding birds in the undergrowth and then collecting the ones the bangs made fall. Then there were others that she said I had to find though she didn't know if they were there; they're the best ones cos she's always very pleased when we find them. There was one of those long beaked birds too that I found in the sugar beet so even the big man with the banger seemed pleased.

 Just when we though it was tiring end of day time the boss decided we had to run through another wood - here I am peering at something which was in there but which she said I mustn't go after yet. By the time we finished it was very bleak and my tummy felt empty and my tongue was dry. When we got back to the litttle red car she put my new coat on - she seemed annoyed though when she saw it had little holes in it which she said had something to do with a mouse ... I was too tired to notice though and just had a nibble of my food that she brings with me and went to sleep all the way home. Where I fell asleep till dinner time'; after which I fell asleep again. The next day we didn't go anywhere but the next two days we worked; once in the very familiar place with all my mates and once in a place we haven't been to since the snow fell and I got a stick thing up my nostril and had to go the nice vet man. It's still very warm for running around all day but I don't get as puffy as I did when we started.
Anyway, she's got that green bag out so we must be off again tomorrow. Happy waggy me.
I'll keep padding my notes and perhaps She'll let me tell you all about it another evening. I find it jolly exciting even though it's all in a day's work.And you might too."

Miserable Monday

"A typical murky November Day" remarked The Boss as we were driving along this afternoon and, looking out the window at the drizzle colouring the countryside a misty grey, Tony and I could only grunt agreement.
It was a suitable backdrop to the deed of the day though. Regular readers will know of our Curly Coat Custodian scheme and today we were fetching Debbie(Harry) and Annie(Lennox) at the end of their custodianship. Looking at the picture of the girls above it's difficult to see them as the young weaners we took to "Pastures New" on 24 April. I said then that I suspected they had landed on their feet! Bellies more like! I don't know if they have been the best loved and most spoiled Curly Coats ever but I'd bet it's a close run thing. That's Annie above having her tummie tickled. "I used to do massage" said the nice Custodian lady "so I've been practising on her" - well, I don't see a pig complaining! And, if further proof were needed of their good living - the curls themselves really give the game away. That's a coat any Curly would be proud to own.

Annie & Debbie were from Precious' New Romantics litter (born on Valentine's Day) and their home for the past 7 months couldn't have suited their name better: at the bottom of a well tended garden filled with delicious fruits and veg. - many of which have graced their bowl (along with a Christmas cake, though I don't believe that fell off one of the trees); designer ark; garden bench alongside, from whence I suspect emanated many a starlight bedtime story; playdogs for company and to serve as breakfast alarms; any many other benefits only Annie & Debbie will ever know about. Truly the luckiest of pigs. One of the most rewarding aspects of the Custodian scheme from our perspective is that our pigs get to lead such varied and interesting lives. Our Custodians tell us that the experience is one they'd not have missed for the world and lessons learned from the pigs will last a lifetime.

Not such a Miserable Monday then.

Spoiled piggies

 Fifteen weeks ago we delivered 2 of Ginger's Deserts litter, Dorothy and Spamalot, (not the names we gave them!) to their Custodians at Kirton Lindsey. They were just little weaners and looked quite lost in their very capacious quarters. The blog at the time shows their tailor made des.res. which was probably an indicator of how spoiled they might become! They demolished it. A nice shiny new ark has replaced it! Spoiled pigs? Hmmm.
They've grown a bit - well, quite a lot really. This is Dotty (or it could be Spammy) washing her trotters following a rather sybaritic wallow, which she demonstrated for my benefit. Clearly the other water bowl is used in much the same way! Note also the beautifully coiffed curls.

 We were visiting on Sunday to drop off another 3 Curly Coat weaners, this time from Precious' Fruits litter born on 2 August. By the way they offered to help lift the straw over the electric fence (erected to separate them from their new companions) it was clear that Dotty and Spammy have struck up a rapport with their Custodians. It's not just their rubenesque physiques which provide a clue that they are spoiled rotten -  a pile of uneaten apples by the ark was a bit of a giveaway too!  Factors such as these erased any worries I might have had about how the three youngsters we'd brought with us would fare.
The older girls will be able to show them all the ropes and fill them in on 'What goes on around here' as well as telling them pig tales at night to help them sleep.

