We had a sad day at the kennels today. Totty, a regular inmate, died in her kennel and I found her. Poor little thing - she'd been in for 30 days (her mum is a mad old lady with far too much money & has been in South Africa since well before Christmas) and was due to go home on Thursday! I was so upset, thinking that she'd died all alone, not even in her own home. She'd obviously had a little fit and just died in her sleep - the best way to go I suppose. She was about 20, so she's had a really good innings. It's still sad though....
There is actually a more comical side to this little tale....
After I'd found her & gone running out to Jeff in a quite melodramatical way, I telephoned her owner's son (he also brings his dogs here, but is not away at the moment). I told him what had happened and asked him what he would like us to do with her. Jeff had offered to bury her in the orchard. It's a lovely little spot and we thought it would be a fitting resting place for a dear little dog. The son agreed and thanked us for offering and told me not to worry (I got a little teary you see), and he said that he would let his mother know for us. I relayed this message to Jeff and off he went in his wellies, armed with a spade to set to digging a hole. Luckily Totty isn't a Great Dane, she's just a little Jack Russell. Something tells me he wouldn't have been so forthcoming with his offer of burying her if she had've been. That's just my cynical side talking though - Jeff is a very lovely person. Jeff, remember the type of ring I said I'd like.... Anyway, I very bravely took Totty's collar off of her - I guessed that her mum would like to keep it & off I went after Jeff with her in her little bed, up to the grave he'd dug. We put her in very gently - I was a little teary again by this point & we made sure she was tucked in all nice and then covered her with the soil. We said a little prayer, I put a twig in to mark the spot & then we came back to the house for a well earned cup of tea. Tea makes everything better, doesn't it?
The phone was ringing as we walked down to the house, but we let it ring & I listened to the message when the kettle was boiling. It was the son. He'd decided that maybe we shouldn't bury Totty and that his mum might want to see her before she was laid to rest. Ooops. I telephoned him back, only to be told by his wife that he was on his way round to the kennels to tell us this news in person. He arrived and I told him we'd already buried her. He said he thought that was where we probably were when he telephoned. OF COURSE WE WERE! YOU TOLD US TO BURY HER! I wanted to scream. Jeff offered to exhume her. The son said 'ok'. The look on Jeff's face was a picture. I mean, if you could see where we'd buried her - and I did show the son - you would agree that it's a lovely little place. Totty's mum could've planted something there if she'd wanted to and she knows that we all loved Totty. Anyway, off Jeff went, spade in hand, wellies back on, tea not drunk & dug her up. The son then asked us if we could keep her until his mum got back from holiday. Where exactly he thought we could keep a dog's body for 4 days without it going somewhat off, I'm not sure. We're a boarding kennels, not a bloody dog mortuary. The offer of a burial was beyond our remit, I'm sure! We said we didn't have anywhere to keep her, trying to disguise the looks of total disbelief from our faces and off he went, with Totty in a sack.
It could only happen to us.
Rest in peace Totty, I know you're up there in doggy heaven, running about like the little lunatic I'm sure you once were. You're a Jack Russell after all.
VP x
PS the bread came out ok after all. Could've done with a bit more salt maybe, but was definitely edible and more importantly, didn't make us sick! Oh, and Edward & Tubbs are very happy piggies today - they got a radio in the barn to keep them company. Last seen, they were body popping to N.W.A
Sunday, 13 January 2008
Saturday, 12 January 2008
Oh dear
Just tried making my first loaf of bread. Well, when I say first, I mean first since leaving school (which was quite some time ago). The actual first attempt, the one at school, made everyone in my family sick. Literally.
I thought it was about time I conquered my fear and had another go. Especially now there's this new-fangled quick & easy dried yeast stuff. Hmmmm.... It's easy, they all said. Well, I think I might have fallen at the first hurdle. When my 'ball' of dough went into the bowl for it's first prove, it looks nothing like the 'smooth silky ball' it's supposed to....
It's got another 45 minutes in it's bowl before I have to 'knock it back'. This sounds all a little too much like hard work to me. Why can't we be like the wonderful French and have a little boulangerie in the village - so much more civilised.
Will let you know how I get on.
VP x
PS I'm bloody brilliant at cakes, even if I do say so myself.
