Happy New Year

Well we have started off with a bang as supporters from all over the world have really rescued us right back. WEE were in a ton of trouble with me not being able to find work but WEE are back on track. I borrowed a ton of cash to get us threw and thanks to my Mom as well for writing those cheques month after month for the mortgage. So many wonderful donations came in for Christmas and add up big time , big donations in memory of two great dogs and another amazing one from two awesome freinds in Ontario who have supported us since 2001.

With our Pub Night being a huge success , WEE have half filled the new hay shed with hay and won't have to worry about that for a few months here. Its still incomplete and a ton more finishing touches but is working out great so far. I need to get some more pallets but in the mean time we still need a working space inside to provide a covered area for the balance of the work needing to be done. I still need Sherman's paddock fixed and stepping up from the horses side to get hay is a tad hard to muster the strength after working hard all day. I need to figure out stairs there or get that fence removed so i can get to it easier from the other side now.

Amber and Brady's two pigs are still being boarded here as winter is no time to be moving and so this goes for the rest of the world too and finding accommodations is limited at best , especially when you have two pigs. I sure don't mind the surprise dinners as they are really a nice young couple. Last night Amber was here with a vegan sushi and i got home late and fed the kids even later but a really nice evening.

In our third winter here now as we moved here in Dec of 2009 and with the support we have received, the fundraisers , the B.C. Corrections work crew, the grant we received from The Vancouver Foundation and of course our rocking volunteers we have really accomplished so much.

Yet the thing is when your a caregiver and doing rescue work it is an on going quest to do better , help more and find a way to accomplish it all. I try really hard too be happy with how much we all have done here so far as the set up is so great but i always fall back on how it could be better for them if i just could this done or that added and like any women we all want it done now.

For this morning though all i ask is for it to hold off raining until we can get our work done and so the pigs can enjoy there time out when i am home.

I leave you with a picture of Lenny that Karena sent me . Lenny is one of our and one of two pigs that Karena adopted , clearly this pig is very happy and cozy!

Thank you all for helping is make it so.

Popeye

I've been working at SAINTS for almost three weeks and i am enjoying it, i find myself eager to get there and see everyone and get the work started.

My first day i was being shown the chickens and found myself with Dionne in the shops bathroom with a chicken over the laundry tub removing a poop ball with warm water.

And because each animal there is not only a different species but they are unique in there own rights. Ziggy a little donkey, loves the cows and got the zoomies when i let him go in with his cow herd tonight. Chewy a little goat closes his eyes when you stroke his soft fur. Pete , another goat can be sneaky and can fit threw the narrowest opening if i don't get that gate closed. He has a built in natural smile, just like our pigs. Carl , the Llama does look at me like a predator anymore and has accepted my presence. He no longer walks the pasture in front of me giving me his buck toothed evil eye. And Ellie the first farm pig there is a Princess but you should of seen her duking it out with Carl the other day. A little frail goat who i am told was such a brat when she was young, is now a shop goat getting special care. She likes oatmeal cookies the best. The horses sing to you when you get there in the morning and open the barn doors.

Every day i am there i learn something new about someone and i watch over them like a mother watching every one of her kids to make sure they are okay. Hours and moments can change drastically when looking after special needs animals.

You know "they" say cows are dumb but let me share with you what i saw today. It was not a unicorn but he is to me. Popeye is but a very old white horse and was laying down much like the unicorn in this picture. A horse perhaps not long for this world and there a cow - holding her giant head into this old horses side was Emily. It was a gentle face pressing so lightly only just to make contact with her freind. And yet another giant of a cow pressing his nose to this horses nose was Percy. Were they comforting old Popeye ... were they saying we love you. It was truly one of the most endearing pictures that will forever be in my heart. I wish i had of had a camera , perhaps i will draw it one day.

Edited to add that Popeye was not any better today even after the new strong pain meds he was given.. tommorrow morning he will fly.

Merry Christmas

Well many of you must be wondering if i dropped off from the face of the earth. Its been while since i blogged as its been a crazy last few months. Projects on going and unfinished all the while under a tremendous amount of stress with out being able to find work. Thankfully My Mom covered the mortgage here month after month while i kept believing everything would be okay. Two weeks ago i was at Moms crying as i was at the end of my rope and only a month left in the bank for the both the pigs and the house.

The phone rang and it was Carol from SAINTS also a rescue who gives home to senior animals in need with many cats and dogs and a barn full of farm animals. Her full time gal had given notice and asked if i thought i could take it on. Farm work , 8 hours a day Monday threw Friday scared the hell out of me as it takes a huge amount of physical strength to do what i must do here. Would there be anything left of me to care for my own when i got home??

