The weight of responsibility....

"By now, everybody knows I have an Understudy. My 6th (that's 42nd in dog years) birthday is coming up in March. The Understudy will be 6 months old (or 3 and a half in dog years) by then. It'll probably take him till he's 2  (14 in dog years) to learn to be a gundog proper but by then I shall be 8 (56 in dog years) so he'll have to be fit to work by then to take some of the load of me -- She who must be obeyed tells me this and I suppose I have to believe her since I only know what I know now. Based on today's experience however, I think he's gonna be a serious member of The Bestest Gudog's Team well before that. It's my job to guide him in the right direction to achieve that.

 He's just a few days over 5 months old and till today has never left home territory. However, I had to go to the Vet to have a check-up on my sore paw so we took him along for the ride! Well, he needs worming and for that needed weighing and She thought it was easiest to use the vet's scales to do that.
She was a little worried about his lead behaviour: at home till now he's always wriggled and squiggled and fallen flat on the ground after a few steps. Well, he sat in the back of the car and waited as told till She put his lead on and then he got out and walked beside me (like I told him) all the way to the Vet's in a totally straight line. Then he sat still in the waiting room(beside me like I told him) as if he'd been there boring times before. After being weighed (14.65 kg , - and thanks for asking, my paw claw is healing up nicely as long as I don't go back to work this season... but that's another story) we took him for a walk around the market place and - apart from staring at some strange looking people (well, he's too young to have learned discretion) he behaved (following my example scarily accurately) like a Grown Up Dog. After that he was allowed to go into the animal feed merchant store without me and, again, he behaved (and he found some goody treats someone had dropped on the floor so now he thinks that's the reason for going into the store.....).  He won't carry on learning at this speed - that'd be too scary - but for now She and Me are both optimistic that he's gonna be worth having around for hunting, flushing and 'trieving. The best bit was, cos He was so good, She bought us both a Special Treat (him for behaving so well and me for showing him so clearly). Being a Mentor to the Understudy is a big responsibility but a chap could get used to this.
Meanwhile, he starts proper school next month.... then we'll see what he's really made of...."

Deja Vu?

Snowy yew

Last week we had snow. The food delivery man couldn't get to us because he was stuck in the snow somewhere. This week we have snow and the food delivery man can't get to us again... this time because he couldn't get down our drive.

This had better not continue!

United front

Last week the snow didn't stop the veg. collection. Subsequent snowfalls and freezing nights since then, coupled with driving easterly breezes, have now made our drive impassable. So - no vegetables this week- yet.
As you can see, the pigs are not amused.
Luckily we stocked up on hard feed in anticipation. So they won't starve.

What a Boar!

The Mighty Mangal looks as though he might have a thing or two to say about the weather too. He doesn't realise that the snow perfectly frames his elegant proportions. Not a vain hair on his whole torso though (actually, there's not much hair on it at all!)..... He could tell the youngsters a thing or two - if only they'd listen. He knows it'll not be long before all the white stuff turns muddy brown again......

Water spaniel

Meanwhile, the Understudy has continued to attend well to his Gunner's teachings. He is still enchanted by the snow but finds it less tiring the longer he practises! His little nose is into everything and there's not much he misses.
He achieved his first live retrieve this morning - unofficially and self-determined. However, it proves that he's not averse to picking up birds and, more to the point, giving them to me!

 Jaunty's first (unofficial)live retrieve

Hopefully we will be able to harness this natural talent throughout his training.......

Snow tired...

We have had some snow. The forecast was right for once - it started Sunday evening, carried on through the night and, on and off, throughout yesterday. By nightfall it was quite substantial. The supermarket delivery van couldn't get here: "stuck in the snow" several miles away and today the organic vegetable delivery man didn't want to risk coming down the drive so left the box up by the road. Technically then we're snowed in! I can't count on one hand the number of times I slipped over whilst 'doing' the animals this morning....... great fun. Well, you gotta laugh haven't you.     

