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| Houston " the buckle" |
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| The winner as a baby! Oliver |
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| He's getting really big! |
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| Mary Hannah, Oliver and Ms. Stutes |
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| Mary hannah and Oliver! Its now or never! |
So Stutes bought this pig from some Amish guy from Indiana who of course did not have a PHONE! So she gave him her number and told him to call her and she'd let him know how Miss Priss and soon to be known as OLIVER did. Well she loads him up. IN A CRATE of course and motors him back to Texas. Well we were worried about him being cold and had his pen and his heat lamp all ready to go. Hell he was from Indiana it was practically balmy in Texas. He was so happy he promptly got sick! So here we go. Me and Miss Priss got a crash course in giving Oliver a shot. (much later being the school nurse I got really good at this and was the go to pig shooter for all )
Well he got better and he decided to love his heat lamp. So now we had two pigs Oliver and beloved BOBLENA. Now I don't think it dawned on Miss Priss that even though Boblena would go back to the "farm". Oliver would go to the grocery store. This comes later. So she fed him and loved him and walked him everyday. Our county show was coming up and we entered them both. Boblena and Oliver were ready. Well the Monday before our county show Mary Hannah was walking Oliver and omg he fell and ruptured his ACL. Yes I say the pig had a torn ACL. What the hell! So Stutes called "Doc" and John Michael. She said now they can tell us what we need to do. Stutes said " John Michael is a little annoying but he's nice and he will know what to do if "Doc" can't come. (Doc would be John Michael's dad and Johns Michael would now be Stutes fiance oh yeah I'm LMAO that he is going to read this one) So they come and sure enough ACL! I can see our hopes go to the crapper! So only Boblena goes to county. Oliver stays all comfy in the barn.
Boblena did well. There wasnt' much cussing this time because starchy principal was there and Stutes had to be nice. Boblena did well but didn't actually win but made "sale". Mary Hannah was thrilled but not so happy that it would be time to return to Dan on the farm. So Boblena made her some money and Oliver is down and miserable with a torn ACL.
So for the next few weeks he grew and laid there. Miss Prissy and Stutes took turns rubbing him down with horse liniment and massaging his piggy knee and giving him enough glucosomine to kill a full grown elephant.
He just laid there and grew some more!
So the day arrives. OK we have to get him there. He's walking not very well but he's walking. Mary Hannah is worried and I'm thinking "well hell that bastard better not die on the trailer." So Madison Holder, she would be Miss Priss's very dear piggy friend. Well her grandpa loaded him up to take him to Houston for us. He promised to check on him really often and that he would make it. Guess what ! HE DID! Stutes called when they got to the barn and got in line. When she called all I said was " is he breathing". She said yes get your ass out of your beach house and to Houston so Miss Priss can see her Oliver baby. So we did, we left a perfectly great beach house. Headed to Houston to see our pig baby.
Over the next 3 days Miss Priss showed us what she was made of. She massaged , rubbed and smelled like an icy hot queen for 3 days. She was up day and night which meant I was up day and night. Back at the beach house DH called and said "do you think we have a shot". I said well if and that was a big "if" he can walk Stutes says we do. I had seen the isle Miss Priss and Oliver had to walk to get to the show ring and I thought he would never make it. Now you have to remember Oliver did love Miss Priss. Pigs are smart. I was even impressed at how smart they were. Now ex hubby took care of the pigs and I took care of the cows. I knew not much about pigs and even less about "show" pigs. Give me a cow and I got it, give me a pig and wooooooooooo I had a lot to learn.
So we all stood around and looked at Miss Priss look at Ms. Stutes who would wink and say its gonna be ok. I'd smile and Miss Priss would smile. I'd look at Stutes and cuss under my breath! It was looking grim.
We were to the point I just wanted him to make it to the truck alive. Then we would go back to the beach house and try to buy stuff to cheer up Miss Priss. Who can be sad at the beach right?
The day of the show came and LOW AND BEHOLD HE WAS WALKING! He walked to the wash rack for his bath. He stood up to eat and even sat in Miss Priss's lap. Well being a nurse I know things always get better before they die! I was not thinking we were in good shape here. I could just see him dropping dead right there going down that long alley to the show ring. Well folks here we go. Miss Priss turned into Sparklie again before my very eyes. Stutes loaned her a buckle she had won in high school for good luck. Out came Oliver and Miss Priss was smiling! She hugged and kissed him and he looked at her and ya'll I swear .... he was thinking bring it on! THAT PIG walked as pretty as you please down that long isle and hit the pen.... BOOM he was through YAY! WHOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO He was in a pen and could rest a minute. Ok out to the arena he walked for awhile and BOOM he was penned. No limping at this point. SO he coud go back to the pen and rest. Stutes was running and probally cussin again and getting water to spray the pig with and Miss Prissy aka Sparkles was feeding him marshmellows and giving him drinks and massaging away. Seemed like forever.
HERE WE GO! They call out Miss Priss aka Sparkles and they are weaving and moving and moving and turning and making those big circles! and we are down to 3 pigs and the judge is trying to decide who to put 3rd , 2nd then 1st. OMG I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT! He's walking and he's circling and he's moving and he's OMG HE'S starting to LIMP! So she turns him to the other side .. good good ... good good! Well his leg gives and he almost falls and Miss Priss is looking like she's gonna die. OLIVER wins 3rd! 3rd place overall Hampshire's at the HOUSTON STOCK SHOW AND RODEO with her second pig. Oliver with a blown ACL limping pig.
She is so excited! Bless his heart. She gets to the gate to go and have her picture made with Oliver and Miss Stutes and then says do we get to keep him since we won. This is the part where being the Ag teacher, Parent and Ag Supporter sucks. Her very first pig to win big and Stutes has to tell her "no honey he has to go to the truck". So with big tears streaming and a big hug for the pig she sends him off.
Man how sweet but how bitter! He won and still had to die. He had done it. Miss Priss worked day and night to get him walking and he gave her all he had! This come from nowhere kid with 2 pigs and her first year had won 3rd place in the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo. AMAZING!
So we went to the beach and "rested" the week away and on the way home from the backseat I hear Miss Priss say.... Mama! you know I think we could run the circuit next year, don't you think that would be fun. I said I don't know Miss Priss that's alot, maybe we will just stick with a county pig and maybe hit Dallas and Ft Worth next year. She said ok and grinned really big ..... Little did I know we were running the jackpot and major show circuits next year!
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