Cee & Dee Frolicking in the Snow

Here are my two big pigs, Cee and Dee, enjoying the mild morning. This is their winter pen - small in size, but handier to their winter pen - which has easiera ccess for me feeding, plus more level footing for them.  Cee has had a sore R carpal joint this winter - 4 cycles of Bute seems to have cleared it up, but frolicks like these sometimes make a her a bit tender. Can`t begrudge her the pkay time, tho!

Wilbur: One Precious Pig Spared the Slaughterhouse

Bidgiemire Pig Arks - UK

Bidgiemire Pig Co is a UK company selling a range of Very Cool pig arks. Prob too far/expensive to ship to North America - but some good inspiration for the handy among us! Plus they have arks made out of recycled materials, as well as accessories such as troughs, fencing, etc. Love it!

Getting Through the Winter ...

So far we've had tons of snow, a huge thaw, and now we're into the COLD weather!

On days like these I alternate between cursing the winter and wishing I live somewhere milder and feeling virtuous for surviving it all! Typical Canadian, eh?

Things that get me through:

• Stock tank de-icers (the sinking kind - the ox plays with the floaters and the donkeys are scared of them);
• My thrift store long down coat (despite the fact that it sheds feathers on everything I wear under it; and despite the fact I hate that birds died for the down (well - maybe they died for the meat and the down is a by-product - in any case, th ebirsd are no more ...));
• Electric water pails & bowls - for the goats, geese, & pigs;
• My barn kettle (from the thrift store) - I use it to warm water for the pigs' soupy meals, to thaw ice from pails, whatever.
• My barn radio (thrift store!) - brings a sense of civilization to an otherwise brutally frigid day - keeps me calm & intellectually engaged while I shovel poop! I listen to CBC Radio One (like US NPR);
• Thoughts of all the fun things I will do once spring comes: new fences, gates, yards, stalls, whatever - I am a perennial planner;
• Hearing everyone chewing their hay once chores are done ... I often sit on a bale (if it's not too cold) for a while and just soak in the contentment.