Piglets!!

Saturday morning I got a text from the Assistant Herdsperson, we'll call him Lakes, because he's from the Land of 10,000 Lakes.  Anyway, Lakes sent me a text saying that Momma pig Diana had piglets.  15!!  One passed away, which is sad but ok because she only has 14 teats.  They are BEAUTIFUL.  And Diana is the sweetest pig I have ever met.  She is so mindful of where her piglets are and according to Peru (our 3rd year seasonal employee from Peru) she has never rolled on a piglet.  (KNOCK ON WOOD)  Enjoy these pictures.  

 

TGIF

It's Friday!  You know what that means.  TGIF

How Am I Trusting?

I'm trusting that I can get things done at work.  There's a lot to do - get the chicken coop ready for winter, find a new slaughter house (because our current one is failing - epically), a sow is about to have piglets any day, finding heat on our sows, finding heats on our cows (no more rhyming, promise).  Tagging our yearling sheep with their scrapie ID, spreading manure (and learning about soil quality), setting up the winter pig housing.  The list goes on.  One step at a time, understanding what tasks won't take long, which tasks will.  And delegating!  I made good head way this week (with nothing really on the above list, but still...)  Next week will start another week to get things done. 


How Am I Grateful?

This week I'm grateful for my job.  I have wonderful job where I can learn, challenge myself, try new ideas, be a leader, and most importantly, be respected.  The latter, respect, has taken a little time to gain and will take more time, but I've enjoyed it.   I've gone to work happy, and more importantly come home from work happy.  That hasn't happen to me in a very long time.   

How Am I Inspired?

This may sound a little conceded, but I've been inspired by myself this week.  I've been thinking a lot about my past recently (see Whirl Wind).  I was talking to a friend about feeling funny, just thinking about my emotional state not to long ago.  When I said I wished that I handled everything a little more elegantly.  My friend said, 
 "You definitely win the "done-the-most-to-get-her-shit-together-and-become-successful" award. At least in my book."  
To many it may seem exaggerated.  But those words mean a lot, and it made me sit back and see where I was and where I am.  Yes, looking back I could have handled everything more elegantly, but I did the best I could in the only ways I knew how.  I'm not saying I've changed completely in 3 months, but I know I have changed.  I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for that time.  I've done a lot of work on myself, and I'm proud of that.  

How Am I Practicing Faith? 

I love to knit.  Right now I'm knitting a hat.  It's the most complicated pattern I've done.  It's been coming along great!  Until last night, when I messed up my stitch count, and the pattern just wasn't coming along like it should.  Actually, it was NOT coming along.  At all.  I got grumpy and starting thinking how I couldn't knit.  I took a break, and then found out what I did wrong.  The beauty about knitting, you can start all over again.  I pulled it all out and am starting over.  I know you can't do that with everything in life, but it's that time when you just take that moment to breath you realize (and have faith) that things aren't always as bad as they seem.

Happy Friday!!

Ssssssoooooeeeeeee!

It was adventure to New Jersey today to pick up some piggies!  We bought a Large Black boar and a Large Black gilt.  Beautiful little piggies that are suppose to have wonderful tasting meat.  I have never had Large Black pig.  But we are picking up some pork on Friday, which is half Large Black and half Berk.  I'll keep you posted on how that tastes.

Here are the new editions to the farm!  Name suggestions for the boar are welcome.

 The boar!

 The sleepy gilt!

 Happy pigs eating grass.  They were pretty hunger.  Also, Large Blacks are known for grazing.  It's lovely!!

 And there's one of our Berks, scooping out the new pigs in town.

Just HAD Too Post!

Just found this article.  Brillant!  And of course, it's my home state.  We're pretty cool up there.

Vt. Town Hires Livestock To Save Money, Go Green

 

September 23, 2012 from VPR
 
Cities and towns facing tight budgets have often neglected their cemeteries, an oversight that has left many of them in disrepair with broken fencing, crumbling gravestones, overgrown grass and persistent weeds.

But this summer, the Vermont town of Charlotte implemented a new strategy to both save money and keep grass in the town's graveyards under control, and it's a decidedly traditional way of doing it: Let goats and sheep do the work.

Stephen Brooks, who oversees two graveyards in town and smaller plots as chairman of the town's Cemetery Commission, admits it's all rather pastoral. He says it's also a financial necessity.
"Depending on the time of year, sheep and goats can chew a higher percentage or a lower percentage of what needs to be chewed down in direct proportion to how fast the grass is growing," Brooks says.

He figures these wandering animals — two goats and two sheep rented from a local farmer — have reduced the need to mow and fertilize, saving the town at least $2,000 in fuel costs this year.

Before power mowers, grazing goats and sheep were one method towns used to keep the grass trimmed. In England, some towns still leave the work to the livestock.

The move has proven popular here with those who say it's good for the environment. It's also been a hit with people like Charles Russell, who simply enjoy the aesthetic of sheep and goats grazing on a Vermont hillside. Russell is a farmer and seventh-generation Vermonter who also chairs Charlotte's Board of Selectmen.

"I have ancestors that are buried in various cemeteries," he says. "I just think it's a great idea."

Russell says nearly everyone likes the idea of using goats and sheep.

