This is hog killing time, and I sure am glad I don’t have any to kill!

That particular time is work and more work, and I am pretty sure I have developed an allergy to that. The weather has even been in compliance with the job, cooling down to freezing and affording it able to keep a hanging pork cool. I crave thebacon, ham and sausage for breakfast and yet I don’t want to be a pork raiser.

Back in the day, long before we could afford to go to town and bring home the bacon, we had several hogs. I fed them good and they butchered out fine, but I am here to tell you I didn’t enjoy it. It is not just the hogs I don’t want to dress. I have a sinceredesire to not ever have to butcher anything for the rest of my days.

Deer season was a great time for me years ago and today, if I walk up on one and he stands still while I get the rifle out of the bag and take a shot, I might kill one. I enjoy venison and so does my close relative, but not enough to have to fool with it.

A cold snap will bring to mind a good number of items that need to be done. I should have checked the tape on the faucet in the barn yesterday, but I didn’t. It wasn’t frozen and if I just let it go, I will forget it again. Checking the antifreeze in the vehiclesand adding if necessary, and helping carry in fl ower pots are among the important chores.

We have had a wonderful summer for beef producers. The grass has been plentiful and hay making was even better than that! The rain came and if we don’t think that was a blessing we must be off our rocker! Every pond on the place has fresh water and to the rim to boot! I see signs all along the highways of hay for sale, and no one wants to buy this year.

I saw old Jim in town the other day. He was driving as usual, real fast and crazy. He slid around the local icecream parlor’s parking lot in the gravel and came to a dead halt an inch off the highway. We visited awhile and caught up on family news. Jim’s sisters are coming to visit for Thanksgiving and so he is repairing and painting. He said he had come to town to buy a sink for the bathroom. It was plumbed but he saw no need to put in a sink when he already had one in the kitchen. Now the need has come and he is in a dither trying to fi x up the place. I offered to help; he wouldn’t hear of it, so he fired up the truck and roared away to the big town.

It is my opinion, and everyone has one, winter isthe time to let the sap slowly drain down and allow yourself the peaceful rest of early evenings and late mornings. I will be busy feeding but that is about all the work, except for the occasional cattle episodes that will arise. Enjoy your family and friends. This is the time to visit, invite them to your home, as I will. We seem to wait until a loved one dies and we gather up at the funeral to see folks that are important to us. Let us make that a promise to ourselves to do better this winter!

Bill is a pen name used by the Gravette author of this weekly column.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 11/20/2013