Back in the Blog World- Thanks Jade

Before the blog tonight which is really about yesterday, let me say that the little sanity I pretended to have completely disappeared yesterday when I became blogless. I am a computer idiot and all it takes to push me over the edge is the foibles of the computer world. Thanks to Jade and her wisdom I have regained the pretense of sanity and will try to present life on the ranch in a coherent and logical manner (except for the shrimp which will appear later).
The baby goats are still drinking milk. Two of the goats drink from the big bottles, but one little fellow will only drink from the small ones. Three times a day we feed 2 big bottles and 4 small ones. At $25.00 a bag which lasts 5 days that's a lot of milk money. Oh well, the babies are getting bigger and love grass and bushes so all too soon they will be bottle free.

Yesterday our volunteer Jenny came to help. Jonathan has become the ranch mascot. Since he had his teeth fixed, a worming, his shots and a vitamin B shot to boost his appetite, he has become a regular lightning bolt. Actually, he's slow and deliberate, but follows whomever is around so he can get pets and treats. His favorite is carrots. He starts off in one direction, his old legs wobbling and I think his mind would like him to stop, but the legs keep going. When he does stop he looks as though he wonders how he got to where he is, because that's not where he intended to go. He rests a minute then wanders some more. We love him so much. He is free all day, but we put him in at night.

We were asked why we put so much time, effort and money into an old fellow. We do it because it improves the quality of his life for however long that may be. Why shouldn't he have the best possible life, even if it's not for long? Who knows? Maybe he'll last another 37 years. Hey, Beth. Got a treat for an old guy? How about a pet? He was so shy for the first week, but now is quite the ambassador.

Jonathan's friend Tawny has become good friends with Tory

Tory and Tawny are penned so they can receive lots of extra food. I think they are already gaining weight. Pico is always ready for some lovin'. He is a magnificent Westphalian. 17.2 hands tall.

Hi Jonathan. Want a close up?

The acorn woodpeckers have filled the tree from top to bottom. They put the acorns in then forget about them.

Lots of love to give and get.

Come on out to Home At Last and find a horse you can love.

OK What is Jade's dinner doing on the blog? Well, we were trying everything to get pictures instead of words and numbers. When we finally got one we decided to leave it in. Check out Jade's blog here. We laughed. I quit swearing at 3 AM this morning, so laughing was all that was left. Screaming didn't work.

Beth, Jenny and Brain rode Brandie Sunday. Thanks, Brandie. You are a good teacher.

Helen came today. We missed her. She worked with Trixie who came from Nor Cal. No pictures because I was sure I'd never get the computer to work again. Next time.

Thank you to so many of you who have kind words and thoughts for us and the critters. We do appreciate it.

Home At Last Sanctuary homeatlastsanctuary@gmail.com POBox 4129 Yankee Hill Ca 95965

Thank you Lin C and Ursula and Walt C for your donations.

Questions and Answers Sat April 18 2010

We are often asked why we do what we do. The above pictures should answer that question. We love to be a part of something larger than ourselves. We love to serve others- whether they be two or four or no legged critters. We like knowing we make a difference. When we awaken each morning there are faces greeting us - faces that wouldn't be here if we hadn't brought them to Home At Last.
We made a conscious choice to do without the leisurely retirement, fancy cars, and vacations. We would rather be here at the ranch than anywhere else in the world.
We are asked, also, how we can deal with the cruelty that others have done to these animals. That's harder. We try to make each day for the animals here the best day of their life. They live in the moment. Yes, some are emotionally scarred, but we offer them sanctuary. I would like to have a serious talk with their abusers or neglecters, but it wouldn't make any difference.
Many of the horses were well loved and placed here by  kind, caring, loving owners. They more than make up for the negligent, cruel ones. Their continued support and concern for their animals is wonderful.
How do we deal with death? Because we have so many horses, donkeys and mules and because they come with all sorts of problems and because some are aged we face death a lot. We have to make hard choices. We value the quality of the animals' lives. We use a standard our vet gave us. Choose 3 things the animal loves and when they can no longer do 2 of the 3 things their quality of life is diminished.
This means we get to know the animals well, so that we can judge their joys. We know each animal well- their favorite itchy place, their favorite snack, their best buddy. We know who likes to nap,  eat alone or  be with someone else.
We cry for days over every death. We mourn their passing and rejoice that we got to be a part of their life. We deal with it because we do it for them, not for us.
How do we afford it? We rely on donations and our dwindling bank account. We need more supporters to keep going. So far the donations are way less than half of what we need each month. We have no paid employees. All donations go directly to animal care.
If you can help, let us know. Thank you.
Donna Kyle POBox 4129 Yankee Hill CA 95965  homeatlastsanctuary@gmail.com

Where are my socks? And other pressing matters...

After goats gone wild premiered (and was canceled by the network) tonight:

LD (Beth's little brother) posed a very important question:

Where are my socks?

However, I had no idea. Jade gave me a "crash course" in computer literacy, and I am frazzled. And I am crashing soon.

The evening's highlights:

Princess suckles on her own fur, if you can't comfort yourself, who can?

Some of the residents here were not so sure about the click click click of Jade's camera:

Breeze Bay

Jesse - AKA the Mudamino:

Jenny

The Mini-Hennys: Left to Right - Maggie, Sugar and Posey:

Others however, were ready for their close-up:

Navajo

 Tawny's nose

Lacey

Still others, well they just expected food (and there are MANY many, always hungry residents here - can you help?)

Sweetie-Pie (left) shares a piece of straw with Star (right)

The boys think ANY time is a good time for food!

Thank you Jade, even though it was due to your car overheating & hungry kids, for taking the time to help me make better use of my computer, "pretty-up" and  take the pictures for tonight's blog, and for composing & posting it.

Just spent on hour on the blog and it disappeared. Will do it tomorrow. I'm too frustrated now.

Wed. April 14 2010 Wethering Heights

It was vet day today.

Start out with a little coffee and plans for the day.

Belle and Charles got their shots and their teeth checked. Charles will be checked again in a couple of weeks. They watched the activities of the day.

First up is Ruby. Ruby is about 20 and needed some dental work.

Every body smile.

Hey doc, my tongue won't stay in my mouth.

My eyes keep closing.

Oh, I feel woozy. But it didn't hurt.

Next came Tawny. Isn't he beautiful? His teeth really needed a lot of work. The vet feels he needs to gain about 300 pounds. He and Jonathan will go in the barn for a few weeks for extra special feedings.
Open wide.

Look how thin he is. We'll soon fix that.

After his dental work was done his sheath was cleaned. Male horses often get a "bean" in their pouch. When Dr D tried to get Tawny's bean out he had to break it in half. Below is half. Dr. D said it was the biggest bean he had ever seen. I bet Tawny feels a whole lot better now.