Hog Killing....now how often do you hear that????

Last weekend we killed 3 hogs for the meat.  Sausage, ribs, roasts, hams, and bacons.

It is a family affair ~ and this year a couple neighbors too.

I am going to put captions under each photo and maybe a little explanation.  These are pictures of a long lost art that most people have never even thought about but at our house - It's a family tradition.

Papa (my dad), Rachel and Ethan inspecting one of the pig heads.  When we get the pigs they have been killed and quartered and then we do the rest. 

 Is that pig sticking his tongue out at you!

 Hams being salted to cure for 21 days.

 Nanny Dan (on the left - my mom), Me and Nanny Bo (my grandmother) cutting up meat for sausage.

 Tracey getting a little scary with the knives...I think she was going after Russel.

 Rachel is learning fast - Helping to sack the sausage.

 Ethan wasn't as helpful this year - he mostly played and watched - he'll love it next year.

 We always have to pause for some fun with feet - pig's feet that is.

 Russel looks like he is going to shove a pigs foot up my nose.....note the quite awesome hair I have going on.

 Mom and I sacking sausage.

 Tracey and I sealing up the bags with the vacuum sealer.

 Russel cutting meat from the shoulders.

 Our friend Dave stopped by to help and visit with us.  He is cutting out our roasts.

 More ham salting.

 Papa John (my granddad) is the ham supervisor.

 And like I said - this is a family affair.  We started on Thursday night and ended on Saturday evening.  Everybody pitches in.  Everybody tests the sausage for how much seasoning it has in it and if needs more or less of something.  Everybody helps clean up and put away.  And everybody knows that on the coldest weekend we can find in the early part of 2013, we'll be doing it again.