by Donald Courtney

Created on: May 21, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

My most memorable 4th of July.

Being the only son of a dairy farmer in nineteen sixty can at times bring on some adventurous days as well as some very boring ones for a boy of twelve years old.

This beautiful warm 4th of July day started out like most other days. Mom and dad always allowed me to purchase some firecrackers to play with on that special day. They refused to let me buy the cherry bombs or anything larger than the nickel a pack Black Cat's or the lady fingers. They believed them to be too dangerous.

The day moved slowly into a hot afternoon. I began to get bored with hiking along the Apple River and tossing firecrackers into the water. As I headed back to the farmhouse, I passed the pig pen where we kept a few large sows. Hogs are always hungry and whenever you go near them, they bunch up at the fence, squealing and crowding each other.

The wagon filled with corn was sitting nearby. This gave me a great idea, I would dig a hole in each end of a corncob and place a firecracker in each side before tossing it to the pigs. I could just see the greedy monsters jump when the bomb exploded in their mouths. The first try was not successful. The hogs dropped it in the mud putting the fuses out. The second try was just as disappointing. I constructed three corncobs at the same time, tossing them to each of the sows.

One of the pigs picked up his ear of corn by the end putting one side out. A couple of the other firecrackers went off. Scaring the animals. Everything happened so quickly, I don't remember exactly what took place. The pig who had the one firecracker was still holding it when he hit the rotten fence board and came right at me.

I tried to run, slipped and went down on all fours, That's when that hog ran into my thigh with the sizzling firecracker. The blast from the cracker left a two inch burn on my leg. I don't know how it affected the hog, but I hurt for a couple of hours.

Sometimes I wonder if that pig was actually trying to make even with me for trying to hurt him. They say hogs are smart creatures.

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