Living inside the perimeter, Chloe Jane and Cara were not going to get the opportunity to see a real working farm unless we sought one out for them. Fortunately, there are still several farms within a short drive from metro Atlanta. We picked this particular farm for one reason and one reason only: pig races! I really thought the girls would get a kick out of watching pigs race. From my way of thinking, how could you not? Don’t get me wrong, I think they liked the pig races, but I believe the fun of it was lost on them. For older kids and certainly for adults, pigs running races seems inherently funny because pigs are . . . well, let’s face it . . fat, dumb and happy, but not racing animals. That’s part of the fun of the event. But when you’re three and under like Chloe Jane and Cara, you really don’t know that much about what pigs are capable of or how they like to spend their time. Chloe Jane and Cara watched the pigs race the same way they watch animals in the zoo as if thinking, “well this must be what pigs do if left alone in a big enough space. Who knew.”
As it turns out, a farm with pig races is an excellent way to both expand your child’s horizons and warp their sensibilities. My impression of how the girls were reacting to the racing of the pigs was solidified a few weeks later when Chloe Jane saw some dogs racing. She turned to me and said matter-of-factly, “Look, Daddy, they’re racing . . . just like pigs.”
For more photos of Southern Belle Farms, check out the Gallery.