It's time to get ready for winter on the farm. Part of those efforts will be working on a more permanent home for the pigs, after they escaped their enclosure recently and took themselves on a little [[field trip.]]
Quick, where do you think they went?
[[-cross the road?]]
[[-to visit the sheep]]
[[-down the ravine to the river]]
Nope, thank goodness they didn't cross the [[highway.|field trip.]]Well they do get along well with their sheep friends, but that's not were they went that [[day|field trip.]]Bingo! You guessed it, on a hot, late summer's day, 10 piglets and their mom travelled down to the [[river.|a head]]Let's start at the beginning, it was a hot, dry late summer's day when a neighbour's daughter stopped by to with apples to share with the horses. This was a common occurance and she was welcome on the property.
Recently, the piglets were moved to a new location which seemed strange to the girl.
[[What do you think she did?]]
[[Called the farmer]] to let them know the pigs weren't in the right spot
[[Shrugged]] and went on to see the horses
[[Opened the pen]] to move the 10 piglets and the mom back to their penYes, she called the farmer and left a voicemail. However the voicemail said "not too worry, I'll move the [[pigs back"|farmer]]Oh, how I wished she [[had...|all's well]]Yes, but only after she left a voicemail to the farmer saying that she would move them [[back.|farmer]]The farmer was out for lunch when she received the voicemail. She quickly hurried home and had no idea what she was about [[to find...]]
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<img src=https://extension.umaine.edu/new-farmers/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2018/07/woman-farmer-with-lettuce.jpg.
</div>The pigs were all back in their [[original pen|boring end]]
The pigs were where she [[left them.|not much of a story]]
The pigs were nowhere to [[be seen]] and neither was the [[girl]]All's well the ends well. Not much of an adventure, but some days the simple ones are all anyone needs.
Try a [[different path|to find...]]Did anything happen in this story? If the piglets never got out, why did I tell this story?
Try a [[different path|to find...]]It must have been glorious for the pigs. Just that sweet taste of freedom. They had no trouble slipping under the electrified perimeter fence, finding the mule track and discovering their [[utopia.|the rest]]She was gone. Did not leave a note, a message or even a sign. Just an empty pig pen where momma and her piglets [[used to be.|be seen]]All's well the ends well. Not much of an adventure, but some days the simple ones are all anyone needs.
Try a [[different path|What do you think she did?]] The lovely cool water of the ravine as well as the endless amount of grub in the dirt along the water.
Now the real issue here was that it’s much easier for these pigs to get down the hill than up. And once they had a taste for ravine life, well, they just didn’t want to go back. They have their own little slice of paradise on the farm, but the ravine was just too perfect.
There are options:
[[Set them free]]
[[Toss on some saddles and ride them]]
[[Or herd them by slowly walking behind them in knee deep water]]Well that would be a nice story to explain why there is a herd of ferral pigs running around an ravine.
I think that is a nice end to the story, the pigs got to roam free in their ravine paradise.
All's well the ends well.If you have ever heard the expression, it is like herding cats, this would be quite similar.
After an hour of walking and wading in the marshy water, the pigs were back on the road, saw the familiar territory and started to run back to the farm.
All's well the ends well.
This outcome is only for experienced farmers. This would be an olympic sport if it was actually possible.
But this would be a good way to end the journey. Maybe one day you will be fortunate to experience this for yourselves.
This is a good place to end the story. -The End