Pass the Pig

With the recent move came a change in my commute scenery.  Winding country roads now led to the interstate.  There was a road with a very short span that I now took briefly.  A barely paved country lane with grass, dandelions and other impressive weeds lined the edges, broken only by a couple of farms.  There was no speed limit sign but common sense dictated a slow tempo.  Each morning I would pass a solitary pig happily rooting in the sun at the back of his pen.  This pig was grand.  Two shades of brown that matched the Georgia red clay.  He had a shelter constructed of plywood and a field of grass, dirt and wildflowers. 

This pig reminded me of another pig from years ago in an infamous jewelry shop in Aiken, SC.  The only time I visited Porky Bradberry’s shop was in the early nineties.  It was a small glass structure in a hexagonal shape.  I was completely aware of the rumors swirling around the owner and the unsolved murder of his wife.  Small towns have a hard time forgetting sordid tales, especially when they believed someone had gotten away with a crime.  As I completed my transaction, I was startled by the enormous pet pig that freely wandered the store.

Each evening on my drive home, I once again looked for the pig, this time on my right, and I was glad to see him in a large fenced area instead of a tiny small town jewelry shop.  I think that if I had any visitors, part of my southern directions would include “once you pass the pig, slow down for the very sharp curve…”

Angel Wings

 When it became clear that Charlie’s vision had greatly diminished and he was attracted to tight corners, the Englishman looked for solutions to help our aging dachshund.  He discovered a company called “Muffin’s Halo” and promptly ordered one.  A fitted jacket with a loop for the leash had Velcro on the back to attach the wings.  These wings also held a halo, which had different loop sizes for variety. 

When Charlie seemed to need a bit of extra help, we attached his wings to the jacket and he no longer bumped into walls or furniture as the flexible halo stopped him.  It wasn't the perfect solution as this determined dog could still push himself into the most interesting places but it has helped a lot.

This is the one instance when I was grateful that one of our dogs “got his wings”.