Love and Sunshine

Wow time flies when your spending nights at one end of the town and racing back here in the morning. Spent four nights at Jeans getting to know the herd that will be moved here soon. Such lovely little pigs and Jean must help me figure out who is who as i only can identify 6 of them right now. I brought out huge bags of popcorn, carrots and cheeses for treats. ;o)) It was exhausting for some reason going back and forth but in the evening when everyone was fed and safe i sat back in an outside chair in the dark and listened to an amazing chorus by the frogs every night. The stars are bright and the air is fresh . My last night there Jeans lone coyote was calling out for his pack across the street and then her cat racing around in the attic had me thinking a bear was up there.

Travelling back from Mission i go right by the Black Sheep Pub and walla the truck was there to grab the shed donated by Andrew the owner there. I haven't been this excited in a long time , it was all going to happen!! I thought what a good story about the community coming together this would make and called the Maple Ridge Times and hoped Amy could get down here! Every piece of this plan fell together as Shelly & I sobbed in happiness , Pete's crew from Superior Home Movers put all there equipment to work. This crew is totally friendly, professional and skilled at there work. And Amy took pictures of all of it !!

We had front page exposure in the our little local paper and a lady who read our article is going to donate 50.00 and another Annis has already been down here to help me here!

The big shed will need to be moved again , hopefully this week-end and then fencing around it. The crane could only go in so far with my power lines right there. A ton of work , i pray for a good turn out this week-end and good weather.

Shelly who orchestrated all of this has been back with her son and came with a case full of apples and a cheque to sponsor Comet. Can it get any better??? The garage sale has been one of great fortune for the pigs and I this time!

Stephanie is a 16 year old volunteer and after we all did piggy paddock clean up called her family to come and help take down the shelving in the shed and a steel security door yesterday. Way to go Steph!!! So that project is done !

I will have to get a load of hay in for the pigs and horses both for feed and bedding this week while the weather holds out. All the pigs need hay added to there houses . Do some measuring and see what i need in wire fencing material, a gate kit and measure the large opening in the new area for the purchase of a large farm gate. We still need access in there to remove all these sheds when i sell or for brush removal ect.

Once the new kids are settled then i must bring in a few units of bark mulch , dress the gates with new flowers and get this place looking pretty again now that winter is behind us.

Pigs need hoof work and Don must get neutered and then i better get back in the working world again!!

I am starving now, tonight i eat before they do and that doesn't happen that often!

Companion Animals

Its been a hectic week with returning calls after work about unwanted pigs, pigs wanted and pig families who want to learn more about there new found family members.

The stigma society has surrounded pigs with is there biggest threat. Education is the key and I will get in any ones face who has a pig or pigs who needs a little or a lot of enlightenment on this very misunderstood species. And the knowledge i have gained in the last 15 years of caring for them at this point is free. Its what i do , for them..

Pigs for example are not happy when over fed to the point of loosing all there natural senses such as sight, sound and the ability to move around freely. Who would of thought , that a pig needed proper care as well. The stigma surrounding pigs has reached so far into the depths of so many, even respected educated caregivers find themselves short on adequate care.

Arrogance is blinding and deadly.

Why is it that humans separate certain species to be our friends when there are so many more to be friends with? It's a mind set i want to change.

I keep getting off topic as it the "Woof" campaign that PETA has begun that has stirred me this week.

Last week-end i got up and opened the gates for the pigs and most of them high tailed it out to the back pasture, but not my Rose. Rose is a 3 year old Yorkshire and she reaches about my waist height and must weight a good 450-500 lbs. Rose followed me around the house and into the carport where i started to flatten out a stack of empty apple boxes. In comparison , all of the pigs had raced out to the apple trees and yet here was my Rose at my side. With a pat and the odd scratch on her ear i set about my task and Rose kept me company. She playfully bit at the corner of one box and i asked her if she was going to help. I don't think she thought what i was doing was fun but clearly she wanted to spend her free time from the confines of her paddock with me.

My trusted companion then walked along side of me as we went out past the barn and to the back pasture where i shook the apple tree.

Now my dog was no where in sight this entire time but i had my pig with me.