I thought it was about time I conquered my fear and had another go. Especially now there's this new-fangled quick & easy dried yeast stuff. Hmmmm.... It's easy, they all said. Well, I think I might have fallen at the first hurdle. When my 'ball' of dough went into the bowl for it's first prove, it looks nothing like the 'smooth silky ball' it's supposed to....
It's got another 45 minutes in it's bowl before I have to 'knock it back'. This sounds all a little too much like hard work to me. Why can't we be like the wonderful French and have a little boulangerie in the village - so much more civilised.
Will let you know how I get on.
VP x
PS I'm bloody brilliant at cakes, even if I do say so myself.
Dead Proud
Just thought I'd write this down while I'm thinking about it - it's not often that I feel proud of something I've done you see..
While I was mucking out Edward & Tubbs this morning & feeding them and loving them, I felt really proud of myself. Me, the girl from London who, up until a couple of months back wouldn't even pick a pea out of the plug hole after doing the washing up (in Marigolds of course), mucking out pigs and traipsing out to my midden (don't know if I've spelt that correctly - until I got pigs, I'd never heard of the word - it's a shit heap apparently!) in the soggy mud with their mucky straw and getting pig poo on my hands and not worrying about it! Phew, that was a long sentence! If I'd managed to get any sort of crap on my hands before pigs, I'd have had a panic about it!
Of course I still whine on to Jeff about the state of my cuticles and hands - it'll be a long time yet before I really succumb to this way of life and accept everything that comes with it... That reminds me, I need to ring the hairdressers - my roots need doing....
Speak later
VP x
PS thank you Malc for your words of encouragement - you're absolutely right, I should be doing this for myself & of course, I am, but once I realised people were actually reading it, it all got a little scary! Malc - for all of you who don't know him - is my new bestest friend (he doesn't know this yet - s'alright Malc, I'm no stalker) in the blog world. He's so funny. The Edge of Nowhere is his blog name - it's brilliant.
While I was mucking out Edward & Tubbs this morning & feeding them and loving them, I felt really proud of myself. Me, the girl from London who, up until a couple of months back wouldn't even pick a pea out of the plug hole after doing the washing up (in Marigolds of course), mucking out pigs and traipsing out to my midden (don't know if I've spelt that correctly - until I got pigs, I'd never heard of the word - it's a shit heap apparently!) in the soggy mud with their mucky straw and getting pig poo on my hands and not worrying about it! Phew, that was a long sentence! If I'd managed to get any sort of crap on my hands before pigs, I'd have had a panic about it!
Of course I still whine on to Jeff about the state of my cuticles and hands - it'll be a long time yet before I really succumb to this way of life and accept everything that comes with it... That reminds me, I need to ring the hairdressers - my roots need doing....
Speak later
VP x
PS thank you Malc for your words of encouragement - you're absolutely right, I should be doing this for myself & of course, I am, but once I realised people were actually reading it, it all got a little scary! Malc - for all of you who don't know him - is my new bestest friend (he doesn't know this yet - s'alright Malc, I'm no stalker) in the blog world. He's so funny. The Edge of Nowhere is his blog name - it's brilliant.
Friday, 11 January 2008
I'm a terrible blogger
Please forgive me, I've totally abandoned my blog for the past couple of weeks. I didn't realise how difficult it'd be to find interesting things to say & be witty with it! The sad thing is, now that I've stated that, it means I believe what I've posted so far has been witty and interesting!
Anyway, I promise I shall try to be more disciplined in the future and will attempt to write something, no matter how trivial every evening. Guides honour. I wasn't a girl guide though. Does that matter I wonder?
So, Edwards & Tubbs are getting bigger apparently. James (aka Jeff), my ever-patient boyfriend (note boyfriend, not husband. JEFF!) hadn't seen them in a few days - I do all of the mucking out & feeding etc and he works in Newcastle which is about 40 miles away, so generally leaves in the dark and gets back in the dark - and he said they'd grown loads! Seeing them every day, I suppose I don't notice it so much, but it's good to hear they are actually getting bigger which means I'm obviously feeding them correctly! That still causes me much worry you see....
I've realised that I was probably over-feeding them and am now following the 'if it's not all eaten in 20 minutes, there's too much food in there' rule. I do honestly believe they'd eat apples and vegetable peelings all day if I gave them a constant supply, but I know they don't tend to over-eat when they have too many pellets in their trough. I think I've found a good balance now. I hope I have anyway. I suppose we'll only find out for sure when they get butchered.... Sorry to have to mention the 'b' word...
