Tuesday, May 13, 2008

~* Angry Hog Causes Construction Delay! *~

How is that for a headline! It is true. Yesterday, my loving husband was hard at work building the front porch for the lil' house (my future studio). When, out of the blue, a big black hog showed up! We may live in the country, but we are not farmers or ranchers.... we really have no clue how to deal with livestock of any kind. We knew though, that this hog couldn't get out in the road. We didn't want it or anyone to get hurt.... we live on a busy road with lots of traffic and semi-trucks. So, I took off in the car to visit the near by farms. Yes, asking everyone I saw the silly question, "Are you missing a pig?" (Well, it is silly to me anyway.... I am a city transplant!) About a mile away, I did find a family that said they were 'probably' missing one. The woman I spoke with said she would send someone over. I took off back to the house. The hog was still in the field behind our home. Over an hour later.... no one showed up to take the hog. We called the sheriff. I did feel a little bad for the officer that took the call though. He was a younger man, maybe pretty new on the job. Can you imagine the flack he must have taken from the other officers? Well, he set about looking for the owner. Shortly after he left, the owner showed up. (The hog belonged to the family I had spoken with.) The owner, a friend of his, and my husband worked for nearly 2 hours to get this hog into the trailer. It was exhausting for them, I'm sure.... but very interesting & a little comical at times too. The harder they worked, the angrier she got.... but they eventually succeeded in herding her onto the trailer. She is now safely back at the farm. Well.... until she decides to take another walk!



I was very happy to see that, for the most part, they kept the hog towards the back of our property.... and away from my flowers.



Tony promised me a front porch for my studio as a birthday present. He felt bad that it wasn't completed by my birthday. Yesterday, he had set a goal to get the framing and the flooring finished. It will be a covered porch and have a railing. The wood he is using is left over from other construction projects and re-used wood from an old boxcar in the back of our property that we are tearing down. (the boxcar is very unsightly now) Because of all the 'hog' excitement.... he stayed up working late last night with flood lights. Tony is a night owl anyway... he was still out there at 11:30 when I went to bed.



I have two little girls, Ima Jean and Katie Jo, that are living in the lil' house right now. Ima Jean supervised the construction from her perch.



Here is the old boxcar ~



The wood from the boxcar is being used on the flooring and the railing. It will be nice & olde looking! ~



Tony met his goal last night. He is such a wonderful, loving husband! I sure do love him! ~

Hard at work, late at night ~



This is how it looks this morning ~



Yesterday was a fun-filled, interesting day. I wonder what today will bring?

Many warm smiles to you all!

:) Betty

10 comments:

  1. I've been wondering how your studio was coming along...never expected a hog to get in the way!
    Your porch is wonderful!
    Merrie

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  2. Betty love that Tony is using the old wood. Will give it a nice weathered look. Will be a great porch when done. That is too much about the hog. . . I'll have to tell you my cow story one day. LOL Your lil' girl is a cutie! Thanks for sharing with us.

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  3. Wow, that really is a different sort of story!

    Your Tony did a fantastic job reusing the old boards!

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  4. You know, I never had a notion that pigs like to travel, but we had a similar incident a few years ago (minus the porch on the darling little house!) when a teenage piglet was suddenly hanging out with our goats one day. He was the cutest thing and I wanted to keep him so badly! But after a few hours of socializing with the goats, and a run around the field with me close behind, he headed off down the road into our forest, and we never saw him again! Either he found his way back home, or he found himself Supper, but either way, he simply would not be caught!

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  5. Wow Betty what an exciting day! Not only did you get a wonderful porch you got to experience an ol' onery pig! We've had pigs and they are so stubborn. I'm just drooling over your studio...you lucky gal!

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  6. I'm sure the 'hog wrangling' was a sight to see!
    My dh has spent many 'a night working with floodlights when we were in the middle of various projects around here.
    Your porch is looking great! Looking forward to seeing it finished.

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  7. Oh my gosh Betty - that is the funniest story I have heard in a long time. I used to find cows, horses out on the road all the time and the kids thought it so funny - I would call the non-911 number for the local police if I couldn't figure anything else out. Stray dogs seem to find me fairly often as well :) Makes for fun, entertaining stories for the rest of your life!!

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  8. What a great story about the pig and I love your new porch. Your hubby sure is a winner, no wonder you love him so much!
    Doris

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  9. Betty, your pig story was pretty funny! Porch seems to be coming along, good for the whole family!

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  10. the studio is going to be done before you know it...how wonderful to use that old box car! Tony sure does sound like a great guy...

    the hog story is hilarious...much better than the spiders from last year...

    love Ima Jean, what a sweetie pie...

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