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 .....