Swine and roses

Each month at our West Marlborough Township meeting, the supervisors hear about the building permits that have been granted, including requests for demolition.

I thought of this when I saw a real-estate ad in the newspaper for Stacumny House, a 19th-century estate near Dublin, County Kildare, Ireland. It boasts all the amenities you'd expect in a $6.4 million property -- plus "an old piggery."
Who knew? Even pig sheds can become a selling point! Don't tear them down!
Here's the complete description from the Christie's website (I love the way British real-estate agents write): "A splendid and attractive Georgian mansion house set within manicured pleasure grounds, extending to some 6 acres and quite idyllic. The accommodation within the mansion house extends to some 8,000 square feet but is further complimented by a leisure complex with pool, sauna and gym, a private theatre with traditional pub and catering kitchen and further accommodation in a loft house, the old piggery and a gate lodge. A further stone outbuilding comprises a suite of private offices. The grounds include a walled garden, tennis court, kitchen garden, water garden and manicured lawns interspersed with mature trees and shrubs."
I especially like the grass tennis court, which is surrounded by a stone wall. That would certainly cut back on running to retrieve the ball; it would bounce off the stone and roll right back to you!