When we went to load the pigs for the second time we figured everything would go a lot better then the first. We had a bigger trailer that's lower to the ground so the incline on the ramp was significantly less. We figured now that the ramp's incline was shallower Toony would just walk right up into the trailer... not. So we once again were chasing around a pig in my dad's backyard while I desperately held the rope tied to her back leg and then it began to rain.

We were at our wit's end, the wind was picking up and the lightning was getting closer. In a latch ditch cry for help, or friend Yvonne called a farmer she knows. After our farmer friend got over laughing at us for thinking a pig would willingly walk up a ramp and into a trailer, she told us to put a big bucket over the pig's head and back them up the ramp. At first we were thinking there was no way this was going to work, but wouldn't you know that within fifteen minutes we had BOTH Niles and Toony loaded. So thank you Betty! We bow to your superior knowledge. I wonder why none of the forums mentioned this method?

The trip down to aunt Chrissy's went well and Niles was easy enough to unload, but Toony, who was the hardest to load, took a few minutes to wake up and get her into their new home. When a pig is asleep they don't like to wake up for anything. Niles seemed to remember the electric fence and only took one shock on his noise to remind him to steer clear. Toony took a few shocks before she got the point, but she adapted surprisingly well. They fought a little the first week and Toony still won't let Niles into the hutch to sleep at night but other then that they are doing well.

The goats and sheep are doing well, the shetlands look ridiculous with their wool sheared, but they are a lot cooler now. Ollie got the stubs of his horns caught in the fence and they ripped a bit, but Jeff went and checked on him the other day a they look to be healing well. That is one of the reason if you want to dehorn your goat have it done professionally. Faye was dehorned but she doesn't have the deformed little stubs that Ollie does. Both Faye and Sophie are being great mothers and both the kids are doing great.

We also went and saw a little farm that's for sale in Pennsylvania. It's PERFECT, but unfortunately it can't be financed so we'd have to come up with $125,000 in cash to purchase it, which isn't really possible right now. We aren't writing it off completely, but I'm also not holding my breath that we'll be able to get it either. It's about 25 acres with one large pasture already set up for electric fencing and a large renovated barn. The house isn't anything special and needs A LOT of work, but it's livable.

It's been a rough few weeks with most of my animals now moved to western NY and me still stuck up here in Plattsburgh, but I'm hoping to get the house up on the market within the next couple weeks and hopefully it sells fast so I can join Jeff. I probably won't be posting much for a while, because I'm not doing much as far as farming goes. I still have the chickens but I'm going to be selling and or giving them away soon. There is really no point in transporting chickens that far when it will be easier just to buy new ones.

Speaking of chickens. ChickenStock is June 25th up in Heuvelton, NY. We won't be buying any chickens, but Aunt Chrissy wants us to pick up some Silkies for her. The last ChickenStock was a blast so we're really looking forward to this one.