The Big 40 and Chasing Pigs

                                    I was born on Halloween, 40 years ago.
When I turned 30 I thought that it was old...haha. I also thought 23 was the *best* year and that we should all stay that age for at least a decade. Now I am 40, and you know what? Big deal.
I am lucky to have the privilege, and so I am going to eat lunch out and enjoy the day. No regretting the loss of my *youth* or sadness to see the 30's long gone. I do, after all, have a full life that shows what a productive and blessed 40 years can obtain.

Quick fact: I was named Samantha after the well known TV show "Bewitched."

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The weekend was a wild one. We had our Halloween Bash and Haunted Trail. I had many friends travel from quite a distance to join in the festivities.

Devin dressed liked a Zombie Doctor and enjoyed scaring guests in the Haunted Trail.

It went off without a hitch, well except the fact that our power was off most of the day and was just turned back on as the party began. There was an issue with a neutral wire tat broke off and the electricity could not exit the house. Those are my very layman terms, of course. As a result of this power issue, the dishwasher, dryer and computer were fried. Of course I am glad the house didn't burn down or catch fire or anything but I admit that these last several days of hand washing dishes, hanging clothes out to freeze dry (it's been cold here) and no computer is a bit nuts!
I am glad we had a fun party and lots of friends to make the blow less of a, well, blow!

Thank you to everyone who came out! We will plan another next year!
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Now, let's move on to these little oinkers. Devin spent all afternoon yesterday preparing for them a nice, large area to roam about. It's actually a garden area and we are using them to till it up for us.
Once the fence was up (electric wire) we proceeded to move them.

They were being housed in a large dog kennel. We took a dog crate out and chased one into the crate. We loaded the crate to a wagon that's attached to the lawn mower. Devin drove off through the backyard with the pig and I was patting myself on the back for how easy it was to move the critters.
Of course that was about the time the pig pushed off the back panel of the crate, leaped off the wagon and darted into the woods quicker than lightening!
The pig that was still in the kennel waiting then ran and pushed her way through the side of the dog kennel wall! Now I had BOTH pigs in the woods snorting and shuffling. OOPS!

I ran to the house to get a bucket of milk and was able to lure one pig out of the woods with this bucket. Pigs LOVE milk!
Devin grabbed her back legs and proceeded to carry her to her new fenced area. All the while she was squealing...a sound like no other.

Let me now stop and explain something about our dogs. They are American Bulldogs and they are nice to all of the animals on the farm, however, American Bulldogs are bred to catch wild hogs.

Well, the sound of the pig struck a chord within Zelda and she immediately went into hog catching mode! She chased the boy pig through the woods and then came back through the yard and attempted to catch the pig Devin and Journee were carrying! Journee put Zelda inside the house, Devin got the pig in the fenced area and I lured the boy pig out of the woods with another bucket of milk.

This time I trapped him back in the kennel. We repaired the crate and transported the boy pig on the wagon with the mower, but this time Journee and I followed while holding the crate with our hands.

Today they are happily living in their area with a new shelter Devin built them, and the dogs have been shown not to even come near the pig area.

Just another adventure, right?

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Happy Halloween to everyone and here's to many more birthdays for us all!

I will be back Friday. Until then....have a piece of chocolate for me!