I lived on the Ponderosa for all of my life. In human terms it was ten years, in pig terms it was a lifetime.

Kathleen and I loved each other greatly. Each morning when she can to feed my herd, I ran to the fence to greet her. I looked forward to this time each day because she would always say, "Good Morning, Screamer. How are you?" Some mornings, when she had the time, she would make a special trip just for me to give me a good scratching. I did love those scratchings!

A few months back Kathleen said one morning, "Screamer, you are really getting thin." She didn't know that I had something inside me that was making me that way. I didn't tell her then because she would pile up the food in a huge mound just for me. I liked that a lot. I got sooo much to eat, it was superfulous! (that's pig for better than better)

But I continued to get thinner and Kathleen worried greatly about me. So I whispered to her one day that I had this thing in me that was making me thin. She was not to worry because this was a natural thing, it didn't hurt and that was OK with me. My time was short and all would be well. Kathleen worried still, which made me sad, but I knew that she would know that All was well and All was a part of living..

It was winter and really cold. I don't like the cold. But I had Lucy, my most favorite sow in all the world. She and I lived very well together for years and years. Lucy and I snuggled in the mounds of hay in our house and kept each other warm when the winter wind whirled outside. Lucy knew me well and exactly how to snuggle. We spent our time talking over life as we knew it. The piglets, the moves to new farms and how much Kathleen loved us all. We were sorry that we couldn't have babies anymore, but life progresses and things are always changing. We missed the excitment of a new litter, but we could hear the news of the herd so that made us happy.

It was cold and I was tired and I tried hard to see Kathleen to tell her that I was leaving, but it kind of snuck up on me. That night I went to sleep and that was that. Lucy knew that it was coming and that I was leaving. She snuggled even closer, which helped me a lot. After I crossed I saw Kathleen come the next morning. I knew that she would call me, she always did. When she came into my area she saw me in my normal sleeping postion in my house. She cried. I knew she would.

Kathleen thought that Lucy would want to leave her home for the day until Terry Man came to help move my body. But Kathleen was wrong. Lucy wouldn't leave me no matter what - not even for food. Lucy had not done what she needed to do and she would not leave.

When Terry Man came with his helper to move me he got really confused. He thought I was not there. He said, "Where is he? I must have the wrong house, I'm calling Kathleen."

That afternoon Kathleen came back home. She went to my old house and looked in the window. "Where is he?", she said. She felt around in the hay and there I was. "Oh, Lucy you have been busy. No wonder you wouldn't leave, you had something you needed to do. Are you ready, now?" Kathleen opened the gate and Lucy walked out in the Piggy Park. Lucy had buried me well under the hay. So well that no human could see me. This is what some of us do to honor those we really care about. Lucy and I were matched from the beginning. Sometimes that happens you know. So she did the ancient rite - she covered me so that I could not be seen. We don't do this much any more. Things have changed from ancient times. We live differently know. But Lucy knew the old ways and so she did what needed to be done.

I had one more thing to do in this time and space. I knew that Kathleen was sad because she hadn't had the opportunity to say goodby to me. So while she slept that night, I came to her in her dreams. We speak to her often in her dreams. She saw me well and healthy and really, really happy. She saw me in green pastures, playing. I said to her," I came to say goodby for now. I love you greatly." She said, " I could feel that you were well and happy. I knew at once all was OK. It is good to see you and to be able to tell you good by, for now." Kathleen reach down and scratch me as she did so many times before. I went back to the pasture knowing that all is well and that I have completed my stay on the Ponderosa.

Note: From Kathleen
Screamer was a very special pig to me. He was and continues to be loved greatly. In his passing he again showed me that nothing ever stops. We all go on forever - each of God's creatures.