8.22.2009

Pork Barrel?

You just never know what a storm system will bring with it...



Our conversation this afternoon following a thunderstorm:

"Hey, Treebeard?"
"Yes, Swampy?"
"There's a little pig in the yard."
"A what?"
"A pig. A little one. You reckon it escaped from one of the neighbor's hog houses?"
"I'll give 'em a call and find out."

Turns out we are harboring a fugitive. The hog farmer next door received a shipment of new pigs on Thursday. This little guy made a break for it and has been on the lam (you thought I was gonna say ham, didn't you?) ever since. The little guy fell in love with the pepper barrels that we are getting ready to make into rain barrels.
A few minutes after I shot the video, Treebeard snuck up on him and caught him in one of the barrels. He's in there now (the pig, not Treebeard!) munching out on a couple of ears of corn, waiting for a ride back to the farm.
Funny, I have mixed emotions about that...

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Swampy-Ya'll never cease to entertain me! I would have loved to have seen the video of Treebeard catching the pig! I am reminded of Charlotte's Web. May have to go to the library and check that book out for a quick read. I have fledgling juncos and yellow bellied sapsuckers. Hummer activity is picking up. Swam in the lake today as the temps have been hot. Signs of fall are upon us, maples are changing, asters are blooming and golden-rod abounds. Maineiac

Anonymous said...

It's cute! I don't know if I would have ben able to send it back. My wife would have wanted it to be a new companion for our Basset Hound for sure. I am glad this did not happen here.

swamp4me said...

Maineiac,
I didn't video the capture -- but it would have made a great You Tube. Treebeard, out in the rain in his boxers, sneaking up on an unsuspecting piglet and catching it in a pepper barrel. Who needs TV?!?!

swamp4me said...

gillesarbour,
It did make me sad to send it back...for a brief second I entertained the idea of a yard pig ;)

Anonymous said...

Mixed emotions indeed... I'm thinking I'd keep quiet and have a little stash of bacon :-).

I recently got a call in the lab from someone wanting to know the risk of rabies from "bats the size of pigs" that were apparently, somehow (?) sneaking into her house.

Thanks for the good wishes!
~Angie

Carol said...

I've spotted a black wild hog in my back yard..so far no damage...we could have let her adopt it.

www.riverwildlife.blogspot.com

R.Powers said...

Pigs are sooooo sneaky. They will look you in the eye and steal your heart really quick.

...and they really know how to scratch an itch!

I love the way those greek pepper barrels smell!

swamp4me said...

Angie,
Hehe, that's what my husband said. Unfortunately, you don't get much bacon off a 20-day old pig ;)
Loved the "bats the size of pigs" story. Glad I never caught one that big in one of my mist nets back when I studied bats ;)

Carol,
Luckily, except for the occasional escapee, we have no hogs roaming the woods here. BTW, I enjoyed your river otter pictures!

FC,
Sneaky and LOUD. You should have heard that piglet holler when the farmer reached in and took it out of its nice cozy barrel. Sort of broke my heart if you want to know the truth.
Oh, and if you see one of those pepper barrels laying on its side with an ear of corn inside, watch out!

jason said...

Hysterical! Great title, then I laughed uproariously at the conversation. Not what you'd expect to show up in the yard, I guess. And the little piglet is so doggone cute!

swamp4me said...

jason,
You should have seen the cats' reactions. They bounced from window to window watching the show. They did not like it when the piglet squealed, though - four puffed out tails gave testament to their unease.

denapple said...

Could you train it to herd sheep, or frogs or something? It bears a strong resemblance to Babe, don't you think?

swamp4me said...

denapple,
It's already back on the farm I'm afraid. And yes, it was definitely Babe-esque.