Today started out as a normal day - weaning Beccie's piglets, moving the very pregnant Lucy, Rosie and not so pregnant (but supposed to be the most pregnant so not sure what is happening there) Beverley down to the maternity wing. I was out with the kids and James decided that he would do a spot of pig tagging (giving them an ear tag and number) himself. This was cut short as he calmly walked back to the house with blood all over his neck and said he had just 'cut' his ear. I bravely decided to inspect more closely, however after identifying that the metal stake had actually gone through the cartilage at the top of his ear I started seeing spots and had to sit down myself. He drove himself up to the hospital where there wasn't a whole lot they could do except clean it up and give him a tetanus shot. He bravely came back and we continued the ear tagging - this time with me weilding the big pair of pliers that puts the hole in their ear out of necessity whilst James held them as still as possible. I am not sure who squealed the loudest, the pigs about being held, or me every time I punched the hole in their ear... not for the faint hearted (of which I would usually categorise myself however needs must).
This week we have had both pan fried goat and slow roasted goat shoulder. I don't deny that the whole goat saga has been a little stressful for me. I felt very guilty about the little pain in the bum that was Bam Ram. I therefore approached the whole goat eating with great trepidation and so carefully watched Fiona as she ate before me for a hint of goat identification in the meat (which with Fiona would make her run wretching from the table). This was not forthcoming and so whilst I made a bit of a fuss I had to eat my words after eating the goat, as it tasted not too different from lamb. So encouraged am I that I am taking Dora back to a Boer (meat breed) goat for her to be re-joined as the only setback of getting rid of her kids is that she appears to be quickly drying up milk wise.
We again have a full week of sausages - this weekend a Mudgee Food and Wine event in Birkenhead in Sydney, on Thursday a bike-riding event that sees around 1000 bikeriders descending on Mudgee (hopefully feeling desperately in need of a pork sausage) and Friday we have another local wine event at which our sausages and pork belly will be one of a number of options to soak up a bit of alcohol. This week we are bravely moving away from the gourmet sausage and trying hot pork rolls as well....