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Lily-Grace and her family

Is this a smile or a grimace?

Bertha makes her new home with a little bit of help.

Yay, Bertha and Pig-Pig are in their new housey. Big smiles all round. I mean, the sows are in their new home but as yet no piglettes. Ah well.

On arrival at The Croft I find there are visitors. A few names I forget and Lily-Grace sporting a lovely pink coat and a wonderful sheep-apron. I mean, how trendy can you be on the Isle of Lewis?? The visitors are here on holiday I believe but Mr Visitor was in his wellies helping Dad Crofter finish the pig-homes. Mr Crofter was watching. Mum Crofter was directing affairs. Lily-Grace looked on.

Soon the home, at least the first of a terrace of homes was finished and Bertha and Pig-Pig could move in. No sooner than the thought was ...... was thought, than Mr Crofter was filling the home with lovely new straw. Bertha would be pleased.

Before the move could be accomplished, Maclaren and Doris had to be enticed out of the byre into the top field. No easy task when Maclaren isn't cooperating - and he wasn't. The Crofter did a little dance around the byre, knocked over a fence, stepped in something smelly and eventually Maclaren was out in the fresh air. In a trice, the connecting fence to Bertha's and Pig-Pig's temporary quarters was down and another dance ensued. Dad Crofter soon had the better of Pig-Pig who was shepherded to the new quarters where she promptly declared hers by pooing. Bertha was another matter.

To know why Bertha was being so awkward, one has to know a little of the back-story. The porkers were at one time this year in a section of the croft down the bottom. Only, what with all the rain, it got so muddy they were in danger of disappearing altogether. I suggest Mi-Lord, that Bertha remembered this location and thought that was where she was heading.

It took Dad Crofter and 'imself The Crofter an age to get Bertha out of the byre. She squealed and grunted, ran this way and that then had a little play with Maclaran who had come back in to see what all the fuss was about. I must admit, I had a hard time suppressing my mirth - at least until it started raining and I was stuck holding a gate.

Eventually, Bertha went in her little housey with Pig-Pig and soon they were making a nest in the straw. We all breathed a sigh of relief and I went home.