Uncle Jamie's Summer Nanny Job

Poor momma Halvah's been trapped in her pig pen for her own safety because Opal and she fight hard, and also because she's so dadgum wild I'm afraid she'll get through the field fence and leave.
Today was so nice and green that I let her into the securely fenced yard to graze.
She was so grateful that she even let me pet her.
Jamie takes care of and plays with Halvah's eleven sons and daughters while she takes some time for herself.
Here they are eating grass and weeds behind the blueberry bushes, but not the actual blueberries. Don't try this at home, kids!
This may be the first time an animal has accidentally left an important plant standing.

Spring Gobbler Bouquet

I like it when a hunter goes out to kill a spring gobbler and comes home bearing a beautiful bouquet for me!

Beef Stock

Here's the finished product of the beef bone stock.
The photo is making everything a little more orange than t is, but the color is fairly accurate. It looks just like the expensive brand of chicken stock I buy at the store.
I used some in our roast the other night and it was the best beef and potatoes I had ever had. So that's an encouraging thought!

This stock will be a healthy food for my family. I know that much.

New Piglets Have Arrived!

Halvah delivered eleven healthy piglets all by herself early this morning!
I checked her late last night then proceeded to sleep in for the first time in a long time.
Becky woke me with a silky soft rooting little piglet on my pillow.

Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble

I'm too proud of this concoction to wait for the finished product, neatly lined up in jars on my counter. I have to show you now!

Isn't it pretty?

It's beef stock with roasted beef bones, carrots, celery, garlic, red onion, spring onion, a splash of vinegar, and parsley.
I'll add some sea salt before I can it. It's been simmering close to 24 hours now.

While the girls are reffing a soccer game in town, I plan to run into Appomattox and buy some more canning jars plus some pretty phlox to plant by the mouth of the driveway. The pretty phlox can be a pig snack.

The cat and the pig are both still pregnant as I type up this post...

Yonanas!

Laura and I were at our Weight Watchers meeting the other day when we heard about a Yonana machine that turns fruit into ice cream.
I could use the Vitamix, but it wastes so much of the sorbet trying to dig it out of the bottom.
I splurged. It's worth it!
In a matter of seconds this turns frozen fruit into a creamy ice cream substitute.
It will be especially good for summer to have point free desserts which actually satisfy.

Introducing "Jamie" (with a cameo apperance by Gooseberry)

Tragically, after my last post in which we were still deciding between "Casanova" and "Jamie" for the new Gloucestershire Old Spot breeding hog's moniker, the local tv station called to ask questions about the pigs. Being on the spot to tell on live tv what the pig's name is, I blurted out "Jamie" and now he's named.
It was only later that I read Laura's (from Good Enough Farm) comment that she wanted "Casanova."
You can't please all of the people...
Why was the tv station asking me about our pigs, you may be wondering?
Last month, Garcia walked off of the farm and has never been seen again. The news had a story about him being missing and lots of people wanted to know if he'd ever been found. No, he hasn't, but Katie decided to keep breeding rare, heritage breed pigs. Hence the follow up story on Jamie and Halvah for closure on Garcia for the community.

I took this picture of Gooseberry on my way up the back stairs from getting a portrait of Jamie and I like it.