Well, the little pigs are actually getting better!!! I know they let me pet them last night but sometimes they are just having a good day. Well, they let me pet them again today!! I’m so excited about this!! They are really starting to warm up, minus Pork Chop. I think he is still mad about getting fixed. Bacon bit is still a little scared but she is doing better. Patsy and Brutus aren’t sure what to do about me. For some reason they only let me pet them when they are eating. I find that really weird, but I will take it. They are funny little things. Everyday is a new day. Things are getting better. Hopefully before long they will be like the big pigs and actually love me back!!

I post so many pics and stories on here daily. The animals are amazing and the farm can be hard work. I was looking through pics and noticed most of my pics, my hair isn’t fixed, my makeup isn’t on or it’s smeared from sweat, and I have old looking clothes on. I will have you know, I do fix myself up and I do care for myself, also. The animals are my priority because they can’t care for themselves. I know I always have dirt on my face, before all of this farm life, I would have not been okay with that but now I know getting piggy kisses and them coming up to try to eat my hair or just get in my face is to let me know they care about me, too. I don’t mind the dirt on my face anymore. I have always hated having dirt on my hands, like truly hate it, but after petting on an animal that has been playing in the mud or one of the goats or the donkey has been rolling in dirt, I don’t mind that much anymore either. I have always hated to sweat also. It’s just no fun, but the animals make that worth it also. I just wanted people to know that are reading this, I do care for myself, too. I may not do it like I used to but I still do it. Farm life is way different than i has envisioned my it’s worth it and so much fun. Hard work but fun. At least I don’t have to carry buckets of water anymore.

Ya’ll these dogs I have are just the best. They like these other animals and they stay with me the whole time I’m working outside. They do not leave my side too long. They will stay by whichever pen I am in. Even in the heat, they lay by the pen to make sure we are all okay. Maggie and Pepper are both getting older and don’t have the energy they once had. They are so special though and they have been with me for 9 years. They love me and they stay with me. It’s a special bond we have. I didn’t realize it until they started staying with me like they do while feeding and watering. They have even made friends with all of the other animals. Daisy is good friends with all the animals but she doesn’t stick by me like the other 2. They are usually lazy and just want to lay in the house but now they are outside with me which is good for all of us. I’m pretty sure they would protect me if I needed it. I’m grateful they are here.

Tonight I get home and I’m really tired. It’s also hot and I’m sweating so much working outside that it’s getting in my eyes. I’m kinda miserable already at this point, but there is still so much to do. At this point, I have only been in the donkey/goat pen checking on the worm situation. It is so much better. Thank goodness. I was getting concerned. I’m still giving them some stuff in food that they can have daily and not hurt them. Like I said though, it’s so much better. I loved on them and fed them. At this point, the pigs are screaming at me because they are hungry. I mean screaming and squealing. I make my way over there to feed them. I guess they knew I was really tired and was feeling stressed. I got to pet all of the little pigs and got to love on the big pigs. Spam even let me pet her for awhile. It’s days like this that make it all worth it. They make me smile and laugh so much. I needed them in my life and didn’t even know it. Some may think I’m crazy but they truly are my therapy.

Went out to say goodnight and check on all the animals. I would stop doing this some nights, but they like routine and it’s like they wait up for me some nights. Tonight was one of those nights. All 7 of them were waiting by the fence. The goats were already in their bed and the donkey was still eating. I went to pet the big pigs and it was a fight for attention. I didn’t go into the pen, just petting them outside the fence. Spam and Gus were fighting over me. Gus would snap at Spam and Spam back at Gus. That was something to see. Spam even was not moving as she tried to smash Gus against the fence. Sometimes I wonder what is going on in their little heads. At least they weren’t snapping at me, just each other this time. Too funny. No one got hurt and there was no blood. They are fine. I feel like they, even spam, actually love me tonight. 

Ronnie set me up with a new watering system. Instead of me having to carry the buckets of water or putting them on my cart, he got me several water hoses that would reach to the pens. This takes off a couple of hours to my day. Since the pigs poop in the pool daily, I have to clean it out daily. That is so gross but has to be done. But gross. Anyway, the hose got caught on something and now has a hole in it. Ronnie forgot to get me a new one before he left because there are always so many things going on. I put duct tape on it. Well, that didn’t work. Now it just sprays around where the duct tape is. I knew it was a long shot, but I tried. That’s something. As you have seen, I have a lab. Labs love water. That dog is always in the water. So when there is spraying water out of a hose, what does Daisy do? She fights with the spraying water!! It’s so funny to watch her. She actually hates getting sprayed with water but she loves to fight with it. Makes sense right?? Silly dog!!

When I got my first 2 pigs, I knew nothing about them. Not even what to feed them!! We bought some all stock and someone told us corn. Well, corn makes them fat and all stock may be okay but there is actually pig feed that they need to get the nutrients and stuff they need. I absolutely had no idea. Of course I have known this for awhile and still give corn on occasions for something different. They get bored with the same thing all of the time. I do try to give veggies with their pellets just for nutrients and more for them. They do love it. Well, the other morning I gave them some corn. It had been a few weeks since they had it. Oh my goodness, those little guys went crazy. I couldn’t even get it all in the bowl before they were in it. One of the pigs even had it all over them since she couldn’t wait to get in the bowl. They fought over that stuff. It was really funny. The big pigs were excited also. Treat and Spam didn’t even do the turn about thing they normally do, if you didn’t read the post about that, it’s where they switch places to eat until the food is gone. They didn’t want to miss any of it so they just stayed where they were. I added some coconut oil for their skin. I read it was good for dry skin if they eat it. They have only had it for 2 days and they already look better. These babies deserve so much goodness since they give me so much joy and laughter and I’m just trying to give it to them.

