Hot Tails and Long Days

I wish the quality of the one with the pigs in the sprinkler was better. I found them both standing in it and then ran for the camera.


Roscoe's marvelous tail not brutally cut off as they routinely are by the butchers of animal factories.

Fencing at the Fest

Yesterday i was excited to spend the day away from the sanctuary hopefully doing what i do best, which is talking about pigs. We had some great stuff donated as i said in an earlier post and more crafts arrived with Corrie and Martin . Mom, my sister Nancy and bunny loving Carolyn yakked the day away. And then Anne from the Blueberry Publications joined us with bringing donations in.

The storm started to come in late afternoon and thankfully we were under a real commercial tent which me thinks is exactly what was donated this week. We shared the tent with the Maple Ridge SPCA and Mark was good company. The rain had us moving stuff under cover and then the two Wendy's came in to take over the night shift there. I got home and it started to rain and then that turned into a really good storm complete with thunder and lightening. In fact a couple of people camping up the hill had shock of there life when lightening hit tree, came out from the bottom and threw there cars and sent a few of them flying. Thankfully they are recovering okay. I sat under the carport for over an hour waiting for the rain to let up so i could feed the pig children's.

It is really hot out today and i just got home and the coolness of the house is welcoming. I'm going to jump in the shower in a few minutes here. We didn't really do that well , made about 200.00 . And yet the guy next to us was selling those cheap cowboy hats by the dozens for 25.00 a pop. Yesterday was fun but today dragged on but a few interesting things happened today.

My worse memory is a young lady standing in front of me. She started to tell us she had four pet pigs too. And for a second i was in disbelief because i don't know anyone around here who has pet Yorkshire's. And then i asked her if they were breeding sows and she answered yes. These kids don't even know what a 'pet ' means. So we now breed our pets and send the babies for slaughter ? Apparently 4h kids and there families do. She was wearing her 4H swine club shirt and stated with such a disregard for life "an animal is just an animal" , it made me cringe. It was like facing pure evil or the enemy and i didn't really know how to deal with that remark. It was like she was too far gone to be saved.

And i don't know if the girls sent over the boys later but three teenagers stood before me after we had torn everything down and were getting ready to go. Clearly we were both on different sides of the fence but the more vocal of the boys who kept assuring me he liked the taste of bacon and that the pig was worth 600.00 looked into my eyes when i spoke. I told him I didn't believe in profiting from flesh whether it is the sale of a child , a person or an animal . And i asked him to look into the eyes of his pigs to look into there soul. I told them all if they looked into there eyes they would see us, our eyes. He smiled at me after i told him he was a clever one, and promised to do just that.

What was even more weird is one of the boys returned with his sister and he clearly had something on his mind but something prevented him from saying what ever it was . I took this opportunity to ask him if his pig loved him, if his pig had ever said hello to him. I demonstrated how a pig communicates that and as they walked away i told him, they just want to live like you and me. And although he was trying to keep up to his sister they came past me again and he sort of secretly said the words "i am going to see if my pig loves me"

What shouldn't strike me odd is the fact that these kids know nothing about the speices they are spending all there time with. How could they not hear the 'hello ' we all know from there pigs?? And now that i think of it, i should of asked them if any of them saw there pigs wag there tails. Maybe i should start my own club and call it the 4abc's.

This is something i am not very good at , faced with directed opposition to everything i believe in is uncomfortable for me and i wish i knew the right things to say. A gal yesterday told us they keep three pigs and when they send them away she cries. I told her to make a stand for her pigs and let them live there lives out and she listened.

I didn't go into the barns at the fair today because i don't need to torture myself with facing pigs i cannot save. I can only hope i planted seeds today.

Country Fest!!

FREE GATE ADMISSION - http://www.mrpmcountryfest.com/

“COUNTRY FEST”
Albion Fairgrounds
July 25 and 26, 2009
Saturday 10am - Midnight ( “On the Go” hours 10am—8pm)
Sunday 10am - 6pm

This is where we will be this coming week-end and we are under the tent with the SPCA so come and look for us! We have some awesome items for sale such as this poster print donated by famed artist Diana Durrand. Come out and support us, the pigs really need you!! Also for you country fans there will be some good bands playing see the link for a list of entertainment !

Its been a fab week with Tracey,Ange and Chris keeping the paddocks clean and waters fresh!

Friends of animals Ray, Chris,Karen, Carolyn and Jeremy visited and arrived wtih arm loads of carrots and apples oh my! Ray if you all remember him from being on tv several years ago who made it his quest to bunny's in shelters at the SPCA. We were all talking a mile a minute and the story i remember the most is Carolyn talking about her bunny who gives her kisses all over her face. ;o)) I also learned for all you bunny lovers that they should NOT be on pine shavings as the oil in the wood is toxic to them.

Then thanks to Judy, Earl and Lynda who have been supplying the pigs with nice wool blankets surprised me with a wish list fulfilled which netted me a ton of tools such as a chop saw , sawsall, drill, chain saw, a skill saw and a giant pig stuffy as well as a huge ceramic one.

