Visitor, coming and going

The other day Hubs had a surprise. Fortunately he was inattentive at the time having not fully woken up, which was my fault because I had not given him his cup of tea in bed which is a prerequisite if he is to get himself moving along into his day. 

Well this day I had been out in the fields scything, and had got carried away with the task becoming oblivious to the time of day it was. Sometimes I do that. To get the full benefit of scything I have to be at it for at least an hour, after which I go into a sort of odd mind zone wherein I am here but not here. Actually that is fairly normal a state of being I am in for most of the time, but out there in the fields I go into a sort of 'not here euphoria'. Now I know that sounds weird, but trust me when I say that it is the most perfect state of blissfulness. But it doesn't last for long, which is a shame, just for maybe half an hour or so, no longer, because then my sugar levels drop and I feel light headed, maybe irritable, definitely physically wobbly, so then it is indoors for something to eat and a quick lie down.

Anyway, as I say, this day I was in my euphoric mode and was not going to get out of that state of being until it went away of its own accord. Hubs was left, therefore, to make his way out of bed and on into the day as best he could. 

Geese and chickens fed. They were in a queue outside the front door anyway so were conveniently near to hand. Sheep out into field. They were already moaning about the hour being late, so hurried on behind Hubs, eager to be putting their noses into the waiting grass. Pigs and piglets next, piglets squealing at high pitch telling the world that they were being starved and that something should be done about relieving them of this state of being. Rabbits next. They are soundless in their need for attention, just active. They are going out into the field when new hutches are built, for now they are in concrete cages, not ideal, but the best we  can do for the moment. One little rabbit dead.     Needed to be recycled, that being done in the woodland. 

Hubs on way to woodland with deceased rabbit. Chickens following, hoping for a morsel. Nothing is wasted. Everything which has had life is recyclable. Hubs heard girl pigs chatting away. Thought it was to Max, the boar. Went over to have a look, just in case they were up to mischief, like burrowing under the fence to go visit Max, or busting out of the electric fencing and investigating the nearby veg plot.

No. They were not chatting to Max, not were they up to mischief. They were chatting to someone else. He was big. With tusks. A wild boar. Not so big as Max, but broad of front and lean of flank. Hubs, still mentally fugged up through lack of his early morning tea, looked at the wild boar. The wild boar looked back. Hubs turned to continue on towards the woods with the rabbit still in hand. The wild boar trundled on behind him, not aggressive, just ambling on, two beings going in the same direction for a moment in time. 

Hubs delivered the rabbit to its place of recyclement. Turned and walked back towards the house. The wild boar continued on, into the woodland, off into his day. 

I think the wild boar might have a passion for our Tamworth piggy girls. I think they were encouraging him as well. Not sure what Max was making of it all. Probably keeping quiet hoping no one would notice him, including the wild boar. 

We can't find our potatoes. We put a load in. Then other things intervened and we forgot about them, not even earthing them up, although I did pack them around with straw in an effort to contribute towards the earthing up process. At that time the potatoes still had their tops on. Now those tops are nowhere to be seen. The ground is rock hard, useless for getting potatoes up. It did rain for a couple of days last weekend, and I suppose we could have gone and got them dug up then, but other things pushed this thought out of our minds, so that job was not done. So they remain undiscovered. Perhaps we have a crop of potatoes, perhaps not. Next year I am going to investigate the art of growing potatoes in straw. Can't be any the less efficient than the way we have treated our potatoes this year. 

But I have managed to grow basil. Also coriander, also beetroot, but our tomatoes are still green although our beans are cropping well. 

Anyway, need to go out and do more scything, this time in the bottom paddock which has dried grass stems chin high and thick green grass knee high. Realised that this was urgent. As the daylight hours gradually decrease this makes less time to get the grass dried into hay. Time is pressing on. It is a tough paddock to work on. Not to worry. Keeps me fit.

Keeping a watch for adders and wild boar now, also flies that come visit my body to take a drink from me, and anything else which happens along.

Bye for now, staying chirpy despite all obstacles real or imagined, hope you are the same.