Lazy Sunday afternoon

 It's been a lazy, hazy, crazy sunny weekend. No markets, no events, no hassle, no panic ------ and not a single cloud in the sky. All weekend.
So we declared it a "holiday", flung open the French doors and did as little as necessary......
And every creature's been joining in.
Waifa found something really nice and smelly in the gravel and rubbed and scratched up against it for ages (Linda says it was probably Catnip).  After she went away, many scratchings and purrings later, Puddy Cat had a sniff and then she started rubbing and purring and rolling. For ages.
All very odd behaviour for cats. Well, for our cats.
We put it down to the sun.
The pigs were lazing around too. After weeks of

wishing the rain would stop so their pens would dry out, they are now rock hard -like craters of the moon. So, naturally, we have been pouring buckets of water into holes which they then dig out into wallows full of sloppy mud. Samson very sweetly rolled in his and then shook all the mud off - all over Yours Truly. Nice one Samson.The little Racecourses have been running around everywhere, spending hardly any time at home with Ginger - I don't think there's a corner of the Estate they haven't visited.... She's not bothered - just dozes till they get home. We'll be weaning them at the end of the week, which is a pity cos it's so diverting to keep bumping into them. When they get tired they just collapse  in a cool spot - a water bowl is just the thing on a hot afternoon...... or  maybe under a truck ... as long as it's somewhere shady and quiet. Alongside Mangal's pen is another favourite spot - and there's always a chance The Mighty Boar might stir from his slumbers and share some wise and wonderful words.......   All in all, everyone's been feeling quite mellow and chilled. There has been one exciting frisson - concerning The Bestest Gundog - but we'll save that tale for another day..... it's not a matter to be glossed over en passent!  Now the weekend and the sun are both gone and

our minds are once again turning to more serious matters. The next few weekends are crazy busy with Events as well as the usual Farmer's Markets on weekdays - although a revision to the schedule is on the cards - and then this afternoon The Big Boss set in motion the wheels of progress once more ---- the next Big Development for the Pork Provisioner is easing off the drawing board and into Reality. But, as we all know, nothing grows by standing still.....
Not even little piggies........

AKA Lightening

"I'm a proper working dog - as you can see. When it comes to that time of year there's nothing stops me - I'll work all the hours I'm asked, and a few more besides. It's not something I have to think about. It's just what I am and what I do. Over the past four seasons I've worked over 150 days. That's a lot of miles run and a lot of birds found and fetched.
But when the season ends, I rest. And wait - patiently.
I spend a lot of time dozing in my favourite chairs. Dreaming. The nearest thing to work that I do is keep an eye on all the little trotters; that takes a lot of concentration and effort but only in spurts - a few weeks at a time and then they're put in their place and it all goes quiet again.

"And then I can relax in one of my favourite places again. And dream.....
But this year after the Season ended She Who Must Be Obeyed decided we had to "do" something. Good for my brain she said? Hmph.
So, every Saturday afternoon when she's home (which thankfully - in the nicest possible way - is not every week) she takes me off to *training*.
Well, to be honest, I thought we'd done with that ages ago. Yeh, I know, she likes to keep me on my toes (and on her whistle) with a few things to find and lessons to do most days but that's all just fun and jolly easy compared with real stuff (though she likes to try and make it hard).
I had such a shock when we went first time and

