Jim Magdefrau

The first day.

I knew I’d need something to keep my mind off things, as when Monday came, it would mark first official day off in 39 years.

So it was Super Bowl Sunday. I was uptown watching the game, when a friend asked what I was doing the next day. I could honestly answer, “Nothing.”

“We’re loading hogs at 6:30 a.m.”

Well. Why not? It seemed like something to laugh about out, until after a restless night, I woke up at about 5:30 a.m. and said texted, “I’m in.”

It had been a long time since I had loaded hogs. Technically, we don’t really “load” hogs. They load themselves pretty well onto a truck. We just guide then along the way with metal herding panels, making loud noises and occasional shouts. Surprisingly, no swearing. Then again, we were on video surveillance. One of the farmers occasionally shouted “Hey” when loading. That worked for me.

Technology has changed the process. When I last did this, it was the wild west. We pushed a lot of hogs, tried to sort them, and with the help of the farm dog, encouraged them onto the truck. So on my first day out of the journalism gig, I had become a modified farm dog.

The gating system allowed us to move a few at a time. No lines. No crankiness. For us or the hogs.

I left the boots and old coat at the hog building, and was promised a beverage at the Turner Hall someday. That was a good start to my post-newspaper career. And good pay.