It's funny how every time I go to work on the weekend, I get a timely phone call from dh telling me what he has done, seemingly to prepare me for what I'm going to find when I get home. I never know what sort of profound things dh has built, destroyed, or acquired. This past weekend was no different.
There is an "Animal Swap Meet" in Fordland on the last Sunday of every month. The kids very cleverly sweet-talked dh into going; they know he's a sucker for a cute animal. We have fondly referred to him for years as "Dr. Doolittle" because he just seems to have a way with animals and they love him in return.
On Sunday they set out for the swap meet with a cage in the back of the pickup. When they arrived, dh and the kids sorted through the vast array of ducks, goats, chickens, puppies, etc. Unbeknownst to me, the family had plans for a pig. It was 4 against 1 and I was not there to be the voice of reason. We had no place to keep a pig, for starters.
After weaving their way through the myriad of creatures, they finally found the pig man at the back of the swapmeet. They immediately saw a cute little red-skinned pig with a white face that they instantly bonded with so they said "We'll take that one.". The man said "He's a good 'un, he'll make some good eatin" to which dh replied, "Oh, we just want him for a pet". The pig man looked at dh and the kids in disbelief and picked the little porker up by one leg, handing him to ds21. He hugged the squealing pig to his body and climbed into the back of the truck. The pig proceeded to relieve himself, bowels and bladder, repeatedly all over ds.
I arrived home to find a primitive pig sty fashioned out of various types of wood and metal in our barn. You have to climb over a stack of shingles, onto an old dresser and over a gate to climb into the pen but, no matter, the pig seems happy, especially when we "slop" him. I don't know if all pigs are herbivores but this one is, although he has turned his nose up at broccoli and cauliflower.
Littlewho was in the pig pen today, alone, without permission. We were inside the house and he came sauntering in with a guilty look on his face. He said he and Chewy, our mutt dog, had been petting the pig. Of course we were upset that he had been in the pen and before we could explain (again) all of the reasons it was dangerous to play with a pig by himself, littlewho said the pig accidentally bit his arm. He impressed us with a compelling argument for the sake of the pig--that the pig was really trying to bite the dog and his arm just happened to be in the way. Besides, he said, "It didn't hurt". His arm had a snout-sized abrasion with a bruise in the center; thankfully, it didn't break the skin.
I'm thinking it may be necessary to throw a little pork into the slop every now and then to put the biting swine in it's place-the pig doesn't necessarily need to know we are vegetarians!
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