We had so much fun making a Mother's Day card!!!

The outpouring of support has been tremendous!

Just a few stories from my dad.......... He stopped at the local store the other day and someone handed him $5000. He goes to this store every day for the paper and the lady was there, waiting for him. The feed store is getting in 100 piglets today. They are setting aside two for him. When he was there someone he doesn't know handed him $100 bill. Someone brought them 10 sheep. An electrician told him when it is time to wire the new barn he will come and do it for free and supply all the materials. He doesn't know this guy. One of his current apprentice's parents live in Chicago and have sent around the fundraiser website to all their friends and family. Hundreds of dollars have come from people in that area. He has never met these parents. The school kids have made cards for him that make him cry. They have many school trips at the farm as informational outings through out the year, with farm tours with the horses and hand's on events. There is a fund raiser even this coming Sunday, which you just know will be a big party bash!!! Dad said it has been a very emotional week. He cries because of the devastation. He cries because of the loss of his horses and other animals. He cries when someone hands him money or gives him a hug. He cries went he reads a card from a kid.

A fund has been set up to help my folks

If you are so inclined. They have a HUGE support system up there, friends, former MOFGA apprentices, customers, school system. Yep, the school kids are planning a fund raiser. Dad stopped at the feed store the other day and the people there just loaded up his truck and sent him on his way. Another farmer offered his manure spreader as this is the time they spread manure. Another one offered his draft horses for the summer as he only uses them in the winter for pulp wood and they are pastured for the summer while he fishes. Someone at the store handed him a $5000 check. I just keep hearing these stories. I can't imagine how strange it is to wake up and not have the barn to go to and the animals to tend to. :( I know he is busy cleaning up and trying to figure out what they are going to do to rebuild, plus getting the gardens planted. So devastating. http://www.giveforward.com/darthiafarmphoenixfund

Medical Fundaising Made Simple

A link to the story and address to help

http://www.wabi.tv/news/29882/early-morning-barn-fire-at-gouldsboro-farm My dad is devastated. He spent the day putting up fencing for the remaining animals and installing a water line for those animals. They are lucky the house was spared, even though the barn is across the drive way tires implements on the house side were melted, plastic dog crates by the side of the house are half melted, the garden in front of the porch is singed. He thinks he can rebuild the manure spreader that is seen in the photo. He said the community has been amazing and he even had an offer from a guy to use his pair of draft horses for the summer. The guy uses them on in the winter and puts them to pasture for the summer while he goes fishing. Dad isn't sure he will do that as he will probably be too busy rebuilding and when it is time to hay he may need to get it done as fast as possible since so much time will be wasted rebuilding. The kids at the local school who come regularly for farm tours and education are setting up a fund raiser. There will be a fund raiser in June put on by all their friends and community. I can't even imagine. I know it is horrible for all the animals, but I know it is hardest for my dad losing Gus. Gus would have been 29 this year and he raised him from 6 months old. That is a long relationship and a long time to care for an animal. I have never known that kind of thing and it breaks my heart this tragedy happened. Just a nightmare. :(

I feel sick

My dad called this morning to tell me his barned burned down. All three horses, pigs, some cows, sheep and young meat birds died, along with all his tools and horse equipment and hay. He woke at 2 AM and found it fully engulfed. He tried to open the back door to get to his beloved Gus, his 28 year old horse, but the heat was too much. I am sure by then all the animals were gone. :( They think a heat lamp for the young meat birds did it. Thankfully, the barn is not attached to the house, so the house was spared and no human loss, but honestly I think my dad loved that horse more than any just about any other being. Truly. He had him since he was 6 months old and the horse had been doing SO well, showing the younger horses how to work. He worked him a lot even still. The relationship one has with an animal for so many years is precious and rare. That's a LONG time to take care of something every day and love it the way my dad did that horse. It just breaks my heart. I know, it is tragic for all the animals, but extra painful to lose Gus this way. Devastating. Gus is the horse on the right..........

It's all about shit.

Shit, crap, dung, doo, poo, poop, cukka, manure, plops, waste, droppings, feces, stool, #2, scat, am I missing any? Sometimes my life revolves around it, it seems. I walk dogs all day, picking up their poop in little baggies. I shovel the manure from the horse's stalls, I visit kitties and scoop their waste with a plastic little scoop. Yesterday? I walk the farm past piles of cow poop and that's not all that unusual. The cows get out sometimes. Cows poop. They leave big piles along the way and the dogs enjoy a snack here and there. The photo of the dogs in the new meadow grass is actually them dining on deer dung snacks, but yesterday it was about cow SHIT!!! Not sure when it happened, but I look down and see Spur. COVERED in cow shit. Head to tail he is COVERED!!!! Really not the kind of mess that a quick brushing and little hosing off with do. This is ALL over him and very thick and icky. This requires a full bath.

OK, so living with dogs this happens. Off to the tub. He's clean and tidy and smells good again. What does he do next? Heads out to the yard and rolls in some HORRIBLY stinky worm or bug. One of those that makes an AWFUL stink. It's now 8:00 and I don't have it in me to do another full bath. Luckily this was just on one side and I take a wet cloth and wash it off as best I can. He stinks, plain and simple, he still stinks. This morning, it is better. I brushed him out and he looks clean and only smells mildy bad. OI!!!! SHIT!!!! This is after the bath. What ears!!!!

Here Roscoe found some lovely dear dung snacks in the meadow.

Farm animals

The pigs have arrived. They have an even bigger pen. This is the nicest pig pen EVER!! I don't know if there will only be two pigs. I think more are coming, but I am not sure. If not, these two are in HOG HEAVEN!!!! :D And check out this rooster. He is really fabulous! In a certain light his feathers are iridescent. He is just the prettiest thing!!