I saw Him-the-trainer again. What? Him? Why? What have I done wrong? That's what I thought. And to make it worse, until today there's always a load of Labradors there and they're just not my favourite people. They're either boring or bolshy; either way, not fun or friendly. Apart from Amy. But she's an exception. Anyway, training with a bunch of labradors is not my idea of a fun Saturday afternoon. However, to please She Who Must be, I do all I'm asked or expected to - but since I can't really understand the point of it (after all, I've learned ALL my lessons)- I do it VERY slowly and carefully. I'm not an exhibitionist at the best of times so having to DO things in front of a crowd
is just so not my thing. It's a bit like being in a bad dream and I think if I go slowly enough I'll wake up and it'll all be over. Since I can do all the things the others are being trained to do, I do it but I do it in my very slow, careful and deliberate way. No need to rush. After each of us has done our bit we have to sit around for ages waiting for everyone else to do their bit and some of them are just so naughty or silly or dumb and take ages to get it right - it gets really boooring. But she insists it's good for me so I do it to keep her happy (which is my second job in life). And, actually, this afternoon we went to the lakeside and had a bit of a swim and there was a nice spaniel bitch there who we've not seen before and a very naughty young cocker ... so it wasn't quite so bad and I did perk up a bit.(Perhaps things are looking up?) Even so, I think it's a bit off when He-the-Trainer says  to her - "Ok send Lightening for that". After all, I woke from my best sleep to go there. Respect is not too much to ask is it? So even if things are looking up a bit, speeding up is not yet on the agenda. I'll do all she asks, I'll not let her down but I'm saving my energy for the Real Thing. Lightening indeed.

Going -- Bananas

 These are the three bananas. Truffle's litter born in January. They've been in the barn for the past 10 weeks or so. Considering they started out very wary of humans, they've turned into very friendly little chaps who love having their tummies tickled - especially if there's a banana in there. The littlest one - hanging back in this photo - was particularly undersized when he arrived. So much so that we assumed he was a she.  We half expected her-him not to survive. Truffle had this litter away from here where she was visiting a boar; they grew up surrrounded by lots of other pigs and, we assume, had to fight for their feed; littlest one was the runt and not able to fight for himself so, when we collected them after weaning, he was seriously under-developed with crooked back legs which would hardly bear his weight. Weak & wobbly he was doubly wary of humans and only very gradually learned to trust  --- all thanks to Linda and Bananas....They wouldn't come anywhere near us; but gradually they'd gingerly come over for a little nibble of Linda's banana. Littlest one developed a taste for them first. Then, after bananas he'd eat his food. Eventually it was a banana a day until, when Linda was on a day off, a banana or two would be left for them on the table in the feed room. I swear they could smell them: they'd wait patiently till the banana appeared and then squabble amongst each other for the bits.... I supposed we've spoiled them a bit - quite a bit. Littlest one ate and ate and eventually grew to a size where we have had to look twice - almost - to distinguish which was him and which his brother. We've been keeping them indoors
long beyond when we needed to - but we used the wet

weather as our excuse: "too cold to put them out" or "too muddy still to put them out" we kept saying. But it's been fine and dry for a week now and they've been grabbing every opportunity to lie down in the littlest bit of sunshine streaming into the barn. We realised we were keeping them in for our benefit not theirs. It was high time they went out. So this afternoon, out they went. Littlest one was reluctant to leave the safety of the barn and load into the trailer for the short journey to the field, but when he got there he and his bigger blonde brother ignored their food and rushed straight up to Samson and Andromeda to say hello - leaving swallowbelly tucking into his food in the sunshine. He'll grow to be a big boar. In fact he looks just like Mangal did at that age..... Which was probalby what Mangal was thinking as he looked on..... I'm just hoping that when breafast is served tomorrow morning they will all be safe and sound and in the right pen .... otherwise it'll be me going bananas to sort them out.....

Just on time delivery

 It's taken a bit longer than planned to get round to the full story of Delila's latest Delivery! Life gets in the way sometimes....
It was exactly a week ago today, during the Thursday Club (the weekly get together for a gossip over a glass or two of wine) that Linda told us she'd had a word with Delila because "tomorrow is THE day". Well, we pulled her leg and had a bit of a joke about it and then continued gossiping about other matters.
Friday at going home time, The Boss and I were packing up for market when Linda came in and, after a few minutes of patient conversation, announced: "Well, what did I tell you: Delila's absolutely on time; three piglets as of 5 minutes ago!"
Sure enough, exactly three months, three weeks, three days and the same hours and minutes no doubt, after The DEED was done (and recorded) Delila delivered her latest litter. Talk about on time!
"You'd better hang on and have a drink and then go count again in a little while" The Boss said.  Apparently on the occasion of Ginger's "filmed" delivery (for The 'F' Word - which in the event ended up on the cutting room floor) it had taken 40 minutes from first to last piglet.
So after half an hour or so Linda popped out to check and returned to announce ------ "4 piglets happily suckling" and nothing much else to be seen. We were all a little bit disappointed - then rationalised that perhaps there were more who were hidden by the ones we could see.....
The Boss and I were both off to market at the crack of dawn the following day so it wasn't till we returned late in the afternoon that we learned that was indeed the case and the final count was 7 - three red and four blonde.
They're a bonny bunch - as Delila's always are: these pictures were taken on Monday morning so not even three days old and they were already queueing to get out of the ark. Another couple of weeks and they will be all over the place..... that'll be fun..... and Just in time: we'll be weaning Ginger's little Racecourses by then. No time to miss being followed around by the one lot before the next lot are taking their place..... always so quiet and peaceful here............

