Happy Saturday!

Watching this video made me realize what a happy Saturday it'll be today.

Trinity

Next door, there's an old man who lived to his 90s.
And one day, passed away in his sleep.
And his wife, she stayed for a couple of days
And passed away

I'm sorry. I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong.

Trinity passed away in her sleep this morning, about a week after Neo died. I thought of that Ben Folds song when I realized what happened. Just as I mourn for the last of my African dwarf frogs and her short life here in this world, I think about what happened in New York 10 years ago. I can't believe a decade has passed just like that.

The sanctity of life seems so much clearer when you see death.

So It Goes.

Yesterday, Albino Cory Catfish #3 passed away. And like I did at the farm when Annabelle the Goat took her last breath, I stayed with it until it stopped moving. Some people may think it's silly that I shed tears for these pets because they're not "real" animals, like dogs or cats. But to me, it seems cruel to flush your pet down the toilet. So I bury each and every single one and honor it, like I would any life.

What can I say about Cory Catfish #3? We didn't have a name for it because there were six in the bunch, and we couldn't tell which one was which after a while. I think for a minute there, they were named after different characters in "The Office." This might've been Michael or Pam. What I can say is that it was strong as hell, never gave me any trouble and died peacefully as it lived.

Usually, when a fish or frog dies, Edgar has the unfortunate duty of scooping it out of the tank -- or hiding the dead body from me so I won't cry. Since I'm 30 miles from him and our pet cemetery, I thought the best thing was to bury it in my houseplant, Bob, that he got for me years ago. I guess it's appropriate since I found the plant scorched from the sun a few days ago and was worried about it. Now, the fish can give back to the plant, and the plant can continue to heal. And the world keeps spinning, and so it goes. Life has a funny way of working out like that sometimes.

Thank you for a wonderful three years, Albino Cory Catfish #3.

Bring Me Joy

Day 263

Day 221

Day 215

Day 2o1

From top to bottom, things that put a smile on my face: Bella, the softest silky terrier; Neo, our African dwarf frog in one of his silly poses; a magical plant growing out of a Country Crock carton filled with old gravel; Lulu, a toy poodle that looks like Park Chan-wook in "Oldboy"; Joan and Betty saying goodbye to each other; Betty passed away a few days later.

Darling Clementine

See Clementine escape!
See Clementine run! Running faster!
See Clementine devour the newly planted vegetables!

It's been about two months since I came back from Lakeport, but I think about it and the animals often. Clementine was my favorite goat there, but it didn't start out like that at all. She was one of the bigger kids -- and so rowdy, always jumping over me, other goats, just to get some more attention. My attention-whore Clementine.

I don't know exactly how it was or when she won my heart. Maybe those times when she'd escape through a hole in the fence and run towards me. Or that time she escaped with Lisa and waited for me at the door of my trailer.

Clementine was the only goat who was all white. She had little horns that felt like nubs, and she always had a wet nose. I think about her on that one day, a week before I had to leave, playing on the patio table with Lisa, their hooves making thumping sounds on the wood. They liked to escape through the hole together.

And I think about her on my last day at the farm. I was in my car, engine on, waving goodbye to everyone outside. Clementine escaped again, running towards where we all were. Javier picked her up, and I said bye to her again through the car window. The last time I spoke with him, he told me she wasn't eating as much. I'm afraid to find out what happened. Sometimes, not knowing feels safer.

I just want to remember her the way I last saw her.

Goats Goats Goats

Goats are very curious, very intelligent creatures. They were always sniffing my camera (what could it be?) or testing things out with their mouth, which made it hard to take a decent picture without ruining my equipment. I learned so much while working with them, like:

• Female goats have horns, too. They also have goatees. The horns act like a radiator, helping them cool off during the summer and warm them in the winter.
• Most mothers are dedicated. They refuse to move when they've lost their baby or cry all night until they're reunited.
• It's better to underfeed a baby goat than to overfeed. It helps their digestion system get stronger.
• Baby goats don't like to eat the grass they stepped on. They're always sticking their head out the fence to munch on fresh grass.
• Goats are just as adorable as dogs. They wag their tails when they're happy and getting head scratches.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Watching her take her last breath was one of the most profound moments of my life.

Yerba Santa Dairy, Continued

I've wised up since I got back. AKA: Don't manual-focus while taking pictures of moving objects.

Ah, photography. I'm always learning. :)

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, Pt. I

 

WWOOF is an incredible organization I found out about last year. I always dreamed of living on a farm since watching "Heidi" as a little girl, and I was lucky to find such a wonderful host in Javier of Bodega & Yerba Santa Dairy in beautiful Lakeport, CA. It was a first of many for me -- WWOOFing, driving to Northern California, traveling alone, dealing with animals -- and the experience was so life-changing that I can't wait to eventually take my farm travels to other countries. Hopefully Korea, Italy and the south of France :)

I'll be posting up some more pictures from my adventures shortly.

Juno

2o8/365

I spent the day working at Suz'. And by work, I mean yelling "food!" every five minutes and taking lots and lots of pictures of her cockatiel. The utter adorableness of a cockatiel is lost on most people, I think. In fact, my Firefox spell-checker is underlining "cockatiel" as a misspelled word. Other choices: cockatoo, cockamamie, cockatrice -- but no cockatiel. :(

To me, Juno at her best is when she's perched on my shoulder resting. But I'll take her when she's chewing on my keyboard or my glasses or leaving me a special "gift" on my jacket. (If you're wondering why each of my Juno photo is a different tone, it's because I can't make up my mind on which style I like best. So I edited each one differently, bwahahaha!)

On a random note: It's pouring right now, which is very appropriate because today is the dreaded day of filing my income taxes.

The Why of Fry

Today, we found a baby fish in our tank!

Actually, I take that back. Edgar first found it swimming around, but it was 4 a.m. when this happened so I naturally thought he was insane. We think it's from our new platy fish, the one we got to replace Andre's replacement who had committed suicide :( I just thought she was fat, but I guess she was pregnant.

Surprise!

This is probably what happened:

Purdy

by Richard Day

I saw this pretty picture while copy editing some work. What a beaut.

Rest in Peace, Andre

188/365

I will remember you as the gentle giant who loved to pout, kiss, and poop. You are safe from our scary darting fingers and the remote control now. Please say hi to Ichi.

Fauna Fauna Fauna (and God)

Day 63

I was once friends with a girl who always talked about how she loved animals more than people. And while I still think it indicates a lot about her mentality more than anything, I now understand where she's coming from.

I'm nowhere close to being an animal activist or a PETA member, but there's something about these little critters. Fishes, cats, squirrels, flowers, bees -- these things make me believe more in God than some YouTube praise song or a Bible sermon. Because while so many believers have their own agenda, wanting to fix, save, change or criticize you for your lack of belief, there's such a beautiful simplicity to flora and fauna.

Day 85

Like these two guppies. I was staring at them the other day, watching them chase each other around and swim in circles and go through narrow slits in the fish tank. Whose idea was it to give them so much personality, especially for being such tiny creatures? Who made them so their bodies could function the way they do?

All they want is some tender loving care, maybe a fish flake or two or a pat on the head, without any judgment and ill will. Whatever the answer is, I've definitely come to one conclusion: If there is a God, He's really a She or a fabulous gay man with a natural flair for color, composition and design.

Day 58

Day 81

Day 98