Scars

 Do you ever look at someone and think, they have really had it rough? When you see this, do you ever ask them if there is something they need?? Send them a smile or something?? I see scars on people, maybe not physical ones but you can tell if someone has had some emotional trauma, especially if you have been there yourself. Every one of these animals, maybe not all of the chickens, but the rest of them have scars. Emotional and now physical. I know they all haven’t had the best life, some have had good lives, but others haven’t. I went out this weekend and BB (Bacon Bit, I now call BB) had this big white spot on her. I went over to investigate and saw it was a big scar from her and one of the other pigs fighting. I started looking at all of them. Most of them have at least one scar from the introductions before and during moving. It really breaks my heart to have put them through all of that. Then I think, it would have been much worse if I had made a commitment to keep them and then didn’t. I just hate that they now have physical scars on them but I know it could have been much worse if I had not brought them with me. If you see someone hurting, let them know you care. This world is full of people who have no one and just knowing you care really does help. 

Pig’s rooting

 If you keep up with this blog, I stated in an earlier post that there is about an acre or so where we would love for the pigs to graze and roam. At this time, the fencing needs to be fixed and we are still trying to settle in. It will happen but it may be spring or so when the days get longer. At this moment they are in a pen, but it is bigger than what they had. There were some pens already set up closer to the house but there was no grass there so we put them somewhere that had some grass. Looking back on it, that probably was a little silly since it literally took them 3 days to root up every bit of grass there was in that pen. They are rooting up all kinds of stuff that was buried in there. They sure are funny little things. It definitely keeps them busy and occupied. There is no mud out there which I am grateful for. It is soft dirt. I go out every morning and night and every time I do they have rooted out another pig wallow. They crack me up for sure. I never knew having a pig...or nine would be so entertaining. 

The House

 A couple of people have asked about what we ended up buying here in Texas. Ronnie and I looked for months and months for a place. We had 2 contracts that fell through during this process. I am sure they fell through because it just wasn’t the right place. I really didn’t care what the house looked like as long as there was space for all the animals. I happened to stumble on a place that was not even in the area where I was looking. Well, that was the place. I will spare you all the details, but a contract had to fall through on the house before we could see it. That obviously did happen since we ended up buying it. So, we bought an old farmhouse we 47 acres. I could not be more happy. The house needs some updating and cosmetic stuff but it’s really cute. The barn needs work but there is a barn. There is also a smaller lean to for some animals. The woman we bought the place from left me roosters and chickens and they have their own spot. There is also a shop for Ronnie. This place is going to be so amazing when we get finished. I’m excited. It’s very homey and we are happy here. Now to get more animals. Hahaha!!! 

The Rest of the Brutus story

 The day after picking Brutus up, it got really windy (apparently I have learned that is the normal here) and cold. We had not had time to get shelters together for the pigs. It had been warm so I wasn’t too worried about it. However, now it was cold. Ronnie and I were beyond exhausted but shelters were a must that day. We had only put up a tarp to keep the sun off of them and put out straw for them to cuddle up in. There was also a lean to where they could be, but it didn’t keep the wind off of them. They needed more. So, Ronnie went out to get supplies and we got to work. It took a lot of the day. He got a roof over an area and was able to block the side where the wind comes in on one area of the pen. Then there were heavy duty traps put in place since the wind here will destroy a regular tarp. On the lean to, he put up another wall and then used a tarp at the back so the wind couldn’t get in. Luckily Ladonna had brought us more straw from our barn at the old house, so we were able to put in more straw for them. Of course the bigger pigs took over the lean to and the smaller pigs got into the other area. Brutus did not leave my side all day. He was everywhere I was. He wanted belly rubs and attention all day. I was happy to give that to him. He missed being with his friends and was so happy to see them. It was pretty obvious he was grateful to be back with us all. I am so grateful to everyone who had a hand in helping us with Brutus. He is a special little pig. He is still very clingy even a week later. He wants to be near us. We will never know where he went or what he went through, but he backs up when that gate is opened. I don’t think he will run off again. Bless his little heart. 

