Sunday, May 25, 2008

Over the Hills and Far Away.

Duchesse and Blossom enjoyed the chicken run for at least four hours. They chased the chickens, uprooted the Buddlia and "pigged out" on chicken food.
Back to the stable they went and a temporary playpen of stakes and stockproof fencing was built.
Come the evening, just as the last of my supper guests were walking in the gate someone said in a vaguely perplexed manner, "there's a pig walking up your lawn!"
Greater friendship there is not than sitting on the composter to prevent it's uprooting by an energetic Blossom. Thank you Sally! Back to the secure stable they went.
Next morning using the croquet hoops in a manner clearly unlike the manner for which they were invented, the stockproof fencing was securely fastened down. Again!
Oh how those little pigs laughed. In less than two hours they had worked out how to hitch it up with their adorable little snouts and were busily trotting down the lawn again.
Their tenacity is surely matched only by the prisoner in The Shawshank Redemption.
Back to the stable they go. Tomorrow we will think again.
Watch this space.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Pigs on the Move.

The floods of yesteryear have left the paddock very green. Sadly closer inspection proves that it is supporting the most luxurious crops of docks ever seen in the county. The odd sparse blade of grass peers out forlornly.
Happily an amiable young man, Neil, will deal death to the docks using his quadbike sprayer when the conditions are right! ie. still air with no rain.

Step one remove the pigs. Since it is a known fact that they will do anything for a ripe banana, with my heart in my mouth, I carefully lead them out of the paddock, through the garden, along the drive, where they find the shingle hard going, up the road, fortuitously clear of traffic, and into my very obliging neighbour's orchard. It goes more smoothly than I have any right to expect.

They promptly rugby tackle his chicken feeder and gorge on chicken food, the ducks and hens looking on in consternation. The following day, due to over vigorous use as a back scratcher his bench collapses. They also have really good wallow in the duck pond. The usual inhabitants consider this a breach of good manners.

The wind gets up. Next day it can only be described as brisk. The next day it rains. The rains stops, the wind returns and so it goes on.

After four days I give up and lovingly return Duchess and Blossom to the paddock.
Tomorrow will doubtless be perfect spraying weather, They can go in the chicken run, there is a limit to what one can expect of a neighbour!