Back on duty

 I know we're supposed to be talking about the new piglets but there's plenty of time for them.... this lot here are the 4 week old 'Racecourses' (born on Grand National day) and we've all been getting just a little agitated that they were not brave enough to leave  their Ma's pen. We always reckon to have them out and about from 3 weeks onwards - the humans plan accordingly (shutting doors to places piglets shouldn't go; making sure feed is out of reach; putting up signs to warn passers-by of 'piglets-at-large'). There's a bit of strategic planning in there too - if piglets leave ma and get used to wandering it makes weaning so much simpler they say.
 I've been peering at them through the fence for days, telling them to come on out and play but they wouldn't. So holes had to be made - holes large enough for dumb piglets to see thru; and that didn't work. So Ma put a bowl of feed on the other side of the hole this afternoon - and that certainly worked. In no time at all piglets were EVERYwhere - up with the Big Black Mangal, down by the stables pinching the asparagus She had just picked, round by the hens, in the hay store - honestly, you'd have thought they'd been running about the place for days not just minutes.... and then, bold as brass, 'trot-trot-trot' they went, past the garages and towards the Main House. Well! I can tell you, I had my paws full keeping them in order. They're not quite sure whether I'm friend or leader - one moment they're eyeing me up suspiciously and the next they're nibbling my paws and poking my face....... She tells me to "Sit quiet" but it's as much as I can do to stop from poking back at them. Keeping them in order is no mean paw... and as for when they discovered water.................well, I can tell you, it was almost impossible not to charge them and send them back to their mother...... it's going to be like this for days and days and days and days..... that's my summer break over I suppose. And still everyone just wants to know about the New Lot. Well, let me tell you - even when everyone else is looking at them I shall still have to be here looking after Ginger's unruly brood.... Ah me: Once a working dog, always a working dog.............."

Piglets or no we's busy

Every now and then the Pork Provisioner gets a little carried away with the need to convince the general populace that Curly Coat pork is "just what they most need" - particularly in these times of restraint and recreational phobia..... Thus it was that this past weekend we have been to three markets in two days. Saturday saw us at Caistor - a lovely little market town at the end of the old Roman Road known hereabouts as The Caister High Road. The farmers market is set around the picturesque market place which, on Saturday in the sunshine, conveyed an air of almost mediterranean cool-ness ---- coffee tables out in the square and traders bantering with their willing customers whilst musicians strummed away in the background. We were also a little further north at Barton-on-Humber - as the sign says "Last turn off before the Humber Bridge" (ie: if you're not careful you'll find yourself in Yorkshire) and another characterful market town. Interestingly perhaps the setting for one of the country's most popular annual gatherings of motobikerfolks.. luckily not this weekend!  The sun also shone - unlike when we were here a month ago --- when, by the by, it was Grand National Day. Our stall is located directly opposite the William Hill Betting Emporium and, last time -the Grand National being a 'National Treasure' - everyone seemed to dispose their income in the Bookies rather that at market...Add to that the fact that it was a miserable cold day and it's not difficult to understand why it was not one of our best ---by a long chalk....

So, how refreshing to return a month later - sun shining and a gently breeze blowing - to find the townsfolk willing to welcome us with open arms (and appetites).

