The Other White Meat

The pigs are headed for the freezer. Thursday was the big day. Bryon and Chris loaded them up into a borrowed trailer without incident and drove them to the processor. They weighed 198 and 178 but we aren't sure if that was live or dead weight. Guess we'll find out next week when Bryon can call them back.

It's a relief to have them gone. They really weren't a lot of trouble until it got cold. Bryon had been feeding them and watering them every morning and we took turns in the evening. If I got home before dark I'd try to get them fed and watered before it got dark just because it was easier that way AND I really don't want a mercury light out there!

We probably won't get any this coming summer because we should have plenty of meat to last for a while. Next time we'll do things a little differently, but it all went pretty well for the first time raising pigs. Towards the end I was worried that they'd escape after all that time raising them but they didn't so no wild pig hunts on the Medley Farm.

Flip, the mini lop rabbit, also got fixed this week. I was a little worried about how he'd fare, but he did fine and is back to his frisky but now impotent self :) I won't be surprised if another batch of bunnies pops up in a few weeks though because he was busy right up until the end.

We actually worked on the front fence line a little last weekend when it was so warm outside and got some of the brush cleared out. Bryon used the incredibly dull chainsaw and I got to use the tractor and push the brush into the big pile. It was pretty fun. Grace played around in and out of the truck and entertained herself for several ours which was wonderful. It felt good to get something accomplished and see some results outside. It made me hopeful we might actually get a fence in up there someday...soon. We keep debating about what sort of fencing to put in. We really want to do woven wire because then we can have whatever sort of critters we want: sheep, goats, cattle, super cute miniature donkey but it's so expensive. We'll see what we come up with.

Next weekend our self-sufficient neighbors are going to come over and teach me how to make mozzarella cheese ala Barbara Kingsolver style :) Can you smell what the Rock is cookin? It's gonna be a pizza :)