Its been two weeks and i survived, because after the first two days i thought i would die LOL .

And today only Roxane and i were out here today in the pouring rain trying to do clean up for the 45 aniamls here and we were both dragging our feet. I am beat as i am sure Roxane is , but we managed.

Its Christmas and its been a ritual for years that I shopped for the animals here for there big Christmas feast on top of getting gifts for my family and the my volunteers. But because of the financial crisis WEE were in , i will have to make it up to everyone.

But Christmas not about things , its about love and there is plenty of that to go around here. And the cupboard is not bare as we have been provided for and we give our thanks !

Blessing to all my freinds and wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

PUB NIGHT DEC 16th

Short Blog Post or what!!!!!!!!! Trying to get newsletter ready and ready for year end tax receipts for all the donations we received this year !!

Hope you can join us!!!!!!!!

Coffee Time

I was just sitting down by the pond having a cup of coffee and enjoying my quiet time but alas my mind races. So why not put those thoughts to my blog and up date my friends.

The intended hay storage, quarantine and volunteer shelter we won the funds to build from The Vancouver Foundation is not going as planned. The job was to start July 25th and even that was a month from my meeting with my friend and carpenter. Getting our hay for winter and at a good price is long gone and with only three walls up, and not designed the way i wanted it by late September my patience popped. He will not be back.

I got three days of work in last week and that has been my only income in over a month now. Mom is helping me pay the mortgage with the little she can afford on a pension. Resumes go out daily here .

Pam and Dave were down picking up there son to bring back to Sorrento so we were fortunate to spend a few days together again and spent the nights talking about pigs to the WEE hours. They brought there helpful hands and a carload of buckets filled to the brims with apples. Dave took a look at the build so far on the shed and between us he drew out what i needed and wanted. He has offered to come back down to do the build , how so very kind of them. I just hope they are not reeling back home with there own projects to finish before there much harsher winters, I don't want to ask too much from such wonderful friends.

B.C. Corrections finished up the drainage at the front and it has really kept the areas free of standing water, yay!! All the guys wear a red uniform, decked out in red pants , t-shirts and caps. The cook gets the stove going first thing and macaroni and fried baloney is in the wind. So when i came out wearing red joggers they all laughed as i was almost dressed like them. The next thing you know one of the guys is walking toward me with a red t shirt to put on. Ten guys waiting for me to put it on had to be told " i'm not putting in on in front of you" This of course brought guilty laughter so off to the house i went and put it on and then came outside asking "wheres my baloney?" . We all had a few laughs that day. And no , i'm not afraid of these guys there all polite and very much gentlemen when they are here. And they work hard! Too bad they didn't have any inmate carpenters on there crew at this time. ;o)

A young couple moving here from Alberta with there two pig kids in tow are in between housing so the babies are here much to everyone's delight. There complete time wasters as you can sit and watch babies all day as they are so full of life as they explore there big new world here. And of course as cute as a dickens. And Amber and Brady are really a very nice couple and have already contacted one of the pubs in town to do a pub night for us. More YAYS!

Yesterday was a busy day as we all worked to clean up the Sanctuary. All the pools have been collected and need to be put away for the season. Roxanne is one awesome volunteer and friend and she didn't leave here until almost 5 last night. I should of just fed the pigs dinner before i came in but I hadn't eaten all day and was whooped. So i took a break and ate and then went back out and got back in about 9.

Today we had visitors all the way from North Vancouver and i know they had a good time. So cute the way they gifted up two baskets of goodies for the pigs and even some apple juice for our Penny. Fresh tomatoes , crackers and popcorn they didn't miss a pigs favorites.

My boss called me but immediately told me he didn't have any work for me but they had a crab apple tree and wanted to come out this morning and bring the kids. Come on over and they did arriving with two huge tubs full of granny smith apples! Grandma came with them at 89 years and talked about the feral pigs she saw in the forests of Germany where she grew up.

Funny how life is as i was just saying on facebook we never get goodies from folks apple trees or gardens and they would prefer it to rot on the ground then to give it to us to feed pigs. I have a good weeks worth and more off apples in storage now , this is such a huge savings at 16.00 a case here in town.

Oh and Roxane came after work one night with a friend and a van full of apple and plum tree's. So while they dug and planted, Dave went around and wired them to protect them from the pigs. It may take a few years before they produce but one day the kids will find there own treasures as they used too before moving here.