"There was just this one complaint from one person out of state who didn't like the fact that the sheep were urinating and defecating on the hallowed ground," he says.

But, he points out, lawn mowers and fertilizers aren't much cleaner.

"I'd say it's not very respectful to spray gasoline and spray fumes all over the gravestones either," he says.

Many of this town's earliest settlers have been buried for hundreds of years beneath slabs of granite. Now, they also lie beneath sheep and goats grazing on a scenic hillside in the Green Mountain State.

Courtesy of NPR

Whirl Wind

Whirl Wind.  That's how I'm describing the past 3 days.  I had very, very dear friends of mine come down on Saturday, ran in a race (got third place out of all the women, I think there was 10 or so), went apple picking, hung out in New Paltz.  Then a last minute change of plans led me to see the following:

 My beautiful cat Bravo, who slept by my side all night while I stayed at my old house, Avalon.

 This GORGEOUS sunrise on I-90 heading to Vermont for a chicken workshop.

 The wonderful Vermont landscape, which made me itch to go back to there.

 And my mom, who made this very impressive Christmas ornament made out of paper.

Venturing back to MA and Vermont, and driving for more than 10 hours in 2 days (and putting 600 miles on my car) allowed some thinking time.  Mostly about my past.  Seeing my friends and being back in MA made me miss MA.  But, I'm not very happy with myself and the last few months there.  I was very unhappy, and started analyzing myself and how I handled everything.  As my mom calls it, I was "Monday Morning Quarterbacking" myself - I was telling myself if I did x,y and z instead, I would have been happier.  If I just sucked it up, let it go, I could still be there with my dear friends and milking cows.  Then I went to VT and starting thinking that I should be back there.  It left me with mixed emotions by the time I got home.

Then I got home, to NY, and felt better when I walked into my apartment.  I started to think about how much I love my job.  Yes, I wish I was as happy as I am now when I was in MA, but then I found this quote and it's perfect:

"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.”

No matter what happened - the frustration with my job, the heartbreak of a relationship, and what has been bothering me the most - how I was so angry, sad, and how I wore it on my sleeve and had no control over them (no matter how hard I tried), it all brought me here.  I'm taking me-time, the time I never could figure out among everything that was the World of Gould.  I had to leave, VT once upon a time, and MA next, to learn how to be comfortable with myself, how to handle situations that make me angry or sad, how to not depend on everyone around me for happiness.  I'm exactly where I'm suppose to be.  

Here's the weekly picture of the the foliage!  It's changing!

 

TGIF

It's Friday! TGIF

How Am I Trusting?

This week I am trusting that new friendships will develop.  Don't worry!  I'm not sitting home alone, sad and lonely and depressed because I'm here in NY without any friends.  I am missing friends back in MA terribly, and my rugby team a lot, but as time goes on, we are all moving in different directions.  There could be a time where I may not have any friends in MA.  But this all comes up because I had dinner this week with the CEO and the 2nd in Command for where I work.  They asked if I was making friends.  I said I had gone out a few times with people, but working 6 days a week long hours makes it tough.  "But I'm not worried, I know it'll happen," I said.

Well, a couple days later at this huge managers' meeting, the 2nd in Command apparently told EVERYONE that people should get to know me because I'm a great person and haven't met very many people yet.  Good intentions, but a little embarrassing.  I had a couple people come up to me after the meeting say, "Oh, we talked about you today at the meeting."  Awesome...  

Yes, I want to make a new group of friends.  But I know it'll happen.  I'm trusting that fact.

What Am I Grateful For? 

I am grateful for my friends that I have.  Even though they are so far away - MA, OH, NY, VT, HI, they are so supportive.  I love them dearly.  And my family too.  I called my Mom in a panic because I couldn't get my license because I don't have my SS card and to get that I need my birth certificate.  I was super annoyed and mad at myself, but my Mum helped me relax.  She said she would go get my birth certificate the next day, after she had she gotten done with working all night.  Luckily, things worked out so she didn't have too.  I love being able to call her up any time, happy, sad, frustrated, and just feeling better because I talked to her.   

How Am I Inspired?

I am inspired  by the change in weather.  It's weird, I know.  But I've never really watched the trees turn.  I guess it just reminds how much I love change.  

How Am I Practicing Faith?

Since I have come to NY, I have started meditating.  It's been wonderful.  After work I look forward to coming home to meditate.  After a long day of working, it just helps me unwind, and feel good with everything that happened during the day.  Some days meditation is better than others, but I have felt with my continual practice more peace with everything in life.  

Watch this picture.  I'm going to take one picture a week from the same spot so we can see the beautiful change that's taking place. 

A Peak into the Day

It's starting to get a little slow around the farm.  There is still plenty of things to do, but it's nice not to be running around cutting hay, moving animals, constantly.  But it is getting a little worrisome, trying to find grass and not breaking into the hay.  The drought this summer and the loss of some land has put much more pressure on our pasture lands.

But today we moved the lambs from their momma's to another barn, where they will stay as we take them away to "join the Kitchen Team," as I said at my old job.  They were so happy.  But they are probably going to cry all night looking for their moms and waking the neighbors.  We'll see if I get angry phone calls tomorrow.