blowdry is participating in Day of Blogs this year! She's blogging for the World Wildlife Fund, a very good cause. CLICK HERE to read details on how to support her! I know I will be. :)


So, the good news is I've actually been sketching a wee bit. Mostly 'Real Ghostbusters' fan art (ha!) and a goat pic or two. They're all extremly rough and will never be posted (also because I don't have scanner access here) but maybe I'll finish them someday. Regardless, it just feels good to doodle, however roughly. AND, I'm actually making good progress on a small piece I'm contributing to ani_bester's hp_art_project. I am SO GRATEFUL to be able to participate in this still, because it's an awesome project, it just came at the wrong time for me to participate as much as I would have liked to. :( But yeah, I'm so excited that I still get to contribute a drawing.


P.S. I'm totally geeking out about all the Ghostbuster stuff going on... this was a great time for me to get newly interested in the franchise! New video game (SO EXCITED FOR THAT!), Blu-Ray release of the films, Real Ghostbusters on DVD, new comic series and who knows what all else this fall! Plenty of crap for me to start spending money and leisure time on when I come down from the moutains of New Mexico and start earning a wage again, haha!

P.P.S. Holy crap! X-Files 2 in two days! O_O I will probably not be seeing it until I'm back from Disneyland.... oh sweet baby Damballa, let it be awesome!

I had crazy dreams last night/this morning. Prominantly featured was my going to some sort of goat rescue (though they had one thorougly disgruntled llama, too!) because apparently I was in a position to get one or two additional goats. This imaginary goat rescue was a crazy place, chock-full of needy goats... in fenced dog runs outside, and even some lounging in the hallways of some sort of building where there was simultaneously a school going on (doubtlessly influnced by my visiting The Gentle Barn Foundation's website last night. Love their idea, btw...).
As in real life, I gravitated towards Nubians. There was a lovely brown gal who had recently kidded, and so had 2 little brown horned babies with her. I remember struggling with this in the dream, knowing that I didn't really need 3 new goats, but what would I do with the babies otherwise? Sell them? Butcher them humanely? I moved on.
Saw Nubians of every color, all of them friendly and coming up to see me. I wanted to take them all, but of course couldn't, which is why I was starting to try and base my decision on their looks - to help narrow down my choices. So difficult. There was even a ridiculous yellow paisley patterned Nubian that could never exist in reality, with two deformed kids. I believe the lesson there was one about overbreeding for looks and patterns and "breed standards" rather than good, sound, healthy genetics. Weird. Disturbing.

This might be a warning to me if I start to get into this rescuing/fostering/facilitating adoptions business.... there are going to be way more goats that deserve love (or at least decent lives) than I am able to provide, and to do animal work is to be faced with difficult and sometimes brutal-seeming decisions. I suppose this is true for all living beings.... there are more people, children, farm animals, dogs, cats, horses, wildlife, etc, etc who deserve far better than they are doled out.
So, do we just give up and not care - say "that's life, oh well", or do we do our best to help even at the risk of becoming overwhelmed and being faced with cruelty and injustice? Even though one person's efforts won't stop the problem, isn't it worth trying anyway? If everybody tried a little, wouldn't the problem eventually be eased? That's what I have to keep on believing... and not only for that reason, but for the reason that caring for those who are so helpless, so dependant and wronged, gives me (at least) an incredible feeling, one that cannot be replicated by a life focused solely on oneself. I am eager to do more of it.

I've been doing a lot of fantasizing about my future home, and am absolutely chomping at the bit to get a job and a budget. Gabby just turned 6 years old this summer... a goat starts to enter "old age" at around 8 or 9 years old (if they've had a decent life, like Gabby has). I am desperate to have her back for a few years before she dies.
Funnily enough, my dream barn has been getting more mental attention than any dream house for myself. Maybe because I figure that if I were to ever build my own home, I would still have a professional do it, with me providing only requirements and guidelines. But the barn would be designed fully by myself, and is more fun to think about right now because I've been saving up ideas on what an awesome goat barn would be... straw bale/adobe construction, solar light capability, water access, good ventilation and skylights, earthen sleeping shelves, sloped earth or concrete floors, covered concrete patio to aid in hoof maintanence, lots of things to climb on, leap from and lounge on, gateways to multiple pastures for rotation purposes... UGH, would be awesome.

