What's on the agenda today?

This is the first question every morning. Just so we can get ourselves and the day organised and know what needs doing. Usually there's quite a lot going on but yesterday the answer was "not alot" - so we planned for a quiet day.


Should've known better.....


Taking Gunner & Pilot for their routine morning walk, luckily (?) decided to go via the pigs to the Church Field. Mistake. Noticed an extra large - and very recent - wallow in the corner of the Little Chefs' pen. On closer inspection discovered the reason was they had demolished their automatic water drinker.... consequently water was spouting out horizontally at the rate of a bucket per second.... nice wallow-machine! "Thank you" said Mangal who was benefiting from the overflow...
Close inspection failed to discover the missing parts - metal and plastic bits either swallowed in the wallow or by the Chefs.
Nothing for it but to dispatch Big Boss to purchase replacement spares. When they arrive, one part is not exactly same size so have to dismantle one of Lily's drinkers and then repair Chefs' supply.
One hour later...... all restored to normal. Except now Clyde decides to take on Hugh through the dividing fence - not a good idea since Hugh is 4 x Clyde's size but of course the little one doesn't know cos he's always been the only boy in the playground. He got a few mean nips and eventually - thankfully - gave up.
Meanwhile DHL deliver the new Tennessee Smoker. Easy to assemble so the Boss can smoke his own bacon, sausages, ham etc.
Two hours later....... and we still haven't managed to secure the thermometer "with the clamp supplied". The whole thing was made in China so I guess that's their bit of fun - a Chinese Puzzle for the customers.
Luckily the large Igloo cooler which arrived in the morning needs no assembly..... this we need, I understand, because we are now going into local deliveries and - with the prospect of a blisteringly hot summer which we have been promised -we need something to keep all the pork victuals cool en route.
The end of the afternoon in sight and the (for the third time) promised ark delivery not materialising I decide to take a shower whilst the Boss attends to the piggies. The chap from Channel 4 TV rang again about the film (more of which another day) and I thought, eventually dripping out of the cubicle to answer, that the Boss was taking an inordinately long time... shortly after, a voice calls out from downstairs -- "I say, have you got a moment? Clyde's gone through to Mangal's pen...."
So, from Shower to Pigs in 25 seconds....... give Mangal more food to distract him, hop over gate into his pen and diplomatically (the only way with bumptious piglets) persuade Clyde that he really does want to go back to his sister through the gate which the Boss is holding open before Mangal finishes his dinner and comes to investigate...... Not that Mangal is in the least bit nasty but his tusks are now of a size where they are very much to be respected......
Breathe sighs of relief as everyone is safely back in the right place. Secure holes in fence and gates ... pop in to Poultry Palace on the way past and smile at the sight of the first duckling stumbling around...... Aaahhh
Unfortunately not there the next morning..... but Gunner brings me a fledgeling thrush instead. I put it back by its nest: he retrieves it again. Now it's in Max's stable and I'm running out of places to find worms and bugs to keep it growing till it's strong enough to fly away.....
Never a dull moment......