I just trudged home through the soft snow from my neighbor’s house up the road, the late afternoon sun still reflecting off the whiteness. Hubby and I had decided to take a walk through the woods behind the house, along the rambling stone wall, and then down through the glades of the apple orchard, now frozen in their winter bareness.

From there, we hopped over the spring gates and up to the Chelsea Mt. Rd. In my mind’s eye, it was a short hike up the road to our neighbor’s place but with the cold, it seemed I miscalculated. By the time we headed up their driveway, we were out of breath and slightly frozen, especially Hubby, who didn’t think it through and was wearing a baseball cap.

When you go for a walk in the cold and snow, especially when a good part of it is uphill, you have to have a purpose, a destination, a carrot at the end of the stick. As you put one foot in front of the other, and begin to breathe heavily, progressing slowly uphill, you need to have a reward at the end.

Of course, there is always reward in the walk itself: the fresh air, the magnificent views of the Green Mountains, the beautiful birches, hemlocks, ancient stone walls. But… if there is a pot of gold at the end, the motivation is greater. So what better reward, other than seeing good friends, could there be…?

Doris, the miniature pig!

Oh, how worth the travail was that trek! Our friends’ smiling faces (behind their colorful Covid -time masks) welcomed us as we reached their barn. The moment we popped into the old barn, out came Doris, running to greet us…Doris, the miniature pig!

When Doris first arrived at our friends’ home, she was a tiny, squealing little thing, frightened in her new and unfamiliar home. That was months ago. Now, she wags that little piggy tail, so friendly and entertaining! Cindy, her human mom, has taught her to twirl for treats. Just hysterical and dare I say, well worth the hike up and down hill and dale.

Now, I wonder, was I so excited to visit Doris because we are in a pandemic, and in a pandemic visiting a pig is exciting? Or, is it just what we farmers ordinarily get whooped up about? Hmmmm….Whatever, thanks to Cindy and Richard and, of course, Doris, for a wonderful visit and highlighting our day!