Oh my goodness! So long since I have posted! I can only apologise. Somehow, now that winter is here, I find myself with less time to get things done, including things like blogging. Seems all day I am in a mad rush to get jobs done before the sun goes down, and once it does, I am in a mad rush to get inside jobs done before bed. Next thing you know, months have flown by!
Things on the farm are good. It has turned frosty and cold and rumour has it snow is to be on our doorsteps next week. Beast from the East I have heard it called. Not sure I like the sound of that!
We have sent six of our original pigs to slaughter last week and will be getting the pork back this week. We kept three pigs back to fatten for bacon and sausage. People ask me if I am sad when the pigs go but truth is, not really. Although I love taking care of the pigs, I don't have a lot of free time to bond with them, and at the end of the day, they cost a lot of money to raise. When they go I know not only am I going to get some super yummy pork in return, but some money! We managed to sell most of the pork in advance and next week we are having a pork party to sell the rest. I am really excited! When I do take the pigs to slaughter, I made sure it was some place where it would be done right as they got off the trailer and done as humanly as possible. I am sure if I thought about what I was doing on a very deep level I would feel different, but luckily I don't have the time or energy to do that!
We have replaced the six we have sent off with 8 new weaners. SO CUTE. Oh my God, if I had time I would try and play with them all day! We got Gloucester Old Spots again, as they are lovely pigs, and Oxford Sandy and Blacks, as we are very near to Oxford. They are settling in well and I love catching glimpses of them all throughout the day.
Howdy however isn't that keen on them and won't go near. I was kind of hoping he would go in and play with them, but nope, he keeps his distance.
Cows are also doing well and we have hired a boar to mate with our females. So far he is being a perfect gentleman. Although last night I did hear an awful lot of bellowing so maybe he was getting a little friendly with Nigella, our resident bellower. (our other female is called Delia) The other cows are very quite. The two calves are gorgeous and love to chase Howdy when we go for walks around their paddock. Howdy kinda of looks at them as if to say, I'm a dog! I'm too small to play with you!
I can normally access Martins photos on this computer but for some reason the application is broken so you are stuck with my boring ones. I will try and take some more interesting ones before my next blog update, which will not be in months time! Promise!