But it is most likely that my first goat barn will more resemble the one below, and I'm sure the goats will be perfectly content with it. :)




OK, enough of this. I'm gonna go to the Goodwill to drop of some stuff and hopefully find new "farm jeans" (ones big enough to fit over long underwear) Also have one last dairy paycheck to deposit and then a trip to the investment agency - gonna start a Roth IRA THIS WEEK.

Not much to say. Saw "Indiana Jones" awhile ago - overall liked it a great deal. Especially the first part and the stuff with his lady-friend had me grinning like a big dork. Saw it twice.

Saw "WALL-E". Frickin' loved it. I haven't seen such a cute character or sweet romance in ages. Repeat viewing required.

Haven't seen "Dark Knight" yet. Wasn't actually a huge fan of "Batman Begins", so am not SUPER eager... but my little sister loved it so we'll probably see it together.

"X-Files: I Want To Believe" comes out soon. Of course I am required to see it, but I am very apprehensive. I fear epic suckage. I hope I am wrong.

Somehow I've managed to become completely nocturnal over the past few days. Great. Must try to fix this, as BUNCHES OF EXCITEMENT are soon forthcoming: Disneyland in a week, wedding the week or so after that, then ON THE ROAD AGAIN on August 13.


I'm going to go take a walk.

End of line.

So, like I said in a previous post, I will not be participating in the Day of Blogs (which is filling in while the usual Blogathon takes a break this year). However, the lovely and fabulous bzzinglikeneon IS.
CLICK HERE to go to her LJ and sign up to sponsor her. She'll be updating her LJ every half hour for 24 hours starting on July 26th to raise money for Disabled American Veterans (Charity Star info HERE). A good cause, plus she's throwing in some little incentives for sponsors! Check it out, and consider heading over to the Day of Blogs website and seeing if there's other blogs you'd like to sponsor.
As for me, I hope to participate in blogging next year, but for now will be sponsoring bzzinglikeneon and possibly some others. C'mon, everybody! Sponsoring makes ya' feel good!

So apparently the Blogathon people are taking a break this year. I'm disappointed, but can't say I blame them... it must be a huge effor to coordinate! Anyway, I won't be doing my own personal Blogathon, I'll just hope to be able to participate in 2009.

EDIT: It would appear that someone else is doing a substitute Blogathon, Day of BLogs.... I will look into this further, and perhaps participate??? We'll see!

EDIT AGAIN: Oh, looks like I won't be able to participate this year. It's probably for the best anyway. Definitely look forward to 2009's event!

I blogged for Pasado's Safe Haven in 2007 and The Elephant Sanctuary in 2005. Who will it be next time...hmm.

I think I'm going to go heat up some microwave Indian food and watch a movie, or perhaps make some new LJ icons. I wish I had ice cream.

It's a really long and stupid story how I found this, but basically some kid who I went to Kindergarten and possibly 1st Grade with has a personal webpage, and put our Kindergarten picture online. I sorta remember this kid, he had a crush on my best friend at the time. But I changed schools when I hit 3rd grade and certainly did not keep in contact, nor do I have any desire to resume contact with him. But it's just a little odd to have someone other than me scan my Kindergarten picture and put it online, lol....

Can you find me? The kid put an arrow pointing at his own head. You get an imaginary cookie if you can figure out which one's me, heheh...


In other news, I think I'm going to be flocking a bunch of past posts, and am really going to try and be better about locking more posts in the future. Why? Because while I don't feel like I really do anything too controversial on here, I will be looking for a job when I return from NM, and I would HATE for anything on here to be objectionable to any potential future employers who might be checking. Just a heads-up. Even this post may be locked before I leave in August.