AND THENNNNNNNNNN i answered an ad on Craig list for two stand alone awning tents and the gal (Maureen) is now donating them! whoooooooooo hoooooooooooo!!! And Flood cat (Gayle) and her hubby (Howard) are rounding them for us and will deliver them all the way from Cambie in Vancouver. Gayle was down in Katrina you simply can't be surrounded with better then the best as i have this week.

Can it get any better then this?????????? LOL I am so excited!!!!

Just got home from the Langley Market here in Ridge with two giant bags of lettuce which was enough for every pig here to get a pile of it for lunch. And melons on for 29 cents a pound. I grabbed 120 lbs of them and three large watermelons so the pigs will dine well for the next few days!

To wrap up today was a visit from Sherry who was on the hunt for volunteer work and emailed me this afternoon. She wants to sponsor a pig!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am drunk with happiness today!!!!!!!! yahoooooooooooooooooooooooo

Soda wants to know if your going to the Fair!!!

The 3d dancing pig

Staying Alive...

Hot is better then Snow!!

The pigs are enjoying the weather and spending time in the mud wallow out front. I keep busy around here filling up pools , the wallow and water dishes! And now that i am sitting down i better get back out here and water my flowers.

Humans may infect pigs with swine flu

Once again scientists who use animals for medical research have obtained proof by infecting pigs with the H1N1. How is it that we knew this already with out the dasterdly deeds...




Humans may infect pigs with swine flu
Published 10 July 2009

Researchers find that the strain of influenza, A/H1N1, which is currently pandemic in humans has been shown to be infectious to pigs and to spread rapidly in a trial pig population

This is the scientific equivalent of man-bites-dog story. The strain of influenza, A/H1N1, which is currently pandemic in humans has been shown to be infectious to pigs and to spread rapidly in a trial pig population. In research published today in Journal of General Virology, Dr. Thomas Vahlenkamp and a team of virologists from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut in Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany, experimentally infected five pigs with the strain of swine flu that is causing the current human pandemic. Within four days the virus had spread to three un-infected pigs housed with the infected ones and all pigs were showing clinical signs of swine flu.

"Although in the early stages of the swine flu pandemic there were worries that humans would catch the virus from pigs, this has so far not been documented and pigs and other animals have not been involved in the current spread of A/H1N1 influenza in humans," said Vahlenkamp, "However, with the increasing numbers of human infections, a spill over of this human virus to pigs is becoming more likely. The prevention of human-to-pig transmissions should have a high priority in order to avoid involvement of pigs in the epidemiology of this pandemic."

Although the virus spread quickly to the non-infected pigs, it did not spread to five chickens that were housed together with the pigs. This may imply that while the virus can pass from human to pig it does not pass from pig to chicken. The experiments were done under strict containment conditions (Biosafety Level BSL3+), to prevent any further transmission of the virus from the infected pigs.

The scientists recommend that persons who are suspected of having swine flu should not be allowed to have contact with pigs and that regulatory bodies should agree on appropriate restriction measures for swine holdings where A/H1N1 infection is detected. Experiments are underway to determine whether currently available vaccines may be able to provide pigs with a certain immunity to stop a potential spread of the virus.

-read more in Elke Lange et al., "Pathogenesis and Transmission of the Novel Swine Origin Influenza vi 1 rus A/H1N1 after Experimental Infection of Pigs," Journal of General Virology (10 July 2009) (doi:10.1099/vir.0.014480-0)

Source: Society for General Microbiology

Weather may delay shuttle launch

There is a strong chance the US shuttle Endeavour will have to wait even longer before getting its latest mission to the space station under way.

No mention of what the pigs have to say about it...

Whew!!

Moving a mound of tree chips by wheel barrow for a week is a good work out so why am i still fat? And then ending that with a call from my realtor for a showing of the place pushed me into over drive. Ten hours of clean this house, wash floors, windows , oil furniture and throwing everything else into the back of my truck until after. Then add scouting around a house with a sign out front "free stuff" after feeding everyone , what am i nuts? My 86 year old mother was my accomplice as we went by flash light and grabbed a nice roll of carpet for Penny and some garden tools. Two white washed oak night tables landed in the back of my truck and we called it quits when i saw a load of fresh Bear droppings, OK we are outta here! And my truck is filled up again.

The following day i was sick i was so tired and it really took two days to get over working that hard in the heat. So the rain was refreshing and i was feeling better by yesterday until dinner time.

