Pondering in Pastures

The sun came back to the farm today and it was lovely! I had a pretty easy day. I opened, and then barn cleaned, fed out produce, raked, and did waters. After coming back from feeding out the produce I found a little dove near the shelter office that had some sort of injury, we couldn't quite figure out exactly what happened, but we called the wildlife rescue place and he/she will be all fixed up there.

After work Stephanie and I went to spend a little time with the cattle. Everyone looked so relaxed and happy. Made my heart smile :) Here are a few pics from the afternoon:

 

Susie Moo and Loretta

Handsome man Edwin

 Big boy El Nino

Edward: best mohawk on the farm

And then there was Chrissy. She was being absolutely zen out on the hill today. So much so that she got a video out of it. Check it out:

Just Say No!

I hate role playing conversations with all of my being. It's probably one of my least favorite things to do, next to vomiting. It just always takes me back to the elementary school D.A.R.E program. I remember having to stand up in front of the whole class and turn down marijuana, beer, and other "gateways to evil" all while ridden with complete anxiety that everyone was looking at me. Besides that, it just feels stupid. I mean if I HAVE to have a conversation with someone, I'd rather it be a real one. But I understand how helpful role playing can be. It's great to practice before you speak. We did this at Ed Lunch today. Practiced answers to questions we are constantly being asked as vegans. I need a whole hell of a lot of practice that's for sure :) But what is frustrating is I know the answers to these stupid questions like "Well what about plants!? Don't plants have feelings?" but there is some mental block that goes up the second I'm put on the spot. My whole mind erases! Soooo annoying. Anyways though, I think I learn really well by hearing others responses. The more I hear it over and over the better I am at remembering and eventually communicating. Anyways, I've also found a few books online I want to get that deal specifically with vegan activism and how to tactfully answer some of the tougher questions. It's just frustrating to feel so passionately about something and feel completely unable to communicate it effectively.  I think I'll look into Toastmasters when this internship is over. Just thinking about that makes me want to hurl, but I feel way too old to have an issue with public speaking. Isn't this something you are suppose to grow out of?

Anyways, this morning I helped with the sheep again. And one in particular named Emmett. Which made me smile because my dog's name is Emmett :) Then I helped Leanne trim Kanbar's hoof (one of the goats). She was super sweet. I pretty much just had to hold her head while she was getting trimmed and Noel and Squishy (two of the tinier goats) kept coming up to sniff and nibble on my jacket. I love those guys! I then drove a goose to the vet for a quick visit and then picked up feed at the feed store. 

This blog post is brought to you today by Calvin:

No music necessary....this guy is just pure awesome all by himself:

Turkey Girls in the Key of Epic

I've got another video for you all! This one was WAY more thought out than Breakfasting with Bovines. I started it about a week into my internship here. And while it began as somewhat of a joke, I've fallen in love with these birds.  I always liked the turkey girls, despite their pecking and mini bruises they'd leave on the backs of my legs. They just seem so fearless and bold in everything they do.  I wanted to make a video of them that showed how epic they truly are. If you look closely throughout, you can see the visible signs of their past and the horrific truth behind factory farms. Several, have been severely debeaked, detoed, and desnooded. I didn't want that to be the main focus of the video though (which is why the second scene is a lucky turkey girl with all her lovely toes). These girls have been through a lot. I hear them saying "You can take our toes, beaks and snoods, but we will not be afraid!" That's what I wanted to show here....their fearlessness, their will to carry on as one of the strongest creatures I've ever met! Long live the turkey girls!

Epic as defined by Urban Dictionary: To describe something that is so amazing that no other word is able to describe it's awesomeness.

Breakfasting with Bovines

I got totally distracted here on my day off and ended up making a short video with the cows. Enjoy! And ignore the complete color fade mid way through...I pushed some button and it screwed things up, which is sad because Harrison is a beautiful red head! This is a rough vid, horribly edited, and poorly shot, but it was just for fun and a bit on a whim! Stay tuned for the next episode which will be much better!!! Also be aware that this video is dripping in complete geekiness hahah! I can't help it! Farm Sanctuary brings out the geek in me :)

Great Photo Day!

 I got some wonderful photos today. After trying to climb the ant ridden oak tree in the sheep pasture I walked over to see Bonnie and Waylan the donkeys and got this awesome picture:

 He reminds me so much of Grandfather Twilight. This is my new favorite angle to take pictures from. Makes the animals look all knowing and epic!

 Neal in the Tunnel Pasture

 Chili. This guy reminds me of the Mystics from The Dark Crystal

Linus, he was following me and Stephanie all through the pasture begging for more love today! What a cutie!

And finally a video of my favorite guy on the farm...Melvin! I put some fitting music to it:

What a great day off! Tomorrow it's back to barn cleaning!