New Year’s Eve: A loaf of bread, three cocks, and some other things.

A loaf of bread

Three cocks

A glimpse of sun

and some other things

That’s it 2015

Spot’s test run

Yesterday the sun shone

long-forgotten shadows reappeared

translucent bark was illuminated

stumps glowed

even Spot’s mud took on a certain incandescent quality

The ducks were so consternated they took refuge in the hay shed

 

Thankfully today was back to normal – wet, wind and warmth – and time to give Spot a test run.

Her time is nigh, although as we don’t have her cycle fully mapped, we are not sure how nigh.  Decided best thing was to arrange a daily Meeting so that opportunity would not be missed.

So, Spot “I’ll do anything for a small handful of hay” leaves her mud

to enter…

…a green paradise.

Bert is quick to follow

in hot pursuit

until contact is made

credentials are checked

and Spot decides she prefers the grass

Tomorrow is another day.

Meanwhile we present our first quiz.  Answers by comment please.

• What do a pig and a duck have in common?

Here is a clue

 

 

 

 

 

Water and Wind

This morning the rain held back as cloud swirled and stagnated

So, due to having family company

we take a rare circuit off plot.  The landscape around is moulded by water, flowing and gushing down every gully and ditch

and lying in  the bottom corner of every field as the ground cannot absorb any more

When the winds race through Gribin Isaf we suggest that since the force is not quite as strong as the one some time ago, the trees that resisted then will still stand now.  But trees weaken, as soil is washed away, so we see new casualties not far from home

So, as the gibbous moon wanes over Gribin Isaf tonight

We cherish the detail, the richness, of focusing down and in

We await to see what conditions will subdue the ducks, as they march round in wet and wind, while the chickens look on in disbelief

 

Christmas Dinner

Spot has her special Christmas Dinner:

Carrot

followed by carrot

then carrot

next broccoli

then carrot

 

Christmas Eve and all is white

As the near-full moon rolls round the southern horizon tonight,

Gribin Isaf has a coating of white

Earlier, the Christmas dinner escaped

But down below, all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well

A brief glimpse of light

Just for one day, the clouds part briefly to let through a little light

it illuminates the starling flock as they wash back and forth across the field

and spot-lights the hillside sheep as they try, unsuccessfully, to spell out a word

Time to replenish the bed that Spot has eaten

while Bert tries to disguise himself by masking his saddle

Other glimpses from today:

Bert is very happy this Christmas

Bert

came to this holding in August as a gift from the dear friends who inspired us to this life.

He came with his consort, Spot.

Before they came to us they  had happy times together and had produced two happy litters of happy piglets (we have one in our freezer right now).

But Bert had a hidden past.  Bert was his cover name – his true identity was Peartreefarm Dominator 37 and he has a family tree to prove it:

Now the people who keep records like that are the Keepers of The Herd Book and are Very Strict.  The Blood Lines have to be pure; the identities have to be verified.  Since Bert had been operating off the radar in recent times, he had been declared homeless and also DEAD:

To bring him back to life and satisfy the Keepers of The Herd Book seemed very hard – the notches cut in his ears soon after birth

are not visible any more.  So he was told by a leading expert: “the crucial factor is what is in your ear. As we have the boar details as NOTCH 37 then clearly 37 should be shown by 3 positions in your ear having been notched. If these are not there then the trail immediately stops and you are just a pig and not a pedigree one.”

Bert was not that bothered – he was happy to have his eye on Spot

And then today The Keeper Of The Herd Book sent Bert this communication:

“You can be put back into the herd book. Your notches may have out grown, you will always remain a registered boar.  You will be able to be used for breeding purposes. Hope this brightens your day and have a Happy Christmas.”

So although he loves Spot very much

He wonders if he might also be able to have babies like these

So to celebrate this he would like to share with you his Christmas card

and wish you a New Year full of happiness and piglets

 

 

 

 

Near the turning

In 48 hours the year will turn and minute by minute day light will start stretching out again to claim a little bit more of each day.

Tonight the moon rises later and fuller

through a clear sky, following a day of only partial cloud

Today the greenhouse is cleared of expended strength

ready to be cleansed and polished ready to let the light of the new year bring energy to those within.

Life is ready to spring

but also ready to hold its breath if the wolf of frost calls the time.

The seasoned ones keep an eye on things

While elsewhere life waxes and wanes

 

 

 

December growth

As dinner takes shape at Gribin Isaf

 

Outside we have some growing things

 

And some things that grew earlier

 

And some other things

 

Broody tantrums

As the lights land on Gribin Isaf today

we give a pig a nice new way of getting tasty hay

and ask is she grateful? Well, sort of

but she wants to do it her way

Spot doesn’t see the problem

and we think she has not got enough to do.  She may not know we are on vulva watch

on the countdown to that juicy moment when Bert

will be allowed access.

Meanwhile, the latest import of horse manure is left stranded in our neighbour’s field

moving it back, or forth, will chew up too much grazing – so there it rests.

And now for today’s collection of stumps:

Pethan eraill yn y tyddyn heddiw: