So the Pig Got Out--Almost

If you have liked the facebook page you already might know that the pig was out of his pen tonight.  However, he never quite had his freedom. See in order to get out of his pen he had to break through into the chicken pen, which is also chain link (except for that one little spot where he can break through). He then had to get the chicken pen door open (it is a chain link gate) which apparently took some time since he tore the chicken pen all to hell first (the chickens escaped through his hole and then through a small hole into the duck pen--yes, I know, too many little escape holes!). Eventually, he somehow hit the door just right to get the latch open. He was then in the back shed. The back shed used to be open on two ends with the pens and shed on opposite sides but we have closed off one side with pallets, the other side has what used to be the rabbit pens on it but now are the pheasants and some bantam pens(they are build of wire and wood) and the only opening is covered by wire which I used like a gate. Piggy did not get out of the back shed. He somehow scared the duckling and little bantams out of their pen where I had just moved them (I still cannot figure out how they managed it since their pen/cage was not opened) and the duckling was at the shed gate squawking like crazy. My mind didn't even register that the duck was out where he shouldn't be but I knew he was away from those little bantams he brooded with and that just doesn't happen.  If you have animals, and one happens to be a big hog, you know you don't ignore when you just know something is wrong. I was out the door quick and then running back to Phil for help because Piggy knows I bring food and he doesn't listen to me until he gets it but Piggy runs from Phil.
Didn't take us long to get the pig back in but I had to get in that pen with him. UGG! Six days of rain does not make for a lovely pen. And we had to get another pallet to put against the hole in the fence because our lovely piggy had buried the other one in the mud (and there is no way I was going after it). I then retrieved several feed dishes that had been lost (I keep nailing them to the front barrier but after a few days he gets them off and takes them too far into the pen for me to reach).  I easily caught the duckling and her little bantams and got them back in. It is 92 degrees out today and, of course, humid as it can get, so by then sweat was just running off both of us, my glasses kept slipping and I had had enough so went in for a few minutes to wash off, change and get cool.
About a half hour or so later I  had to come out and get the chickens out of the duck pen. My chickens have a new rooster. The red ones were happy to follow him when I "herded" (flocked?) them but the Ameraucans, 2 of them, apparently thought the duck pens was nice. You have to bend over in the the pens because all of them have chain link on their tops as well and it is sagging so it isn't exactly easy to run down chickens in it. I did eventually get those two in the back shed, then the white one trotted right in the pen but the yellow one gave chase, flew over things but finally got chased around the door and into the pen.
I had plans for tonight. I was going to run all those tomatoes on the counter through the strainer and then try to make some spaghetti sauce with them. I also hoped to get down to the garden to cut basil and go out back and trim that basil plant out there and make us a nice big batch of pesto.
Isn't going to happen now! And would you believe it, that is thunder in the distance...I need another beer.