Now really the best part of today started off with feeding the pigs donated fancy bread and underneath a pile of raisin bread was a lemon pie. How can one divide a pie and who would get it?? DYLAN was so cute and so very happy diving into that pie and i hope Amber and Brady share those pictures.

Two weeks ago was a hoot as Kasun wanted to have his birthday shared with the pigs here and brought a huge vegan cake with the words "Pigs like Cake too" on it. We all shared a piece and sang him happy birthday and then he went around with his Mom and spoon fed his cake to every pig here. Now that was a ton of fun, we all had such a great time.


In between the jam packed days here are two pigs in Kelowna who will be moving to Duncan on the island. Thanks to Jean over there doing the home check for these fosters who hopefully will adopt. And a 700 lb pig call needing to get off the callers property , a message is left but the call is not returned and the next thing you know someone else is calling asking me to come over and access there new 700 pig captured by the SPCA out of a river out here. Another email comes in about two more and they are big pigs too we must find them a good home at least we know they won't end up in a river. I will share a picture here of where they were , this person thought pigs liked mud and the excrement they were laying in.

Why does this world think so little of pigs? They are no different from your cats who love to lay on fresh laundry , they like clean too. They relish in soft cozy nest of hay or a cozy bed like our dogs do. There heads will come down to your leg and hold themselves there like our horse do. And pigs give good kisses too.

She Wants Us To Move This?

Vancouver Foundation's awarded Grant for our hay storage , shelter and storage has started to be put to work now. I ordered a load of gravel/dirt for my carpenter to use to level the area . The left overs will be be moved to areas in the piggy paddocks for dry footing in our winter weather.

Rene has been back and forth a few times with truck loads of wood and more will be needed as we go here. Justin laid out the gravel and Rene started framing in the floor.

And true to my women hood when i saw how it was placed I wanted it moved. Rene, i am sure wanted to shoot me but with the help of Kasun and his two brothers Kamil and Shev who arrived the following day we all moved it and now it is perfect.

Of course now that we moved it there was gravel left where the floor isn't anymore and enter Justin who arrived to help move it again. Geeshhhhhhh women!!

Today was a GREAT day, Justin arrived to help with that gravel and by the time he got here i had already done the barn and had picked up the manure around it.

I had a freezer in the basement i never wanted and saw someone on Craig list looking for one. With Justin's help and Martin removing the doors they got it out and yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy its gone finally!!!

An hour or so later Diane arrived to trim my horses and both girls were so good for there hoof trim.

Just as we were finishing Lee arrived with a car load of fancy bread for the pigs and five boxes of big tomatoes for the pigs. YUM!!!!!!!!!


After getting lee unloaded and on her way i started to do the waters for all the pigs , filled up wallows and Justin moved the gravel to some uneven areas under the mats for the horses in the barn and used the rest to create a ramp up for them .


Can it get any better then this? It has been non stop all day here and i can't be happier !!

Victoria Yard Sale!!

Lost in the chicken catch and landfill pick i am so late on sharing this awesome fundraiser put on for the pigs 100's of miles away from us.

Jenn an all around animal lover as her family and freinds pulled this together for us in Victoria on Vancouver Island. I only wish i could of attended as I love treasure hunting and it looks like a ton of treasures were there to be had.

Jean also there adding treasures , shopping and manning a table she set up for Hearts On Noses and traveling from Duncan!

Jenn and her Mom , Marie not only shared our story and gathered all these goodies we also received donations on top of the $600.00 they raised there!! WOW in one day!!!! Georgia and Lundyn, nieces of Jenn proves love is hereditary in this awesome animal loving family. One day, but weeks of hard work gathering the stuff , packing and sorting and setting up is a ton of work ! The pigs and I can't thank you all enough as we so needed this boost in our bank account.

Its About Them

Gads where does the time go!!! Its already getting darker earlier and I am still looking for work yet trying to get drainage done and a shed built!! Our $5000.00 Grant money is on the way from the Vancouver Foundation but the days are racing by with none of those projects started. My carpenter was away for a while and was to start last month so I postponed ordering gravel and commencing the drainage issues as I didn't want all that mountain of rock in his way here. I can't waste any more time and have reached out to B.C. Corrections to see when the crew can come here and get going on that project.

Sending out resumes , re vamping it .. packing copies in my truck and handing them out even. Must seem weird for me to worry about money when I have $5000.00 coming in but that money cannot be used to pay the mortgage here!!

And yet my days are filled with hours of work on here and outside and it just seems never ending , one worry down and on to the 50 worries ahead of me.

I have lost count of how many times I stopped back at where those chickens were dumped . And I retrieved two potted plants sent over the edge there as I guess its in my nature to save things and I couldn't save the chickens so I will save the flowers.

