Blimey!

Over 400 hits on my blog! Amazing! I do realise that probably 370 are me, checking to see how many hits I've had, maybe 10 are Malc, my fellow pig pal who lives in the middle of nowhere. Well, on the edge of it actually. Then maybe 10 are my friend Claire & the other 10 are my little fairy friend in Edinburgh. Honestly though, I really do find it amazing that possible 'strangers' are reading this along with the very few I know of - you might think I'm just being insincere when I say this, but I really am very grateful to everyone (Malc, Fairy, Claire (!!)) who is reading this.

Anyway, back to the pigs. I love 'em! They're being so good lately. They make absolutely no mess in their barn, except for scattering their straw everywhere but that's not a big deal to pitch fork back in place a couple of times a day & they're being very nice to me whenever I go in with them. I reckon someone's been whispering in their ear my intentions & they're trying to win me over.... Whatever the reason, they're very happy now & Malc if you're reading - you'd bloody better be - once you get your pen sorted, I reckon Eric & Ern will be different pigs. It's really made a difference to me. I feel like I've been made a bit redundant to be honest! If I hang around after they've been fed & watered, they just look at me as if I'm in the way! Ahh, little Edward (can you tell by now that he's my favourite - I know a mother shouldn't have favourites, but until I develop trotters I'm not really their mother, am I?) always comes up to me, even while there's still food in their trough and gives me a little sniff & a honk. I do think they honk rather than oink most of the time. Actually, 'honk' & 'yip' - they tend to be their greetings of choice. The yip is generally when I'm taking my time filling their trough & they both head butt the bowl I put the feed in as if to try to hurry me up. I've had to break the ice on top of their waters since I put them outside - although we've had glorious sunny days, the nights have been below freezing.

I was busy doing nothing all day yesterday (as promised), well, we went to the beach with Buddy & his friend Baz, a beautiful whippet who's owned by a friend who lives up in the village. We also went on a date - yes, I know, another one - maybe he's going to propose soon - last night to see Juno. Can recommend it for anybody who likes the cinema. I've also been busy today - had to go to the 'proper' job this afternoon. Tomorrow I'm here all day so you can bet it's going to rain.

Jeff & I are trying not to get too excited - we're off snowboarding in 4 weeks!! No idea who's going to look after Edward & Tubbs at the moment. Any offers? Claire? Fairy? Malc??!! John (Jeff's dad) is on standby - he's not very happy at the prospect though!!

I'm onto my second large glass of vin rouge (I'm getting in the French mood already!) - can you tell? I ramble on when I'm squiffy. Maybe I should drink more often, you'd have more to read then. Anyway, I must go - Lost is on in 20 minutes - missed it last night due to the date, and I need to clear up the dinner things before it starts. Bye for now.

VP x

Everything's all ship shape

I was at my 'proper' job this morning, annoyingly as it has been a really sunny day & they are pretty rare at the moment. Anyway, I got home shortly after 1pm & Jeff and I decided to have a sort out in the barn. Edward & Tubbs really are getting quite big now and as they have constant access to the outside, it seems silly to keep all of their things in the barn with them. So we moved their feed trough & water bowl outside and had a good old sweep inside. We also fished an unused bin out of the old open barn at the top of the field & cut the top off of it in order to use it as a second water bowl. E & T get through 2 of the current one, so I guessed an additional one would be a lot easier on me when I'm having to refill. Jeff dug a hole big enough to bury the bin a few inches into the ground - he's good my Jeff. The pigs were very inquisitive when he was digging - they were eating all the bits of root and worms that were being dug up. They really are such a delight to be around sometimes - Edward especially so now. He's really very friendly and loves nothing more that a little stroke on his nose. Tubbs is a lot more cheeky. Well, I'm considering it cheekiness rather than aggression - I don't trust her one bit when my back's turned. She loves to have a go at any dangly bit on my person - a belt, a baggy bit of trouser, whatever she can get hold of with her teeth. Anyway, the water bowls are both within very easy reach of a hose, so filling them up is going to be a lot easier. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this now. I'll admit my job has been made a million times easier because we have Jack & I have Jeff to help me, without them I'd have probably given up on this experiment a long time ago!

So, the barn's all clean and they have a pretty large space to just 'be' in now, rather than have to eat & drink & sleep. They're very lucky little pigs.

It's my day off tomorrow. From all jobs, dog & 'proper'. Obviously the pigs have to be taken care of, but I think I'm going to have a really lazy day. I haven't had one of them in a while & reckon I deserve it. If the weather's nice maybe we'll take Buddy to the beach, but other than that I'm going to do absolutely nothing except snuggle on the sofa. Mmmmm, can't wait.

Speak soon.

