We had been house- and pet-sitting at a beautiful cabin in Western North Carolina for six weeks. When we arrived, the household included two dogs, three cats, four roosters, and a hen.
Yesterday, when many were tuning into NFL pigskin games, we had our own unique lineup. About midday, while enjoying a typically quiet rural Sunday, we were startled to hear some cussin' and swearin' coming from the woods near the end of the drive. It sounded like a serious ruckus. Unnerved, we slowly made our way down the drive to find the neighbors in a sweat with visible scratches.
Before we could ask whether they'd rather be left alone, we noticed this humongous pig slowly and laboriously making its way toward us.
Jubilee introduces herself
The neighbors were trying their best to convince Jubilee to come home. From what we could tell, there is no way to move a pig when it is rooting and having fun. She was having no part of their plan no matter how hard they prodded or cajoled. After tempers cooled, wiser heads prevailed and the neighbors decided to go home and see if Jubilee would eventually follow.
Unexpectedly left to babysit, we decided the best strategy was to ignore the pig and enjoy a beautiful September afternoon at the pool.
View of the pool from the deck
You can guess what happened next. Jubilee turns out to be a people pig — sure enough, just as we got comfortable, we heard an unfamiliar clamor and bizarre snort-like noises coming from behind. Not being pig people, we were unnerved by being one-on-one with Jubilee. She did her best to put us at ease.
Jubilee making friends
Maybe if we had grown up around pigs, or picked up some knowledge about the potbellied pig along the way, this sight would not have been quite so stupefying. What we now know is that they are huge, have big hooves, are single-minded, and may or may not have teeth. Sharing the pool with this beast seemed absurd on the one hand and inevitable on the other. Tootles the rooster was on hand to witness the scene.
Jubilee took to rooting and then seemed tired from all the commotion. What could we do — we got her a drink of water and shared the pool.
Jubilee taking a pause to refresh
Jubilee finally took up a spot on the cool cement to enjoy her Sunday afternoon. The neighbors tried one more time that evening to coax her home. She decided a sleepover was in order. The following morning we found Jubilee sleeping under a tree.
The neighbor came over with apples, grapes, and pig goodies. Maybe we had not been hospitable enough. She decided it was time to go home for breakfast.
Pigskin Sunday will never be the same.