More of the Brutus story

 So, Brutus had gone home and no one was there. My cousin and Ricky had locked him back in the pen. They lived down the street from that house, so everyday they went to feed and water him. I knew we had to get him here as soon as we could . Angie said he was sad and depressed and the pictures she sent, I would have to agree. He looked very sad. So many people went by to see him but he was still really sad looking. My plan was to drive home on Saturday to pick him up but I had put in almost 50 hours at work and had no rest because of the move. I had to do it. My dad offered to bring him to me but he was afraid Brutus would get away again. I definitely understood that. I didn’t want that for him or Brutus. My friend, Ashlea offered to get him halfway to me but she said the same thing. So, I called Ladonna. I knew she could get him. She agreed. That was a weight lifted off of me. I was so tired. Saturday came. One week since Brutus decided to be free. Ronnie and I get on the road. Ladonna calls and says she has Brutus loaded. Apparently he decided to give her a really hard time. They had to chase him and catch him to get him into a crate and then wants to bite at the crate sand try to get out of it. She said he finally calmed down after they put straw around him and started the truck. They even had to strap the crate closed so he wouldn’t get out. Oh my gosh. I’m so grateful to her. We drive to the meeting point. I’m so excited to see Brutus. They get there and move the straw so I can see him and I start talking to him. He grunts and smiles. Guys, he smiled!! He didn’t give anyone a hard time anymore. We switched him out of the vehicles and came home. It was a great reunion and I’m so grateful for the help. We got him home and got him in the pen with his friends. There were a few little fights but nothing major. Patsy was sure happy to see him. He was one happy pig. 

Let’s Talk Brutus

 As you have read, Brutus ran off during loading. That little toot took his freedom to a whole new level. I cried the entire day after we moved. I just kept thinking about him and my heart would break more. I was thinking about the coyotes in the area and blah blah blah. I prayed so hard for that pig to come back. On the drive to Texas, I called a friend. Ladonna shares my love for pigs. She drove out to the house right after I called her so she could look for him. He went and bought a bag of food and put some out for him. She also filled up the pool full of water for him. My friend Kristen said he would come back. Now, if you have read this blog or have bought and read my book, you would know that Treat did this 3 separate times and always came home on her own. I thought it was because Spam was there calling to her. I wasn’t sure if Brutus would come back if no one was there. I sure did pray hard that he would. But then what? If no one was there to get him in the pen at the exact moment what would happen?? So, I started praying specifically that he would be in the pen when someone was at the house. I called and texted everyone. Ladonna went by the next morning with no luck finding him. My dad went by Sunday and Monday with no luck. My cousin Angie went Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. My Grandma and Grandpa even went down on Tuesday.  My realtor looked for him on Monday. I kept praying. I knew in my heart he would come back. Tuesday afternoon around 4 pm, Angie called. I happen to be in a meeting and couldn’t answer her, so I texted her to see if everything was okay. She texted me back the words I had been praying to hear (or read in this case). It said, I have your pig. As I said, I was in a meeting. I jumped out of my chair and sort of squealed. Of course I got some looks, but I didn’t care. I prayed and thanked God that Brutus was home and he was fine. I was so excited. I then texted everyone that had been helping me. I just couldn’t believe it. Then Angie tells me that when her and Ricky showed up, Ricky saw Brutus in the pen and ran to shut him in before he could get out. Can you believe that?? It happened exactly as I prayed. I’m so grateful for this. The story doesn’t stop here. 

