Clover the Pig- or Craigslist Addiction Strikes Again

That little Craigslist addiction we talked about…well, it resulted in Miriam getting a piglet for her 11th birthday.

How I love to scroll down the Farm & Garden section of Craigslist clicking on all the cute, adorable pets and livestock. I tell myself that I’m just seeing what’s out there so I’ll know what I’m looking for in the coming years as we whip our barn and pasture into shape. The existing chicken coop doesn’t look very secure; I’d hate to find out about any weaknesses the hard way. We know the pasture was recently used for cows, but don’t want to trust the fencing until we can check it out and make any necessary repairs.

I had this neat, tidy little plan. Get a few barn kitties to help with critters immediately. In the winter, work on the chicken coop and prepare a small garden plot. Then, plant and get just half a dozen chicks in the spring. Maybe add a puppy in the summer when the chickens are close to full-grown. See if we can keep the chickens and pets alive for a year- then consider other (small) livestock the following spring.

But my Craigslist addiction paired with the potential of our big red barn, our excitement, and the children’s constant chatter about their livestock hopes resulted in throwing the plan out the window and one surprised birthday girl!