The great outdoors

Tempting isn't it! Not long now until Kobe and Hetty are turned out. Kobe is growing fast and is a friendly chap, just as well considering he is going to be a monster sized dexter.

Guinevere is building a nest in the newly vacated farrowing pen, Morgana is enjoying herself in the new accommodation built this weekend. Piggle is face down in the straw trying not to give birth. I have a feeling its not going to be too long before we have two new litters. Sales are going well, two of Iggles piglets are off to a new home in a few weeks, half of Morgana's litter are signed up for pig club, and today I was talking to a soon to be top chef who is keen on extending the menu with a little help from the rest.

New beginings

Happy Easter, and as Easter is about new beginnings it was only right and proper that Ferny Fern Fern from Ferntown should deliver a fine ram lamb, now called Bunny (not my fault don't shoot the messenger!) and so work got off to a ultra slow start as we oohed and aahed over this new addition before moving them both to a secure accommodation safe from foxes and crows.

Easter also looked like she was about to explode, we had genuine concern for her health and well being as her abdomen was a tight as a drum skin and whatever it is that lurks inside her (possibly alien) wriggled to get out. For her own safety and our peace of mind she was confined to HQ in the "garden" the thought being that she would be close to the cottage, any life form trying to force its way out would be spotted and we could act as midwives.

Like all bonkers Ryelands she had other ideas and somehow managed to squeeze her fat carcass under the fence and out onto the bonsai mountain again. By mid afternoon we had managed to call in all our sheep and contained them on the Corral OK with one notable exception. Easter was located in a gully across from North Face Gully and "persuaded" to return to barracks. She is now in the stables looking distinctly uncomfortable as is Chester who has been evicted while Easter awaits her new arrival. By the looks of her it will be almost as big as Kobe.

Busman's holiday

The above might look like a prize winning selection from the conveyor belt of The Generation Game, they are in fact birthday presents given to yours truly to celebrate the fact that I do have a birthday contrary to the rumour that Walt Disney drew me.
A day of hedonism followed the full cooked English(after the critters had been fed) and we went to the small breeds and owl farm park sanctuary where we saw 36 different species of owl, several different breeds of goat (all bonkers) miniature horses, cows, donkeys and fowl. Much like our place really but without the pooh to tread in. Unfortunately there are no pictures of our encounters with the vast array of badly behaved animals as yours truly failed to find the memory card to the mega camera and then replaced the dead battery in the compact with an even deader one.
Back at the ranch I finally got to wield a spanner on the contents of the big box and after several attempts built something that resembled a bike. Keen to try it out I ignored the fact that the brakes either worked and the wheels failed to rotate or after a slight adjustment allowed the wheels to rotate no matter how hard you applied the brakes and hopped on (read gingerly moved off and wobbled several hundred yards) and am happy to report that I can still ride a bike (in a straight line anyway) despite not having done so since the great sudden impact of September 2007 which did an amazing job of rearranging my anatomy, especially my left arm. Which is now 33% mechanno.
Arm held up to rigours of hanging on to the bars and confidence soared when I got back to the cottage in one piece and dismounted without injury. My beautiful and oh so patient wife then asked for a demo, something along the lines of "Go on then show me what you can do" which did give a flashback moment to spring 2007 when at the top of a black run I asked my cycling companion if he had ever done a route like this, on hearing the negative I advised it was easy enough, sit well back, keep the weight off the front and favour the back brake, seconds later I was cartwheeling down the rocky slope still attached to my bike as my quick release pedals refused to eject me and several full rotations later, when the dust settled, I was found trying to be brave and with more than bruises to my ego.
Evening was spent eating, another of my hobbies, a lovely meal cooked by Beth, planning the garden and sorting out recruits for pig club. A surprise visit from Mr and Mrs Stable Sprite meant we got to play with the Kobe the calf as they had not seen him.
End of play and the realisation that we had not fetched our friends Berners meant a quick trip out and now there are 9 Berners lounging around enjoying the facilities.

Meat Kobe

The big lummox has survived his first 24 hours, first kick from mum that sent him sprawling across the floor (but being a brave lad he got up and came back for more) and his first frost. Morning saw us geared up for a bovine bondage session to ensure Hetty stood still long enough for junior to get breakfast. As it was his first moo opened Hetty's motherly floodgate and she has fed, cleaned, stood over her charge and all is well in our world.

Junior now has a fitting name, we asked, we received, thanks Kit, the big lad is called Kobe, for obvious reasons!

Day29 30 30 lvl 10 outdoor training 11.2km (One way ticket to hell and back, The Darkness)