Dotty & Spammy's pen was rather larger than necessary for two pigs so it had been split in two with an electric fence and a shiny ark procured for the new arrivals.
Custodian junior carried the first weaner from the trailer and gently placed her over the fence into her new pen. She promptly ran straight through the electric fence to the larger pigs! Who, instead of enquiring gently, chased her mercilessly. We watched. Till someone suggested there was strength in numbers and maybe a second weaner should be put in the pen! So the second was added to the melee - and she too ran straight through the electric fence! So now two weaners were chased around by Dotty and Spammy. They must have thought it was the best game ever.....
So we added the third weaner to the mix.
She ran exactly the opposite way. And then got lost and couldn't find her mates at all in all the undergrowth. They'd gone off to the pile of apples - very sensible since they'd been short-rationed at breakfast. They found some other goodies there too. When they'd had enough they set about exploring and somewhere the three weaners eventually found each other - but they were all in D & S's pen so they were chased around until they made it back to safety through the electric fence. Where Dotty and  Spammy would not follow - they'd had enough of a shock when the fence was first connected and no way would they put their snouts anywhere near it again!
We heard later in the evening that all had settled down and the little ones had safely gone to bed in their ark. Exhausted from all the adventures of the day, maybe they'd dream of happy days at RectoryReserve with their siblings or perhaps they'd be excitedly anticipating what their future as spoiled pigges would be like... .

To Ginger and Mangal....

When Ginger gave birth to her first litter of 7 piglets in November 2007 they were the first Curly Coats to be born in Lincolnshire for 40 or so years.
The paparazzi came out in force: radio and TV coverage was generous. Everyone was curious about these strange 'new' creatures or, as one news presenter phrased it, "Dodos returned from the grave".
A lot has happened since. From a base of 15 imported to the UK in November 2006 there are now over 400 registered Mangalitza Curly Coat pigs in the country. In Lincolnshire alone we now have 5 breeders, hopefully insuring against the whole stock being wiped out in the event of some
 awful foot & mouth type disease. We still meet a large number of people at Markets and Shows who have not heard of the Curly coat pigs but there is a growing band of pig lovers who now recite the story of their introduction back to us.  And even in these recessionary times our sales of gourmet Curly Coat Pork Provisions are increasing as their unique flavour wins over a growing band of people who value taste and provenance.
This is all thanks to Ginger and Mangal. But they are quite oblivious to the contributions they have made to our lives. Their world syncopates to natures' rythms and views ours with a wisdom and tolerance we can only aspire to.

So it was that Ginger delivered her 9th litter, of seven piglets, on Sunday night/Monday morning. Oblivious of the fact that we had the date in our diary for a week later - after all, in our order of things Delila should have farrowed first - she quietly went about her business and managed to catch us by surprise. Rather like the first time really! She came out on Monday morning to have her breakfast. Ate it calmly and then returned to her ark. And that's all that alerted me to the fact that something was different. Usually she hangs about by the gate until she's sure breakfast is over.
"Ahhh?" I thought, climbing over the gate and peeking in to the ark. Sure enough, there they were happily suckling away without a care in the world. Clever old Ginger. No wonder she's got that sublimely peaceful look on her face. All's right in her world. And that makes ours a better place too.

I told 'em

"Anyone who knows me knows I'm an honest dog, not given to pretending things are or are not there unless they are.. or are not. I've been telling She who Must Be Obeyed for days and days that the Pesky Cat put a mouse in the pantry.
"Many's the time I've sat in there with my head cocked knowingly to one side and my clearest 'There's something in/under/behind there' look in my eyes. But did she do anything about it? I do everything she asks me to do, and more sometimes, but when I ask her to move stuff so I can get at the mouse does she do that for me? No.
"So is it any wonder that she gets a surprise when she checks over the stored apples?
"And to make matters worse by the time she called me the mouse had run out of its nest and gone under/in/behind something else. And still she wouldn't move stuff for me to get it. I could get it I know I could - if only she'd move stuff.
"That was yesterday. Then today when I went in to check, I heard it run under the boxes again. I told her when she came in but still she didn't move stuff. There'll be another nest somewhere. But I won't tell them where.... Well, I will 'cos I'm an honest dog. But why won't she move stuff? I'm a confused dog."