There was a good deal on sheds on Craig List and I asked for a quote on buying one , two and three maybe and better if we bought more. I shared the note with Roxanne and that wonderful girl offered to pay for all of them. And then when I got an email from the builder that he needed more for them now ..a $1000.00 more . Are you kidding me?? So that all got put on the back burner as I turned my attention to getting educated on the net about ditch digging and measuring out the ditches needed ,draw it out , where they would go, tie into, drain off too , figuring out how much I would need if the ditch was 14x 20 and then get prices on gravel, drainage pipe and there goes another day.

Before we were allowed to go to the dump Roxanne and I set up the tent I had here so we had somewhere dry to put all of our pickings. It was all in pieces and we were so tired from the week before and working hard all day in the rain on the pigs paddocks. It was a brain teaser for sure and my remark of " I don't like this game " sent us into hysterically laughter.

I was very lucky when Roxanne came into my life as she is game to work like I do here and will tackle any challenge. Last Saturday after three of us did all the pigs paddocks and the horses Rox and I headed to Roses house. The front end of that house was not level and leaning forward and one of the walls was buckled opened. We nailed it back together and added a few strapping boards across and then we lifted that house and put two more blocks under it.

Hearts On Noses is getting good exposure on the net thanks to Facebook and the work I am doing for pigs in the USA. With that brings emails of pigs needing new homes and it took me three days to place two pigs in New Hampshire and one in New York. Pulling to all together long distance took so many hours on here to make sure the pigs were going to great homes and checking them all out. Normally I would just forward those messages on to other Sanctuaries in there State but both families had been turned down and were desperate. A few pictures on Facebook along with the pigs bio and I had good homes offered by some really great friends on there.

We had a nice article in the local paper this past Tuesday , our first one since relocating here Dec 2009. And the day after CBC Early morning show called and I did a 6 minute radio interview at 6am in the morning. And then someone sent me a link and our little article was on the Province website as well?? So far no calls of support or volunteers and no donations from the exposure but lets hope something does come of it all for the pigs here.

My Mom is 88 and still drives and will come out here every other week to spend two days here. Same day B.C. Tel arrived to run new lines and while talking to that crew Mom told me a cousin and a friend were popping by. After a very long tour and one they really enjoyed as it last four hours my cousin said to me " if this is what makes me happy". I have had this said to me before and I really have to gather my thoughts for this one as I am at a loss of how to reply to that. In my mind I am reeling and thinking ARE YOU NUTS!!!!!!! Did you think I wanted to work my ass of 24/7 have no life to save other peoples pigs they HAD to have and won't make one sacrifice in there lives to make it work but expect me to do it !!! Having to listen to the freaking excuses people make such as "we can never leave to go on trips" when I can't even leave to go out for dinner???

I calm my mind and tell a story instead " to see a pig like Panda buck and spin in pure joy when he realizes he is no longer imprisoned like he was before we rescued him as he realizes he can come and go from his house into his yard anytime he wants , that is what makes me happy". To see him roll in happiness in his simple bed of hay and for him to know there will not be rats crawling all over him and chewing on his ears and tail. For him to know there will be good food presented to him twice a day. In other words what I should of said to her was "this is not about my happiness" .


There is a 12 year old pig on my mind now that cannot go with his family to there new place and two pigs who will be boarded here for a month while that family awaits the availability of there new home. A pig in New York no longer wanted. A Dog run donated but in Coquitlam that needs to find a way here . Materials to order , wood to count so I know what we have. Pond bugs who emerge from the pond as dragon fly’s who can't get out from the net and I better get off here as we have a big day here tomorrow with little help to do it.

At least the weather is with us and the mud is behind us for a while. The pigs are all enjoying there days laying in the sun and cooling off in pools or wallows.

Chickens Are Not Trash

Thanks to a Grant from the Vancouver Foundation my mind is filled with gathering help and materials to stretch the $5000.00. Note this money can only be spent on the projects we requested it for. Drainage, shelter and storage. So a letter went off to the landfill asking for permission to pick the site for usable lumber, I was given permission to be on site for 4 days at 8am every morning and wearing all the appropriate safety gear. My first morning would be Tuesday as i got in a few hours at the shop on Monday.

Monday coming home from work i pass by a very rural stretch and noticed a teeny rooster at the side of the road. I turned around and parked and counted seven birds down below the incline. Three roosters and three hens along with a young baby. When the big gold rooster saw me he lead his flock further into the bush so i came home to seek out a game plan and the hows on face book.

