The past three days have been interesting to say the least as the Other Half and I struggled through the jobs, coped with more, minor disasters, and met some new people.
On Friday, the Other Half had to take the morning off work to transport me to Inverurie and back for an appointment. She’d just left and I was making a cup of tea when there was a knock at the door.
The lady who was standing there introduced herself as Cassie, said she’d read of my crash on the Neeps forum and had come to help.
Before long, she was mucking out the two sows in the farrowing pens, tackling the job with great enthusiasm and a ready smile.
After that, Cassie bedded down our winter vegetable beds with straw, added fresh straw to the sow hut in the field, fed and watered the poultry, watered the pigs and even came in to do the washing up.
Cassie appeared to enjoy herself enormously and went away with home-made strawberry jam, a sack of Robinta potatoes, and some of our giant carrots and parsnips.
I got the feeling she felt she got a good deal! Thanks, Cassie, the help and the smile were much appreciated.
The Other Half also appreciated the work Cassie had put in as she came home to find all she had to do was feed the pigs and help me struggle to make dinner.
My shoulder didn’t let me get much sleep on Friday night, but the OH escaped in the morning to take the Big Lad swimming while the Wee ‘Un and I did dribs and drabs of housework.
We soon discovered it was easiest if he did the low jobs and I did the high ones, so we had a good time before the OH returned and we all head off to Inverurie to buy some shoes for the boys.
Our mission was only half successful as the shops had no size 12 shoes for the Big Lad, which I found more than a little peculiar.
Today, we had the photographer from the Press & Journal due at 11am to do some pictures for an appeal to find the hit-run driver who knocked me off the trike.
As the photographer pulled up, a cyclist also appeared and introduced himself.
He’s known as Andhar the Wheel on the Velovision forum and, having read of the crash, had ridden the 30 miles out from Aberdeen to offer some moral support.
Andhar became a member of the production crew as the photographer shifted the trike and I about to get the right angle.
After that, Andhar was given the guided tour of the croft, then helped us set up gates and herd pigs until we had Graham the boar in with his new girls.
Unfortunately, neither Graham nor the girls were as cooperative as usual so Andhar’s cycling shoes may never be the same again, thanks to mud, mud and more mud.
We did take pity on Andhar, feeding him up for the journey back and heating his hat and gloves up for him as it was chilly out.
But before we sent him on his way, he got to spectate at the drain rodding championships.
Our drains had backed up so I tried to rod them with one hand, failing miserably.
The Other Half then took over and was doing a splendid job with reasonable humour - until she got caught in the backwash!
After that, it just had to get worse and so it proved.
First, we lost the plunger head down the drain and then the scraper head. The OH was preparing to stick her hand down when there was a final sullen gurgle and the blockage cleared, at least partially.
We decided to call it quits before the OH exploded, so she retired to the shower.
With the help of Cassie and Andhar the Wheel, we have managed to just about stay on top of the jobs, although we have yet to move Doris, one of our Berkshire sows, and her litter out to the field.
The problem is that a heavy arc needs to be moved, muck cleared out of a pen, fresh bedding put in, and then a sow and 11 piglets moved.
I’m not sure how we’re going to manage it, but I’ll have to find some way of moving the arc tomorrow as the pigs needed to move urgently.
We also have to kill, pluck, draw and freeze two cockerels for Christmas and New Year.
I’ve asked for help on a couple of forums, even offering to swap one of the cockerels for a bit of plucking, but so far everyone seems to have turned vegetarian!
Still, the Wee ‘Un came up with the answer: “Pa, you will have to build a robo machine that kills, plucks, chops, slices, guts and cooks chickens”.
Now there’s an idea…
I’m so glad to see you’re still blogging. I consider you as a neighbour who I see a few times a week in passing outside of the post office, curious as to what you’ve been up to and passing on a few words of encouragement. I’m not surprised to hear you’ve been getting help, because a) you deserve some help afterall that, and b) because helping people is so rewarding. A frined of mine had just had her fourth child, and was overwhelmed by the heaps of ironing sat in her dining room, growing and growing. She finally rang me and asked timidly for help, and in the end, three of us went over, bringing our irons andboards, and spent a lovely couple of hours clearing the piles and putting away, while she kept us going with tea and baby chatter. I loved helping her, and itnow makes me feel different about asking for help.
I like the way the papers keep making you older by the day…you’ll soon catch up with me!
Can’t help you with the pig arc but think the wee ‘un has suggested a fantastic idea
Now there is a vision for me: the OH with chook in hand …. axe swinging in other hand and a determined but hesitant look on her face!
Oh yes, and a sharp knife and a big bucket for the feathers etc.
The boys jumping around with glee saying “good on yer mum” . Perhaps it is just as well I am not flying north for a while OH … isn’t it?
I can help with cockerels mon, tues or wed evenings this week - drop me a email
andy