Friday, September 06, 2013

Projects

Here at the farm, there are constantly chores to be done, animals to be fed and checked on, laundry to be washed and folded, eggs to be gathered, apples to be picked off the ground and sorted, trash and recycling to be moved to their proper bins and dumpsters; the list goes on and on.  In order to free up important time for the Healthcare Staff and to allow them to give the animals the best care possible, these chores/jobs fall to the interns.  The list is of "to do's" is long and tedious, however, it's necessary, and while it sometimes gets repetitive, it's obvious that you're helping the farm to run properly, giving more time to support the quality of life for the animals who live here.  It's addicting and I love it.

Kalfin, the sheep, and I posing for a quick selfie.  He's a very cool and cuddly dude... and I'm always down for a cuddle.

Let me walk you through a day on "Projects"...





Usually, there are two interns working projects.  We split up the chores to run through our days "to do's" more efficiently and effectively.  Starting off the morning at 6:00 am, I roll out of bed, body still a bit stiff from the day before, and then stumble around between the kitchen and the closet where the cat and dog food is kept and go around feeding all 5 cats in the house and the puppy that we are currently fostering.  Then, if a large (very large) pot of coffee hasn't already been put on, then that specific task is immediately attended to.  Farm work is strenuous, and for someone who is already dependent on caffeine in the morning, it is a necessary tool to waking up.---So, it's "down the hatch" with some breakfast, then throw on work clothes and boots and head out the door.  We then walk down to the hospital by 7:00 am, roosters crowing at the dawn and the farm cats gathering for their morning meals.

Once at the hospital, we each grab a walkie-talkie and begin splitting chores.  There's morning mashes to make up for the sheep and the cattle, mud puddles to be filled for the pigs, hospital animals to be fed, laundry to be done, general cleaning around the hospital, and many more extra chores that might bore you if I kept going.  However, this is by no means a boring job.  In fact, I look forward to what each day brings with projects.  With everyday on the farm, there is always the possibility that an animal will be sick or even die, however, more often than not, there's the chance to see animals get progressively better or even watch them grown and mature into adulthood.  You're also able to witness animals actively live well-cared-for, healthy lives where they would otherwise be living out a life suitable for a nightmare or horror movie had they not been fortunate enough to be rescued by Farm Sanctuary.  It's a privilege to be able to be a part of.

One of my favorite (and possibly one of the more disgusting) chores on Projects is cleaning out the pens and cages in the hospital.  I'll just go out and say it... we deal with a lot of "varieties" of poop.  The animals here are being monitored for various reasons, so we become close to them as we work with them and spend time with them every day.  There are birds who have fallen off of transport trucks driving them to slaughter and picked up by good Samaritans (right place, right time), animals who are being treated for various illnesses, animals who are being rehabilitated from injuries, and animals who are being monitored because they're elderly, young, blind, or have physical disabilities that put them at risk for being with other animals out on the farm.  We clean their pens and scrape their poop, keep an eye on them if they're not doing well, and make sure that they're getting along with their pen-mates.

There's Pearl, a blind turkey and lovely lady, who likes to stand with her feet in her pool on hot days, Ari, a two week old calf with the best underbite in the world, who likes to nap, chew on work boots, and frolic in his yard with you, and Frankie (or Francine), a broiler hen, who loves to eat more than anything in the world and loves it when we come to visit her.  There is also Desmond, an extremely moody and somewhat wild rooster who (once he is caught so that we can clean out his pen) enjoys snacks like raisins and cranberries, Ginger, a little jungle-fowl rooster whose feet are deformed so that walking is difficult, but who enjoys "talking" with you, and resting in your arms, and Miriam, a leghorn chicken who is blind in one eye and has an amazing "comb" over... literally... it's great.  When in the process of laying an egg, Miriam let's us know by constantly streaming a slew of "buh gawks", "squaks", and "errrrs"... and then an egg magically appears and she becomes happy, quiet, and content once again.

This motley crew of characters and their personalities gives credence to their value as individual beings who deserve an equal shot at a quality life, just as we have been.  The familiarity of mood swings and social awkwardness, habits and quirks, just like our own, that the animals exhibit, is fascinating to watch and makes coming to work exciting and enjoyable.  I'll scrape their poop any day.

Projects involves a lot of heavy lifting.  There are times when we carry giant bags of feed from one barn to the other and it's amazing to physically realize that my body is growing stronger each day.  It's extremely empowering to walk up a hill with a 40-50 pound feed bag on your shoulder and then walk back down and do it again, and again.  The first time that you realize that you haven't been winded by the hike up a hill begs you to stop and consider how the job is affecting your whole being in a positive way, both mentally and physically.  I feel healthy, strong, and in line with my values.  I feel like an active participant not only in my own life, but also in life itself, moving forward to a more compassionate and tolerant world that is concerned in it's own preservation and quality of living concerning all of it's inhabitants, from animals (including man) and the environment.

Typically, Projects is what each intern is doing the majority of the time.  However, there is also Cleaning, Checks, and Feeds (which I will soon be trained on).  At the end of the day on Projects, you find yourself sweeping and mopping the entire hospital (a tedious and redundant chore) before you check out for the day.  As you find yourself lost in the act of pushing the mop back and forth and back and forth, you find yourself clearing your head of distractions and considering your day, your life, your thoughts, and your future.  This is often when I think most about Joey and how I cannot wait to be sharing our adventures together again and how much I wish I could share this adventure with him as well.  I think about my kids--my students, at Oakhaven, and how I wish that they too could experience this amazing place and all of its inhabitants and the amazing affect the animals can have on your soul.  I think about how my time here is slowly running out and I brainstorm about how I can make the most of this experience once I leave and what I can do or where I can fit in to be the most productive in this complex life.

It's a lot to do and a lot to think about... and even though it's terrifying, I love it.


Happy Friday everyone!


p.s. - I'm tossing out the regular posting... I'm giving up :P.  The internet, or lack thereof, and my unpredictable laptop (it's been having all sorts of issues), often interferes with my plans to post consistently.  That, and time flies here and exhaustion often sets in and distracts from any kind of productivity.  So, I'm going to fit in posts wherever I can now, and announce it in Facebook status's like I have been.  It's also been difficult dealing with photos and videos that I've taken, so hopefully I can sort through that as well :).  Have a great weekend!

4 comments:

Joey said...

Like a Boss!!!

Dani C said...

You are the best. Those projects sound exhausting but rewarding. GO MEGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Man, I totally slacked on the blog! Yours is awesome!

Meg Travis-Carr said...

Thanks, Dani and Shelley! :D