4 - 17 - 12: Pigs, Slow Cookers, and Star Wars

Today turned out to be a rather relaxed day. This morning, I learned how to operate a slow cooker for the first time, which was quite a milestone reached in culinary achievement. The chicken breast, rainbow chard, and spinach I cooked in water for six hours on high is delicious! I will be cooking poultry and vegetables in slow cookers much more often from here on.

I did not drive the tractor today, since the family was busy. Rob went on a trip for work and will return on Friday, and Mimi, Emily, and Devin were in town this morning (Emily and Devin were auditioning for a theatre camp in Montana this summer; I am confident they will be chosen!), so after some scintillating chicken simmering, I went on a farm exploration with Isabel and Kiora. We visited the animals and investigated the fields, coops, and barns.

In the afternoon, I found out that I happen to be living in the presence of an elite Star Wars aficionado (Devin), so I played a rousing game of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit with Emily and Devin, which Devin won with jedi-esque dexterity. I also discovered that Mace Windu is a pretty happening guy (this makes sense, since he's played by Samuel L. Jackson in the movies), as he was the answer to nearly every other question, and his name is not pronounced "Mace Windex," as I had been uttering. After getting clobbered at Celestial Battle trivia, Emily showed me how to feed and water the pigs. I learned that each pig gets a specific number of containers of feed, different in the morning and night, according to the number of their posse of piglets. Also, after giving the pigs water, it is important to check on each of the five pigs, since some of them drink with Speedy Gonzales rapidity and require a second bucket of water. And, before leaving the barn, it is vital to check to make sure each of the five stalls is latched in order to prevent any escapes from Alcatraz as well as to leave the bucket with water in it, incase there is a fire.