Hi-Yo Oh Silver Awayyyyyyyyyy

Perhaps the title chosen is one many of you younger readers won't understand. But for many of us they are the departing words of a cowboy on white horse on a TV show we watched when we were very young. Depticing all that is good wearing a white cowboy hat he rode off into the sunset riding his horse named Silver but not before saving the town and its good people from the bad guys in more ways then one.

Dayna arrived ten days ago, driving 13 hours from Edmonton to help someone she didn't know. Having always loved pigs found us on the net and chose to spend her vacation time here with me and the pigs. An email arrived asking if i could use some help and one telephone conversation later she was on the way.

And in the first few days of her arrival we packed straw into houses, unloaded hay, raked pens, pushed wheelbarrows and set aside every thing in my cupboards offensive. She brought easy to read cook books and taught me about reading ingredients that have lactose and whey. I ate things I have never even heard of and bit into others that for all sorts of reasons i found distasteful, which is bizarre for even me when you think about what could be more disgusting then eating something that had suffered before it got to my glass or my plate.

Dayna was natural with the pigs and they all loved her as she cooed her sweet messages and we talked late every night. We shared stories of frustration in all that we stand for, her a staunch vegan whose quest to educate and me a sanctuary director both animal activists in all that we do 24/7.

She talked about the difference of organic meat and dried pigs ears. One from an animal who was never medicated for any of its ailments and one who had medications force fed. Setting aside the obvious fact they both die horrifically and unnaturally it is all deadly to the enviormment, our health and our pets.

I have been vegan for ten days and ate meatless chicken salad, egg-less sandwiches , soups and fake chicken breasts. I drank soy milk both plain and chocolate as i removed dairy products from my world and i slept better and didn't feel sleepy before dinner time after working all day.

Now i am not one to cook and i still have all the fast foods i craved or left behind 16 years ago as she made me eat something new twice a day ( hahaha ) so its all good. Some of the products are so meat like its gross to me so there ya go. If I want a meat loaf sandwich i found the perfect substitute and I tried all the things i thought would be gross and how bizarre as what could be more gross then eating flesh.

She is smart and funny and living together came easy for both of us and in my heart i know the animals of the world, our planet, the kids here, and I have a friend.

Saying good bye this morning came easy as i was still half a sleep ,had only drank a bit of my coffee and it was so early. She jumped in her electric car and i grabbed a rain coat so i could open the gates. And it wasn't until after i waved good bye and i closed those gates did a wave of emotions take over. And as I continue on here typing the tears are falling like the rain she left in.

Hi-Yo Silver, away.