Finally - it's here

After months of looking forward, finally it was here. Although the shooting season officially commences on 1 September for Partridge and 1 October for Pheasant, the first day, for the dog and I,  was last Friday. After months of anticipation and  'keeping the dog on the whistle' (as Rory-the-trainer recommends!) The Morning dawned. And it was the most beautiful dawn - which I gained a full appreciation of when I went with The Boss to set his stall up at a local Farmers' Market. A number of the shoots The Bestest Gundog and I work on clash with market days. No guessing where priorities lie - so The Boss is responsible for taking the pork provisions to Market! He was looking forward to

his First Day almost as much as the Dog and I! "Red in the Morning" proved not to be a shepherds warning: the whole day was unseasonably warm and sunny. The picture  above and alongside were taken whilst waiting for the first drive to start. (Wo)men and dogs standing quietly in eager, patient anticipation. The Bestest Gundog displayed an unexpected composure. I thought, as in previous years,  he'd be quivering with excitement. He was excited alright but calm and still with it;  facing his 4th season he knows what's coming and how long it will last and is just totally professional about it. It came home to me sharply that he is now a fully fledged Gundog. There's still  stuff to learn and loads to perfect but there's not a lot he doesn't know.

And throughout the morning, 4 or 5 drives in all, he worked smartly and eagerly - his nose to the ground and his ear on the whistle. My biggest worry was that he would invoke the wrath of the Keeper (whose wrath is prodigious indeed) by 'pegging' a pheasant - catch one on the ground before it had time to get in the air- even more so since this was purely a partridge day! There is only one greater sin a working dog can commit and that is to run straight through the drive! But he behaved as though it never occurred to him -even though once or twice I could tell he was tempted! The drive immediately after lunch was long and, in the heat of the bright sun, exhausting. He crossed me at one point with his breath rasping and his tongue almost on the ground. I should not have let him get in that state and called him to heel immediately. Shamed that I'd not stopped him sooner,  but we humans get carried away on the First Day too. It was close to the end of the drive and we made it slowly back to the Beaters' Bus where he drank and drank and drank and drank. Half an hour later he was back on the beat and pacing himself more carefully.
A serious lesson learned; nailing the technicalities alone does not a working gundog team make methinks... an interesting thought to start the new season.

Wedding Fruits

It's always sad to say 'Good Bye' to piglets. Here's the Precious's Little Fruits watching Moses leave. He's gone  to a good home where there are other pigs and where two young Mangalitza gilts are waiting to become his paramours. He'll want for little we think. Arriving at his new home, the humans went off for a cup of tea, leaving him in his travelling box in the van - when they returned to take him to his quarters he was sitting in the front seat! 

"Wish we'd had a camera" Jim said when we spoke on the 'phone the next day.
Think Moses is going to be alright.

Yesterday it was the turn of Mave and Babe.

They've gone off to newly wed Custodians, Rachelle and her husband.

 They were given Custodianship as a wedding present. Apparently on the wedding day a cuddly pink pig kept appearing in this guest's arms, on that guest's chair, with one of the children..... Rachelle thought it a bit strange but it wasn't till she and her new husband got home that night and found the certificate informing them that "Mave and Babe" were coming to live with them for a few months that the penny dropped!
What a lovely idea.

As soon as they returned from their honeymoon they got in touch with us and came over to select their piglets and yesterday we delivered them. Mave's the red one: she was not at all happy to be in the car and squeaked, squealed, peed and pooed, climbed over Babe, threw herself against the cage sides, ripped up all the paper. I think she's  going to be a handful!

Babe, on the other hand, was as good as gold. Perhaps she's a dumb blonde and was just computing everything - slowly!
Whatever - both little weaners were more than happy to get out of the car and go exploring round their new quarters. They've a unique des.res. - but it didn't interest them at all - least not whilst The Boss and I were watching. Having been indoors since they were weaned they were far more excited by the smells on the ground. Which they lost little time in rootling into. "Don't think that grass swathe is going to last long" said The Boss as we walked back to the car.  "Don't think that Res. is going to look quite so des. once they start their modifications" I thought to myself. For the time being though it'll be nice and snug for them and I'm sure the Humans at Dovecote Farm will soon rustle up a replacement if needs be. Mave and Babe will be well looked after for the next 9 months or so and Rachelle has promised to send us regular updates and photos.

