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Our dog Minnie, the world's largest chihuaha, in front of our patron, St. Francis, with Babe asleep in the background by the food trough.
Babe today, at the food trough, all 800 pounds! That's a lot of deer corn!
Our nephew and neice, Dan and Becky, came over for a short visit when Becky noticed a funny looking dog down in our lower pasture chasing some bigger dogs. Jerry insisted that it was the neighbor's dog, Bambi, but upon closer observation, it turned out to be "Babe." So, Dan, who wanted to catch it and eat it; Becky, who is our swine expert, having been raised on a pig farm; and Jerry, who wanted to pet it, went down into the field to catch the pig. It was too hilarious. The three of them, joined by big dog Honey, (with the dogs Toto and Rocko inside the fenced yard yapping and screaming (Toto) furiously because I wouldn't let them out,) chased the pig all over our land.
When our horse Beauty saw what was going on, she chased the pig, too. Then, little Longhorn Bob joined in and Big Longhorn Tex chased everyone because he thought little Bob was in danger. I had hobbled down on my cane to get a closer look and almost rolled on the ground laughing. How Dan and Jerry kept from having heart attacks, I'll never know. Becky looked as beautiful as usual, not a hair out of place as she limberly leapt across cactus bushes and in and out of the woods directing the chase. What is interesting is that the pig has a sort of rope harness on him/her which I think indicates NOT that he was someone's pet, but that he was probably supposed to be the guest of honor at someone's Easter barbeque!
The chase ended with the pig going off into the deeper woods and the humans collapsing in the house with cool drinks and a nice chocolate dessert that my daughter Trish had sent home with us.
This morning, Jerry went out to feed the animals and, sure enough, Babe is back. No chasing this time, though, except with our camera so we can prove this story! He/she was back eating the cattle feed and corn we keep out for the deer and jackrabbits. Now Jerry has put out some water and is running the hose down to make him a mud "wallow". Toto still wants to go down there and catch him/her!
Guess what? Babe is now officially ours! I found out at school who owned her and stopped by there on my way home yesterday to tell the family that she had been at our house off and on. The family has just moved in the neighborhood in a very fancy smancy modular home, enormous, and only the kids speak English. The pig was tied up under a tree in the front yard and I told them that Jerry really loved the pig and if it ever went missing again to check with us. Well, about an hour later, the dad of the family, who DOES speak English, drove over and said we could have the pig! Jerry was so excited that he drove over there and got her in one of our dog cages and brought her home. He gave the guy $20 which he had to force on him as the man said his brother had given the pig to his kids for a pet and he didn't want any $$. THEN the fun began. Jerry put Babe, still in the dog cage, inside the not-too-sturdy chicken coop which is below our barn and went to park the truck. Babe got halfway out the top of the cage which wasn't secured and I I had to wrestle her back in, with her screaming loud ear-splitting pig screams all the while. Then Jerry arrived and he tried to put a collar on her, using one of our old calf halter collars and a horse rope. Jerry had to lay on top of her to do this and was wielding a sharp knife at the same time to cut an old rope off her so it was lucky he didn't cut himself and Babe all to bacon bits. And, of course, she continued to shriek all the time. Beauty, Tex, Bob, and Honey all ran in circles around the chicken coop trying to get in and help Jerry subdue the pig and I stood outside laughing my fool head off.
. By the time Jerry got Babe tied up (hog tied, I guess you could say) it was almost dark and we went back up to the house and planned what we can do with her now. I think we should get a strong choke collar like for training large dogs and train her as Becky says pigs are very smart and easily trained. In fact, maybe Becky can train her for us before she leaves! AND, we need to buy her a swimming pool and some real pig food and maybe a cute summer outfit like Ms. Piggy.
Jerry and Cameron tried the flourscent pink Rottweiler harness on Honey and Cameron and then went for the pig. ( Remember that it has rained five inches in the last week, so imagine the depth of mud in Babe's pen.) It was obvious that the harness was on upside down and perhaps even backwards, but what the heck, it was on! Jerry ran her around the pen a few times and when the harness didn't fall off, he, Cameron, and Babe left the pen to amble casually around the pasture.
Thank goodness I took the camera! Just as they "ambled" about three feet outside the pig pen, Tex and Bob both CHARGED the pig, who immediately screamed, loudly, and fell to her knees! (photo) I think Tex and Bob just were curious, but they were snorting and shaking their heads, while trying to sniff Babe, who was quaking in terror for a few minutes. I have great shots of Babe recovering from her fright and running at the cow-boys with Jerry and Cameron straining to hold onto the rope (Beauty's) attached to the harness. It was too, too funny.
THEN, the harness, which was gradually working its way down her porcine tummy, slipped all the way off, past the bacon, down the pork chops, and over her ham hocks. Jerry yelled at me to divert Bob so he could grab Babe, but she still ran. However, she only ran about five feet and then began using her snout to dig up the soil, which is her favorite pasttime next to eating. Bob and Tex, with Beauty trailing behind, followed her into the woods close by the pig pen and I have pictures of them nose to nose, watching her root around. I also have pictures of the harness laying on the ground, with Bob sniffing it. Jerry decided to go to the house and get Babe a treat to lure her back to her pen, although we weren't sure it would work.
Let me interject now and tell you that I had worked all day perfecting a spaghetti sauce, from SCRATCH, not bottled crap, sauteing mushrooms, peppers, onions, garlic, etc. - the works. I also made a meatloaf, hoping to share some of my gourmet efforts with Trish's family to help her out. THEN, I made some wonderful oatmeal, chocolate chip walnut bars, with one batch cooking in the oven and enough for a second large panful still sitting in the mixing bowl on the cabinet. I planned to give these to a family down the street who were injured in a wreck last week-end. Are you thinking ahead yet???? Guess what Jerry showed up with in the hog bucket to tempt Babe?????????Spaghetti, which didn't bother me since I had made about a gallon of it, but he said, rather sheepishly, that he also dumped in whatever was sitting in that mixing bowl on the cabinet!!!!!!!!!AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! Husbands!
Well, to sum it up - she went for the slop big time and I took the pictures as she took a taste and then followed Jerry back into the pen. We have looked at the pictures and had a good laugh, but I'm thinking more and more about pork chops and spare ribs!