I made some braised red cabbage to go with - funnily enough- some belly pork from the farm shop. There was loads of the stuff left over. The braised cabbage, not the belly pork - I'm not silly! So, I gave it to the pigs, mixed with a tub of extra thick double cream that was past it's best and also some home-made cranberry sauce from Christmas that was sat in the bottom of the fridge looking all lonely. Oh my goodness. They went mad. I don't think I've ever heard such a racket from just 2 small animals! The oinking and the lip smacking and the little squeals of what I can only assume were delight and total disbelief at the feast I'd plonked in their trough! They totally loved me while it lasted. Of course they looked at me a little disappointedly when their next feed consisted of pellets and a bit of barley. I do love them - they're so funny and so easy to please! Batteries are on charge for the camera. More pictures to follow, guides honour.
I've watched HF-W's Chicken Run programme over the last few nights. I know I knew how extensively reared chickens were kept, but had obviously never seen it for myself. I never buy any eggs other than free range anyway, but have (like I'm sure many of you have) bought ordinary chicken & chicken pieces from the supermarket in the past without thinking. Since moving up north, I don't buy any meat from the supermarket, but when you live in a big city, it's very easy to just not think about how animals (all animals, not just chickens) are raised for our plates. The programmes have certainly made me think about what I buy from now on that contains eggs or chicken - once you start to think about it, it's amazing how many of the products we buy contain this type of produce. Even noodles from the Chinese on a Friday - I can't imagine the eggs come from free range chickens, can you?!
I do realise that I'm very lucky in that the farm shop is just up the road and I can get pretty much everything I need from there, including vegetables. I can also bake my own cakes & bread - I work & live here, so it's very easy for me to put aside some time to make things, but I could do a lot more and I'm really going to try to eat only fresh produce that I've made myself or that I know exactly where it's come from. I've also decided to become selectively vegetarian when I go out to eat. I don't want to become a meat bore and dictate to my friends where they should buy their meat from, but I don't have to eat it. I only want to eat happy animals!
Now, I have to go and make my kitchen less smelly. I've no idea what it is, but it smells like bins. I'm going to have to pull everything out & check under the cupboards - I reckon that little serial killer of mine (Halle Berry - the cat - she's brown and beautiful), has brought something in that's been merrily rotting away. Wish me luck.
VP x
Oh, and thank you so much to my fellow bloggers for their comments! I really appreciate the fact that people take the time to read this!
Anyway, I promise I shall try to be more disciplined in the future and will attempt to write something, no matter how trivial every evening. Guides honour. I wasn't a girl guide though. Does that matter I wonder?
So, Edwards & Tubbs are getting bigger apparently. James (aka Jeff), my ever-patient boyfriend (note boyfriend, not husband. JEFF!) hadn't seen them in a few days - I do all of the mucking out & feeding etc and he works in Newcastle which is about 40 miles away, so generally leaves in the dark and gets back in the dark - and he said they'd grown loads! Seeing them every day, I suppose I don't notice it so much, but it's good to hear they are actually getting bigger which means I'm obviously feeding them correctly! That still causes me much worry you see....
I've realised that I was probably over-feeding them and am now following the 'if it's not all eaten in 20 minutes, there's too much food in there' rule. I do honestly believe they'd eat apples and vegetable peelings all day if I gave them a constant supply, but I know they don't tend to over-eat when they have too many pellets in their trough. I think I've found a good balance now. I hope I have anyway. I suppose we'll only find out for sure when they get butchered.... Sorry to have to mention the 'b' word...
I made some braised red cabbage to go with - funnily enough- some belly pork from the farm shop. There was loads of the stuff left over. The braised cabbage, not the belly pork - I'm not silly! So, I gave it to the pigs, mixed with a tub of extra thick double cream that was past it's best and also some home-made cranberry sauce from Christmas that was sat in the bottom of the fridge looking all lonely. Oh my goodness. They went mad. I don't think I've ever heard such a racket from just 2 small animals! The oinking and the lip smacking and the little squeals of what I can only assume were delight and total disbelief at the feast I'd plonked in their trough! They totally loved me while it lasted. Of course they looked at me a little disappointedly when their next feed consisted of pellets and a bit of barley. I do love them - they're so funny and so easy to please! Batteries are on charge for the camera. More pictures to follow, guides honour.
