LITTLE TOMS COTTAGE SO FAR...

This is our progress so far, for those of you that are following this build, its taking shape now and I am just hoping we can clear the car park area away in time for the first guests!...I sure we will, we love a challenge... There is still so much to do, and so little time, nothing new there then eh!...We have Andy and Ant doing this build with us helping out every hour possible, Alan Harris our electrician is on form at the mo and will be second fixing, first week in Feb...well he better be!!!...Then our plumber Richard Allen, who is skiving on a ski holiday at the mo, but he will be returning first week in Feb to sort us out!..And a great find, courtesy of Jeff, who helps us with our gardening once a week....his son in law Nigel is a painter and decorator, so we have nabbed him too!!!...Having a bit of a problem with drying out the walls for the next coat of paint,as it is just too cold at the moment....But he is helping too, and us...well we are trying too fit the kitchen!!!so it is all hands definitely on deck to get this baby finished!

SIGNS UP!

Cottage isn't finished by a long shot, but the sign is up!...makes me feel like we are getting somewhere....mind you it has only taken 3 months so far, a full on 3 months of gruelling timescales and work rate, but nevertheless, it is only 3 months!!!! So Little Toms Cottage is now well on the way to being here. Tom (our hand reared miniature Shetland would have been very pleased to see this cottage, shame he lost his fight at 14 months....miss ya Tom XX)

JC HOUSING STRIKES AGAIN!

We have some little homes for our birds, they appeared as if by magic....(Thanks dad!), one on the garage, one on the feed store and a robin box in the garden, they should be very comfortable now!...Dad alias JC housing was on a roll I think, they look great, hey he could put a 'vacant sign' on the front...mind you the council would have us for providing affordable housing!!!! Sorry...but cant seem to get permission for those for love nor money!

THE MOVING OF THE BUBS!

Once we had established that Bubs and Buzz would get on and snuggle up, we thought it was a good idea to move them both to the lunge ring where, they would have their own safe paddock and a cute little house that we had built for the Kune Kunes originally...before relocating them to pastures new.

SO set about moving Bubs, she isn't easy to move as she is so loving but as soon as she is out of her comfort zone ie her pen, she is quite skittish!... I put some food in front of her nose and all was going well until I got to the first gate and she seemed afraid of the gate?...how weird is that? She bolted back to the safety of her home. I tried again, this time with a rope, but this was worse, she panicked and slipped the rope and went home. I was beginning to run out of ideas, so thought I would try again by herding her down the paddocks. Well she was running ok and then just through the first gate she took a sharp left turn and accelerated right into the goat fence, she was balancing on the round end bit of her nose with legs in the air, it all happened in slow motion, I tried to save the fall, but she crashed to the floor smashing the oat fence to smithereens, So what now??? The goats were able to escape now?.,..Had to ensure Bubs was ok, she was, shaken a bit but ok. I had to then get her back out of the goat paddock. This is a very very long story so quick version, I calmed her down and put the bucket to her nose whilst stroking her behind the ears and talking to her, I finally after hours and hours, managed to get her to and in the lunge ring, whilst Pete repaired the fence to the goats. Buzz was carried down next with ease!...and they were re homed together and happy at last in the lunge ring. Crumbs ad its only 11.30am!!!

Tractor Annie came to help for the day and we mucked out and did all the rubbish jobs all day. Then Doug rang to ask if we had a sofa for cottage 6, as he had seen one that was reasonable. I had ordered a brand new one, but just in case this was the deal of the century, we raced over to Bodmin, wellies,muck and all! Nipped in, told Auntie Louise to try out the chair. She sat in it and all was fine until she found the recline button, and it was like something out of a comedy, She shot back and these two great green wellies 3 sizes too big for her appeared, she couldn't stop laughing and I thought we were going to get kicked out, we looked a right pair of reprobates!...I think the straw that broke the camels back was when the assistant asked if he could help.....I tried to regain normality and a percentage of professionalism...mmm wellies, muck and laughter....didn't really go well...anyway I asked if they had banana leaf furniture as I was looking for a 2 seat sofa in this. He looked at me quizzically, and asked if that was a yellow sofa?....well that was it Louise just fell about and we had to stumble to the door with laughter...Yellow?...is he mad...does he sell furniture???Not sure we will be going back there, and I am more than happy with my order of a new sofa!

BUZZ AND BUBS

The weather had broken, well the worst if it anyhow...only 0 degrees now!...So thought it was time to make sure Buzz remembered how to be a pig! He belongs outside, he has several houses to choose from, just not this one! We thought Bubs (Our Saddleback) would like some company. Rosie and Daisy are alot older than she is so they tend to pick on her a bit, especially since her knight in shining armour has sadly departed (Oscar, our Welsh Boar). So I gingerly introduced Buzz to Bubs once again. They seemed to connect this time and I left them there for the day to see what would happen, checking them every few hours (well minutes ...if I am honest!...didn't get anything done at all that day!) But Buzz and Bubs cuddled up and slept together, it was really cute to see as Buzz is so small next to Bubs. I took a picture on my phone ...just for the record!!

BUZZ GETTING A BIT TOO COMFY!

Pete thinks he has a new baby, I found him taking his coffee break in the front garden with someone on a lead??????....Oh this doesn't bode well. I then caught him in the office with Buzz on his lap whilst he was drawing up plans!...I asked what was he doing, he replied.....Buzz was shouting to be picked up and cuddled, and he looked so cold!....As soon as Pete picks him up he goes to sleep and cuddles right in....

I REALLY CANT HAVE A PIG INSIDE....someone help!... But I guess it is cold...and he is cute...

THE RETURN OF BUZZ

The weather is biting cold, went down to feed Buzz and he had blue ears and was shaking. One night that's all he was down there for and in mountains of straw!....But couldn't bear it, took him straight up in front the Rayburn and cuddled him until he was warmer and then remade a bed in the office where he would be warm. He slept most of the day, he was exhausted with the cold I think. Later in the afternoon the temperature reached 0 degrees and the sun was out. So put Buzz on a lead ...yeas you heard that right...a lead...and walked him around the garden, he didn't like the restriction much. At one point he jumped up and did a 360 in mid air. But when he was allowed to go in the exact direction he wished, all was fine. He lasted 15 mins and again got soo cold, so in again where he slept for the night and breakfasted in the morning!.....OH MY...what have we done?????

SKATING ON THIN ICE!

The pond had frozen for the second day and was hard enough to stand on, Louise ...that'll be tractor Annie and I spent ages breaking it to make room for the ducks to drink and wash. It was like being back in Canada, not Cornwall, we don't get this cold down here usually....weird!

MINUS 8 THIS MORNING!

It was cold this morning, all the water pipes had frozen, no feeds to any of the animals. Ponies looked freezing even though they have a nice fluffy coat. Spent most of the morning breaking the ice on buckets so the animals could drink, then again after lunch as they had frozen again in only 2 hours. Seem to spend my day delivering water and cuddles to the clan. Dad came out to help and picked up the pony poo!!!! Glutton for punishment, but helpful.... I cleaned Duke out as he is still stabled at present...well at night anyhow. He still isn't right, might just be old age, the farrier will be here tomorrow, maybe he will have some words of wisdom?