Well after a puppy arriving every half hour or so, it was going good, 2 girls and 2 boys at this stage, Lucky seemed to calm down a bit and we thought that was it. We were worried about the placenta, but thought it would sort its self out. So waited another 40 mins before we were going to change her bed, texted everyone (bet they were happy 12.45am!) and made sure all puppies were suckling. We have one that hasn't got a suckle reflex so whether she will make it we will have to see. We are hand rearing that one for awhile, but she is still with the others, we just take her out at feed time. She is very small 200grms, but we'll see. Then all of a sudden Lucky was pushing and it didn't look good, after just 12 mins I called the vet to ask for help. The placenta and pup were being born at the same time but were stuck, the vet was calm than us!...But we did what he said and by the skin of our teeth got her going and she was ok, so was Lucky, that was a relief. We thought surely that must be it now. I didn't realise just how mucky a process it all was...I know now!!!

YIIPPPEEE WE HAVE PUPS!

Finally after Lucky puffing and panting all night and most of the next day, her waters finally broke and she started 'proper' labour. We have had so many false alarms that we couldn't be sure this was it. Pete was upstairs changing and I was seeing to Lucky, then all of a sudden the panting turned to a push and I shouted to Laura to get Pete quick. Our first puppy was born at 10.30pm 12th March. We helped her break the sack and removed mucus from its nose etc, Lucky was quite good she helped, but I was too frightened to not help, in case we lost it. I thought it was not alive when it was first born, no movement for a minute or two and then it sparked into action with Lucky still licking her. Wow what an experience, never had puppies, and it is quite different from delivering other animals. Lucky was a lot quieter than I had expected. We picked her up as Lucky was already pushing for a second. The little one was weighed and marking recorded....well ish!!!

LUCKYS WHELPING AREA

We are truly fed up waiting for the big day to arrive, when Lucky gives birth, it should have been last night by my dates, but we are still waiting. That's why I am babbling on a bit at present, tired I think!.. We thought perhaps the bed she had wasn't to her liking so we made a 5foot x 3 1/2 foot whelping bed for her and her soon to arrive pups. How much longer can it take!!!! You didn't really think we would have a normal whelping box did you?...silly people!

SLEEPING IN THE KITCHEN!

Here's one half of our bed that we made to sleep in the kitchen, in case Lucky has her pups and we can't hear her upstairs, so we have moved to the kitchen floor to make sure all runs smoothly, and if not we can call the vet immediately....I am not sure what people would say if they turned up late at night and saw us pair on the floor, on midwife duty!!..We have slept some pretty strange places since moving here!!!!

LAURA...HONESTLY!

Laura, don't know who she must turn after!... She wrapped Uncle Tims present late at night and forgot to take the price off, so she had to hover while Tim unwrapped it and stopped him at the appropriate moment to remove the price!... No wonder Tractor Annie calls it Go faster farm here, everything is fitted in albeit a rush, 100 mile an hour we are!!

SORRY SUNNY..

Thin air is what Sunny normally chases...but in this case I have to apologise to her, she was in fact chasing this poor mouse/vole thing. Really cute but frightened. Pete managed to catch it climbing up the back of the door!!!...(The mouse not Pete that it)and put it safely outside where it belongs.

SUNNY HAS A NEW FRIEND

Sunny has made a new fried in this enormous teddy on Stevens bed. She cuddles up to him every night and gives him a kiss on the nose!... Is it just our animals that are weird or is it the norm. Our norm has been so far removed I haven't a clue where 'norm' is any more... Actually just as I am writing this, Sunny went loopy and chased thin air at the speed of a formula one car under my chair and over the computer desk...guess that just about sums it up really!

NOT SURE WHAT STEVE IS SAYING?

Steve gave Uncle Tim a huge pencil and a very large eraser for very big mistakes, surely he isn't insinuating that Uncle Tim makes mistakes??? Brave boy!!!

TIM IS 35!!!!!

Happy Birthday Tim...That's my brother, the one that helped with the cottage, you remember when we had the digger November last year?...I think he is glad we have just about finished, so we don't pinch everything he has in his car to use on the build! Had a little get together and a bit of tea...So Happy Birthday... We got him a fire pit, but I think he might have been expecting it, as the random comment of wanting one wasn't random at all, it was a great big fat hint!.. Good job I was paying attention!

