Watering Corn and Pigs

Do you have any idea how to turn quarrelsome pig squeals into contented grunts on a triple digit day?

Today I finished watering the corn and piled the hose length near the hydrant just outside the hog pen when I got an inspiration. Before I turned off the hydrant, I set the cut-off valve at the end of the hose so that it produced a coarse spray instead of a single jet. I aimed at the pile of hogs trying to cool off around the waterer. The pile disentangled itself and each pig stood still, absorbing the moisture, and grunting softly. Then they came over to the fence near me, and snuffled some more. Others came streaming out of the building to get in on the action outside. I squirted them too. Their temperament improved by the second. I didn't overdo the watering, for fear of turning their fluffy, dry bedding into mucky, smelly stuff--just enough to dissolve the irritability into affability. I left them feeding contentedly and moving about normally.

It was a small moment of pleasure for both them and me.