I knew from a very young age my life would need to revolve around animals. Growing up in a suburb on Staten Island, there weren’t many farms, although I did eventually work on a few. I’m trying to remember the first animal I brought home with me… there were many, much to my mom’s chagrin. A pigeon with a broken wing… a few cats over the years… a few dogs too… a sick baby goat from the Staten Island Zoo, mice, hamsters, parakeets. My kids were bitten by the same bug, although perhaps not as intensely as me. I thought I would be a veterinarian… however some of the gore involved…and to witness so much of the abuses, turned out to be too much.
Farm life suits me well, and animal advocacy. So this is what I built my life into. At 60 years of age, I do feel the wear and tear of the physical work that has gone into it and continues… but I wouldn’t trade it for any other thing.
Yesterday we got a lot done around here… my son has begun the haying process… and we pray for four days of dry warm weather. The hay needs to be cut, then tethered into rows, then hopefully the breezes and sun dry it out good, then bale it, stack it on a truck and store it in the lofts.
Meanwhile, we did a little pony ride aboard my mini horse, Lacey. She was a trooper. The pony saddle is really too big for a mini but for these toddler years it’s workable. We may bring a pony home for the grands at some point. When I think of that I ask myself… do I really want to add to my work load around here?
We also gave our blind mini horse, Molly, her summer hair cut. Her coat is very thick and we help her to be more comfortable as the weather warms up with a clip job. For the same reason I wouldn’t ever be a hairdresser, I won’t ever be great with the clipping of a dog or horse, but I do it as necessary around here.
My girl rode her horse, Leah… and our old boy Max’s picture is below just because. At 29 years old, he’s doing great. This is what I wish every horse’s retirement looked like after a life of service to humans.
Meanwhile… just down the road a piece… we visited a thrift and rescue/rehab facility in the next town over… There aren’t a lot of places where you can visit with Tortoises, parrots, goats, peacocks, lizards, snakes, frogs and other creatures and then shop in a huge thrift store, all proceeds of which benefit the creatures in their care, and then some. The kids picked out a toy and books after visiting with the animals. A morning well spent and a great cause supported. My kind of day.
This is a great bread recipe for those of us who are a bit intimidated by the bread making process… It came out delicious and wasn’t hard to make!
These are my two loaves… the recipe below makes 2!
One more thing and I’m off to the barn for morning chores….
This… a thousand times… this.