I've watched HF-W's Chicken Run programme over the last few nights. I know I knew how extensively reared chickens were kept, but had obviously never seen it for myself. I never buy any eggs other than free range anyway, but have (like I'm sure many of you have) bought ordinary chicken & chicken pieces from the supermarket in the past without thinking. Since moving up north, I don't buy any meat from the supermarket, but when you live in a big city, it's very easy to just not think about how animals (all animals, not just chickens) are raised for our plates. The programmes have certainly made me think about what I buy from now on that contains eggs or chicken - once you start to think about it, it's amazing how many of the products we buy contain this type of produce. Even noodles from the Chinese on a Friday - I can't imagine the eggs come from free range chickens, can you?!
I do realise that I'm very lucky in that the farm shop is just up the road and I can get pretty much everything I need from there, including vegetables. I can also bake my own cakes & bread - I work & live here, so it's very easy for me to put aside some time to make things, but I could do a lot more and I'm really going to try to eat only fresh produce that I've made myself or that I know exactly where it's come from. I've also decided to become selectively vegetarian when I go out to eat. I don't want to become a meat bore and dictate to my friends where they should buy their meat from, but I don't have to eat it. I only want to eat happy animals!
Now, I have to go and make my kitchen less smelly. I've no idea what it is, but it smells like bins. I'm going to have to pull everything out & check under the cupboards - I reckon that little serial killer of mine (Halle Berry - the cat - she's brown and beautiful), has brought something in that's been merrily rotting away. Wish me luck.
VP x
Oh, and thank you so much to my fellow bloggers for their comments! I really appreciate the fact that people take the time to read this!
Thursday, 3 January 2008
Happy New Year
Oh, and Happy New Year to all of you who read these ramblings! I don't know who you are, but there must be a few of you as my counter has gone up to over 70!
I hope 2008 is a happy, prosperous & peaceful one for us all.
VP x
I hope 2008 is a happy, prosperous & peaceful one for us all.
VP x
Arghh!!!! My babies want to have babies!
An horrific event occurred yesterday. I caught Edward on top of Tubbs. Yes, I know. They're far too young and not only that, it's incestuous! Naughty little pigs. Consequently, I'm now extremely concerned that it wont be long before they 'get it right' and I have a litter of mutant piglets on my hands! As tasty as an extra leg or two might be, I don't know that I should be encouraging such behaviour...
I've asked my Accidental Smallholder friends for their advice. So far, it seems that the only thing I can do is send them off early, before Rock Steady Eddie becomes fully mature. This saddens me as it'll have to be around 5 months to be sure. I really don't want to send them off that soon - that takes them to the end of March & they wont have had the pleasure of the warm sunshine on their backs... I know I can't send just him off either as Tubbs'll be distraught. What a dilemma. The first one of my pig-keeping experience so far and so soon! I'm going to call in at the farm to see what they have to say on the matter. Keep your fingers (and your legs Tubbs, if you're listening!) crossed for me. And the little ones of course.
Will keep you posted....
VP x
PS It's seriously snowed here - it looks like a magical winter wonderland outside
I've asked my Accidental Smallholder friends for their advice. So far, it seems that the only thing I can do is send them off early, before Rock Steady Eddie becomes fully mature. This saddens me as it'll have to be around 5 months to be sure. I really don't want to send them off that soon - that takes them to the end of March & they wont have had the pleasure of the warm sunshine on their backs... I know I can't send just him off either as Tubbs'll be distraught. What a dilemma. The first one of my pig-keeping experience so far and so soon! I'm going to call in at the farm to see what they have to say on the matter. Keep your fingers (and your legs Tubbs, if you're listening!) crossed for me. And the little ones of course.
Will keep you posted....
VP x
PS It's seriously snowed here - it looks like a magical winter wonderland outside
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Still alive!