Tuskers did not come out of his house when i went to feed dinner last night. I lifted up the flap fearing the worse as Cassandra and Danny were ready for diner but Tuskers was not in the house. I normally feed about 7 when its cooler out so I called and called him while i fed to quiet the others. He didn't come , in fact there was no sign of him. A quick blast out the back , checking the horse stalls, my neighbors and at a quick pace around the acreage and back to see if he beat me back using an alternate route but there was still no sign of him. Okay back out i go with wire cutters in my hand as i remembered this pig got caught up in a wire fence i once had years ago and simply sat there without making a sound until i got to him. This boy sports some fine looking tusks and he must be hung up somewhere and i have to find him before the bears do. You don;t realize how much bush and land there is on two rural acres until your running the fence line.
In disbelief of him getting out some how i still also covered three two acre properties north of me and the one behind me. None of my neighbors seem to now i have 39 pigs here LOL It is black out now i am panicking and with no help coming i end up back at the house checking for him and know i simply have got to go back out there and do it all over again. My mind is reeling with back up scenario's if no one comes to help!! If i still can;t find him ???? I will sit out side in the middle of the property until i hear him cry out if something attacks him and then race against time to save him. I am the queen of "what ifs" and becoming Calamity Jan.

I met up with him at the barn , i have no idea where he had been but he was limping as we both went home. But his bed mates and him eagerly awaited the refilling of there feed bowls and i left them all at 11;00 after a really good work out , exhausted again.

3 1/2 hours at a fast trot with the added calorie burning worrying and i am still fat.

Slideshow of Malawi Elephant Rescue 2009 | IFAW Web Site#x#x

Slideshow of Malawi Elephant Rescue 2009 | IFAW Web Site#x#x

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Paws for a Cause and help the animals!

Paws for a Cause and help the animals!

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Jean AKA Foster Mom to Sodas Herd is walking for the SPCA!!!

Penny's Progress

Many visitors ask me with sadness in there tone if Penny is getting better, oh yes she is!!

If you simply look at the enormace amount of fat on her upper back from her first few days here compared to a few days ago, you can clearly see she is doing awesome.

Rock and A Roll

Lots of good energy around here these days!! Gem got sponsored by Judy who came to our booth that the two Wendy's set up for us at Websters Days. Anddddddd one of my favorite blogs author Tara is supporting us too all the way from Alaska! How cool is that! Bosleys Pet Food here in Maple Ridge donated 17 bags of feed that i can stretch the pigs feed with !! Man that was a ton of food to put away on a hot day but oh so many goodies, thank you Marion!! . The guy with the million dollar property up the street has agreed to let me have a few skookum livestock gates , a big orange water tub and some 2 x 6s!! Today Judy and Lynda came all the way from Richmond with a ton blankets , good cheers and promises to help when they can !! Are we on a roll or what!!!!!!

Wendy has been down here a few times this past week helping out one way or another and she is a very cool friend. Tracey started back again and we had fun today with Joe who between putting up sun covers for both Don and Sparkles herd cut a huge upper limb off the cherry tree so we could harvest it!! This is how we do it here folks , cut the tree down LOL Not we didn't kill her, no way but it was a big pruning. The pigs had a blast and Soda's herd were working the tree as fast as we were!! We also make sure everyone who wasn't out got there share in the feast too!!

After i fed Penny she rested for a bit on her carpet runner tonight and as i kissed her snouty i realized her ears are more erect. I talk out loud to my pigs and went on about how when she first got here , her ears were held sticking strait out due to the excessive fat folds. Her ears are now a little more upright so we are very proud of her accomplishments so far. "See Penny , you will feel so much better when we get you in your new suit and it will happen you will see!!"

Now enter my old days here when i used to love to dance to good rock with a good lead guitar. ZZ top just makes me want to boogie but Nickle Back has got me acting silly around here. Dancing with the dog at about 11 for the last two nights would be a sight for sore eyes but it feels good. And i want to get this old bod moving the way it used too LOL And one of the songs i like is there new one " If today was your last Day" .. LOVE this song and some of the words "to shoot for the for the stars" inspire me. So while i was twirling around here like an idiot i did call out to the stars and told Willy to tell God that if it was my life force holding us back here that i was holding us back for the wrong emotional reasons that we had to find a better place for us . I received a call from my Realtor Sue Galway today and we have a showing tomorrow for a second look. I will be doing a little boogieing around here when i finish this post.

I wish i had of had the camera in my hand while watching Liz , Sodas only daughter literally splashing around in the wallow out front. That little girl really no doubt about would swim if i had a pond. She has no fear when she is in there and is a hoot to watch. i caught just the end of her swim as i ran for the camera and filled my card cutting us off.

Nickel Back - If everyone Cared Video by [Don David] - MySpace Video

Nickel Back - If everyone Cared Video by [Don David] - MySpace Video

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Rose , the farm pig lives for those who died in the Manitoba Animal factory fire

To be able to show these little clips to you i down load them to utube first and thought I would bring more attention to the terrible fire (by the title) that killed so many of our beloved pigs in a cruel swine factory in Manitoba.

There is a host of comments on the CBC website by many by our good freinds who fight for the animals who live and die in these death traps. Even if you can simply go there and disagree on the icons you will be showing the pork industry we are watching them.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/07/02/mb-building-codes-hogs-manitoba.html

Smithers Interior News - C’mon give Fred a kiss!

Smithers Interior News - C’mon give Fred a kiss!

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