Have been trying to keep myself occupied by visiting pistolandlariat (where we watched horror-comedies, drank booze and went on walks and nearly got pooped on by an entire flock of seagulls... it was so close we heard the splats) and lapith and co., at a beautiful park in West Seattle and ate delicious grilled food. Also spent time with some old work friends, kronos8 and my sister, so I've often been away from the computer and when I *am* in front of it, just haven't really felt like updating for some reason. I'm really bored and restless, but I'll write more about that later. Maybe. For now, it's dinner time.

Ah, one night on a big clean double futon in a big clean house and I'm feeling pretty good. A little sore from not moving much over the last few days, and disgruntled (but not surprised) about the weather, and I'm already in major goat-withdrawals. My day just doesn't feel right without a soft little kid head to rub or a big sweet girl like Ella or Taco to bear-hug. Good thing I'm going to be keeping pretty busy over the next month - lots of people to see, places to go, events to attend. I'll probably be leaving around the 10th or 11th of August, so Washington friends we gotta get our visits planned ASAP! I'm gonna find a calendar and just start calling everybody. :)

In the meantime, I wanted to post some going away pics from the dairy. This is mostly going to be blabbering about goats and the layout, since I'm not sure that any of my human companions at the dairy want their pictures up on the interenet. But know that I had amazing co-workers and friends there, who were a joy to work with and whom I wish all the very best. :)

( Behind the cut!! TONS of photos, not dial-up friendly! )

Well, that's it for the photos! I think I might have more on my computer, but the computer is in storage so too bad. I feel pretty weird without my computer, I must say... it carries so much information and things that are important to me, and I spend so much time on it that I feel really... I dunno.... incomplete? without it... which might be an indicator that i have a problem, hahaha....

Hey, kids! So, here I am in Washington, alive and well. But I'm verrrrry tired, so any updates and catching up on LJs and emails is gonna have to wait until at least tomorrow. For now, I must sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.


This weekend is the 2 year anniversary of when I started this crazy farm adventure. I started work at Heifer on July 5th, 2006. Oh, how the time flies....

Will update more substantially soon, but just wanted to let anyone who cares know that I'm here safe and sound. And it's raining. Typical!

Well, as soon as this is typed I'm packin' up the computer and heading out the door - back to Washington for a month and a half!
I wanted to get loads of Toluma dairy photos and thoughts up here before now, but didn't get a chance - but I did upload them all to my webspace, so as soon as I get to WA I'll do an update then.
But until that time, thanks Toluma Farms and everyone there, human and caprine alike, for teaching me so much! It's been quite an experience, definitely an irreplaceable and integral part of my goat education. Thank you.


Emily, me and Ella... my two favorite gals here. I'll miss you, sweeties!

More later - I'm on the road! See you in a few days!

Since I'm always freaking out about all that alarmist business, like global warming and peak oil and the stock market crashing and the water shortage and all the arable land getting paved over, mass extinctions, blah, blah, I'm always wondering how humans are going to fare in the future. Personally, I am confident that no matter what, the planet Earth will be fine regardless of what happens to us. When people speak of saving the planet, I think more of saving our lifestyle.... of keeping our habitat habitable for us. Because if we kill ourselves off, the earth won't give a crap. She'll just keep on turnin'. Whaddaya think?


Poll #1212506 We're All Gonna Die
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

How Can We Avoid Killing Ourselves Off As A Species?

I was going to write more about this, but I'm tired and gotta milk in the morning so I'm going to sleep now.

Poll #1212495 Self-Examination
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

What sin do you most struggle against in yourself?

What virtue do you feel is your strongest?

