Charlie would smile when you rubbed her tummy or her jowls...she was such a sociable piggy...sitting round the firepit will never be the same - she would always come and sit by us and warm her but by the fire and we made jokes about Mmmmm the smell or bacon ;) Awww poor Charlie Barley :(
She was a free range piggy but never EVER went far from the house - although ooccasionally she would come for a walk with us - like down to the bus stop to meet the children from the school bus.....and once mid summer Charlie came on a LONG walk with us ona really hot day and we kept telling her to go home but she kept following us - when we got back she literally flopped into her paddling pool of cool water and she drank and drank!!!! Then she slept!!! :)
Most of the time in Summer months she was like a sun dial and would work her way around the house sleeping - in the mornings she had a place beneath the Clematis....afternoons she'd be at the front of the house by the Honeysuckle.....evenings she'd be by the birdfeeders.....then back again by the Clematis where she would spend the night unless she decided to go back into her pen. There is literally a Charlie sized tunnel carved out underneath the clematis where she made a home ;)
We had chickens for almost 2 years and they became Charlie's babies. She would spend a lot of time with them and protect them....We didn't realize quite how much she cared about her chickens until one day I was at the kitchen sink and I saw our Fox run by very fast!! He was quickly followed by an angry looking Charlie who was chasing him!!! Then on behind Charlie were the chickens!! Chasing after the Fox!!!!
I had never seen anything like it!! A Fox being chased by a pot bellied pig and 30 chickens!!! Oh it was just one of those scenes you never forget but you will never see again and happens sooo fast you can't get on camera :( But Oh how it made me see that Charlie loved her chickens - she was their Guard pig!!!
This is Charlie sharing Sams ice lolly (popsicle) yes lol it's disgusting but I had to get a picture before saying no because it was adorable!!! Sam in his cut off jeans sharing his popsicle with his pig :)
After the chickens left, Charlie got quite depressed and that showed us how sociable pigs really are!! Charlie found Winters hard and LOVED the warmer months when we were always outside!! Oh and boy did she love when we had the renovations done - the workmen were here every day and she got sooooo much attention! She had lunch with Mike every day and tummy rubs from Denis and Tim!! She was a star and adored and she loved it :) She spent all day with them when they were working outside.
Charlie was a sweetheart, with real character and is very much missed.
x
