Anticipation of many things...

Yesterday was a rough one. A sheep was missing so I had to go looking for it and found that it had given birth to a sick lamb that wasn't nursing, just lying there listlessly. I was completely alone on the farm as Don was away on Honolulu for work. I called the vet and described what I saw and he told me to check and see if the animal would try and suckle. So, I actually had to pick up the limp, small body and stick my finger in its mouth to check and see if it could suck. It didn't. He told me that they could either do an expensive procedure that probably wouldn't work or I could give it something to euthanize it. He told me it was up to me. All I could do was stutter that I didn't know how to make that decision, on the verge of tears. I've never encountered any animal on the verge of death and I've certainly never been asked to make that kind of decision. The vet reassured me that the lamb was probably not suffering, and that there was nothing I could do. So, I actually had to walk away and let it go. It left me with a horrible feeling of helplessness. I know it's just a reality of farm life, but it was still rough.

So, now that I've thoroughly depressed myself and everyone else, sigh, I can tell about other things happening. A lot of things are "upcoming" or "in the works." For instance, I have been working on the farm by myself the last month and a half, but another guy close to my age is coming on the first of April. He's coming from doing commercial fishing in Alaska. I'm looking forward to the company.

Don will be going away to China sometime in April to visit/meet another one of his self-proclaimed girlfriends and will be gone for 2 weeks! He says she may move here if they "validate their love and feelings." Not to be crass, but knowing Don I think that's a euphamism for getting laid. It doesn't seem off at all to him that he has other girlfriends here that he's been seeing, but he thinks the women in China is a soulmate for sure. Shrug. He's a man who value monogamy, you see. I'm definately going to use that time to explore the island in earnest like I've been wanting to all this time. Then, THEN! there will be some good pictures. Hopefully, the new guy will be a good travel buddy.

Don's house is finally done (for now) and signs are promising that we'll be getting back to actual sustainable farming soon. I've been mowing fields, moving and stacking wood (for burning out bad bush...err, I mean unwanted plants, etc.) So, I think the first big project will be planting the taro fields. That's a tuber like potatoes, if you didn't know. Taro has these big elaborate leaves that are beautiful and you set them up in a basin and flood it once you're ready to pull. Then, you get out there with your bare feet and the mud and start yanking! I've never done anything like it and I'm really looking forward to it! After that, we should start building the tree houses. psyched. *Also, the completion of the house has led Don to be somewhat nicer, and thus more bareable. Perhaps I won't flee from this farm like I had planned....

Some friends of Don's, a couple by the name of Mike and Penny, are moving onto the farm very soon because their own property on the North Shore was pretty much washed away by a dam burst and subsequent flood. Now, describing Mike and Penny in just a few words is very tough, but I'll do my best. Michael and Penny are both "certified geniuses" and millionaires. Michael used to engineer, build, and captain huge boats. He bought a few from the Navy and has stories of brushes with the Japanese navy among others. He's moving in to invest in Don's mission with the farm. Penny is the oldest surviving person with Lyme's disease. She's in her early sixties. She graduated from HS at 16, College at 18 then joined a think tank at MIT by lying about her age. She has countless stories of things she's done in her life. She was a Dr. for 30 or so years, painted oil paintings of famous people (Elvis among them), was a welder, built submarines, etc. She's learning a lot about spirituality and has taken me under wing to "show me the way" as well. I think I'm going to be learning a lot from them! In fact, Michael mentioned that he has lots of sustainable projects/businesses he wants to invest in that maybe I could run! I couldn't believe it, I could potentially be running a sustainable agriculture business in the near future. crazy....but exciting. Oh, and they're bringing multiple hot tubs with them and there is talk of installing zip lines on the property! YES!

That's enough for now, the library is closing soon. Hopefully, we'll get internet on the farm soon and I can get on a lot more without pedalling to the library. Though, I do enjoy the ride up here. For those requesting more pictures. I absolutely agree and hope to soon have pics of interest to post!