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PIGGIN' FUNNY ! |
Most people are plagued by a swarm of bees or an invasion of ants. They are the normal Summer visitors! Last Summer we had quests of an altogether different nature. They came in the shape of 'piglets', Gloucester Old Spots to be precise.
This is just one episode of-
'They Came From Next Door'
It was a gorgeous early Summer morning. All of the dogs had just been fed and were all in doors letting their breakfast settle. I was going out to the bin when out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw several puppies running about on the drive. My first reaction was 'who has dumped these off',? or something similar!
I looked again and this time I saw pigs! They had chomped all the cat food I had just put out and were heading in convoy for the front garden. I chased them, I tried to coax them with more food, I even threatened them with the dogs..... no reaction. Out of breath and red-faced, I admitted defeat. I knew they'd go home eventually. Trouble was the dogs needed to come out by now. There was nothing for it but to let Setter meet Pig!
| Out into the arena came Ross, Zoë, Bracken - who could not see very well, Jack, Floyd and Hovis. At first none of the dogs seemed to notice the piglets. It was the pigs who made the first move. On spotting the dogs all seven pigs came hurtling across the lawn. Jack saw them first, took one look and ran and hid behind Bracken. Bracken, as usual - can't see unless it's a bowl of food, went stomping off through them all, totally oblivious. Zoë wasn't too sure and stayed by my side. I think she thought we had finally been taken over by aliens. |
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| Ross tried to get a drink only to find several piglets splashing about in the water. He looked at me as if to say, 'surely they've not come into Rescue. What funny looking Setters'! | |
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For some reason the piglets seemed to latch onto Bracken as he pottered about the garden. All seven of them followed on behind, almost like the Pied Piper of Hamlin. Maybe they saw similarities between Bracken and their huge plodding mum (who has also been to visit us on several occasions). |
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Floyd took all of this nonchalantly, he just went about his daily business. He had his drink from the bowl. So who cares if little chubby pink things are splashing about in the bowl. With a bit of luck I might get to swallow one whole. He then went and sat in his favourite place. When one of the piglets came and stuck it's nose in Floyds face he simply turned his head to one side and refused to participate.
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Hovis met one nose to nose and starred it full in the face - almost like a show down at the OK corral! he looked at me as if to say - 'this isn't on you know, we just do not have the facilities to cater for pigs'! |
On seeing that no harm was being done I went in and made a coffee. Out came the deck chair and I sat and relaxed with the Setters and the Pigs filling the lawn. It was almost unreal. By late morning the Pigs had found a tree and all had gone to sleep in the shade. They all came running out again when the bonios (dog biscuits) appeared and yes, they all did get one and eat it! Much to the Setters utter disgust.
By late afternoon they'd all had enough and trotted back the way they had come. It was as if they'd never been here.
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The next day they tunnelled into the back paddock. There they met with quite a different response. The younger Setters thought that all these lovely Pigs (or whatever they were) had come to play with them. Such a carry on you've never seen in your life. It was absolute bedlam. This time the Pigs had to go back home and right away. As fast as I managed to grab one and drop it back over the fence it was back again. |
It was impossible. There was Pigs and Setters all over the place. The pigs were squealing the dogs were barking and I was trying to shout louder than this racket.
Suddenly I went into overdrive. I put together a bucket of food, shoved all the Pigs back under the fence with it and then blocked off the tunnel. That night we reinforced all along the boundary. Dogs and Pigs could meet nose to nose - but there was to be no more crossing the border.
We did see and meet up with the Pigs again. Once was when I was out walking with the Dogs. A passing motorist stopped and asked if I was taking the Pigs for a walk or were they taking me. You do feel silly walking several Setters followed by an army of Pigs. Doesn't do much for the old image!
These days all of the pigs have gone - and life is almost back to normal. Setters play with Setters, and the only pig here is, well..... I wouldn't like to say!
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