The day after

 So, the day after we moved was something. We got to Texas at 2 am on Sunday morning. Ronnie and I were so exhausted. We finally got to bed at 4:30 am. We were back up at 9:00 am. The donkey and goats had been unloaded already. We had to leave the pigs in the trailer with food and water because there was no more energy to get them u loaded. Once Ronnie and I got up, we had to decide where to put the pigs. There was a huge area Ronnie wanted to put them in, but upon looking at things closer, the fencing needed more repairs than previously thought. There was an area right behind the shop they could all go, but they would be sharing an area with the chickens and let’s just say, they had not been cleaned in I don’t know how long. I did not want to put them there, but that’s a whole other story. There was another area that was further away from the house, but it was perfect for them. It’s so much bigger than what we had at the other house. It needed one hog panel put in place because one of the gates had not been used in so long that the bottom was buried and we were too tired to get it out. The other gate was good. So the hog panel went up and the pigs were unloaded. Unloading was so much easier than loading. They just got out. Now, right after that, it was time to feed and water. We found out then that the well set up for the water wasn’t working. So, carrying 5 gallons of water is back to how we are doing it several times a day. There was a lean to for them and another area where we put temporary tarps up for shelter. It was still warm enough that they would be okay until we could get something else up. Of course, Ronnie went to look for straw. Here they don’t have it like they do back home, but after going to 3 stores, he found some that would work. They were so stressed they all just cuddled up in that straw. The donkey and goats were loving there huge area. It’s fenced off at 10 acres I do believe and they go all over it all day. They were all happy. It was noticed though how sad Patsy was that Brutus wasn’t there. It was heartbreaking and we were definitely heartbroken as well. It was also noticed that the previous owner had left us 2 roosters and 13 chickens. Two chickens had been killed by something probably a day or two before we got there.  Not what we wanted to see but it happened. I have no experience with chickens so this was going to be fun. Things are going to work out here in Texas. 

Moving Day

 Moving day gets here, stress is high. The house didn’t finish getting cleaned because of the fiasco with moving the pigs. Also because Cracker Jack’s coggins test didn’t come back until literally 4:30 pm the day before we moved, so I had to go pick that up in another town. So, I have hired someone to clean. We still had odds and ends to pack and put in the trailer. I’m happy to report Jodie and Braiden came for the day to help load stuff. They were essential in moving day. Ronnie and I were supposed to leave at 10 am so Jodie and Braiden came really early to help. We got stuff loaded up. That took longer than anticipated. On to loading animals.... this is where it gets messy. The pigs were still fighting and upset. Animals can feel the stress we have. They were all stressed just like we were and did not understand what was happening. We decided to start with the pigs. Ronnie built a shoot with hog panels and zip ties from the gate to the trailer so the pigs could only go to the trailer, or so we thought.  It was definitely not easy and was not what we expected at all. Gus was first because he will walk on a leash, except not today since the last time he was on a leash he had to fight a bunch of pigs. He had to be forced into the trailer on a leash. He was not hurt but he was not happy. Then came Darla. Why we decided to get her next is beyond me. Her and Gus were the ones that were fighting so bad. Not sure what flipped her switch but she is top hog now and there is no doubt about it. She was easier. She went with treats. Brutus is my sweet baby, so he was next and this is where things took a terrible turn. He was going along with me eating Cheerios. Once he saw the trailer, he flipped out. He was not going in that trailer. He busted through the zip ties and the hog panels, and ran off. At first he was staying around the pen and trying to get back in, but was too fast for us to catch. We tried treats. We chased him. We stopped chasing him and he still ran. The car had to be used to stop him from going onto the Hwy. It didn’t help, he still crossed the Hwy and Jodie was stopping traffic so he didn’t get run over. Once he got into the pasture across the Hwy, we all felt defeated. None of us were happy and there were so tears involved. It was Brutus. We couldn’t keep chasing him because he was going to keep running. We went back to loading the other pigs since we still had 6 to load and after all of that, they were even more on edge. It was not a pretty sight. They now knew what was happening and they were running around that pen like their lives depended on it. Poor babies. I hated every minute. The guys had to chase them and catch them. Some of the pigs were just picked up and carried as easily as they could be. Others had be put on a small rope to get them in there. Oh, I don’t even like talking about it. I will say again, if it hadn’t been for jodie and Braiden, we might still be in Arkansas trying to load pigs. We get over to the donkey and goats. They weren’t terrible to load. Except Lucky. Lucky doesn’t like humans, at all. He had to be tackled and picked up and carried to get him on a trailer. Poor guy. However, they made it to Texas. We had everything loaded and ready and I decided let’s go look for Brutus one more time. I walk across the road and there he is, eating acorns in the pasture, Jodie, Braiden, and Ronnie went into the pasture. They had him cornered a time or two and then somehow he ran past all of us back across the road to the house. A man stopped and tried to at least get him out of the road. We were all running to get him but Brutus felt he was running for his life. He completely disappeared from view into someone else’s field. It was over, again. It was now 4 pm and Ronnie and I had an 8 hour drive ahead of us. We didn’t get to the new house until 2 am. We couldn’t even get the pigs unloaded we were so tired. The dogs road in his truck and I brought the cats with me. We got all of them situated and the donkey and goats. Gave the pigs food and water and went to bed. 