On Sunday we were at Alford Manor - once a Genteel Town Home - now a Rural Museum - for the annual Food & Drink Fair. Again, the sun shone - not too strongly, and the wind did blow - sometimes too strongly and a good time was had by all - in a rather laconic, rural way. A harpist strummed gently in the background and our stall was sheltered by a magnificent copper beech tree thought to be c.400 years old: a sobering thought, RectoryReserve is c. 4 years old... still a long way to grow then.....
We're grateful to our customers who repaid the hard work,sleepless nights and early mornings and made it all worthwhile - not a relaxing weekend by any means but certainly an interesting one..... and, hopefully, we'll get to see Delila's piglets (3 red and 4 blonde, Linda says) tomorrow..... pictures and full story to follow..... busy or no........

PS to the previous

And the number is...................... lucky 7.... Delila's such a clever girl -- full story and piccies to follow soonest .......

Hold the front page

To Delila and Samson..... several piglets... born this afternoon between 4 and 6 pm.... full details and photos to follow soonest......

Delinquent turns pandemonium

On 23 March 2010 Delila gave birth to a litter by Clyde (ex. Precious & Tang) which soon acquired the moniker of 'Delila's Delinquents' - for obvious reason: they were always out and about in the furthermost reaches of RectoryReserve and always up to no good. Followers of Bestestgundog on Twitter will see her and her littermates as the background to his profile page!
Be that as it may, Andromeda grew into a handsome young lady and, being of interesting bloodlines, we decided to send her across to the Nice Mr Thomas who had bought J.D. from us: J.D. (Jack Daniels of the Little Tots Litter was of a different bloodline from Samson & Mangal) was a nice young boar and gave her two litters, the last being born just two months back. Andromeda's developed her 'delinquent' tendencies whilst she's been away from Rectory Reserve. "She's jumped out of her pen" the Nice Mr Thomas informed us the day before she was due to farrow. "She's re-united herself with her piglets" he told us after he'd weaned her from them! Inbetween she'd climbed numerous fences to get where she wanted to go.  We had been warned.
We brought her home on Tuesday. She loaded straight from her pen, totally disregarding her piglets and best pal. She came straight off this end. "Can't understand why she got such a reputation" I thought to myself.
It was a lovely afternoon. We all admired her greatly:beautiful black curly coat, lovely big ears, compact build. Samson wasn't impressed.  But all the other boys were.
"They're all vying for her attention!" Linda reported later...... Later still I walked the dogs past their pen. One of the younger boys had got through the fence to Andromeda & Samson's quarters. Samson was nowhere to be seen. He knows when to exert his authority and it wasn't just yet!
Returning from our walk, all the pigs appeared to be in the right place.
Not what I saw this morning. All the wrong pigs were in the wrong places: Andromeda in with 5 young boys; then 3 younger boys in with 5 young boys and Andromeda : then Andromeda back with Samson; and everyone yelling and squealing for attention - or breakfast, which is much the same thing in early-morning-pigworld! Half an hour and some fence repairing later peace was restored. "Call that Pandemonium?" remarked The Big Boss when I reported to him over breakfast: "All sounds pretty tame to me!" "Well you weren't in the thick of it!" I thought to myself.....
Explaining events to Linda later in the day, we agreed the boys would have to move. We can't risk the Delinquent coming into season and attracting their attention - not to mention causing a riot - then. So they've been moved back to the formerly-rejected-as-too-muddy pen prior to being moved off-site (hopefully) at the end of the week.
That'll calm the Delinquent down and end the Pandemonium - I hope. And anyway, Samson was making up to her later this afternoon.... and took her home to his ark..... he's such a nice Boar..... and didn't at all seem to mind that the Beautiful Black Pig had been transformed overnight into the dreadfully muddy sow he saw this morning.....................

See that fence...?

