Monday, July 16, 2007

Situation out of hand

I’m at that point in the summer where the animal situation feels slightly out of hand. It could be that I just finished weeding my vegetable/cutting garden and it looks better than it has in a long time. There are some small zucchini and summer squash we should be able to eat this week and there are some cherry tomatoes almost ripe enough to pluck.

But it also could be that this


is happening at least 60 times a day in my cosy kitchen. The dogs cannot rest - their whole reason to live is to herd something, no matter where it is. The Farmer says it reminds him of the scene in the James Herriott t.v. series with Mrs. Bond (“I work for cats.”) and her husband who sits quietly reading his newpaper as the zillions of cats climb over the furniture, knocking things down, dishes flying. But we have guinea fowl flying hither and yon.


I would put them outside with the large birds but I fear they can still escape the wire enclosure and I will never get them back. Some people have parrots.....


Then there was the moment last night as I was quietly reading the stack of NY Times that has been piling up. With a lovely glass of wine, I was reading a book review/food article on a fabulous book I own called “Meat” by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in the July 8th Magazine section. As the sun was setting, I looked up and there were the three pigs tunneling through that perfectly weeded garden.

This morning I captured two of them but the ring leader is still with the sheep.

It’s always something here at our very own Funny Farm.

9 comments:

Lori Gayle said...

I have a parrot, but he doesn't roost in the bookcases or on the china cabinet.

Anonymous said...

have you thought of putting some wire mesh on the top of the box?

Linda

Faren said...

That is hilarious! Those last two pictures just crack me up!

Anonymous said...

Funny! On more than one occasion my daughter's pet rabbit has made her way onto one of our bookshelves for a nibble. She usually chooses something like an expensive dictionary to chew on. Once she went "cracker bunny" and chewed the dust jacket of The Best of James Herriot. Somehow it just didn't seem right!

Peggy said...

Funny Farm, but Happy Farm.

Anonymous said...

LOL Oh my goodness! I always have a good time when I visit your blog. Makes me feel like my two dog and two cat household is small potatoes :)

bob4skin@gmail.com said...

Kristin,
I think one of those "invisible fences" for dogs would work for the pigs. You bury a cable in the ground and fit each pig with a electronic collar. If the pig crosses the buried cable they get a shock. Pigs are smarter than dogs and will learn quickly!

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm. I remember friends with guinea hens. The hens roamed freely and were great watch-hens. Everyone was happy until the hens started wake-up calls at dawn outside neighbors' bedroom windows. That was when my friends had to form a guinea hen possee...........

BTW Love your blog and your art. Thanks for posting it all.

Christine in central MA

Willow said...

Oh my! And I don't even have a cat anymore. Just imagine what I'm missing!

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