This weekend was busy. It started at sunrise Saturday with rounding up and trailering the pig for tagging and registration at the fair grounds. To be in the fair (March) you must take your swine to the fairgrounds on registration day for an eartag, official number, and payment of the modest registration fee.
So yesterday we loaded up the pig (who does have a name now) and hauled her up to Fanning Springs where she was a very good girl as she received her ear piercing and an official fair number.
It was all very efficient and we were home by 9:00 am.
There was a few hours for doing things around the house and then we were off to Crystal River for Junior's basketball game (who schedules games on Saturdays!?).
Late this afternoon, I called Junior away from his video game for some real world construction work. We needed to build a stand for the pig feeder (that metal boxy thing lying on the ground) so the pig (now named) could feed herself. Last year's pig kept knocking it loose, so this year we decided to engineer it better.
We hope it's better.
In the picture above, Junior is drilling some pilot holes for a few 10 penny nails.
Notice the flipflops.
Yes, it's warm down here ... too warm for December.
Okay, it's pretty nice actually. The kind of weather that requires neither heater nor A/C ... my electric bill for a 4 bedroom, two story house was $100 this past month.
Sweet.
Now he's driving nails. Look at that arm ... you wouldn't want to be the nail he's pounding. This little project required him to use the drill, hammer, compound miter saw, and socket wrench. All I had to do was help with heavy lifting and supervise.
Working around pigs is alternately hilarious and frustrating. They are so curious, and like a shark, they must nibble things to see what they are. We needed to dig post holes on either side of this concrete pad for the feeder rack and the pig (no longer nameless) was fascinated by everything we did.
She was especially entralled by the posthole diggers ... so much so that Junior had to get in the pen and distract her (thereby risking his bare flipfloppy toes).
We managed to mount the feeder without losing any toes and it seemed to be working well. I plan to put a little roof over it to help keep moisture out of the feeder, but that can wait.
Now we have to teach her to use it.
Did I mention she has a name finally?
Her name?
"Chewie"
13 comments:
Ah, Chewie, a nice combination of food and Star Wars. Good to see Junior working on this project.
awwwww......she is sooo cute and what a good name. Big test tomorrow wish me luck.
PRINCESS Chewie, if you please.
junior has gotten all muscled! good to keep him busy with the constuction.
Ah, a fitting pig name indeed!
That top photo shows just about everything a rural homestead needs: a battered truck, a chainsaw, and a helper.
Pablo
http://www.roundrockjournal.com
Chewie's earring looks pretty stylish too!
I knew pigs were smart but didn't realize they were curious too. I'll bet it's tough to part with them at the um, necessary time.
I wonder about the red truck in the background. I'll bet someone didn't see that LONGLEAF PINE TREE when he was learning to drive.
Mockin'bird
I'd send some of my cold air your way if I could!
ha ha, I was thinking the same thing that mockin'bird was. No matter how much you may try to deny it, FC, you have quite a bit of redneck in you...Evidence JUST from this week:
1. Junk truck in front yard appears unmoved ever since you started blogging
2. Chickens surfing your dog
3. A pig named Chewie
Be proud!!
Cute name! I counted the hours I had to myself to do something fun this weekend. Zero. I needed a day off to recover from my weekend.
Robin,
It was deja vu to be sharing woodworking tips.
Emma,
I hope it went well baby! Love ya!
Kathy A,
Especially his head :)
This pig does get treated like royalty. I know I wait on her a lot.
3C,
It has a certain nerdy savoir faire.
:)
Pablo,
A much loved battered truck.
Needs some serious TLC tho.
ThunderD,
Oh she's definitely a fashion hog ...
Rurality,
I'd say VERY curious though it may be instinctive food seeking strategy ... check everything out, some of it will be food.
It's very hard on Goodbye day, but she gets more quality pig time than pigs on a real pig farm.
Mockinbird,
LOL!
More like a brace of wild hogs standing in the middle of the road in the predawn dark ... about 13 years ago.
Deb,
And I would take it!
HTeen,
Now when did I ever deny redneckiness?
:)
Cathy S,
I actually meant taking a weekend off from blogging, but I just couldn't do it.
I hope your next weekend is more restful!
LOL!! I love it.
Post a Comment