I know I said like, twice already that I was done making ex-Heifer goat posts... well, I honestly thought I was. But now I mean it for realz. :B
Went for a last visit at their new home, just to see how they've settled in and to feed them apples and pat them one last time for the foreseeable future. To my delight, they look happy and healthy and comfortable. Well-fed and adjusted. Rosie is a bit more emaciated, but I believe this is due to age (and possibly stress from moving so much recently), not any sort of mistreatment or neglect. Especially since everyone else is looking so good. I love when Gabby and B.J.'s summer coats come in, such sleek and shiny Nubians.
Though it's a little bit hard to gauge with animals, I'm pretty sure that they recognized me right away. They were eager to see me, even before I showed them I had apples, haha... of course I could be wrong about that, but either way, we had a nice time visiting.


( Just a couple photos... )

So, it was a nice little visit, and I feel good about leaving for what's likely to be a very long stretch.
Will do a post on the Toluma goats I've come to <3 soon.


Ugh, I just ate an entire chocolate bar. Not smart.

ATTENTION!

If you ordered a $25 Goat Veterinarian Bill Commission back in February and haven't received it yet, this concerns you!!

So, I've officially thrown in the towel on anything artistic and have packed up all my drawing supplies save for a tiny sketchbook and pencil, which will be taken with me to New Mexico to jot down any drawing ideas that may come to me there. I know how I work, and it's pretty much a given that nothing will be drawn between now and whenever I settle back down, which will not be until November, at the earliest. I will be interning through October, then have to find a job and a place to live, then move there, then deal with Christmas. I know myself, and I know that I don't really draw under those sort of circumstances, so all commissions are going to be delayed until that time.

If this is unacceptable to you, I will refund your $25. If you would rather wait, I will draw your drawing when I'm set up again, but like I said, this will not be for a pretty long time. It's up to you - I won't be upset if you want your money back, nor will I be upset to keep your commission in the queue until then. I can only apologize for being foolish enough to open up commissions at a time when I was/am too busy and tired and distracted to finish them in a timely manner.

More updates later.

I bought this at an antique store a while ago, and don't think that I ever posted it.... the date on it reads 1901. Look at the size of that bull! O_O




Was going to write more, but suddenly don't feel like it. Instead I think I'll eat something, watch a 'Real Ghostbusters' episode, and go to bed.

Well, quickly as it came it seems to have vanished: my finicky Muse. I've got a sketch of poor Winston Zeddemore gazing forelornely from my sketchbook, and a partially-colored Ghostbusters 2 drawing abandoned on the "desk", not to mention about three started $25 commissions staring accusingly at me, their pencil-sketched eyes burning into my soul, saying, "Why haven't you finished ussssss...??? Looooooserrrrr......" Ugh. Freaking lame.

I'm moving in 2 weeks time, and am in that awkward point of moving where you've packed up all the stuff you can obviously live without for the next few weeks, but are not sure how to proceed without packing up something you're going to wear/use/eat in the next 2 weeks. Plus, I've pretty much run out of room to stack boxes in here. So I'm not sure if I should keep all my art stuff out in a last desperate hope that I'll actually produce something in the next two weeks or if I should just give up and pack it up. *sigh*

( Nerdery concerning Ghostbusters and video game consoles... )

I was going to write about slightly more important things, such as mortal sins and wasted potential, but I'm hungry. Maybe later.

Happy Birfday, saeryph!!!!

A very happy birthday to you, dear Konstanze!
<3

I somehow ended up with two copies of a certain international Harry Potter book. Would anybody like the extra one? If you pay for shipping, I'll send it to you.
First person who contacts me gets it!

I'm getting my car all ready for my long trips. I bought a little fire extinguisher for the trunk. Here's hoping I never have to use it. o_O

P.S. I also got a Bic lighter to put in the emergency kit in the trunk. It should be safe just sitting in a tupperware in there, right? Like, it won't explode if it gets too hot or anything, will it? :B

Because my internet's being unreliable and I'm at the library right now and I want to make sure this gets through in time, HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY, gothy_dork!!! I hope it's a happy one. *hugs*