And This Little Pig said Whoa!

Image this is the first thing you saw, when you walked into work!

This is what you call a big boy, with a big set of horns, he was mouthed (tech term for checking how many permanent teeth he has up). Four teeth, means he is only a two year old.

What really got me was the symmetry of his horns, side on you can only see one. Usually one is always a little further forward, backwards, upwards or downwards. But this boys are so even.

And a little cute steer to finish, gotta love those long pieces of fringe in both ears.

And This Little Pig said Rabbits and Intros

Okay, some Intros and Cross Stitch.

First my baby, well she is 2, but she is still my child, Meah is a mini foxie, and came to me by way of a friend. I'll leave her story to another day. But here she is sitting on my washing, when she has a perfectly good bed!

Next is my Quincy, miniature Dachshund, chocolate and tan, she is a half sister to Tatty's pups, same sire.

His Royal Highness Normie, Mum's cat demanded to make an appearance, he is a mistake mating, Cornish Rex father, Burmese mother. Normie is quite confused at the moment because up until Tatty came home in the family way, they were best friends, and now he is not even allowed to look sideways at the puppies. He was so glad when Quincy came home for a visit... Long playmate.

My current cross stitch project is a rabbit in mirror image, I have an idea on how I want to finish this, just whether it works. 

Raw linen 30 count, over 2. Dark Rabbit DMC 3371 finished and Lt Rabbit DMC 3864 nearly halfway done.

Plus my mystery piece, can you guess what it is? This has been put to one side, because I have to finished the Rabbits they are off to America, to live with a non-crafty friend, have to be done and gone by mid-July.

And This Little Pig said Puppies No 2

Just a very quick update, Tatty and the puppies are doing very well, they are two weeks old today, and to quote my mother... "As fat as fools" or "As full as a bull."

Their eyes are fully open today, and they are starting to move around. Tatty is being a very good mum, protective, she doesn't mind you handling her puppies, just make sure you put them back!!!

Have a couple of pictures, taken by my Mum, I do think we need to get her a new camera. They were even more blurry, I had to 'sharpen' them up, which has made them a little dark.

I hate the fact that I live 2.5 hours away.

Anyway, enjoy the photos of the babies.

Oh and by the by, the little chocolate girl has been called Tilly, and I have this distinct feeling that she will be staying.

And This Little Pig said Awful Day

It was cold, and wet, and then cold again... well it is winter. So I only managed a couple of photos today. The one with the steam rising off the cattle turned out better than I thought, even the one of the raindrops on the coat.

So I had to dip into my emergency cattle photo files. These are from a sale in early May, just before I started this blog. This is an annual Angus Sale we have every year. It is huge, lots of black cattle, lots of people, lots of work. but it is always worth the effort.

Now I am about to show my age, when I was growing up ...last century... there was a British TV program call The Professionals, the English Starsky & Hutch. 

It was a British 'cop' show. They were a special organisation called... CI5. Well I couldn't resist the below, even if it really is C15, made me smile. I wonder if her calf's name was George, Bodie or Doyle?

And This Little Pig said Farm Eggs

While home for the Queen's Birthday Long weekend, I managed to get some farm photos, so farm eggs and chooks.

We have many breeds of chooks, and I hope to get to most of them, but in this blog, Barnevelders.

We have had Barnies for over 30 years, they are a lovely dark brown laced chook, that lay a beautiful brown egg.

Our pullets (young hens, on point of lay) are allowed to roam out during the day, mostly in the hayshed, and around the goats, before being locked up at night, to save them from Mr Fox.

Well young pullets and chooks in general can lay in some of the most unusual places, this years batch decided that the base of the 44 gallon drum, which seems to contain many years worth of baling twine, was the best place.

And once they were moved down to live with the hens

I was trying to get the Barnie roosters attention, and was whistling, every time I whistled, he stood on one leg

Then the hens decided to play ring a ring a rosie

You can just see this hen saying... 'Look she has that damn camera... again.'

And This Little Pig said X-Stitch Finish

I have finished my Star Trek mattress pincushion! The stitching was done and dusted in May. 

I had checked out most of the tutorials for this type of finish, and decided that I would try something a little different. I like evenness and definite lines, funny that. So I whipped stitched every side/edge, even the short ones on the corners. Extra work, but I like it.

 

I've had this all whipped stitched up and stuffed with fibre fill, and only about 2 inches to finish, and just didn't like the feel, I'm sure it wasn't lumpy, but I just couldn't get the thought out of my head, so Sunday craft shopping at Spotlight, to get some wadding, frogged the last bottom seam, and now I am much happier, finished last night.

Spotlight, where having a 20% off everything sale, including anything that was already on sale, so all the floss for a new project, and some Linen 32 ct Belfast, Antique White, that was already reduced from $72 to $48 per metre with a further 20% off that, went a little crazy and brought what was left on the roll 1.4 metres (4.5 feet). I've seen this linen on-line and in stores for $95 a metre. Bargain, and I can always dye.

And This Little Pig said V

Well it looks like I am starting to collect the alphabet, first Y, now V. I don't know if I will succeed, but it is worth a try, I've seen a lot of letters and numbers over the years, so this will give me something extra to keep an eye out for.

I also seem to have developed a thing for butts! And tails, I just love the 'brush' of a tail, they can be as individual as the cattle, and I've never seen two alike.

And This Little Pig said Puppies

Warning! Warning! Many Ahhh moments below... Picture heavy

I was home this weekend at the family farm, which was the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend, to whelp our mini Dachshund Tatty. Thankfully she managed this before I was due to come back to work.

Four beautiful puppies, 3 girls, 1 boy, 3 black and tan, 1 chocolate and tan (girl). Born Monday 14 June, between 2.30pm and 4pm. Weighing between 200-220 grams (7-7.75ozs)

The following photos are brought to you by Tatty and Larry. 

 

Our LGD Molly, just couldn't stay out of the action, a picture you just know that if you tried to take, you wouldn't be able to capture.

More farm piccies in the next couple of weeks

And This Little Pig said Bellow

Nine days into winter, and it has finally struck, while the sun was shining, there no heat, and as the day went  on a cold breeze turned into a freezing, piercing wind.

Cattle numbers were down, more to the fact that we have had good rain, than that it is so cold... Oh look I sound like what I am, a cattle auctioneers secretary.

I think I have a thing for bellowing cattle, managed to snap this little fellow below, obviously looking for mum.

Isn't it interesting, how half a step to the right, and then a full two steps to the right, can have such a dramatic effect on a photo. The first two below are the same beast, the third is different, but both were in the same pen.

And because I couldn't resist here is the bellower again (yes it is the same photo except in portrait.