Saturday 21 June 2008

Pigsty inside and out



Hoorrrayyyyy!! (Don't panic, I'll moan in a couple of paragraphs) More baby piglets!
My lovely Pepper Pig has had thirteen piglets.
Poor thing, she gave birth to them over 7 hours while the boy pig, Ham (short for Hamilton) sat outside the pen, puffing and panting in sympathy.

We have also had an overnight guest, my daughter's best friend. He and she have been in each others' company since she was six weeks old and he was born. They've been to restaurants and barbecues, parties, camping and they are even in the same class at school. It's lovely, they are very close and think the world of each other even though the whole class thinks they are in love..bless! They are only 9!

He and she are very alike, they bring out the creativeness in each other like I have never seen. Within minutes of being home from school yesterday our living room was dismantled and transformed into a world of blankets and giant lawn mower boxes. The den 'fell down' (with the aid of my 4 year old daughter) at least three million times and there was whining of the screechiest quality to be heard for over five hours. The den became a large bed of a strange design, so basically they slept in a box and we had a momentary panic that only two children could be found, the third was found fast asleep snuggled (wedged) between the sofa and a cupboard.

This morning the den had taken on an organic form and life-force of it's own. I fear I will never reach my huge feather sofa again and I've no idea where the TV is.
The lawn mower box has collapsed and there is growing criticism between the friends that each is pretty duff at building dens. The tension is building faster than the den, it's a true test of friendship, and a true test of my nerves...I need a drink but I don't suppose being sloshed at a school summer fair might be terribly good for my company image.

The milkman's' Labradors have been here for a week now. They are city dogs and have thoroughly enjoyed a farm holiday. They collect sticks and pile them up outside the back door like a pair of beavers. Fruitcake is quite friendly towards them, but Jess, the long-wheel-base sheep dog climbs onto the windowsill and shakes with fear.
The cats have taken to the darkest corners of the barn.
At night we put them in a nice straw lined horsebox outside the house, where they bark every four seconds, in turn, with two second intervals, until we let them out in the morning.
These clean sleek city dogs are muddy and have been eating and rolling in things their owners would probably scoop into a bag and throw in a special bin. I hope and pray we will not be blacklisted for it, otherwise we'll never get milk delivered again!

But good news, Shirl left a message on the answerphone saying she'll be visiting tomorrow....
All I need is for her to bring some bloody red wine!
I'm a Frog on the edge!!!!!

20 comments:

LITTLE BROWN DOG said...

Oooh, those baby piggies are just SO SWEET! I used to have a plastic toy farm when I was little, and I remember having a black and pink pig and several teeny piggywigs.

Have a lovely time with Shirl and hope she remembers the vino.

xx

Lindsay said...

Lovely blog - I feel I am in the thick of it!

Mel said...

Really enjoy reading and I love those piggies, my kids love the other Peppa pig as well!

Grit said...

congratulations to pepper pig!

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Great piglet pictures. Hope you are feeling better and that you have found a use for the wine - mulled? spices do wonders. A punch?

blogthatmama said...

It took me 7 hours to give birth to The Terminator and I looked a bit like Pepper at the end of it. Hope you're not too frantic a frog, sounds like a hectic time at yours. Blogthatmamax

Anonymous said...

Just discovered your blog thanks to a newspaper clipping from the Telegraph which my Mum mailed over to me at the ex-pat blogger's vineyard in Northern California. Here I am knee deep in red wine, and there you are with the piglets! Looking forward to reading your posts!

Jo Beaufoix said...

Pepper's piglets are adorable, and red wine is the cure for so many things. :D

Potty Mummy said...

Frog, as every, lovely piglets, and great post - but re: your previous one, I thought you didn't like cheap red wine and was under the impression that that was what Shirl provides? Has she finally taken the hint and splashed out on some £3.99 Shiraz?

Expat mum said...

I was just about to mention coque au vin again, but suddenly had a better idea. (You're welcome.) Why not "decant" it? Then it might suddenly taste like a much better red wine that you usually buy for yourself - if you get my meaning.

Frog in the Field said...

I had a bottle of this for my 40th in an Asda carrier bag.

http://www.winebeersupermarket.com/index.php3?voir=350061003334&image=&tgrandeimage=1

This is the tat she brings.
It's perhaps good mixed with olive oil for salad dressing.
Perhaps I should point out that Shirl does live near Dover.
She and He regularly go on a 'wine run' to stock up. They never come back with good wine at a cheaper price, only s**t wine at a pittance. What's the point in that? They firmly believe in quantity not quality.
I shall not drink it, cook with it, or mull it. I will however do something I might regret with it if it's brought into my house again with that "It's your luck-y, luck-y day" expression.

dulwichmum said...

OHMYGOD!!! Pepper must be exhausted. I do sooo hope that she is getting lots of help!

nappy valley girl said...

They are perfect. I hope Ham has been granted paternity leave?

She's like the wind said...

Love the piglets, so cute. x

Milla said...

hmm, yes, the piggies are sweet enough if firmly remaining as pixels, but I wince for her teats. Love Shirl, by the way and am still a-swoon at the pic of grapes lower down. Gorgeous.

Bush Mummy said...

Pepper makes me hang my head in shame. I thought I had my hands full.. many congratulations.

My eldest daughter would be in seventh heaven.. she LOVES all things Pig and the other Peppa is her hero.

BM

Anonymous said...

Can't help but fall in love with the piggies. The den sounds fab and I'm sure would be Amy's idea of heaven!

CJ xx

Buddhist in Training said...

Fantastic, sounds wonderful. I still battle a bit with my townie, party side, but really couldn't be happier, a country girl at heart!

Gone Back South said...

Hey Frog. I do hope life seems a little rosier now, from where you are sitting / standing / lying. What adorable little oinky pigs. And such stripes they all wear!

Pig in the Kitchen said...

oh i love the pigs so much. When I am an old grey mad woman, I shall own pigs.
Pigx