Sunday, 28 October 2007
The talking's over, it's time to get working!
Half term holidays October 2007 and it's time to put my money where my mouth is. I've been banging on about keeping these pigs for quite some time now so I've finally ordered the fence posts etc to get our bit of the field enclosed. The posts arrived on Friday afternoon and Katie and I lugged them out into the field, which was pretty hard work in itself. Then came the task of measuring it all out and getting the posts in the right places.
Saturday morning (the day of the Rugby World Cup Final), and I've managed to borrow most of the tools I need for digging/driving these things into the ground off a neighbour...............and thank heavens I did. Annie & John, thank you SO much for the loan, I'd still be digging now if it weren't for you two. I spent the rest of that day digging, driving, aching, perspiring........... and only managed two posts!!! (three foot deep holes into clay/stone...........no fun).
So here's the irony, England are in the World Cup Final, and it's Sal who's gone down the pub while the match is on. Me? I'm too achy and stiff to even think about getting off the sofa. Sunday, I'm still in too much pain and am most disappointed I haven't lost an ounce of weight after my exertions!!! Time was, with that amount of effort I'd have lost 5 or 6 lbs no trouble (and heaven knows I need to lose some weight).
Monday sees me back out in the field, making a little more progress. I'm starting to get the hang of things now, each deep hole is now taking about an hour!!! The bloke up at Bridgemans (the local agricultural suppliers where the posts came from) reckons on 100 yards per man per day for stock proof fencing. By my reckoning it'll be more like 70yards, per man, per fortnight!!!! The real killer is when you drive the shovel into the hole and hit a stone. The pain shoots right up through your hand, up your arm and stops somewhere near your chin. By heck my hands hurt.
Tuesday-Thursday I have the pleasure of attending a Dinner Lady conference in Birmingham (deep joy), when all I can think about is being back home with my girls and getting on with m'pig farm. Thankfully Friday comes around pretty soon and I'm back out there beavering away. Noodles (a very cheeky Wire haired fox terrier) and Rolo, (a mad Springer spaniel) accompany me. Chasing each other for what seems like hours, in and out of my post holes and turning themselves a pleasing shade of red as the day progresses!!!! Noodles later takes 20 minutes under the shower getting all the dirt and mud out of her. One more day should do it.
Saturday however, is a bit murky, it's been raining and the clay weighs my wellingtons down. The tools are wet and hard to handle but I make reasonable progress. However, the extra effort brought on by the rain (not to mention the soaking my clothes got) forces me to call it a day by 3.00pm. Sunday ought to see me get it finished (I want to get the tools back to Annie & John).
The clocks went back last night and Katie is very excited as she's competing in some kind of horsey thing down at the stables today. So excited that she's aiming to get there at 7.00am!!! Bang goes any thoughts of a lie in then. As it is, I have a wretched, sleepless night. Dreaming about fencing wire, pig arks and school dinners! To compound my joy, it's chucking it down with rain and there's absolutely no chance I'll be doing anything towards the pig effort today. I shall just have to sit back and read my sausage making book! (oh, and go be a spectator in the pouring rain watching Katie)
Saturday morning (the day of the Rugby World Cup Final), and I've managed to borrow most of the tools I need for digging/driving these things into the ground off a neighbour...............and thank heavens I did. Annie & John, thank you SO much for the loan, I'd still be digging now if it weren't for you two. I spent the rest of that day digging, driving, aching, perspiring........... and only managed two posts!!! (three foot deep holes into clay/stone...........no fun).
So here's the irony, England are in the World Cup Final, and it's Sal who's gone down the pub while the match is on. Me? I'm too achy and stiff to even think about getting off the sofa. Sunday, I'm still in too much pain and am most disappointed I haven't lost an ounce of weight after my exertions!!! Time was, with that amount of effort I'd have lost 5 or 6 lbs no trouble (and heaven knows I need to lose some weight).
Monday sees me back out in the field, making a little more progress. I'm starting to get the hang of things now, each deep hole is now taking about an hour!!! The bloke up at Bridgemans (the local agricultural suppliers where the posts came from) reckons on 100 yards per man per day for stock proof fencing. By my reckoning it'll be more like 70yards, per man, per fortnight!!!! The real killer is when you drive the shovel into the hole and hit a stone. The pain shoots right up through your hand, up your arm and stops somewhere near your chin. By heck my hands hurt.
Tuesday-Thursday I have the pleasure of attending a Dinner Lady conference in Birmingham (deep joy), when all I can think about is being back home with my girls and getting on with m'pig farm. Thankfully Friday comes around pretty soon and I'm back out there beavering away. Noodles (a very cheeky Wire haired fox terrier) and Rolo, (a mad Springer spaniel) accompany me. Chasing each other for what seems like hours, in and out of my post holes and turning themselves a pleasing shade of red as the day progresses!!!! Noodles later takes 20 minutes under the shower getting all the dirt and mud out of her. One more day should do it.
Saturday however, is a bit murky, it's been raining and the clay weighs my wellingtons down. The tools are wet and hard to handle but I make reasonable progress. However, the extra effort brought on by the rain (not to mention the soaking my clothes got) forces me to call it a day by 3.00pm. Sunday ought to see me get it finished (I want to get the tools back to Annie & John).
The clocks went back last night and Katie is very excited as she's competing in some kind of horsey thing down at the stables today. So excited that she's aiming to get there at 7.00am!!! Bang goes any thoughts of a lie in then. As it is, I have a wretched, sleepless night. Dreaming about fencing wire, pig arks and school dinners! To compound my joy, it's chucking it down with rain and there's absolutely no chance I'll be doing anything towards the pig effort today. I shall just have to sit back and read my sausage making book! (oh, and go be a spectator in the pouring rain watching Katie)
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