2 MORE PICS WHILE I AM AT IT!

Andy and Jane put in my visitors book to take a scratching stick down when you visit the pigs... So just to prove what they meant and that the pigs do in fact like it, I have shared the photos with you. Pixie, Dixie and Woody rolled over in turn whilst Jane scratched them with her stick, I think they could have handled that all day. Buzz is getting bigger now but still fairly tiny compared to the others, but even he looked forward to his daily rub!

THANKS ANDY & JANE

Whilst I am here waiting for Lucky to give birth I thought I would just share Andy's photos with you. (Our guests from last week...in case you are wondering)...I have worked out that Lucky stood for Buck on the 5th of Jan and the last time 13th Jan, so 9 weeks from the 5th is Monday and 8 weeks from 13th is Tuesday, so it could be any time now, we have ruled out the end of December, so one of these dates must be the one, she is very tired today.
Here is a photo of Jane sitting with our rather porky Lucky and Gem, they are always together, usually up to no good!

STEVE WON!!

Presidents day and against many competitors Steven took the cup coming first and won a nike wedge too!... Well done and congrats, Steve played to 8 handicap and has now been cut to 10.6...way to go Steve....Woodhall Spa tomorrow....hopefully a good round....Tiger here we come!

STILL WAITING

Thanks Jo for all the info on Lucky and the birthing process, we are still awaiting the arrival of tiny paws, so cut the grass whilst we were waiting for Lucky to produce, I am a little apprehensive, especially after talking to our neighbour who had no end of trouble with the birth of her puppies and if she did not wake up, non of them would be here now......AAAAHHHH I dont think I can stay up for a wekk or so, just have to hope it goes Ok I guess, I dont know the date or it would be a lot easier...but Pete and Steve are away again this weekend so I expect it will be then!!!

WORN OUT

Sunny has had such a busy day...she stretched at 6am...had to rest till breakfast at 8am, after walking down the stairs she decided a little lay down was in order till noon. Had cardiovascular exercise...sunny fashion around the garden, rested before her evening meal, then crashed out after her hard day of work.....Oh to be a cat!

DIRTY GREAT BIG FLOWER BED!

Do you remember the great big heap of spare soil we didn't know what to do with?....Well Dad and I made it into a dirty great big flower bed .....as you come in the car park area, and I think it looks great....Does this mean JC Housing is diversifying???? Just need to plant it up now...well Jeff needs to plant it up and it will grow and look fine and dandy!..I think its great

ARTISTIC????

My unfinished sculpture has found a home, and I must say it looks might nice there... When I had time and lived in a far off land where you could do only 10 things at once and have your finger on only one pulse at a time, I used to like to sculpt.... But this land has gone and I doubt if I will visit it again....But it was nice to visit it, at least I can say I have been normal at some point...well actually most people would beg to differ that!

CHESS?

Hatty comes up to see us everyday, sometimes with her friends sometimes on her own, she is so friendly, she likes to stroll in the conservatory and have breakfast...ceral and toast... I did try to give her flap jack yesterday but it kind of stuck her beak together ...not the best plan for a chicken!...SO flap jack ejected and was told not to be so stupid!...So back to cornflakes it is then. Hatty seems to have taken a liking to the giant chess board that we made in the garden, she has scratched around so much on it that I need to repaint it!..Thanks Hatty...just coz I fed you flap jack...I thought you would have liked it!

PIGLETS ARE GROWING

The piglets are definitely in their naughty phase, me and tractor Annie cleaned them out yesterday and they were going loopy jumping and fighting all over the place, funny to watch though. Then Rosie came in (at this point tractor Annie hurdled the fence!) to tell them a few secrets of being a pig, the piglet listened to her for ages, really strange to watch. The piglets are about 4 ish weeks old now so another couple of weeks they will be off to their new homes.

ANDY AND ANT ON THE HOMEWARD STRETCH

The patio is going down now, Andy and Ant are on the homeward roll, it will be so odd without them here, but its all going to plan and we have all worked really hard to make this happen and on time....OH and then there is the Mr Harris!!! he has different rules!!...Go Alan Go...Tortoise time me thinks!

KITCHEN NEARLY IN

With a bit more tilling and a bit of tidying, the kitchen in Little Toms Cottage is almost done...designed by yours trury!!!, the electrician is lagging behind....HARRIS where are you!!!..But the rest of us are on the ball, but it is really coming together now, there are a lot of bits to do inside that will take a while, but the outside is looking just dandy now!

SPRING?

Well you wouldn't have known it was spring a couple of days ago, with all the hail and snow, but today you can see Spring is definitely in the air, snowdrops and daffs all out, and things are looking quite pretty here now, it gives you hope that winter and up to your knees in mud is almost over....well for a month or so!!!