I’m still working through yesterday’s experience at Blue Star Equiculture. I don’t have all the words for it yet and there are many different things that happened, its hard for me to articulate them. But this wall hanging tells part of the story. It’s about our oneness to the animals and nature around us. It’s about the power of dreams to speak the truth, even if we can’t articulate them. It’s about how if we can really listen and see, we can actually have a conversation with the earth and all it’s inhabitants, even if it’s not in words.
“Tell it To the Trees” is for sale. Sold. It measures about 21 1/2 and 22 1/2 and is $125 + $8 shipping. You might be able to explain it better than I can. If it speaks to you in one way or another, and you’d like to own it, just let me know. You can email me here at [email protected]. I take checks and paypal.
Your work is beautiful & spiritual moving! The photos on Jon’s Blog of you & the horses in the snow are beautiful & moving to me. I had a horse for a few years as a child & one several years ago. They are special animals & I think many of us who are animal lovers have a definite “connection” & special language with these animals. The photos of you & the horse really stirred up memories is me & brought tears. I appreciate the sharing of your Journey. Thanks. Mary Ann
Maria Wulf, Five years ago I stated volunteering at a brand new, starting up, farm animal rescue, Heartland Farm Rescue. In Wisconsin, the heart of America’s agricultural life, there was no place for old, past their prime, disabled, not wanted, and absued farm animals except maybe to slaughter houses. Our founder and director could not allow that and created Heartland FarmSanctuary Rescue.
In her mission statement, prominently, she pledges, “no animal she takes in will be killed for food or profit, but will be guaranteed a full, natural life as long as that will live. We will feed, water, provide all medical needs, and when possible engage our animals in our outreach programs for disadvantaged children and young adults. ” We will socialize our animals so that are comfortable around people, especially children as they can be. That sociability is the only work we will require of them, but it is important to our animal rescue.
When I started volunteering, we had 4 animals, 2 piglets and 2 goats. Now we care for over a hundred animals, ducks, geese, chickens (lot’s of roosters), turkeys, goats, sheep, llamas, horses, pigs, donkeys, and of course barn cats.
I am a retired teacher, Retired because I lost my vision – macular degeneration. When I could still volunteer, I helped create one of our outreach programs. We offered 6 and 9 week internships for disabled and disadvantaged kids to come and work at our farm.
We supervised them and taught them how to feed, water, sometimes medicate the animals. How not be afraid and to interact comfortably with all the animals. The animals were their responsiblity during their internship. That was a huge, successful aspect of the project.
One of our first internships, was with twin autistic, teenage girls. They were completely speechless. I was doing chores on the first day of their internship and I saw how terrified they were of the twin, one year old goats that were to be their main responsibility for their internship.
A slow process, but we saw the girls feeding and watering the goats, touching them, brushing them, walking them into the pastures, and sitting down in the pasture and letting the goats approach themand nibble on their clothes, sniff them all over. Soon, there were moments of silent concentration on each other. These moments became longer and longer. Near the end of the internship, the goats greeted the girls specifically, but no one else, when they came to work each day.
Then an even more amazing thing happened. When the girls were working with and playing with the goats, they started talking to the goats. No one, no one in the girl’s family had ever hear them speak.
We began asking the girls direct questions. like,
will you go get the bigger water dish for the sheep?” In a very short time they not only continued to follow directions and requests but they started reponsdng verbally, “yes”, “no”, “do you want me to feed the pigs?”.
I was a teacher for almost 28 years. That experience with the girls and our animals was as emotionally empactfull as just about anything in my life.
Reading about your experience at Blue-Star Equiculture reached into me as deeply as the girls and our goats.
Like Jon Katz, I am a writer, and places, objects, and especially animals are highly spiritual to me. Your wall hanging talks to me just like the girls and the goats continue to talk to me.
Beautiful story Don.