Ridiculously Cute Pigs at the Homeplace

You’ll never… ever, ever, ever… find a bigger animal lover than me. When it comes to anything with fur, feathers, and fins, I’m in paradise when I’m in their company. While I have absolute favorites (cats, polar bears, bison, pigs, possums, raccoons, squirrels, all birds..) – truth be told my favorite animal of the moment is the one I’m with.

As you’ll notice, pigs make “the list” – animals I have a special place in my heart for. They’re just so —- darn —– cute!

If you’ve ever been at the Homeplace in the Land Between the Lakes during feeding time for the pigs, you already know how fun the experience is. These guys have a very strong appreciation for food and it’s hilarious to watch.

When the young man walked near their pen, the cuties knew it was dinner time. One squealed and came running toward the fence and the other let out what could only be described as an excited “bark!”

They were too cute for their own good.

Expressive Eyes – Waiting Patiently for Dinner!

The Homeplace is such a beautiful and special place.  I love the people dressed in 1850’s clothing, the furniture and buildings, the garden, and of course, the farm animals.

You can read exactly what I think of this special place in Top 10 Things I Love About the Homeplace in the Land Between the Lakes.

These Little Guys are 3 Months Old!

The experience (of just blissfully enjoying time in the presence of animals) made me think of something that’s pretty common with some places where animals are involved. The workers often talk about what happens when an animal “retires” – suffice to say it’s a subject that isn’t very fun for animal lovers, if you know where I’m coming from.

The thing is, this particular subject – for people who are accustomed to it – is second-nature. It’s a fact of life and, when they talk about it, they’re as matter of fact as I would be about a trip to Kroger for baby carrots and potatoes. The only problem is – for the rest of us – it’s not run of the mill or remotely common. We don’t (literally) come face to face with our breakfast on a regular basis and is something, if we’re being honest, we’d just as soon not think about.

That’s why I LOVE to see workers simply talk about an animal’s habits, eating preferences, temperaments, etc. Things that could help us appreciate and celebrate the life of the animal and not think about… well…. the animal’s retirement.

Seriously, the vast majority of us simply want to enjoy the animals. That’s why I got such a kick out of the young man at the Homeplace’s obvious enjoyment of the pigs. He also spoke fondly of the Homeplace’s oxen.

They have names for their oxen and I could have listened to him talk about them all day.  Apparently one is a real character and even has been known to fake injuries to get out of work!

The Homeplace provides wonderful homes for these farm animals – plenty of room to roam and run and safe places to sleep. Each time we visit, I’m left with the same thought – they treat them with respect, and that’s something this animal lover strongly appreciates.

I’ll add more pictures of this recent trip to the Homeplace this week. This is one of those places where, as soon as you’re driving away, you’re already thinking about when you can come back.