vendredi 20 avril 2007

Rhythm of Life

After over two years at Quelebu, mixing copius amounts of concrete and mortar, watering plants, washing cars, feeding pigs and chickens , I finally installed an outside tap today. No longer does it all have top be done from the kitchen sink! The car got a wash in celebration.

The first vegetables are in, three rows of onions, three rows of shallots and some french beans. Potatoes to follow shortly, plus some maize for the pigs.

The front garden (although it doesn't belong to me) and the rest of the land around the house got scythed today, so everywhere is looking very tidy. Whilst scything under the electric pig fence I managed to cut the wire, so that had to be mended before the pigs realised!

The pigs are growing fast and are quite friendly now. They follow me around and chase each other around the field. They generally sleep most of the day and feed in the afternoon and evening. Corbett had a tick on his neck but I pulled it off - it was the size of a pea so reckon it was about ready to let go anyway.

Today was a beautiful spring day (which equates to a summers' day in the UK) 30 degrees, sunny and still, with the heat lingering until 9.00 pm or so.

Life here is developing a new rhythm around the animals: up at 7.30 to feed pigs and let the chickens out, collecting eggs at 3.00 ish, feeding pigs again at 6.30, then closing the chickens up for the night at 8.00 (early dusk). They now put themselves to bed which saves chicken chasing. The cockerell is the loudest most incessent crower I've ever heard - fortunately the neighbours don't mind. At least the immediate neighbours, from the echo he can be heard in several neighbouring villages too!

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