He saw the light & bacon on the go

Since the puppies arrived we have dispensed with the use of the loo overnight. Why? Because it is absolutely imperative that those two girls are not woken up at all, otherwise puppy mania erupts and all hell breaks lose. The loo is on the other side of the kitchen to us, and the girls and Boolie sleep in the kitchen. Even stealthy attempts to get to the loo do not work. Up they bounce, oh so happy to see us, tails wagging, full of life and energy, and off they charge on puppy adventures, like playing tunnels and ambushes under the chairs, or racing full pelt round and round the kitchen table, diverting occasionally to charge into the hallway to annoy Gussy. They like doing that. They like making him growl. 
And all this mischief, I am sorry to say, is not something one wants to be involved with at three o'clock in the morning. 

So I have gone back to using the porta potti, which isn't a problem because I have had several years experience of them, but Lester prefers to go the loo au naturelle, because he can, because we have no neighbours, because he can't be bothered to try and aim for  the small opening of the porta potti, because it is easier, because...... So he goes outside. 

It was raining last night. Apparently mid wee an almighty great flash of lightning launched itself from the sky down into the ground just over the other side of the wood pile which was only a few metres away from him. He said he kept on weeing. He said he could not see anything anyway because he had become blinded by the flash. He said it was a near thing. He said he could have been done unto death by that lightning if it had been a few metres closer. He said he didn't fancy being singed....

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The lakes of Labartere have grown again, thanks to the torrential over night rain. Crikey but it has been ssssooooo wet, and all the animals must be fed up with it. We got through six bales of DIY hay today because we had to keep everyone in, even though the sheep kept moaning about not being allowed out onto the field, the goatlings got rid of their excess energy by trampolining on the backs of their mums, Elise just played football with her hay and grain boxes, and the geese splashed about in the water. 

But we are getting worried about the state of the Station Field. It has been grazed on for several weeks now, which can't be doing either the sheep or the field any good. But the water is still laying across the Home Field gate entrance, and now water is laying across the part of the fence in which we were going to cut a new gate. Pierre down the road has offered us a part of his hay meadow field for grazing, but the thought of getting our sheep, goats, and cow to walk down the lane to his field is something we don't think we want to do. We think that it would be the equivalent to waking our puppies up in the middle of the night. Bedlam. Hither and thither chaos would reign. So, no, they and us will have to manage as best we can.  I cut grass with the scythe for them, we give them the hay we harvested last year, and we give them grain. 

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The bacon is coming on a treat. Forgot to give it its salt and sugar bath tonight, but will do that in the morning. Day three, and it is the Maple Syrup rub, which is going to be sticky and messy. We had the electrician in today drilling holes, making dust, doing things with wires, it was cold wet and windy outside and with the front door open it was cold and windy inside as well, so I didn't want to add messy stickiness into that equation as well.

Day Two: this is the run off of liquid from Day One

Bacon was salted and sugared again, and put back in the fridge.

I had forgotten to weigh the piece of pork, 

it is about 0.5 Kg, which is just over 1lb.
Day Three update, several hours later:
Wow! Have discovered glorious Maple Syrup, 
and it isn't sticky, just sweet and tangy. 
It will now be a 'must have' in my larder.
Bacon now covered in it. 
Run off from Day Two was hardly a dribble.
I didn't put any salt or sugar on today because recipe didn't say so, 
hope bacon doesn't rot between now and tomorrow morning,
might turn the fridge up a bit to make sure it stays really cold. 

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