Hog Killin

There was some things about the the "good ole days" that did not appeal to me--although it was necessary, I am speaking of the time of year that it was "Hog killing" time. Getting meat for the winter...
When the first blast of frigid cold would sweep across the plains and settle in on our part of the country, the men would get together bring their hogs with them and they would help one another clean,scrape, and process the hog. Daddy wouldn't allow me or my sisters to come out to the area where they worked.
Since one of my chores had been to "slop" the hog I really felt like I should know what the men were doing out around her pen---not aware that it was THAT time of year!! Well, I was in for a shock when I peeped through cracks of the barn--there hanging from a hook was my old hog--naked as a jaybird--no hair at all --just naked and waiting to be processed...My brother saw me and tells Daddy (that boy did love to get me in trouble) as though I couldn't find it on my own!! After Dad chewed me out and tells me to go to the house-- I vowed that I would NEVER slop a hog again and I never did.. It was just way, way too much to ask of this gal to fatten them up so we could kill them and eat them..Don't get me wrong I love pork and there is NOTHING better then the sugared cured pork that Dad made. He would go into the little room we had out back for curing meat and rub the sugar cure mix all over the hanging meat everyday.
If you haven't ever experienced going into the kitchen on a cold-cold morning and smelling some good sausage or sugar cured bacon or ham cooking along with hot buttered biscuits with homemade jam , I promise you one thing there is nothing and I do mean nothing that makes your mouth water and the morning a whole lot brighter...
Heck' that ole naked hog never crossed my mind after entering the kitchen!!!