I grew up on a farm in Western KY. My spring days were spent playing outside with my sister and a wide array of animals. On this particular day, we were lolling about in a Peach tree in the back yard with our two pet rabbits. Now this Peach tree was located behind our grape arbor and when we were in the tree, we could see most everything that was going on in and around our yard. At this time on the farm we had several feeder hogs and the momma pigs (sows) were having babies. If you didn't grow up on a farm, you probably don't know that farm momma's with babies are a bit cranky - whether bovine, swine or equine. Well, while we were up in our tree, minding our own business, we spy a HUGE sow coming around the nearby barn and heading right into the gate of our yard! Let me tell you something, this sow was snortin' and growlin' and it didn't take Einstein to figure out she was not happy. And even worse - she was big! When she came through the gate she looked as tall as the fence! She came right behind the grape vine and was heading for us! Being the intellectual giants my sister and I were, we immediately jumped down out of the tree and began running for the house (our Mama)! The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and looking back at nothing but Hog snout. I knew I was dead meat! About that time, I felt someone grab me by the arm and pull - it was my big sister to the rescue. She dragged me up and we didn't much make it to the back porch when my Mama was storming out the back door with a broom. As my sister and I took shelter in the house, we watched from the storm door as our Mama beat that Sow back down to the barn with that broom! It must have been a Saturday because my Mama had her hair in big pink hair rollers for Sunday church. At first I thought she had lost her mind - a 500 pound Sow vs. my Mama and a broom? Not good odds! But that Sow was no match for my Mama. She was a "farm Mama" too and nothing would come between her and her babies! I can still see her swinging that broom, yelling and wearing those pink hair rollers! When my Daddy came home that night we told him all about how Mama had saved us from the 500 pound sow! He couldn't stop laughing. Huh? This response was a bit upsetting to us since from where we stood; we had almost met our Maker! "Why didn't you just stay up in the tree?" my Dad asked in typical man fashion. Our answer was simple - we knew our Mama would protect us and we were headed for the house! Thank God for our Mothers!
p.s. If you're wondering what happened to our rabbits, well, this was a situation of every child and rabbit for their self! After the Sow was locked back up, we found them under the grape vine enjoying the shade and eating clover. The broom didn't make it though.
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