The day before moving

 The moving date was the next day. Ronnie and I were trying to figure out how we were going to get these stubborn and hard headed pigs into the trailer to be able to move all of the animals at once. It might not have been the smartest plan to move them all at once, but my start day to work was fast approaching and Ronnie has already made 4 quick trips that week to our new home and back which is 8 hours one way. I did not want him to have to make another trip and I didn’t have time to with starting work. The big pigs and the smaller pigs had always been separated. I thought since they were able to see each other across the fencing for over a year, things would be okay. Not ideal but okay. I then decided to move all of the big pigs into the pen with the smaller pigs so they would be able to get used to each other. Looking back, not sure that was the best idea, but better than putting them all in a trailer for 8 hours with no introduction. It was brutal. Gus was easier because he walks on a leash. He went into the pen and then a war broke out. Pigs have to decide the pecking order. Gus was on the top in the other pen. Now he literally had to fight 6 other pigs. So, while the war in that pen was going on, we are trying to move the other two big pigs, Treat and Spam which only like me... in moderation most of the time. It took 2 hours for us to get them over there. It was not a pretty sight or fun at all. The rest of the night was spent watching them all. The fighting was absolutely awful. Every one of those pigs had cuts and scrapes and blood on them. Nothing serious though. Thank goodness. It was awful though. Somehow the three big pigs got separated from each other. Spam and Treat were in one of the houses and Gus was in a pile of mud. Of course we fixed that and put a bunch of straw down. Next time I went to check, he had found the girls and was sleeping in the house with them. I was a basket case. It gets better. Wait until the next post. 

Exciting things

 Exciting things are happening in my world. If you had asked me 10 years ago where I would be in 10 years, it’s absolutely no where from where I am now. I always had high hopes and dreams but I always felt held back. I think fear and maybe some people had me convinced I couldn’t do it. I was thinking back today and realized, I was holding myself back. I didn’t have the confidence I should have to get to where I wanted to be. 2020 has been hard on all of us. For me, I feel like I have grown as a person and I have accomplished things that were on my dream list that I did not think I would ever do. I went back to school and graduated with a degree in psychology. I have had my first book published by a publishing company and have 3 more in the works. I am moving from my home that I said I would never do again. I am grateful for all of the people in my life that show up when needed. When I look back on that, those people have been in my life either longer than I have been without them or very close to that. I have been in very dark spots in my life but when I look back, those dark spots caused me to be where I am today. I am grateful for even those dark spots. It has shown me how to appreciate where I am now. These animals here have helped in that. This book that came out has helped that. Be grateful for where you are and what you have been through. The other side of that dark spot you may be sitting in right now could lead you to places you never though possible. If you know my life story and all of the history there, you can see the difference. If you don’t, that’s okay, know that whatever you are going through, you can get through it. It may be tough, but it’s so worth it. 

Update

 I went to Texas last week for a job interview. I have never been in an interview that lasted 3 hours, but this one did. The crazy thing about it was, after a while, they wanted to try to get to know me. Of course, the animals came up. That entire place is full of animal lovers like me!! Some had pigs, horses, mini cows, etc. I knew this was the place for me and they hired me!! I have a job. That makes me so happy. Then, I got to see our new house and it’s super cute. The lady is leaving me her free range chickens. Things are going so well. I cannot tell you how amazing things are going. The new place is already set up for the animals. One of the barns needs a little work, but it is going to be great. We close on that house next week. Our house has been sold also and we close next month. I am so excited for this new adventure. I am sad about leaving also because my friends and family are here, but I know this is what I need to do. We move next week.