Sunday, February 23, 2014

Pig alert! Pig alert!

Ophelia  came home yesterday! She has a nice new pen in our barn...





She won't be stuck in there all the time. I will let her out in the barn, and when it's a bit warmer, she can go outside. Today I let her wander around the lower barn while I watched her. The chickens and ducks all gave a collective gasp at the sight of this strrange pink beast, but the five hens who lived with Ophelia in her previous life (all loose together in a barn) went right up to her like she was a long-lost friend! It was very cute how they hung around here, like they were happy to be reunited.

Pigs, even pot-bellied ones, can and do eat chickens, so I will be keeping an eye on things, but I'm not too worried about Ophelia, who apparently lived in harmony with chickens in the past, according to the agent who rescued her. Some PB pigs do fine with birds, and I suspect Ophelia will be one of them. After all, if she didn't eat chickens during the few days she was without food, I'm not sure why she'd start now!


And here she is, enjoying a nice scratch against the plywood!


Busy doing some rooting.


Aaaand some more rooting! We found a farm vet who looks after pigs, so we are going to get Ophelia checked out. I suspect she is a tad overweight, and no doubt needs deworming. She definitely needs to have her hooves trimmed. Her eyes are a bit weepy too, so we'll get those looked at. Apparently she and the birds (and the goat and her kid that our friend Tammy and her beau have taken in!) were found in a cold barn where they had been without food or water for a couple of days. The goat had recently had twins, but one baby unfortunately died. The kid my friend adopted was at the vet's for several days. He had frostbite on his ears and feet and had to have the bottoms of his ears amputated! But he is doing well now and being bottle-fed four times a day. He is super-cute. His mama is a sweetie too.

Ophelia must have had somewhere at her old place to burrow in and get warm, since she fortunately has no frostbite.


She moves pretty fast!

I read that pigs love blankets, so I took down an old dog blanket yesterday and hung it from that shelf in the corner. When Gordon went to tuck her in last night, he came across this scene:


Yes, there's a pig in there.



Peek-a-boo!! She covered herself in straw and the blanket and snuggled in for the night.

Today she was quite animated.


She just LOVES to be brushed. She stands perfectly still and lets me brush her all over with a bristle brush. She's a very sweet pig and we are already in looooove. Today Gordon made her some unbuttered, unsalted popcorn as a treat. We hid some in her straw so she can root around looking for it. We are going to get her some pig-proof toys as well.

Meanwhile, over by the rotisserie...


The hens were wondering if winter will ever end this year!
And tomorrow is National Cupcake Day for SPCAs and Humane Societies. Gordon and his Cornwall Courthouse Cupcake Team will be selling cupcakes at the Cornwall Courthouse (in the Lawyers' Lounge and the Duty Counsel Office.) We baked a few dozen cupcakes this weekend. I made these cookies-and-cream ones:


As you can see, icing is not my forté! I belong to the "Just cram it in your mouth and don't look at it" school of cupcake design.

Gordon made this lemon-coconut delights with cream cheese icing:


But check out these amazing cupcakes our friend Ronna made and donated for us to sell:



Whimsical and beautiful! I'm sure they will be snapped up in no time.

I'm helping out tomorrow, so if you need me, I'll be at the courthouse. Or here bonding with my new pig!


38 comments:

  1. I am SERIOUSLY in LURVE!!!

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    1. Me too! I can't stop visiting her!

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  2. I'm so happy for Ophelia and the chickens. They are safe now and can live out their life like they should; happily and peacefully. You guys are great. And so are your cupcakes. I'd buy 'em. What can I say about Ronna...just amazing. Good luck tomorrow.

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    1. We are mesmerized by Ophelia. She's just do darn cute!!

      Ronna makes the most beautiful things, doesn't she?

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  3. May she have a long and happy life with her new family. Lucky girl!

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    1. Thank you! The vet is supposed to be coming to do her check-up on THursday!

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  4. Just in case you are not happy with the name Ophelia, Sue told me some nice ones, too: HAMlet or BACONette. I don`t no, but somehow my mouth is watering.:-)
    And now from our nice side: Ophelia, you are such a lucky piggy girl to met Nat and Gordon.

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    1. THey were calling her "Bacon" at the shelter. Geez!!

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  5. She is adorable! I've always loved pigs... such intelligent creatures.
    Ronna's creations never fail to amaze me!
    Jane x

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    1. Ronna has a gift!

