Ordinary Wonderment

Today's Joy: New Arrivals to the Family Farm.
Got a call from Uncle the other day announcing that this year's batch of piglets arrived this week. "They all look like hyenas!" he said. Well, Reader, I'm a sucker for a baby anything. So, I grabbed my Olympus & stopped at the farm on my way home from work. Turns out, Uncle was right--they are a bit hyena-like. Five skittish, polka-dotted little pigs that squeal like the dickens if you try to pick them up. But cuter, they couldn't be. I sat with them for a bit until they felt comfortable enough to come over and gnaw on my shoe. Got some cute shots too.

Because we raise our own beef, pork & poultry, my family takes great pride in caring for these animals. They are well looked after and much appreciated. In a world where your pound of hamburger from the store may contain meat from as many as 14 different animals, our meat comes from just one. We know what they eat and how they're cared for and we know the people who process the meat. There's something of the sacred in this kind of stewardship. It feels good to be respectful and not wasteful of these precious creatures God has put in our care.