Daylight was nowhere in sight, yet my three four-legged companions sent out an urgent call for me to arise from the comfort of my bed. No emergency, no prowlers and no wayward predators in the yard: the cat was simply in his usual “I’m hungry, now” mode and the dogs, well, who knows, it was just time to get going.
As the four of us were navigating the descent to the front door, I found myself reminiscing about all the wonderful animals in my life and what grand memories they had provided.
The variety of “critter” friends ran the gamut from cows to kittens and almost everything in between. At one time, I had three sows and one particular favorite named Sarah. They lived at the back of the farm on a cool wooded lot with a fresh stream running through the middle, until it was time to give birth.
Hogs generally have large litters of piglets and can inadvertently crush them during the first few days. In a determination to lose nary a one, the sows would be relocated to a barn building in close proximity to the house within a few weeks of the impending event.
Sarah, a large black and white hog, had long since lost her piglet cuteness. Hogs can be quite dangerous and especially protective of their young. Sarah weighed well over 200 pounds, had a big snout, big teeth and a hairy, scaly, dirt body. It was a really good thing that we had nurtured our relationship with her from the beginning.
During a lovely couple of weeks in May, Sarah was residing close by as we all anxiously awaited the delivery of her first litter. The thought has often crossed my mind that she did not know whether she was a hog or just one of the dogs.
She spent her nights in a sheltered-straw -filled pen that afforded her all the privacy an expectant mother could want. Though she could come and go at will, her days were occupied with the family pets, engaged in much of the dog-like activities.
It was not uncommon to spot her curled up together with the cats and dogs enjoying an afternoon nap or serving sentinel duty as the guardian of the estate.
Once, an unsuspecting stranger drove to the front of the sidewalk only to be unabashedly greeted by Sarah. Who knows what raced through his mind, but he never got out of the car and we never saw him again.
As the gestation period came to a close, Sarah was spending more and more time in her special place. She would daily rearrange the straw to make a more suitable place for the little ones. There was no question that she knew something important was about to happen.
The long-awaited birthing finally arrived and respecting her needs and instincts, we watched from a distance, at least for the first 24 hours.
Then, like any proud family, we took pictures and sent out announcements.
Until next time, be well.
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