Pork Rub Recipes

I've been disabled by asthma for about two months because I had a reaction to the normal meds, which was worse than the illness itself.
I just remembered that I had once used an excellent cough remedy from the Amish and ordered it from Mountain Meadow Herbs, which I can't figure out how to link you to.
As soon as it arrived, I started feeling better and am now able to get back out on the farm.
I had a nice ride on the mare yesterday after I had spent too long bent over Opal, picking pig mites off of her and drowning them in soapy water.
I had decided to make a concoction of Crisco and pyrethrins to rub the pigs with to not only kill the disgusting adult mites, but also their eggs which are stuck all over the hair shafts.
The feed store didn't have the poison I wanted so I used Crisco alone. It killed the mites on contact and also made the pigs so relaxed they drooled.
They also fought each other and me to be the one getting shorteninged.
In the top photo, Opal is still comatose from having her armpits and groin area instantly relieved from the burrowing little buggers.
I need to buy more Crisco to finish Garcia.
Maybe I'll physically remove the eggs instead of poisoning them.

Seven Little Piggies Sound Asleep

Katie's first litter of piglets is ready to go.
We will miss these little cuties!

My Little Fall Hike

Here are some images of today's peaceful hike through the trails.
This morning was overcast, but then the sun came out and I got to see this beauty surrounding me. Now it's cloudy again.

Good Morning, Farm

Here's Garcia, having his breakfast.
I'm glad that he loves us and is always kind and gentle.

My Old Pal Opal

Opal has had a change of heart.
Even before we castrated three of her sons, she got aggressive.
Mostly towards me, but everyone is careful around her.
It's heartbreaking to me that she runs after me barking (pigs bark, I didn't know that till I owned them) and trees me on the porch or in the shed.
Hanging out the laundry is something I do that really sets her off.
Have no fear, I am careful around her.

Here's her family eating vegetables from the freezer cleaning.
She let me pet her when I put this out for her family.

The Secret Pond

The girls were exploring the property and found this pond.
There are even fish in it.
I haven't been there yet, but they've cleared a path through the brambles so I'll be going soon.

Poor Puffy Piggies

Laura is rocking the center midfield, and Katie (long black ponytail) is playing left mid in the top photograph.
The bottom is Laura's sprained right ankle, and first soccer injury.

The team we played were boys. They talked about punching the girls in the face. Some of them said they were going to "wipe out" the two littlest girls on our team.
(I was worried that our delicate angels would be intimidated and traumatized by such smack-talk, but alas, I overheard the little ones cracking up laughing after the game, saying (to each other, not to the big boys!) "Thanks for saying that and making me want to beat you up even more than I already did.")
I think they'll recover emotionally.

In many years and many games of soccer, this was the first time we've encountered a team that seemed to want to hurt their opponents. And maybe I'm old-fashioned, but the fact that they were boys who were plotting to hurt girls disturbed me even more.

Playing them makes me grateful for all of the truly sportsmanlike behavior of the other kids in the area!

After the game we went to eat at our local pizza place where we're all more like family than patrons. The manager rigged up an ice bag for Laura's ankle, and we had her put her foot up while we ate.

Today's forced downtime while we've got an elevated ankle is a nice break from hectic running. (But I hope it's better by practice on Thursday.)