Lucinda Sarah (Lucy) …A Pig for All Seasons

On March 31st of 1988 Ralph left early in the wee hours of the morning, leaving me a pot of fresh coffee and no idea of where he’d gone. About 8 AM he showed up with a little wriggling piglet and a big smile. Needless to say I was delighted.

Lucy was a piglet full of mischief. As the house was under major construction at that time keeping her out was virtually impossible. So she tripped through the kitchen, pulled all the towels down in the bathroom, left little pig prints on the bedspread and stole anything she could reach that was edible or even just interesting. She "read" magazines by pushing the pages with her nose until they were wet and soggy, then flung that one aside and got another. (OK, maybe she just looked at the pictures…)

When she was about 4 months old Ralph came home one day to find her pushing all the furniture out the door onto the porch.... then off. As each piece fell she looked down and "chuckled", then went back for another item. When she got to the couch he had to intervene.

Raised with Gypsy, our Doberman, and Aussie Marie, the Australian, she picked up some habits that weren’t all that common to pigs. Anyone driving up our very long driveway might find their car being chased by 2 dogs and a pig. Living less than a mile from a major lake we would often call the dogs and they would jump into the back of the old station wagon and we’d go for a quick swim on a hot day. The occasional tourist at our favorite spot was usually dumbstruck when the two dogs and Lucy jumped out of the car and dove into the water. Guess he figured he had seen some real hillbillies! Wouldn't he have been surprised to know that Lucy would log many miles of travel in her lifetime, filling up many pages of corporate travel expense explanations, causing many a frown on an auditor's face. Though we did move several times Lucy was always happy to get home to Dragonwood and would immediately set about fixing her barn with freshly gathered grasses.

By the time she was 9 she was showing an increasing arthritic condition. She would

often walk on her knees instead of getting all the way up. And began spending a lot more time soaking in the pond and resting.

This past year her condition has worsened and she has tried many new drugs to alleviate the symptoms. Perhaps she will enjoy another summer. It’s hard to say. But she remains in good spirits and her two friends Lady and Brill (both Guinea Hogs) come back to sleep with her after they spend their day grazing. Lady has been her constant companion since 1990.

Lucy died on May 18, 2000. She is buried with her lifelong companion Daisy, the Great Pyrenees.