Thursday 20 May 2010

On the joys of wallowing

And so it was a hot and bakey day today, so while Danny, our French builder, was doing the hole / fosse/ swimming pool/ to be decided....we thought it a good idea to ask him to pop the arm of his digger over into Max's patch to make our piggy a little swimming pool all of his own.

To destract Max from the work in progress after he had tried to play with the digger as it scooped the earth up, it came into my mind to provide him with some food. I find that to destract all the menagerie with food, including adult male human beings going by the name of Hubs, always seems to win the day. 

With Max still eating, Hubs/Chief Pig Carer-in-charge filled his little pool with water. Not a huge amount, though. Just enough to make a splash.

 And after a sniff and a pause, and another sniff and another pause, in he tiptoed. Straightway his nose dived into the water. Mmmmmmm, nice.

 And over he went. To be no more the pristine pig that he was when he arrived. Oh the joys of a wallow, for that is what his swimming pool had become: a wallow. 


And here he is coming to say hello to you, and offering you an invitation to come and join him in his wallow at your earliest convenience. He would like to extend this invite to you because he thinks that you would benefit from the experience of lounging in the coolness of mud during the heat of the day. Oh what a lovely pig. And how thoughtful he is to think of us all. So...handing the invitation over to you on his  behalf.

Meanwhile:
Work continued on the Tall Barn, with the beams going in. By now the camera was deciding it wasn't going to play anymore today, hence the black bits either side of the photo. Unfortunately the upper wall on the left hand side of the barn has to come down incurring more unexpected costs. Apparently it is a whisker away from toppling over onto the gate roof, thereby crashing into the ex Pig/Chick Hut which is now our office. Oh well. Caught in time then. 

Rabbit update: Bless her, but Mum Rabbit has managed, despite our concerns, to raise five youngsters. And a problem. Hubs/Head Rabbit Carer has fallen in love with the White Baby Rabbit. Weren't these all for the pot? Yes. I have managed to maintain a strength of thought with this. However, the White Baby Rabbit is to be saved. Because Hubs has 'always wanted a white rabbit'. Ah, bless. Anyway, Mum had the babies out of the nest today. Think it was too hot for them in the nest. It has been sweltering here today. 

Sheep update: Hubs has taken over being Leader in of the Sheep, making me redundant. So I have gone on strike with cleaning up the Sheep Poo. Only he doesn't know this at the moment, but he will when he reads this blog! 

Otherwise: filled three dustbin bags with dock Uuuuuuuururrrhghgrhasdasdfaslasdofiasdfwms. Did you see that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  A great big thing with wings just buzzed itself at me, making me knock over a cup of tea which has now gone all over me and I am soaked, plus the compy is covered in sticky sugared tea as well. Crikey  but I wish these flying things wouldn't bomb me at this time of night. 

OK, so where was I. Filled three .... oh now its fallen into the remainder of my tea! Oh just a minute while I throw it outside. 

I have now decided to evacuate the day. I am sticky. The computer is sticky. But the good news is that camera works properly again. So from sticky moi, bon soir.


7 comments:

Roz said...

I love the pics and that piggy is so content with his new mud hole - and hubs - did you know he had always wanted a white rabbit - strange you had never heard that before lol!!x

Vera said...

The white rabbit was also a surprise to me, Roz. Hubs has always been adamant that the rabbits are for the pot, but he has shown surprising possessiveness towards this rabbit! Bless. And piggy has spent all day in his wallow today and is now covered entirely in mud.

French Fancy... said...

Oh if only every animal in France had the good fortune to be owned by you two. I pass poor things in fields that really should not be left alone, it upsets me so much and I have to take big detours to avoid seeing either the lone creatures or those kept in bad conditions.

All your animals are so lucky to have this loving care. You done good, Jean.

Max the pig said...

Thank you for my lovely water bath.

Vera said...

Hi Jean. We think the animals are important too, and it is erking me no end that Max has not as yet got a playmate. So all I can do is have chats with him meanwhile, and also am going to put a chair out by his patch so he can keep me company when I am doing my knitting. Probably won't make up for his lack of piggy girl-friend, but it will have to do for the moment!

DUTA said...

Piggy Max is very cute and quite photogenic . You should make him a photo album.
So, your Hubs has a soft spot for the white rabbit. How touching!

I must admit I'm becoming more and more interested in the news at your small farmholding. That's because of your humorous writing and beautiful pictures.
Have a blessed weekend!

French Fancy... said...

Oh I wasn't meaning anything by Max being alone - blimey, with a mud bath to wallow in he is probably happy as Larry - and you've got all the other animals around. No I meant the lone horse in the middle of a huge field - things like this.

Julie