 Chepstow, Aintree, Plumpton, Bangor and Rasen are over three weeks old now and it's time they let go of Ginger's curls and made their way into the big wide RectoryReserve world.... It's time for school. They need to get out and about, visit with their aunts, uncles and cousins and learn all the ancient piglore from the Mouth of the Big Boar (aka Mangal) and his mates. So Ginger's been taking them walkabout, looking for suitable exit (and re-entry) points in the fence. Trouble is, with all the rain we've been having, the perimeter fences are very inhospitable muddy places where piglets don't want to go. Can't blame them either. Nonetheless, Ginger's giving them  instruction and courage and it'll not be long before  we have to post up the sign on the bridleway warning

passers-by not to worry about piglets following them along their path! If we had a £ for every person who took the time to tell us they were being followed, or that there were piglets on our drive or lawn we'd be very happy indeed!
Meanwhile the little ones are playing around in their house and giving Ginger a hard time, even starting to eat her food - which makes her more determined to get them out of her hair for a few hours. If they don't soon find a way out it'll be a case of : "See that fence? Wheeehheeehhee over you go!" as she tosses them out!
No wonder they're looking longingly out at the world..... they want the rain to stop as much as we all do......

Precious Meanderings

When the sow has been with the boar for long enough - 5 or 6 weeks or so - it's time for her to move. So on Friday morning, as I gave Precious her veg for breakfast I explained that she was being short-rationed cos she was moving away from Samson in the afternoon. Later I gathered that Linda had said something similar the evening before at Tea time. "If you move Precious before I get back" said The Big Boss as he left to go to the butcher  later in the afternoon "it would not upset me!" When he got back a couple of hours later and it was raining - again- and we said "Job done - Precious moved" He was most impressed. We didn't even get the 4x4 wet.
 "I was moving plants in the orchard" Said Con, the gardener, "and this shadow went past me: I looked and it was Precious going down to the Playpen to see the girls".. He was a little stunned but he's been here a while - he had the presence of mind to identify that it was Precious and to call her and lead her towards her own pen --- which is where she wanted to go!

Regular readers will recall that she's done this before when she'd decided it was Time to Leave Samson. A couple of years ago she climbed over the fence, thru' the hedge, along the bridleway, back through the hedge and down to her own pen - but it was late at night. This time she went under the fence and then followed the same route - but since it was middle of the afternoon it was easier to find someone to open the door to her pen.  Samson was not in the least concerned: he looked at the hole she'd made under the fence then walked off and got on with some serious rootling for food. "Time she left anyhow" he probably thought. He may be  right. We are bringing Andromeda home for him next week.  He'll be happy --- but he doesn't know that yet.... but he's going to be a very happy piggy..... And Precious is very happy to be home in her own space again. She must be the smartest sow in town ..... sno mindless meanderings for her - she knows precisely what she is doing and where she is going... clever girl........

Where have al the swallows gone????????????

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 Most years, by now the summer visitors have arrived. We hear them usually when we're mucking out the stables. First one - a scout - arrives to check out the territory. A few days later two or three or more arrive and then suddenly overnight they are everywhere: cherrurp-cheerrup-cheerrrup-cheeeerrurping as they dart here and there, to and fro, round and round investigating possible nesting places. They're like anxious young househunters - checking out little details, not wanting to miss anything; "Quick! Quick! Look! Look!" they seem to call to each other. After a few days' darting about they make up their minds on a suitable des res. Then it's building time: has anyone ever counted the number of journeys it takes a pair of swallows to build their nest? All those beaks full of mud and teensy bits of  vegetation? All that poking and sticking, moulding and smoothing? So very much work.
Sometimes they're here in March, usually in April but never this late before.Often they'll refurbish a nest from a previous year which makes us wonder if they're birds which fledged here: has anyone ever tagged a swallow?

They'll spend the rest of the summer in one place, often raising two or three clutches. We watch their progress and, with it, mark the passing of long, lazy summer days. As the last clutch of fledgelings begins the frantic flying lessons between the beams we know that Autumn has come and, when the last ones leave - suddenly and without ceremony - the silent eaves remind us that winter is not far away.             What will happen if the rain remains and there are no flies? Will the swallows stay away? And if there are no swallows will there still be summer? How shall we remark the passing days? Time won't stand still but how shall we count it off?   

No. The weather will change.

The flies will come and, after them the swallows.

They will, won't they?

Somebody?