Mysterious theft

We seem to have suffered a small spate of thefts here on the smallholding.

Now I love sweetcorn, it's one of my favourite crops in the veg patch.  Get the water boiling on the stove then go and pick a cob or two, drop it straight into boiling water, then eat with lashings of salted butter, until it drips down your chin, ~Yummy!

So I was rather annoyed to say the least to find this had happened.  It's a patch of land next to the fence, behind the raspberries and next to the muck heap, that I thought would be perfect for the sweetcorn, a patch out of the way where they could grow and not bother anyone.  It seems that something has bothered it though.  My husband didn't know anything about it; it wasn't rabbit damage, so it was quite puzzling for a while.

Until ..... Somebody came to say hello over the fence when I was in the veg patch

What is she like!  That'll teach me I suppose.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 10

Sales - (excellent day today!)
1/2 dozen eggs £0.90
1 x Cucumber £0.60
3 x 250g Tomatoes £3.00
2 x Geranium plants £3.00

Expenses -
Nil

Proud pig owners again

Well, I am very pleased to say that as from this afternoon we are proud pig owners again.

It's been at about five years since we last had some, and are seriously missing all that lovely bacon, sausages and roasted joints.  What can be better when the rain is lashing down outside than coming in having done all the jobs for the day and sitting down to large piece of roasted pork with crispy crackling, the fat dribbling down your chin and all the trimmings - home grown veg of course!

We went back to Giles Barrow's smallholding to collect our two lovely Oxford Sandy and Black girls this afternoon.  Michael spent the day yesterday getting their new home ready -

Yes, I know there's a few weeds in the top picture, but I did say we hadn't had pigs for a while!  They'll love rooting about in all that lot, it will keep them entertained for ages.

We filled the back of the truck with straw and off we went.  We did get a bit worried on the way home as they were rather quiet, but I must admit looked rather comfy when we arrived home!

Once home we let the girls into their new surroundings -

My husband also put them through our old pig weighing machine that he saved from a skip -

As you can see, one weighed 30lbs (13.6Kgs), and the other 32.5lbs (14.7Kgs).

We are thrilled to bits with them.  They are still unsure of where they are and what's happening, but I will keep you posted as to their progress.  We shall weigh them again in another month.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 13 (nearly a full house, I wonder who it was that let the side down?)

Sales -
1 doz eggs £1.80

Expenses -
2 x weaner pigs £100

Fence is finished and Wimbledon

Yippee - the fence is finished, apart from a bit of titivating - filling in a few holes etc, we are now dog proof, here's the finished result

Looks good hey?  Let me know what you think

As for Wimbledon, well what can I say?  Fabulous, Fantastic, Superb result.  Extremely well done Andy Murray, just brilliant.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 9

Sales -
Nil

Expenses -
Nil

Think everyone was watching Wimbles, seen nobody go past