Thursday, April 17, 2008

this little piggie went to market, this little piggie...

I don't know how many people read my blog, and so for that matter, I don't know how many people know where I'm from.
So let me start with that.I grew up in Southern Wisconsin, on a pig farm. I'm actually quiet proud of that fact. Growing up on a farm was possibly the best experience I think anyone can have.
(where am I going with this? You'll get it in a moment)
I had 2 pet pigs growing up. One, when I was in elementary school, was named Nosey. Quite frankly I've forgotten what this pig looked like, except for his nose. He (although I think "he" might have been a "she"...) was a curious pig. Instead of running to the back of the pin with the rest of the scared pigs, she would just hang out in the front, waiting to see if someone had something for her. It was great! The other, who I will explain in a minute, was named Daisy. I want to take this time to let you know that, although I grew up on a pig farm, I was terrified of any size pig that was bigger than 1 month old. They would get out of the pin's all the time and just start trotting up to anyone, or away from anyone (depending on temperment)- so for me to have a pet pig...was kind of crazy(I always thought they would bite or trample me to death...silly me). Nosey, was a baby, I'm talking maybe weighed in at 25lbs. Maybe. I lost sight of that pig somewhere in a barn shuffle (baby pigs being moved to bigger pins to finish out there time on the farm...sad ending, I'm not going there), and I missed the pig until the barn cats had a litter of kittens, so I went to stake my claim to a newborn kitten.
After the heartache of losing a dear friend (Nosey), it was a long time before I wanted a new pig for a pet.
Then, when I was a Senior in High School, along came a deformed pig that my dad and uncle couldn't sell at market! To me, she didn't look deformed at all. She had a beautiful upturned nose and sweet as could be eyes. She was perfect (the nose was what was deformed...for that bread anyway). I went out to the barn, almost everyday, to pet her, and show her attention. The other pigs were always scared of me. I should have been scared of her, because she was a pretty big pig. Granted a runt for that barn, but she was way bigger than Nosey. I named her Daisy...not because of the smell...but because she was as beautiful as a daisy in spring time. She was probably the most gentle pig I have ever known. One day I came home from school and went to pet Daisy and she wasn't there. I didn't have to ask what happened, I knew. But I went ahead and asked anyway. There was enough room on the truck that was going to market, that they needed 1 more pig to fill it...so they took Daisy.
Crushed by that, and still to this day, missing my pet pig Daisy- I often times go places and see figurines of pigs, or stuffed pig animals and get all excited because of my memories of my sweet Daisy.
So I went ahead an asked an artist that I know to make me a pig sculpture. She's extremely talented and listed in my links as "Deanna". She's great, and says she has an idea for the sculpture. I can't wait to see what it looks like!
And so, in honor of her saying that she would make a pig sculpture for me, I was sitting here at work, feeling the need to draw a pig:


Of course this looks nothing like either of my 2 pet pigs...but it's cute non-the-less.
I actually wanted to post about something else entirely, but I don't have the pictures with me to post...so it'll have to wait until another time.

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