      Ophelia sure is smart. And so responsive! She always grunts back when I say hello as I walk into the barn. I just love her.

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  6. Some people have all the talent, don't they. Talking cupcakes here. I think you have all the animal talent.

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    1. Just call me the pig whisperer! :)

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  7. Pigs get a bad rap. They are much smarter and cleaner than most people think. You will find she has one place to do her business and then keep the rest of the pen clean. It's a crime the way pigs are raised in the huge piggeries.

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    1. She's mostly going in one corner! Smart girl! I can't imagine such a smart animal being stuck in one of those awful commercial piggeries. :(

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  8. Just love those doggy cupcakes!

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    1. Aren't they cute? They sold like hotcakes today!

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  9. Squash seeds are a natural de-wormer, and pigs, and chickens and cows love 'em! What an adorable cutie to add to your animal family.

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    1. The birds love squash and pumpkin, so I will have to share some with Ophelia!

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  10. Pigs are so smart. You'll have a lot of fun with your PB :)

    The cupcakes all look yummy. The dog ones are just adorable!

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    1. I'm looking forward to being able to take her outside when it's a bit warmer. She'll love that!

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  11. "Boards on the window, mail by the door
    What would anybody leave so quickly for?
    Ophelia - Where have you gone?"

    I guess I know now. Those look like some damn fine cupcakes!

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    1. SHe's gone looking for the (unbuttered unsalted) popcorn treats we made for her!

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  12. To me "pig in a blanket" refers to a sausage wrapped in bacon. I quite like pigs in blankets. Don't tell Ophelia.

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  13. That is a fine looking home for Ophelia :-)

    The cup cakes look too good to eat ;-)

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    1. I didn't get a single cupcake! It's a crime!

      Ophelia seems to quite like her pen, although she got two outings in the barn today too.

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  14. Ophelia has certainly landed on her feet, that's for sure.......love the pic of her under the blanket...:)
    She will no doubt keep you entertained with her antics Natalie.
    So glad all the animals have found caring homes......
    Now cupcakes, yum they all look delish.....Not sure if I could eat that cute little Westie? Ronna made they are just gorgeous. Where does she get all these ideas from? I'm sure they'll all sell like....cupcakes!!

    Claire Xx

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  15. Ophelia sure knows how to keep warm :)
    Ronna has done it again! Those Puppy cup cakes are amazing!

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  16. I can't believe that I'm falling in love with a pig in my old age. But Ophelia is so attractive and she has a very endearing personality. I can hardly wait to see if she will compete with the cats and dogs in the Christmas fashion show. Good to know that, if I bring my own blanket, plenty of space for a sleep in the Pig's Castle.
    I would always hesitate to bite in Ronna's work of art. And yours are also fantastic. How to resist? Bravo!

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  17. Ophelia is a darling and she knows how to use a blanket.
    These dog cup cakes are the nicest I have ever seen.

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  18. Anonymous9:51 pm

    Recently I re-read "Charlotte's Web" (this time in Spanish, in an attempt to improve on my 8th grade minimal proficiency thereof) and these photos of Ophelia just made me smile. I read that book for the first time when I was about 10 and have had respect and love for the intelligence of pigs ever since. "Vaya cerdo!"

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  19. What a nice corner of the web you have here. Looking forward to reading more.
    Greetings from all the traveling cats.

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  20. Again... Ronna is an artistic genius! (I'm sure your cupcakes and Gordon's were delicious...)

    Thanks for all the news about Ophelia. I had no idea that was what was meant by "pigs in blankets." (And the to think they were served at my bar mitzvah!)

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  21. What a cute post! I love her under the blanket. And those dog cupcakes..........!!!

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  22. Anonymous12:17 pm

    Oh my goodness, that is definitely a pig in paradise! Do you think she'll need a pig friend? You have such a good heart! Gordon's cupcakes sound divine! And Ronna's. . ! You have some very talented friends. As do they. :)

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  23. Anonymous10:58 pm

    Totally enjoyed hearing about Ophelia! Beautiful cupcakes...those pups are amazing.
    Have you read Sy Montgomery's book, The Good Good Pig?

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  24. Just like Downton Abbey...adding some pigs! Those cupcakes look amazing and what a great cause, XOXO

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  25. Totally amazing cupcakes! Works of art, they are! Those lucky Eastern Ontario lawyers!

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!