g o r m e n g h a s t

Currently Reading: Titus Groan by Mervin Peake (1st Book in the Gormenghast Trilogy). I randomly picked up the entire trilogy in Victoria Coach station on the way to Alex's, and it cost me £15 so I hope it's good. I read the first 90 pages on the coach, and must admit that although nothing happened, it was great fun to read. Mervin Peake's writing style is vividly descriptive, and simply in describing the daily lives of a number of characters within Gormenghast he kept me hooked. Hopefully this bodes well!

Childhood Dream #1 -- Fulfilled

This particular activity was so incredible, that it deserves it's own post. While on the pig farm, I fulfilled a childhood dream... I DROVE THE JCB. Yes, I was a digger driver for a day. I had to reverse it out of the farmyard, through a gate, over a hill and then lower some milk-churns full of water over an electric fence (I may have accidentally electrocuted the farmer, but it was my first time!) and then drive back. More fun than I could ever have imagined. Luckily it had an automatic clutch, which was handy as I wouldn't have fancied clunking the gears on a 2 tonne soil-shifter.

5 Reasons why pigs are smart.

Pigs. Pigs pigs pigs. They are smart little things. Many reasons:

1. The little buggers can learn how to open gate-bolts. And once they learn, they never forget. Oh, and they can lift gates off their hinges. Yes.




2. Once the boar smells his ladies, no amount of coaxing will get him to go in the opposite direction. And he has big teeth - and unlike a cow and it's immense strength, he knows how to use them*
3. Piglets are powerful, and they know how to flail.
4. They can somehow root around in their own filth all day without getting noticably ill, or throwing up.
5. They will only defecate in particular areas, and will keep their bedding areas clean, if given space to do so. This does actually make them, in my opinion, the cleanest of all the domestic animals I've worked with (excepting cats).

Overall, it was a really good week. The farmer had pigs (breeding, rearing and finishing - was great to see the whole process, though sadly I missed any farrowings - the two sows that were due while I was there had aborted a month or so before - clearly they knew I was coming!), cattle and sheep, and as a result I got to do a huge variety of things, including de-maggotting two fly struck sheep, jabbing a lively little piglet with some antibiotics, going to 2 farmers' markets, and 3 different abatoirs. He also had his own butchery so I got to try my hand at a spot of mincing - plus the bacon at breakfast was insurpassable!.

*I never actually got skewered by a boar, don't worry - he wasn't very good at standing up - looked like he was trying to walk on stilettos.

Just got back from the gym. It's the first time I've been since my initiation on Tuesday, and I quite enjoyed it. I went along with Sean and Don (who are both surprisingly strong!), and did my whole workout twice as the guy said. I'm glowing now I'm home, and hopefully as I did the stretches again I won't be too tough.

All of Hannah's friends are round at the moment having a BBQ, so I'm staying out of their way :)

Scrabble

Have played alot of Scrabble over the last few days. Played Sean three times today, he was beaten, and despite the harsh verbal stabbings we both received we enjoyed it. Apart from the last game, which stretched into 26 rounds of pain. Such awful letters. Truly awful. Though we did discover the word "suq", which is quite useful.

Aches and Pains

I ache. I booked into a gym yesterday cos I decided that I need to be able to lift calves. The guy in the gym thought this was a strange goal, but clearly he'd never been given a brief like it, and took it to heart. He gave me a few weights and explained how they would help me to throw sheep, and others to lift stuff. Think he quite enjoyed it.

But now I ache - not as much as I expected to, thanks to some smart stretches I was taught, but I do ache. Particularly my backside. Bloody ergs. Luckily today is a day of waiting for the gas man, so I don't have to do anything. Will probably go again on Thursday with Sean and his Bro. Coolio.

photo courtesy of this website.

Two More Species to Add to my Repertoire

In just over a month's time I will have completed 4 weeks of EMS. I'm working for 2 weeks with little northern piggies as of next Monday, and my September will be begun in the stables of some lovely horses from down my road. That will leave me needing only 2 weeks to finish off my 12, having already done 4 weeks of lambing and 2 weeks of dairy work.
picture taken from this website