(From the ONLY IN IDAHO! Department)
So I'm sitting at my desk working away on the computer last Thursday afternoon, when I hear our two dogs start barking up a storm. This isn't totally unusual - - they bark often when deer wander onto the property or the next door neighbors dog comes over to play -- so I ignore it. Then I hear the horses start to neigh and can hear the sound of them stampeding around the corral. Hummm.... Then I hear the Chickens (all the way from our barn) start to make their noises, and I know something's up.
Beckham knows something's up too, as all this noise has disturbed his nap, so I pick him up and together we walk to the window.
What do I see outside, but the cause for all this hullabaloo...
A GIANT PIG!
I've never seen a pig this large in all my life. I figure it's about 3,000 pounds, and I feel the adrenalin start to flow. I wonder... Is this a WILD pig? Will it eat my dogs?? Will it charge at me if I go out there? Where did it come from?? How did it get here? .... What the hell should I do?!?
Brice is at Landin's school coaching soccer practice, so I call him on his cell phone. I get his voicemail and leave him this message: "Hey Brice, it's me. Come home now. There is a 3,000 pound pig in our yard, and the animals are all going crazy. I have no idea what to do, but I do know that I am NOT going out there with that giant pig. Come home now... I'm serious, come home.. please... oh, and be careful when you get out of the car. love you!"
I wait and watch the pig from the window as it moseys around our property... the dogs are trying to herd it away from the house, the horses are still running in circles around the stable, and the chickens are still "cockel-doodle-doing" loudly. It's chaos.
Between the time that Brice roils into the driveway in our mini-van and the time I made the initial call to him (which was followed by at least 3 more urgent calls I made to his vmail) was about 30-minutes. During this time the giant pig has wandered down our back hill towards the lake, and when Brice gets there, he can't see him. I show him the pictures I've snapped of the giant pig so he believes me that this thing was here. Moments later, giant pig is back, and Brice totally gets why I called him 5 times on his cell phone ordering him to come home. This pig is enormous, and he has tusks!!
While we try to figure out what to do, the neighbors call the Sheriff (I guess THAT is what you do when a giant pig wanders onto your property). Meanwhile, it;s now time for me to leave for Bunko (I play with a group of gals one Thursday a month).
So I get to Bunko and we are sitting around chatting when I think to tell my friend Krystal about the funny pig experience. I figure she will get a kick out of it since her family raises pigs and her husband is the local butcher in town. So I start to tell her the story of my giant pig, and she interrupts me and asks,
"What color is the pig?"
It's black and white.
"Black head and tail, white middle?"
Yes.
"Does it have tusks?"
Yes, they are clipped.
"About this big (she holds up her hand)?"
Yep!
"I think it's HAMMY!"
No way!
So she calls her husband Angus, who then comes out to our house and ID's the pig. Turns out it IS Hammy. So Angus and the boys wrangle Hammy into his truck, and our giant pig is on his way home.
Apparently Hammy had been loaned out to another family as a stud, and he had gotten loose and made his way to our house for a visit. Turns out he doesn't weigh 3,000 pounds - but is closer to 1,000 (Still giant by any one's standards).
At any rate, it just goes to show you how small a town we live in... I mean how many times has a giant 1,000-pound pig walked into your yard only to find out it belongs to a lady you're playing Bunko with that night? I rest my case.
Thanks for the excitement Hammy. Next time you want to visit, let's just arrange a play date - - at your place!
He's fattening-up and stays awake for extended amounts of time - - although still sleeps all night long (which Brice and I are very thankful for). 
