Whats been happening on the block lately

We have piggies! 

We've had them since November when they were 8 weeks old

They growing literally overnight....as piglets do.

Introducing Rose....she has been a delight! She was the first to let us pat her and definately more docile than her brother.

Though she did give us an adventure from Day 1.

 They're a Tamworth/Bershire Cross

When unloading them from our car, she wriggled her way free and ran into our neighbours block, straight past their feet into the bush! 

We thought she was gone, and we would be forever known as the idiots that populated the local reserve with pigs!

But four hours later we heard our neighbours shouting

" Mike, Laura!! the pig! the pig!!" 

A random car was driving down our shared road and Rose was following the car snorting and squeeling after it.

Mike shouted "get the car!" I ran, hopped in and drove up the road where Rose had stopped, only a few metres from the main road.

I slowly drove towards her, and to all our amazement she started running towards the car with the same enthusiam, 

squeeling and snorting.

The scene that followed was me backing slowly down the road...occasionally stopping while Rose stopped to ponder, whether to continue following or not. 

Then Mike and our neighbour were waiting behind the car with a net....she escaped that too!....so a chase resumed, evolving some impressive acrobactics.... though of course eventually she was reunited with her brother...she was so tuckered out that she feel asleep in Mikes arms on the way back

And here is he, Ham - named for obvious reasons ( no pcness here )

There's a definite love/hate relationship with this one!

He's the one that breaks the fences and gets into the chicken coop....freeing the chickens to roam my garden! 

Enough said!

But really out of all our livestock, the piggies are still my favourite.....they often follow me along the garden line, squeeling for silverbeet or some other goodie from the patch.  My most favourite and peaceful moments are when I'm gardening and they doze on the other side to keep me company.

We've also bought 8 ewes, to replace the Wiltshire that a local was grazing here. Though we were given 3 Wiltshire rams and a wether as payment... we still needed more lawnmowers.

These are Arapawa's - a somewhat feral sheep.

They're breed is orginally from Arapawa Island in the Malbourough sounds.

And will be perfect for grazing out all those unwanted weeds...Dock, Ragwort, Thistle etc.

Our rams have already been eyeing them up!

And the piggies currently get alot of enjoyment herding them.

So the movie Babe does have some truth to it! 

 Infact those piggies are really social, often saying hello to all the residents.

We think at the moment our little farmlet is filled to the brim - well for now atleast.  I know our escapades certainly keep our neighbours amused.....even the story of Rose made it all the way to the local Farm supplies!  I guess we like to keep things exciting around here :)

Last of all, I'll leave you with this photo from the other day.

While Mike was mowing some long grass...this little frog escaped the blades...much to the kids delight.  

It was all agreed to relocate him to avoid any future disaster, so Mike and the kids re homed him in our dam, much to Lil Misses disappointment.  She spent many days after searching for her Froggie!