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Section Two The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, December 5, 1979 15 Members of the Bowmanville High School stage band are pictured here during a concert Friday night in the school's auditorium. Performances were also given by the school's junior and senior bands. To keep track of a dozen active little oorkers is a far from easy task, and it is no wonder that mother sow spends considerable time lying down. It seems to be the best way to keep her family peaceful and quiet. As long as their mouths are busy, the rest of their bodies stay more or less in one place. We did not let our pig population outside, except by accident. One annoying epi- sode of chasing contrary piglets around the barnyard, made us very cautious about keeping doors,1iut and pens in good condition. But some people had quarters in which the animals could go in and out, and they certainly appreciated this considera- tion, especially after a rain, when they would blissfully wallow in the water and mud! It's a way to keep cool, not just because they like getting dirty. At least that is what an authority on the subject of pigs assured me. Just how he was certain of what went on in pigs' minds, is something I am not too clear about. Apparent- ly, swine do not perspire like other animals, so I will take his word to be the truth and agree that pigs enjoy nothing better than a refreshing mud bath. Our neighbors to the west operated this kind of arrange- ment for their swine, and everyone (especially the pigs) were well satisfied. But on-one particular occasion, an immi- nent mother-to-be found a way to get out of the pen, and de parted for more distant fields. When the farmer discovered her absence, he at once hitched up the horse and buggy, persuaded his wife to accompany him, and the two of them went looking for the wandering sow. Because of previous experience as to the distance these particular animals can travel. and also the surety that the population was aue tor an mcrease, nere was no use going on their own two feet, or expect to carry back the new babies in any other way than the one they chose. A bushel hamper was put in the back of the buggy to transport the little piglets, and once the family was on the way home, they felt confident that mama would follow, and ail would be well. However, this was not taking into account the wishes of the recent parent, and the sow certainl had quite another idea. he had made a comfortable nest for her babies in some underbrush, and was not at ail pleased to be disturbed. The farmer got down from the buggy, handed the horse's reins to his good wife, took the hamper out, and approached the pig family, ready to pop the wee piglets inside. The enraged mother sow, teeth bare and eyes wild, immediately attacked him. The bushel hamper came into use as a kind of shield as he backed hastily toward the buggy. The horse, made nervous and jittery by the action, moved round and round in a circle, in spite of the driver's attempts to prevent this hapipening. The buggy kept getting.furtherband further away, as the man tried desperately to reach its safety. Finally, in a sheer frustrationa h e threw the hamper over the head of the angry animal, blinding it momentarily. This gave him timne enough to lCap into the bug y, grab the reins, whip up the orse, and head for home. "Stay there, you miserable old beggar!" were his parting words to the victorious sow. Wins Ed Summers Memorial Trophy at Royal Barry Malcolm of Simcoe, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Malcolm, Nestleton, was the winner of the E.A. Summers Memorial trophy at the recent Royal Winter Fair. He had the highest score in all classes in the livestock evaluation competition, part of youth day activities at the fair, and scored 615 of a possible 650 points. He is shown here receiving the award from Bev Grey, a member of the youth activities committee. Mr. Malcolm was raised in Nestleton, is an honor graduate of Guelph University, presently in charge of the Farm Credit Corporation in Simcoe. The Summers Memorial trophy is in memory of the late Ed Summers who was the Agricultural Representative in Durham County for many years. Photo courtesy Simcoe Reformer Saxophone players executing one of their musical selections here are members of Bowmanville High School's stage band in Friday night's concert. 0f This and That ... and Other Things Cat Comes Home By Jessie Fisk Our neighbors on the farm next to us had lived to celebrate their golden wedding together in that, their first home. They had no children of their own, and our family rather adopted them as substitute grandparents, since ours lived many miles away. So from the birth of our eldest child down through the years, our friends to the west were known as Grandma and Grandpa White. Shortly after we held their anniversary party, the old man passed peacefully away, in his own home, the way he would have wished. His wife was loathe to leave the place she had lived in for so long, and yet her nephews and nieces were greatly concerned at the prospect of her living there by herself. As it happened, I was offered the opportunity to teach in a nearby school, and felt I would enjoy the change from housewifely duties. But I had no one to care for the children, and regretfully had to turn down the chance. I was discussing the matter with my old neighbor, and to my great surprise, she said "Well now, I think I would really like to come and be your babysitter. I love the children so much, ani I'm sure we'd get along fine. Also I would not have to leave here, and I would be so sorry to have to do that." So, we decided that I would accept the teaching position for a year, and see how we got along. The year stretched into eighteen, Grandma White made her home with us, and thus remained in the district she like so much. When her husband died, she disposed of her cows, and poultrv. and later sold the tarm. Uer barn cat she gave to people living about twenty miles away, who desired a good mouser which Tabbv certainly was. Grandma was satsified that her pet would have a good home, and was content to see her go to her new abode. Before the new purchasers came to her old place, our elderly friend would often walk across the fields for a short visit by herself to relive her memories, and probably have a little "weep" all on her own. About three months after the cat had gone away, as she made her usual weekly trip, she was very surprised to find Tabby waiting patiently on the doorstep of the house. I don't know which was the happier when the two friends were reunited. I'm sure a few tears were shed also, at the thought of the miles the faithful creature had travelled to retura tu ner birthplace. The homing instinct in birds and animais exhibits so truly the miracle of God's handiwork. The cat was thin, weary and footsore, but oh, so glad to be home! We knew that she would not stay in our barn with strange cats, so we took food regularly for Tabby, until the new owners took posses- sion. They continued the care and she rewarded them well by keeping the roden popula- tion under control. I had heard of dogs finding their way home from a long distance, but that was the first time I had ever heard of a cat doing the same. Devoted Sow Cows are well known for their devotion to their calves, and horses to their foals, but no animal exhibits more motherly love and concern for their offspring than do pigs. 10% received