Saturday, June 19, 2010

There Is Much Good



An amazing donation was handed to me by both Clare and Jenn who travel a long ways to get here and help when they can. Young and beautiful girls who look like a million bucks in rubber boots. They work at a trendy bar down town Vancouver and cashed in there tips for the animals here. How cool is that!!!!!!!

Lee continues to pick up produce for the pigs weekly and her donations are really helping keeping our costs down. She arrives with a smile on her face and ready to listen to my woes and always bring apples when i need them the most. Last night she brought ten water melons, some bread treats and kiwi. On top of her offerings she too left me a generous donation last night.

Saturday mornings as you all know is designated clean up for the animals here and once again i hope some one beside my sister will arrive to help. Yesterday she offered to pick up 230 lbs apples for me and 50 lbs of carrots so now we have enough produce here to keep the pigs in produce for the week.

The motor on my truck has packed it in again. I bought that truck with a new rebuilt just put in, replaced it a few years later and now this one is gone. Must be a factory reject as now they can't find one to put in the darn thing and if they do I am looking at another 3000.00. I simply can't be without a truck here so i am pushed into the market to look for another used one.

I have been with out transportation all week here but that has made me deal with the office work inside and i feel a weight lifted somewhat from getting caught up again.

I also spend about 3-4 hours every morning here returning emails. I get approx 65 emails a day here and many require a great deal of thought to reply. Questions ranging everywhere from how do you trim a pigs hooves to what should i feed. I suppose if my website was more up to date and addressed some of these questions it would save me a ton of time. And most information is on the net but if you don't know what to look for your not going to find the help there. And it is for the pigs everywhere that i do this , it is what i do.

I also keep Hearts On Noses out there any way that i can and down loading a movie onto utube last week netted a surprise sponsor for Tuskers!! A kind person saw our movie and went to the website and is sending us 25.00 a month! All the way from Texas. I told Tusker's some one saw his picture and picked him from all the pigs in the world to choose from to support. I am sure he smiled at me when he wagged his tail in response.

Yesterday while laying in the sun with Penny I saw her beautiful brown eye look at me. I didn't need to pull the fat folds away, she opened her eyes and looked at me. "I told you" i exclaimed and she "oofed" in agreement. Meaning once she lost some weight and took off that old suit she would feel so much better and see the blue sky's of summer again. Little things i whispered into her ears at night when i tuck her in.

Pam reports Daphne is settling in and taking over the place, fat blind or not. This over fed unwanted pig in Kamloops found a great home after repeatably posting her picture on face book trying to find her a home. Pam is like us and couldn't turn away from the sad picture of this pig and even though this pig is far from perfect,to Pam and Dave she is . Fed hog grower all her life she is about 300 lbs and totally over weight and huge besides all the extra fat she is wearing. But she has landed in pig paradise and is blooming now as she learns what it is like to be loved.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Muddy Waters


Every time i go to sit down its late and I still need to feed the kids inside like my dog Buddy and the cats, Luke and Patou.

The last few weeks have been exhausting with the garage sale Mom and my sister and I put on to start. We made 350.00 and that is including the 1.35 in the donation tin. We were supported by two friends who drove a hell of a long way to come, Marion and Donna thank you so much. Donna also brought along 30 bags of popcorn and the pigs had there party with it last night.

The first day of the sale a Mission Brownie Team leader stopped in to tell me 14 kids were loaded with apples standing at the gates of the Sanctuary. I did need to go back and check on the animals anyhow so i raced back here to give them a tour and then raced back again. Pigs had breakfast before i left and lucky them they had lunch too ;o)

The rain is brutal and some of the pigs areas are so muddy you can't tell where the poop or the mud ended. To muddy too push filled wheel barrows threw i simply park it outside the paddocks and then heave over a 54" fence. Tonight my shoulders are killing me.

Thankfully Carolyne and Alex joined my sister and I with the work here today as i wasn't at my strongest.

CDART which stands for Canadian Disaster Animal Rescue Team arrived at around lunch time to go over our itinerary for an October Pig Handling Course.
Deb, Heather and Cheryl and I ate lunch, belly rubbed pigs and went over our rescue plans if and when needed. It feels good to have a team like this in your corner as they have been for many years now. If we ever have to be evacuated they are ready for us in Kelowna , but will have an immediate plan to get us out of here and somewhere temporarily if needed.

My truck has been giving me trouble and i did make to buy hay on that one sunny day we had last week. After picking it up yesterday from the shop, today it sounds worse then ever. I need to make a dump run and more critical is i am out of everything for the pigs. No produce , no breakfast and maybe one night of dinner and we need shavings.

The guys from B.C. Regional Corrections were here three times this week and the perimeter fencing is done. As some of the guys were finishing that up the rest of the crew was cleaning up bush and trimming low branches. Tons of work done and we have been discussing the mud issues and where to start digging ditches. The place is really coming together with the help of this crew and it is really looking good. My dog Buddy loves these guys and awakes early in the morning to go look out the window. He wants out so excited and returns to the house disappointed a few minutes later when there not out there.

My friend Jean lost two of her dog kids a week apart , i can't imagine the sorrow .. Oliver lost his life after a sitter let him off leash at the beach and that 16 year old dog never recovered after the shock of almost drowning. Belle after emergency vet care came home and drifted away in Jeans arms the day after. Another friend prepares to help her senior cross over in the next few days.. all loved tremendously.

My unemployment insurance ran out so the search for work is on me..i do have an idea here lets hope it sells once completed.

Well my eyes are ready to close and i better get the rest of us fed , have a good night everyone.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

GARAGE SALE JUNE 5 AND 6

GARAGE SALE FUND RAISER FOR HEARTS ON NOSES

NOTE : THIS IS NOT AT THE SANCTUARY

Where: 33470 -12th Ave., Mission

When : Saturday 9-4 June 5
Sunday 9-1 June 6




We have been collecting for a year again friends. Assorted vintage books , paintings , lamps, china and glass ware. Craft stuff , pet stuff including horses tack and pony winter blankets.

We are also asking for donations of quality stuff we can re sell but ask that clothes, computer stuff incl books, foot ware, ski stuff , magazines and plastics be left behind.

Contact Janice if you have some good stuff and hope to see you there!!