Piggy Freedom!

The second escape in as many days and the future is suddenly not looking quite so good for the Three Little Pigs and Mrs Pig. Toby and Rosie were met yesterday on their way up the track home from the bus by a bold little pig trotting along on her way down to make her fortune....Rosie was dispatched to get the bucket to shake and foil her Fairy Tale dreams and hence discovered the other escapees standing in the food bin (or what was left of it) munching away. Today I was alerted by a humongous and angry squealing that one piglet had this time tunnelled out in solo bid for food and was attaching the poor decrepit pig nut bin again. Unable to bear the sight of this the others were going mad with jealously and successfully sniped on her. Fifteen frantic bucket shaking, bread roll trail making minutes later and the prisoner is now in with Mr Pig as his was the easiest field to get her into....He's a Happy Mr Pig, especially as we had to bribe him away from the gate by lobbing stale bread buns past him into the field. All very entertaining, especially as I was just back from a very sneezy, itchy (am allergic) riding session and so had on old faded pink dressing gown in preparation for a bath....stunning teamed with long riding boots, the first "appropriate" footwear that came to hand (to foot?).

The wonders of evolution...or some very scared birds.

Today we witnessed the birth of a whole new exciting facet of the Guinea Fowl character.Not something many people can claim I bet. They are in fact homing birds. A talent previously unsuspected and, now I come to think of it not that useful in a group of birds that appears to have forgotten how to fly. They were re housed a couple of weeks ago from the rabbits and guinea pigs run (it is quite big) into a hut in Mr Pigs field. They have spent the intervening time in a small bewildered huddle that moved as one around to peck at grain when the need arouse. Things got more confused for them today when Mr P apparently moved by their plight decided to release them by barging through their wire wall and incidental to the rescue of course, managed to help himself to their grain. We know that he is the guilty party as he has left a Mr P sized hole perfect for identification purposes. The fowl then hot footed (they don't do flying, remember?) it back to their old run which they circled plaintively calling in their inimitable way. It is not really possible to chase them in through the door, nor, as Ginny found out to herd them with the "run and bark" method. So a retreat was effected (in Ginny's case rapidly onto her bed with tail between legs) after tempting rabbit food had been scattered just inside the hut. They do love their rabbit food....and after 20 minutes of so ......Gotcha!

Okay, what else. no skiing today as planned due to fog, boo hoo and then the second attempt to get exercise also partially failed. I took a cycle down to The Loch Fyne Hotel to swim and hence justify our hugely expensive monthly ticket, we could buy a pool for cheaper.This ended in failure as now as well as shutting 2hrs earlier they also shut for lunch...for two hours. The ensuing mental rant saw me all the way home nicely.

More on the car saga:- Turns out the people mentioned yesterday had read all the blog in it's glorious car dissing detail and decided not to go for it. They went to get their deposit back which was duly returned. The manager then told them that they have found £1,200 worth of work needing to be done....we feel so JUSTIFIED in getting rid. I am just so glad that we found out and will not have to forever wonder. Somewhat belatedly I calculated that it has had £6,000 or thereabouts spent on it since last April, luckily not all by us (see last May!). So, anyone else clever enough to track us down...BUYER BEWARE!

PS I am now on Facebook and need to learn to not waste so much time nosing into other peoples lives and photos...sad.

“Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.”

The above quotation has absolutely no relevance but I like it.
We have not had an animal tale for a while so here goes with the latest. One advantage with the early nightfall is that I can now send the offspring out to put the animals to bed. This can be a relatively quick task if all are behaving or a lengthy and dirty task if, well, they are not. There is a crucial window in the twilight zone of too much light, the geese etc refuse to go in the hut and too little one falls over roots, pigs, buckets and anything else unlucky enough to get in the way. Tonight the weather was cold and this is good as the mud is frozen and does not grip the welly in a vice like grip with every squelching halting step. So, Freya and Toby drew the short straws and trudged off first to Mrs Pig and the Piglets. This is the easy bit as the food is lobbed over the fence in the general direction of the trough with is usually covered in heaving, hairy piggy bodies which then get covered in food. No matter, it all gets eaten and then off to the other field where Mr Pig inevitably lurks by the gate. He is still a very gentle pig but HUGE now. He sets off with an enthusiastic trot to his trough as soon as you get in the field and I usually do the decent thing and get the food in the trough ASAP. Next the goats get their food; Poppy likes to pick at the best bits from Mr P and then goes to join Tabitha. The geese/ducks are then chivvied along, so far so good. Hens and the cockerel are usually in (we have a two day old chick in with her/his Mum who hover round the hut all day and so are fine). Then, as instructed the children check that the three older chicks that we hatched out in the incubator are in the hut but there is no sign but an ominous cheeping is coming from under the hut. There is then a few minutes of stretching and torch shining then two chicks are captured and returned to the hut. Eventually I wander out to see what is taking so long and to check on how many children I have left. The last chick is left up to me to capture. By this time Mr P has finished his tea and after investigating the yellow feed bucket noisily has come up to see just what I am doing lying on the frozen mud with both hands under the hut. I think that I did very well to not swear in the precise and terse instructions given to Freya. One well place boot to the neck (his not mine) and he was gently encouraged not to come any closer for the time being. As a footnote to this Mrs P is in season and he is well, a wee bit frustrated and there I will end. Suffice to say all chicks are safe and I escaped unharmed to fight another day. The same could not be said for poor Freya who dropped a large stone on her very cold fingers whilst putting the feed boxes away.

Starry, Starry Night and the Light Fantasic.

At this time of year the darkening evenings are made more evident by the need to lock the birds up before the light drops to a certain level. At the moment this is about 8.15pm but by mid winter will be 4ish. Tonight I was on my ownesome with no one to try to persuade into accompanying me with the result that Mr Pig caused me a few problems as he was trying to get into the Hen House at the same time as I was trying to chivvy an errant hen in through the only open door. He luckily responds to a tap on the snout, luckily as he must weigh almost as much if not more than me. The earlier time means that the dogs get their walk later on which tonight was a pleasure,the afternoon drizzle has cleared beautifully and the stars are magically bright and clear above us. The effect is slightly marred, or enhanced depending on your view point by the bright lights of the Connect Festival 4 miles away to the west. It is quite a contrast depending on a turn of your head. Both my boys are there amongst the excitement tonight. Toby, predictably after having been told to text me every two hours has managed just one which bizarrely said "yes". Garret did manage a bit more contact with one phone call, battling against a dodgy connection and the noise with the news that he had caught a glimpse of son and heir and he is having fun...hmmmmmmmm.
I am official taxi driver tonight so Garret can give a considered opinion on the Loch Fyne Whisky on offer (amongst other things). This for a girl who likes to be asleep by 10pm is more of a sacrifice than most would imagine.I have done all the jobs and even brushed my teeth so as to save time between killing the car engine and sleepy time, I did contemplate putting on my dressing gown and pink slippers but best not. Toby would never forgive me (will be taxing various mates home too I suspect).