What a lovely way to start married life!

That cat again

It was a glorious afternoon on Sunday. We were sitting out on the terrace having afternoon tea. The niece, who's apparently "crazy about cats" at the moment, had located Puddy Cat and declared her "my perfect cat". Which led to a long discussion about cats. Waifa appeared on the scene, allowed herself to be admired from afar and wandered off when subjected to the possibility of closer attention from a 'stranger'.

The sister-in-law, regaled us with the story of how Lucy, a cat she'd had many years back, had caught a weasel and brought it into the house and that led to a general discussion about wild creatures and weasels in particular. The conversation turned to other matters.
Waifa reappeared in the orchard.

"What's that in her mouth?" exclaimed the sister-in-law. It was something long and thin which swung from side to side as she trotted towards us. Suddenly Pilot's head shot up and he made as if to run towards the cat. I grabbed his collar. The cat disappeared from view - towards the house.
I let go of the dog and ran through the house to the back door. Just in time to witness Waifa climbing in through the porch window. Landing on the floor, she dropped her gift and "miaouwed" cheerfully. "No wonder Pilot smelled that!" I thought to myself, picking it up from the floor. It was a still warm but very dead and extremely smelly weasel.
"Please don't tell us any more stories about what Lucy brought home" I said to the sister-in-law when I re-joined them all and proudly showed off Waifa's treasure.
"Did I ever tell you about the time the cat caught a big white shark?" she asked, smiling mischievously....

Record breaking Lincolnshire Day

 It wasn't just any Farmer's Market Day yesterday. For a start it was Lincolnshire day and there were balloons and smiles everywhere.
Then there was the Town Crier  "Oy Yeh"-ing and proclaiming all over the place. Finally, adding an air of celebrity to the market was the BBC crew filming with Matt Baker all morning. Watch Countryfile on 16 October to see what they were getting up to.
And it was jolly darned hot. 14 degrees when I left home soon after dawn. 30 degrees in the middle of the day and 28.5 degrees here on the Wolds when I returned home.
Far too hot to be selling Pork Provisions, though sell we did - 60% more sausages than usual for a start.

I looked at a representative selection of our family energetically enjoying the sun and decided they had absolutely the right idea. So, G&T in hand, I went out on to the terrace and The Boss and I spent a very pleasant late afternoon hour admiring the view, putting the world to rights and storing up loads of Vitamin D for what we are being warned will be another long, hard winter.
A fitting close to Lincolnshire Day.
(Incidentally:It was also the first day of the Pheasant shooting season - no doubt it will be declared the hottest ever FD): for the first time I was pleased that The Dog and I were not 'on Duty'!)

Not like September

This was Monday evening just before 7pm.
The picture doesn't do it justice but the sky was glowing with pink and purple hues.

Not really like September.

Not September in England.

This was Tuesday around 7pm.
Misty pinks and greys with gold and orange.

Oriental not Lincolnshire.

Not September. Not late September anyway.

This was Tuesday too but just a longer shot.
The mist is hanging heavy over the Trent Valley. The water masses in the lower left hand corner are recent additions to our landscape.
In time they will attract birdlife; already this week ducks have moved in. First one family - then more.
Lapwings should follow in the spring. They like moist land I'm told. These ponds were excavated particularly with them in mind.
They are welcome attractions and will keep us entertained throughout the long winter months as the life around them changes and grows.

Wednesday saw temperatures of 29'C. I was at Market - there was a Carnival air about the town. Shorts and summer dresses everywhere. Not a day for selling pork products really. We sat out on the terrace later, sipped a cooling drink and watched the sun sink lower. After dinner I took this shot through the dining room window. Not like September. Not September in England at all.       Thursday evening was too misty and murky for photos - the heat of the day going down. This evening was golden too - but fleetingly; the sun sank suddenly with little warning. Tonight the sky is crystal clear; each star sharp against the darkness. Tomorrow is another market day: the heat is forecast to be greater still.

Not like September in Lincolnshire. Not like September in England at all.