Grand designs

When we first moved to Rock HQ in autumn 2006 things looked a bit different. These pictures show what the estate agent euphemistically referred to as some very useful out buildings and a barn. Considering these pictures were taken after we had cut down the tree that blocked the entrance and got rid of the other one that filled the chicken run you might get some idea of what we were faced with.

Its good to look back now and then to see how things have changed.

The interior was no better, wall and roof collapsed, and hidden within was a stone and brick pig sty.

This is how it looked today, to the right a useful "barn" refitted with nice wood walls and a stone floor one side, dirt and rocks fill the other side where the pigs have moved tons of the hill down the slope and in through the side entrance, the nice comfy side closest to camera is where Hetty lives. The middle has the remains of the pig sty whilst on the left is the old chicken shack which really is held together by moss, rust and bits of string. This set up has served us well, 16 pigs have been raised in and around these structures, the last four were mostly around as they tunneled out almost every day. Stacey and Nessa are a different proposition, having cute porkers run about the smallholding was usually quite amusing. The same cannot be said for beast the size of hippos so drastic measures are needed. As much as we have tried to do without them, we need some proper fencing and gates. So the money tree has been savagely pruned, the digger has been commissioned and once I get over the shock I will show you what two men and a JCB can do when paid enough.