I have a whole new outlook on my big pigs. I love them so much still but today was a little wacky. I go out to sit with them and give them attention. Gus knows the drill well and the other two are learning it. I sit down and Gus immediately gets into my lap. He is used to being the only one that gets petted and loved on. Now that Treat and Sometimes Spam are warming up, he isn’t really sure what to do. He is so jealous!! It’s cute but could get out of hand if I let it. So, Gus is in my lap and I start petting Treat. She does the body flip and rolls over for belly rubs. She lays there for a long time. Gus is still in my lap and not happy I’m giving Treat any attention. He gets up and goes over to her and starts smelling her face. I think he was actually telling her to get up. He comes back over and lays next to me. I continue to try to pet them both and Gus isn’t having it. He then gets up in my face for kisses to make me stop giving treat attention. This is actually hilarious. Treat just stayed out and didn’t bother to get up. So Gus would go back to her and then he would come back to me. This went n for a long time. So, where is Spam during all of this?? She is roaming around the pen wanting nothing to do with any of it. She did come check on Gus and on Treat during all of this. Crazy pigs!! They are really something and their personalities are so great!!

I’m sitting in the big pig pen and I look over and see the funniest thing. Pork chop has gotten his nose under one of the water bowls to root under it and he dumped out all of the water. He didn’t care the bowl was sitting on his head as he was rooting. As he does this, one of the other pigs, not sure if it was Patsy or Bacon bit, starts rolling around in the water Pork Chop just dumped out. Then, Pork Chop put the bowl down and got in it and tried to roll around in it, he is too big for that bowl and he had just dumped it all out. There was another bowl of water full right next to it that he could have gotten in. What was he thinking. To me, it was so funny!!! They really do make me laugh out loud. You never know what they are going to do. So comical to watch. I love them so much!! I filled the bowl back up and sprayed the pigs a bit to cool them down. It didn’t even phase them. They loved it.

Spent a lot of time out in the pens today. I was too tired for anything else. I’m outside and Cracker Jack starts hollering, braying really. He just continued to do this. Even when I was inside he was doing it. I still have no idea why. He has pasture to graze in, a round bale of hay and plenty of water. I get in the pen, in the middle of they day, of course. It’s hot and the sun was blazing down on us. I went under the loafing shed to get out of the sun. I’m loving on the goats and the donkey starts braying at me again. I guess he didn’t realize I was in the pen already loving on the goats. I think I startled him. When I came out from the loading shed, he stop mid bray. It was actually quite hilarious. I’m not sure what he was wanting. I loved on him for awhile. As soon as I got out of the pen the braying continued. I gave them feed tonight and had to stop them from fighting, so he is mad at me and stopped braying at me finally. Crazy donkey. The goats just let me love on them with no problems, except Lucky. They are easy to get along with. Cracker Jack is really moody.

I have been noticing my pigs, all 7 of them are having really dry skin due to the weather. As you all know, the big pigs will now let me love on them but the 4 babies want nothing to do with me if I don’t have food. Well today, I decided I would use skin so soft on them again to help with their skin and the awful bugs. Gus always does great. I had to sneak attack Treat and Spam with the skin so soft. They are still mad at me. I get to the other pen and I just had to spray around them and hope it made it on their skin. Crazy pigs running around like I was trying to hurt them. They are a mess for sure. I do think they did get some on them and I hope it helps them. Ronnie laughs at me when I talk about the pigs and dry skin. He makes jokes about hoping he doesn’t come home to me putting lotion on the pigs because of their dry skin. I replied with, well if they would let me get close to them I probably would put lotion on their dry skin. Only the best for them. I do have some supplements for them I put in the food when I remember it. I just have to get it under control. Poor things. They scratch on the tree bark. No they don’t have mange, thank goodness!!

This post is really a long shout out to my mom!!! This year has been crazy for my husband and I. Our lives have completely changed. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just different. We got the farm going, we both switched jobs, and I am back in school. Things are definitely stressful at times. My mother drives an hour to come help me on the farm every weekend. We work on the garden and do things around the house that doesn’t get finished during the week because I am so busy and my husband is gone more. I know I tell her thank you, but I don’t think she realizes how much it helps me out. I appreciate her more than she probably knows. She is a very special lady and I’m so glad she can help me. I know she enjoys it. We also swim and have nice long conversations. It’s so nice that we can do this. She will even help me gather grass after the yard has been mowed for the animals. She brings me food for the pigs also. She loves on Cracker Jack and the goats. The only pig that she can pet is Gus. He loves everyone. The others, not so much. It’s a lot of work but we make it fun. I know she will read this, so THANK YOU, MOM!!! I love you more than I can tell you.

Last night I posted a video of Gus doing something weird with his mouth. It was like he was eating the dirt off my pants and then tasting the air. It was so cute. It’s posted here. Someone told me blow in their face a little to let them smell me and taste the air. So, I did this tonight. It was so funny. Treat and Gus loved it. They make really funny faces when you do this. I laughed so hard at them tonight. They didn’t want me to stop. When I did stop, Treat and Gus would get in my face to do it again. These guys have such a personality. They definitely keep me on my toes. But, it’s a good thing. They are happy pigs and that makes me happy.