Jaunty provided more cause for laughter. He was fascinated by the falling snow: first he tried to catch it but was puzzled when it disappeared and left nothing in his mouth. Then he followed the flakes as they fell to ground and was mystified as to where they had gone - why couldn't he find them? He snuffled and dug and pawed everywhere but not a flake in sight. As I walked he watched the snow kicked up by my boots and tried to catch it as he ran backwards in front of me - amazing that we didn't fall in a heap over each other.
 He spent nearly all yesterday afternoon hunting

for flakes under the snow - Gunner just looked on with that "What d'you expect from a puppy?" demeanour. Come this morning I think Jaunty was determined to 'find' it --- he scampered all over the place, looking in every corner, under every lump and bump till in the end he'd completely worn himself out. When I called him, he didn't come. He always comes when called. I got worried & whistled him. He comes faster than The Bestest Gundog when I whistle. Still no pupski. I started to imagine silly scenarios and went hastily from field to barn -and got there in time to see him come scampering out and stand looking about as if to 'hear' where the whistle came from.
Relief! He was just tired out. He jumped up and down (Zebedee is his middle name) with glee, licked my hand on the way and ran back into the barn and jumped up on the feed sacks - one of his 'safe' places! He was just snow tired.
When we came in he ran straight in his 'box' and slept soundly for the next three hours! He may be growing fast but he's still a pup.....

New Mums - update

Victoria enjoying her dinner

Victoria has turned into a handsome sow and has taken very well to motherhood. As we'd expect from a first-timer she is very protective of her little ones; we don't get to see too much of them - just three sleepy little things huddled up on a pad of hay in the corner of the stalls. Clearly that is her instruction to them but I hope they'll develop a little more courage soon and trust themselves to run around whether humans are about or not.
Meanwhile, mum tucks into whatever food she gets with great gusto. It's not doing her any harm...... she has a beautiful blonde coat and is an excellent example of  the breed. I suspect though that she will need to go on a diet in the
not too distant future!

The climbing frame, commonly known as Truffle

In the Barn Truffle too has settled well into
motherhood - it's her third litter so she knows well what to expect. Her brood are far more lively and advanced than Victoria's. They spend a fair bit of their waking time clambering all over, under and round mum. Not only that but on Wednesday, at just over a week old, three of them were already finding their way under the hurdles, out of the barn and into the sunshine (Yes! we did have some that day). They must have scampered back and told their siblings about it because the next day there were 6 of them running around - but in the murky gloomy fog this time. It'll not be too long before they are wandering off on adventures and visiting all their extended family........

Welcome little ones!

... Here they are... at three days old... three little pigglies.... They are still very shy and Victoria, kind though she is, gets very fretted if I try and get closer ... so we'll just have to hang on a few days till they're a little more independent.
Truffle's young brood, meanwhile, are merrily trotting all over their pen and I imagine it will not be long before they are causing real havoc...... pictures of them to follow soon...

...And Again....

Congratulations......To Victoria and Banana - three tiny squiglets - farrowed in the early hours of this morning. It's a first for both of them. Mother was far too anxious to allow paparrazi in the immediate aftermath. Hopefully she'll have calmed down enough tomorrow to allow a family portrait.........  watch this space......

Breaking News!

To Truffle & Samson - their first family together and the first piglets to be born at Rectoryreserve in 2013 - and I could have sworn that Victoria would farrow ahead of  Truffle!
"We're having piglets" I said to Gunner & Jaunty when we went out to shut up the chickens after dark.
Gunner, clever chap that he is, hearing the unmistakeable sounds, ran round to the small open window that faces out onto the Walnut Tree lawn... "C'mon Jaunty" he seemed to say "follow me; I'll show you what that noise is all about!" Jaunty obliged - but there wasn't much of a view there so The Bestest Gundog quickly ran round to the still open barn door - hotly pursued by his Understudy. And me. I shut the door so the new family could get acquainted without peering noses. Truffle was already grunting at the disturbance so we left the 7 little bodies clambering and squiggling and looking for the most convenient teat.....
Back in the house: "Guess who's having piglets?" I said to the Big Boss.
"Truffle" he replied without hesitation.
So I texted Linda: "Guess who's having piglets?"
"Truffle" came the reply within minutes.
(So, did nobodyelse think Victoria would be first?)
"Why u so smart?" I texted back and, as an afterthought "Guess how many?"
"7" came the response.
I think she and Truffle have been colluding......