Election Day

We went and exercised our democratic rights first thing this morning, giving the Labour parliamentary candidate what could turn out to be his only two votes from the constituency. They didn't even put up a candidate for the locals, which is a bit shocking, however pragmatic.

Bad news yesterday, I thought, about the new car. I happened upon an announcement that the model we have ordered would in future get the better, more efficient (DSG) gearbox that we're used to in Eggs 1 and 2: I had ordered one with a conventional slush pump automatic, that being all that was on offer last week, and was somewhat hacked off. Got confirmation today that ours will be a 2011 model, and that it will have the DSG box. It will have seven speeds, but at least we won't have to shift them unless we feel like it. Shadow blue has also been discontinued, to be replaced by night blue. Well, hurrah.

Lovely morning here, improved by the presence of the art class. It being election day, our usual venue wasn't available, since it also serves as a polling station. We weren't slapping paint around the walls and carpets: instead, we had a quick workshop on digital photography. Unfortunately, my laptop had a dose of the heebie-jeebies, so it was as well that Miss had brought hers. But I couldn't hook up the projector to it - it's a Mac, and we're a PC household - so people were forced to huddle round the dining room table and peer down at the screen. I'd made some teacakes yesterday, and they seemed to go down all right. But the gels arrived laden with goodies - cheese nibbles, Belgian chocky bikkies, a sponge cake etc etc, so there is no early prospect of weight loss hereabouts.

On Tuesday we went to collect some sausages we'd ordered from Immy and Jon, and got to see the next generation of sausages on the hoof. Jon has fenced off a section of woodland on their land and the pigs root around happily there for much of the day. We arrived just before feeding time, and went down with him to see the ceremony. I'd never have thought of Jon as a champion hog caller, but he's certainly learned some new skills recently! It was lovely to see the five saddlebacks trotting up out of the woods to get their table d'hôte menu, trotters in trough. Lovely creatures, pigs, and although they are on earth for one purpose only, they appear to enjoy the brief time they get. And Jon certainly gives them a fine life, however brief. They are hoping to breed their own soon, sending at intervals for a peripatetic boar. We learn that boars have to be kept at it, else they go off the idea. Comments on a postcard......