The forest here is lush, with a creak running in the back of the lush area , moss laden ground with majestic cedars and evergreens mixed in with others in various stages of decay, toppled over by wind and lightening strikes.

From the road to get down is about a 50 ft incline and it is also where more then one passerby has tossed over there garbage. A discarded Tv is smashed over and frames the center of a tree stump. There is glass everywhere , old tires , yard waste and seven chickens.

The following day Roxanne and I picked at the dump for five hours and i was exhausted but i went back to the chicken site with a pail of feed , crates , dishes, water , string and set my trap. I called out to these birds and the young rooster came out first , two roosters are missing. I set the trap knowing if they don't go in during the day i will have to close it up at night so they don't get cornered by wildlife.

The following day the trap has been disturbed , i see another feed pail. This sets me back as i didn't feed the birds outside the trap when i set it up. To eat they would have to go in. Some one else with a good heart has fed the birds so i shut the door,i don't see the baby anymore.

Roxanne has helped me two days in a row at the dump and we were both so tired. Pulling pieces of plywood from under the weight of tossed timber is labor intensive but we go into hysterical laughter at the stupidest things because we are so giddy. We are getting some good stuff!

We return to the dump on Wednesday and then I go back to check on the chickens. I beg Roxanne to come back with me after dinner to see if we can net the remaining birds. I know chickens will not move in the dark but when we get back there the young rooster is up a tree . Two hens are settling in but my attempt with the net failed and they retreat into the bush. The pretty little white one with feathers on her head is back alone in the bush.

In the morning i push myself to return to the dump and get home and unload then return to the chickens. The white one is gone and so is the rooster. I live in the middle of bear country but i returned that night with a flashlight as the two hens had to be saved as something was getting them and yet in the back of my mind i had hoped they returned to where they came from and were not dumped. But as i went threw the bush i saw the flutter of a huge wing span and not more then four feet in front of me was an owl on top the rooster that had been up the tree the night before. I can't see the hens and know not to alert the owl even if i did find them so i have no choice but to leave.

Friday is my last day at the dump and i am wasted but i don't stop with my load i go right to the chicken site without stopping and I can't see them anywhere. I walked threw the bush for over an hour , i thought i heard them ..but i don't think I will ever stop hearing them. I went back later before i fed the pigs dinner and there was no sign of them. Scattered feed was untouched so not even the wild birds dare into this part of the forest now.

I took a sign with me and put it up on a dead tree for all to read. "Shame on who ever dumped this chickens here along with the garbage. I tried to catch them for a week, but the Owl was better at it then I was"


I pulled all my gear out of there and cried all the way home.

HAY!!!!!!!!!

My horses and I are very glad to see sunshine today as we hope our hay farmers will be able to get there grass cut soon. I have spent a ton of money on a ton of hay my girls leave scattered all over the pasture. Of course this last batch of hay bought is last years and a ton coarser then what my girls need. They are on the back pasture every other night and the grass is rich here so they are a tad spoiled. I can't let them on it every day as we need to share that grass with the pigs too!! They are on pasture but the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

The first load i brought home and put away was hauled back out again the next day and added to all the pigs sheds. Pretty expensive hay for bedding!!! The pigs pick at it too so it is all good and i hope this sunshine lasts a few more days so i go buy fresh hay for my girls.

Not much help down here so every day i put in long hours working outside. Roxanne gave up two days this long week-end to help here. My washing machine died so she found a good one on Craig List so off we went to get it Friday. On the way back i spotted a little Scottish Terrier on a mission where he shouldn't be so i pulled over and grabbed him . Not neutered but his tags had his name and number so the family was reunited back here a few hours later. Harvey's family were very happy and left with a gentle ear full on getting him neutered and a few horror stories to encourage them to keep him under better guard.


The pools are out for the pigs and more coming thanks to Roxanne finding a bargain on ten pink ones.

I have had to padlock the gates when i leave as stuff is walking off the property to my shock here. Went to grab one of those metal rakes to spread gravel and not only did they take one they took the two that i had. It has to be someone who i welcomed threw those gates at one time so it is sickening to think they came back only to steal from the pigs when i am out shopping for them.

On a good note i got to work another day for the guys as Andre was sick and when i came home to my locked gates there were three huge bags of blankets left for them! YAYYYYYYYY!!

Yesterday Flower although timid was a few feet away from me when i rounded the house to get something. I sat down in the sun and suggested she join me and if she did I would tell her a story. Flower came and laid down a few feet away from me so after my story i came in and grabbed her a blanket. I look at this picture and see a pretty pig who is at peace with her surroundings and that means the world to me and washes these tired old bones away.