2nd June, 2006.

These flaming torts!!!

I've renamed them the "Norty Tortys" as their one aim in life is to wind me up.
Every morning, I open the hutch - dead bodies litter the hutch floor. Patchwork pigs sprawled all over the place. Every morning they leap into startled life and scare the heck out of me, and I'm WAITING for them to do it. This is some talent they have!

Bea has stopped nipping when I pick her up, she has no reason to assert her superiority over me now. Where the torts are concerned, I am well and truly cowed and they know it. I made them a run that must be eight foot by five foot and every morning, I, their adoring slave carry them to it. Minnie has been known to race over and grab my wellie, if I go in in bare feet, she licks. Yeugh! Another six foot levitation if unexpected! But they have a wooden ball which I chucked into the run one day. They actually play with it. Into the run, ball goes in, cue a couple of minutes of chirruping and shoving that thing round. Then they all give up and munch for the rest of the day. Dennis does so much sleeping I am surprised he hasn't starved himself to death. He even sleeps at shows. Stewards have to wake him up before handing him to the judges - I know, I watched (laughing).