Okay, so I have this person (Billy Girard, who took this photo) that I made contact with that has a huge sailboat and a huge dollop of courage and he's off touring the Caribbean, although now on his way home, whereever that is.

He takes his furry companions, and send sporatic updates as to his adventures on the high seas.

Very cool. It's one of my unfulfilled dreams, and I think I'd spend too much time writing about it and photographing every freakin' moment to actually enjoy the solitude, but I have always wanted to be out on the open ocean, scary thunderstorms and all. And, I've wanted to be on a big sailboat doing it.

So, of course, these missives he sends out to all the interested parties have me all excited inside, and now he's sending pictures, which is even more exciting.

One of the last e-mails I received was in reference to swimming porkers. Yes, pigs. Swimming pigs. Of all things.

These pigs actually brave the waters to swim out to boats in search of edible handouts. I was enthralled. So, of course, I immediately googled...

There's not much out there on "swimming Caribbean pigs," but there were a few really interesting facts on pigs, mostly pigs in general. They love water, but people associate them with slime and mud, so they never get invited into the pool for a quick dip and hearty libation. They love being bathed. They love human contact, provided it hasn't been through beatings, cattle prods or other unsavory interactions. They're like unfurry dogs.

So, I've pretty much had to rethink my stand on going out for ribs, which I dearly love. I justify things by the theory that "they are raised for food." Doesn't go too far, or at least, not as far as it used to in my head.

I dunno. I think if I had actually seen these pigs myself, I would have had to give them anything and everything edible on the boat, and never touched another pork chop again.