The Boar on the Bore

Yes, it's me Boris, life is a bit quieter at the moment so thought I'd get back on line. All three sows should be in pig, in fact the first litter is due in a matter of days. Two of them have moved out already and Doris will move on when her time gets closer. I'm devoted to them all of course, but living with three hormonal sows can get a bit wearing.



The last blog ended with signs of spring - well "ne'er shed a clout..." as they say, by the end of the week we were back under snow AGAIN. If the weather carries on like this Arlingham will be putting in a bid to hold the next Winter Olympics. This time no-one was interested, not a snowman was built and the sledges all stayed in the shed. Even the Buff Orpingtons just got on with it this time and managed to venture out into the orchard.











And here is Ginger lurking around the cowshed door, why is he braving such conditions? Well new calves have arrived so of course there is a twice daily serving of warm milk to be had by any cat smart enough to be in the right place at the right time. Five lovely Hereford calves who have made themselves at home - in the shed recently refurbished for pig housing! In fact anyone who has followed this blog will know that the stables, cattle housing and chicken accommodation have all been upgraded in the last few months, I'm not one to moan and there's no suggestion of getting up on two legs and calling myself Napoleon, but surely something's gone wrong with the hierarchy here. We pigs work hard and fast to keep the children fed and the freezers stocked and yet we're last on the list when it comes to housing.








The sheep have moved on again, down to "Trish's field", recently vacated by Windy the stallion. He's been sent back to the Cumbrian fells to see if he is ready to take on a group of mares and get breeding. They're still under a thick blanket of snow up there and for the life of me I don't know how they'll ever find him again, a white horse on a snowy hill...no chance. Yes, yes I know he's officially a grey, just like they call me a Large White but anyone can see I'm pink - and don't even get me started on Belgian Blues.....

The sheep have been scanned and at least 10 are expecting triplets, including Mel. This doesn't seem to have bothered her, only last week she rounded up two fox hounds who foolishly strayed into her field and were promptly shown the the gate. Because they're within a few weeks of lambing the sheep are now getting extra feed, maybe by the time they actually give birth they'll have worked out that it's the sheep nuts the children pour onto the grass rather than the bag they come in which tastes the best.

Anyway, the snow has gone again and the sun shone this morning for a 5* Severn Bore. The children found a good vantage point and waited with very cold feet. Quite a good wave but lots of surfers, canoeists, power boats, a camera crew, a light aeroplane, a helicopter and a microlight all added to the drama.

Some of the children tried to race the wave, but they had no chance, we all know time and tide wait for no-one!



As for me, these natural phenomena are all very well but it did make the children rather late with my breakfast.

Boris