VP x

Buddy you disgusting little deviant

I now know why Buddy loves going in to see Edward & Tubbs. The little deviant loves to eat their turds!!! Jeff came in with me & Buddy last night - I wanted to show him how funny they were together. When Buddy went running through them out onto their patch, Jeff noticed how he went straight for the midden. He then came running back into their pen with one of their toys, jumped up onto their bed & started shaking the toy around in a frenzy. Jeff then smelt his breath. Yep, pig shit. Little git. Last time he goes outside where they go methinks. I just hope he doesn't catch brain worms or something equally as hideous.

It's sunny today, and I've got no 'proper' job to go to. Just me, the dogs, a couple of cats and the piggies. If the sun keeps shining, I'll take some more piccies after I've finished my chores.

Right, off to it then. Wont get anything done sitting here blogging will I?

VP x

Sorry Hugh...

... I had to remove your Chicken Out thing from my page. The dinging and stuff was getting on my nerves a bit.

I still love you though and still support your campaign!

VP x

PS Not sure why I'm addressing Hugh directly, am pretty sure he has better things to do with his time than read my blog.

I'm back!

Hi y'all!

Phew, made it back - totally shattered, it's been a bit of a whirlwind trip. That's what happens when you move away from friends and family - you end up having to fit everyone in when you make the trip back home. Aside from feeling now like I need to sleep for a week, I've had a lovely time. My friends and their children are all really good - the kids are growing up so fast, I hate that I don't get to see them as often as I used to. My brother & his girlfriend & their brood are all well & my maternal grandparents are both pretty good considering their age. My granddad's hilarious actually. He's been 'hanging on' - his words not mine - for about 20 years now. He's well into his 80's & has all his marbles and is absolutely petrified of death, so that's all he ever talks about! We'll miss him when he's gone, he's a real character. A proper granddad - he adores his great grandchildren as he did us when we were growing up. They have 13 grandchildren and 16 (I think!) great grand children. Not bad eh? They were obviously a bit bored back then in south east London... I spent a lovely day with my mum in Cambridge (her & her husband live near there now) yesterday - we were proper ladies who lunch. Just for the day of course!

Anyway, I digress! The pigs are both well - I'm pretty sure they missed me, they made lots of squealing noises when I went in to see them earlier. Either that or Jeff has forgotten to feed them while I've been away. Buddy came into the barn when I went in. For the first time, he actually came into their pen & it was really funny to watch. He didn't behave at all how he does around another dog - he sniffed them all over, sniffed their bed, sniffed their food & water and then went outside on their patch to have a good old nose around! I called him back in & he then used Edward as a tunnel to get outside the pen! He went right under his tummy, through his legs & then turned round & did it again! I wish I'd had a camera at the ready - it was hilarious! Edward didn't so much as turn round to look - he just carried on about his business as if nothing had happened! If the weather's alright tomorrow, I'm going to let Buddy in their patch with them for a bit - I'll take the camera.

I'm off to chill out now. Have my wine at the ready.

Speak tomorrow.

VP x

Off to sunnier climes!

Well, going down to London for a long weekend. It's got to be warmer than here right now... I did ask Jeff if he'd blog in my absence, but he's declined - he's having to do everything else though while I'm gone, so I suppose I can't blame him.

Anyway, I'm off in about half an hour, hoping to stay ahead of what's promising to be some pretty snowy conditions. I'm driving - really can't be bothered with the train these days.

I'll be back on Wednesday. Don't get up to anything mischievous in my absence.....

Ta ra for now.

VP x

Not much to report really....

It's all been a bit quiet in the last few days. The weather's been ok, the kennels aren't very busy, my 'proper' job, where I have to look and smell a bit better than I usually do these days has been fine and Edward & Tubbs are coming along nicely. They seem to be a lot less reliant on me now - they're very happy in their barn and spend most of the day outside, especially when it's sunny. I obviously go in a couple of times a day to feed & brush them (I'm finding the brushing is making their hair & skin a lot better), but other than that, I'm leaving them to themselves. Jeff threw a couple of old footballs in with them this afternoon & said that Edward was really funny with them - picking them up with his teeth & tossing them into the air. I wasn't here to witness this - I've been out this afternoon, but if the weather's ok & I can get in with them tomorrow without getting eaten, I'll post another video. If the truth be told, I am trying to distance myself a bit - if I spend too much time with them, I know I'll find it even harder to part with them in a few months. I even managed to check them all over with my hands this morning (while they were eating of course - I can do anything then!), to make sure they have no lumps or bumps that they shouldn't have and that their flesh feels as it should. I don't know for sure how it should feel, having never done this before, but they feel ok! And not for the first time, I found myself wondering what they'll taste like....

Took some pictures of Buddy & Halle Berry last night. For some strange reason, they were being very friendly towards eachother. Ahhh....


Grandma, what big ears you have....

Speak soon.

VP x