Monday, June 25, 2012

This little piggie . . . .

Meet "Fred and Wilma" . . . .

Several years ago I joined another volunteer couple at Whittlesea in Victoria for 3 weeks as temporary caretakers of the MMM (Mobile Mission Maintenance) International HQ while the regular volunteer residents spent Christmas with their respective families in different States of Australia.

The property was at least 20 acres in size and included a large Administration block, several homes for resident volunteers as well as other accommodation for temporary volunteers, a large garage and maintenance shed, several farming/agricultural vehicles, a barn, pig stys (sties?), pigs and cows.

Our duties included checking and sorting the mail delivered by the postie, taking messages from incoming phone calls, checking the property fencing, feeding and hosing down the pigs (temperatures were in the 30's - degrees C during our stay), checking the cows, cleaning the pool, collecting bread from a nearby town, weeding the gardens, painting signs and generally maintaining the property.


 Trotters in the trough
 From the barn and pig sties looking up toward the Admin building & accommodation

 A different perspective of "breakfast in bed" !  We were informed that this sow - who had given birth to a huge number of piglets in previous days - was suffering from "post natal depression", was isolating herself and had gone off her food, so we hand fed her!


Looking towards the barn and sties (at bottom left) and, in the distance (some 40kms away), Melbourne

It was a wonderful experience and a lasting friendship developed with the other temporary caretakers who live in New South Wales and I'm so looking forward to catching up with them next weekend as they come through Adelaide en route.

Devastatingly, this entire property and its buildings were destroyed in a major bushfire which swept through the State of Victoria a few years later, wiping out the homes and belongings of about a dozen families.

13 comments:

Andrea said...

That's a big area run by volunteers! And this is the first time i learned that pigs get post natal deppression too! Amazing, and the piglets are so cute.

Unknown said...

Sounds like a grand experience!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Sylvia K said...

What a wonderful place! Love those pink piggies! It is amazing to learn that the mother can have post natal depression! A great experience indeed! Thanks for sharing this with us today!

Sylvia

Unknown said...

Love that you came up with the name Fred and Wilma! Wow, you were brave to take care of MMM! Didn't know post natal depr. also could happen in pigs! I'm learning a lot of my blog friends!

eileeninmd said...

Sounds like a fun experience. The pigs are so cute! Wonderful photos and post. Have a great week!

Min fotogen said...

To be a Volunteer seems to be great and interesting!
Have a nice week!

Arija said...

Whittlesea is such a lovely area and you obviously had a whale of a time. We used to hike there in pre-historic times. A pity about the fires but we have enough here too and suffered the same fat in 1983.

Ya just gotta love those piglets.

CameraCruise said...

What a wonderful place and great experience.
Those pigs are so cute.
Beautiful photos.
Thanks for sharing.
Wish you a wonderful week.
Mette

Stewart M said...

Hi there - what a great post - pigs are such characters!

And there is nothing like a good hose down in the summer!

Stewart M - Melbourne

Everything Changes said...

Cuties!

Melbourne Australia Photos said...

Great captures, Valerie. It makes for Avery idyllic post...

Frostbite and Sunburn said...

Wonderful - loving those cute piggies!

Linda Kittmer said...

Some wonderful shots. I love farm animals! I think I should be a farmer because I am so drawn to barns, pigs, goats, etc.

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