Sunday, February 21, 2010







Mom arrived to stay for a few days on Friday afternoon. She lives about 20 minutes from here and is 87 years old. She pulls in with her dog Nicky and the budgie my sister found at her complex two weeks before. So in came the over night bag , the dog and the bird lol

Saturday my sister arrived to try and help a little with a bad shoulder and my new friend Jane. Nancy and I tackled the piggy pens while Jane worked on doing piggy dishes and waters. We got it all done by about 2;00 and we were whooped.

Dayna you would love Jane also a proud vegan and she brought me a steam rice cooker that i can add veggies too. She brought me lunch and i ate it cold after every one left and it was delicious. Rice, brussles, broccoli and topped with tofu that was crumbled and any one would of thought it was chicken. And i got to give her, her first glass of silk's chocolate milk. A hit of course!!!

Today a visit from Casanova's sponsors, Rubaiyat and Jasonda. There an awesome young couple to traveled over an hour to visit and made peanut butter sandwiches for all the pigs. And for desert Strawberry's, what a special treat!!!!!!!!!!! They also picked me up a couple of new dish brushes , how very thoughtful and as you can see they had more then once use for today.

I worked on the horse pasture while they showed themselves around and i don;t have the strength i did yesterday. Scrubbed out the big horse water tank and refilled it and then added another lock to the feed shed to keep Comet out. I was dragging myself around by dinner time tonight.

Tomorrow morning the horse's will get there feet done and then i got to head into town to pick up a load of straw and get it in every body's houses before dinner time. Hope these warn out muscles are ready for action tomorrow because again it is hard heavy work.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Seeing Things...






Every morning starts with a coffee at my desk. It is facing a window looking over the fish pond and into Sanctuary. As the sun rises over the mountains its light streams threw the curtain of evergreens. I see Comet who is up early checking to see if there is anything he can add to his nest. A potpourri of straw, branches and grass. His tail is wagging and little Jack has awoke to peer threw the dew dropped fences at his busy white bristled neighbor.

I see the mountains behind the trees and that view is one of many things i didn't have at the old place. Oh they were there alright but we were set to far below to see them unless out on the road. The mountains are magic and i am so happy to be able to see them from here.

Yesterday while sitting here as i was sharing stories on line about our pigs and there creative nest building. ( The picture is of Mouse in her nest) It stirred up memories of a pig who started this all. And as a piece of sunshine burst threw the clouds for a brief second it's glow was the shape of a heart. But then again i see hearts and pigs everywhere. If you've been here you would notice a collection of rocks here sitting on my table. Looks like a heart to me..

And a saved picture from work.. a paint chip on an old car clearly looks like a pig.

Last week the reflection of sun on Willy's protected painting .. do i see Angels now too?

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Muddy Rant

I just got in from poop scooping the farm pigs paddocks which are in a ft of mud and water in some places. With all the vegans, animal activists, anti this and anti that and all for the ethical treatment of animals why am i alone here?

I shoved the wheelbarrow a foot at a time and pulled my boot out in every step that i was able to take. Rose one of my farm pigs who is physically challenged returned to her paddock within 15 minutes of being let out. She is cranky and the mud is no doubt adding to her discomfort and while i stood there telling her i am sorry that i am doing the best i can by myself i started to cry.

Day after day i see farm pigs needing homes on top of the hourly cries for help for this goat, that sheep , a herd of cows, a hut full of rabbits and a barn full of chickens. While we are evolving more and more are getting a chance to get them out from under the life they were bred for and there is no where for them to go.

So much for Valentines Day ....this heart says unite!! And support or create the place, so they have somewhere for them to go. I spent over a half a million on credit for the pigs i brought home , who is going to help me pay for it so i can do better for them and bring more home?? Add the 22000,00 for the fencing and i need another 20,000 to finish it.

And i don't need suggestions as i do everything i can to bring help and money in here. Advertise, fund-raise ,net work, interviews, radio shows, tv spots , newsletters, websites, face-book , Blog and try to get more sponsors, homes, and even write major players to try and get them to see me. Suggestions don't help the animals here , there only caretaker is outside working.

Another Grant denied last week... i imagine the board looking at all the choices cat and dog rescues... what A pig rescue??? Pass...

Sorry for my rant..

Sunday, February 7, 2010

A Squishy Pig


"Penny is a squishy pig" and as soon as the words come out of my mouth, visitors ask me "what do you mean"?

Penny arrived in a horse trailer with no straw or protection inside. Animals have no idea when your traveling if and when your going to stop. Or go into an incline , a decline in the road, or turn left or right. Think about it , one very obese short legged pot bellied pig in a horse trailer traveling for about an hour. How many times did she loose her footing and crash into the walls? If she had of laid down or went down from being unable to balance inside she would of rolled back and forth smashing into the metal walls of her confine, over and over again.

She has gone threw humans like we go threw new cars. So many humans discarded her over and over again. They fed her too much and probably everything nutritionally incorrect for her species. Poor little Penny as she emerges from her fat suit with still many serious medical problems.

Penny's eye sight is poor due to the heavy fat fold over her forehead and pushing down on her eyes. A slow weight loss i pray will allow her body to re- adjust because for many pigs , surgery is the only way to remove the fold once the weight comes off. Cosmetic surgery for a pig is done in the states by rescuers some of the time. She allows me to pull back the fat from her eyes so we can see each other and the world she lives in here.

Penny is regaining the use of muscles once weighted down by that fat. Her ears are no longer simply ornamental , she is regaining the ability to show me things now. Her ears are responding to her personality and delights as you can see when she is enjoying her soup. And as the weight comes off of her I hope more of her hearing returns that is also compromised due to the fat.

Penny is not out in a paddock in a straw filled house like the others. Eating of straw and hay has caused more problems with her constipation so that form of fiber is restricted somewhat. Her potty habits are of a fat pig who had no reason, too much pain and it took too much effort to get up. A pig who goes potty in her bed , on her carpet runners or in her water dish. Never the less she is loved and must be watched ,so Penny has her own big house for the special needs girl she is. A pig who potties where they sleep or where they eat goes against the norm , something must be the matter and for now there is.

I have had to help Penny in more ways then one over the last few months and so have two of my vets. Even Carol (SAINTS) left me a sure fire constipation relief package and i have a cupboard filled for Penny's needs. Little Penny has suffered many indignities but forgives me completely.

And no matter what time of day as i attend to her needs i can pull back a blanket and snuggle up beside her and kiss her face. And i can do that over and over again. I rub her face and fuss on her and sometimes in shear pleasure she will let out these soft rhythmic whines of contentment , and that is music to my ears. I can warm up her ears with my breath and lay right down with her and put my arm around her and snuggle her while i tuck her in. I tell her I love her and when I kiss her i tell her it is what we do when we love you so much. We kiss you and kiss you and she responds with another form of communicating "comfort" with her ah ha ah's . Yes the message comes in three's and if you were too clear your throat softly with your mouth closed that is the sound they make. Penny as do all of the pigs can answer you if you ask. And if i ask Penny is she is cozy she will answer "ah ah ah"...


She is my squishy pig.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Tomato Soup and Mouse




Kind of dark,this was taken in my kitchen a few minutes ago...