It's me! I'm still alive - not been eaten by Edward & Tubbs - yet! I tell you, the way Edward's carrying on, I shall be glad to tuck into his tasty little body! Ahhh, not really, but he is a little villain. He tries to eat not only everything I take into their pen with me (spade / mucking out bread tray - yes, I know, but it's a lot easier than a wheelbarrow / stool - I take that in with me to sit with them for a while to watch them / bowl that carries their food), he also likes to tuck into my toes & anything else on my body that he comes into contact with! I've managed to avoid his teeth so far! He's not doing it maliciously (I don't think!), I think he just likes to have a chew on stuff. I did make the big mistake of going to see them after I'd showered & had slathered that Palmer's Cocoa Butter stuff all over me (my poor little southern jessie skin needs a bit of moisture in the bleak northern winter) and I hadn't thought about the fact that it smells quite chocolaty & sweet & both of the little buggers tried to eat me!! I wont be doing that again in a hurry! They shall get me stinking of dogs as I generally do (working in the kennels, remember) - they seem to leave me alone that way!
Bless Tubbs, she's so sweet - she's really my little pal & follows me around - she comes to the gate as soon as she hears my voice & she sniffs at me while I give her a little scratch. Edward (when he's not being a terror) is lovely in his own little way too - he'll let me do pretty much anything as long as he's got his snout in some food. I can't wait to see them when the sun starts shining, enjoying being outside & rooting around.... Roll on Spring....
The weather's not been too bad in the last week or so actually - it's been a bit changeable, but generally fairly mild. A week before the holidays, it was absolutely bitter - the outside taps were all frozen and the frost didn't thaw for days. It made kennel work pretty difficult. It's no fun hosing down dog runs with hoses that are frozen solid! It's just a bit grey & miserable now. At least the piggies are not cold - they're like little hot water bottles if you put your hand between them when they're sleeping. And they always sleep nose to tail - it's so cute.
It's been a busy Christmas, not helped by the fact that we had a massive power cut on Christmas day. The power went off at midday and didn't come back on until 8:30!!! As romantic as it sounds, reading by candlelight is not my idea of festive fun! Thankfully, we had planned to eat late (although the gates were locked, we still had a full house as far as dogs were concerned & so there was still quite a lot to do before we could relax) and the meat hadn't been put in the oven. If it had, it would have all been ruined! We had to make do with cold meat sandwiches & boiled water for tea on a little camping stove! Very pre-war.... We ended up having Christmas lunch on Boxing Day. Consequently, I feel quite confused now when asked what day it is!
I still haven't taken any more photos of the wee ones - I will do that soon, I promise. I need to sort some more batteries out for my camera first.
It's now bedtime though and I can feel another cold coming on. I don't seem to be rid of my earlier one & keep taking my zinc & vitamins! Darn this winter weather....
Bye for now. Old Year's Night tomorrow. Can't believe the year's over already. Where does the time go??!
VP x
Bless Tubbs, she's so sweet - she's really my little pal & follows me around - she comes to the gate as soon as she hears my voice & she sniffs at me while I give her a little scratch. Edward (when he's not being a terror) is lovely in his own little way too - he'll let me do pretty much anything as long as he's got his snout in some food. I can't wait to see them when the sun starts shining, enjoying being outside & rooting around.... Roll on Spring....
The weather's not been too bad in the last week or so actually - it's been a bit changeable, but generally fairly mild. A week before the holidays, it was absolutely bitter - the outside taps were all frozen and the frost didn't thaw for days. It made kennel work pretty difficult. It's no fun hosing down dog runs with hoses that are frozen solid! It's just a bit grey & miserable now. At least the piggies are not cold - they're like little hot water bottles if you put your hand between them when they're sleeping. And they always sleep nose to tail - it's so cute.
It's been a busy Christmas, not helped by the fact that we had a massive power cut on Christmas day. The power went off at midday and didn't come back on until 8:30!!! As romantic as it sounds, reading by candlelight is not my idea of festive fun! Thankfully, we had planned to eat late (although the gates were locked, we still had a full house as far as dogs were concerned & so there was still quite a lot to do before we could relax) and the meat hadn't been put in the oven. If it had, it would have all been ruined! We had to make do with cold meat sandwiches & boiled water for tea on a little camping stove! Very pre-war.... We ended up having Christmas lunch on Boxing Day. Consequently, I feel quite confused now when asked what day it is!
I still haven't taken any more photos of the wee ones - I will do that soon, I promise. I need to sort some more batteries out for my camera first.
It's now bedtime though and I can feel another cold coming on. I don't seem to be rid of my earlier one & keep taking my zinc & vitamins! Darn this winter weather....
Bye for now. Old Year's Night tomorrow. Can't believe the year's over already. Where does the time go??!
VP x
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