on the farm

last week i began volunteering at a farm animal sanctuary here in Michigan- S.A.S.H.A. Farm in Manchester, just outside of Ann Arbor. SASHA Farm is the mid-west's largest farm animal sanctuary, housing and caring for over two hundred animals. the animals' stories of how they came to the farm are each unique but most, very unfortunately, include some form of abuse, abandonment, and neglect. however, after so much hardship they are now at a place that provides them with an abundance of love and healing. it's beautiful that places like this exist.

most of my work is with the cat barn. there are thirty some cats that reside on the farm and as i work i'm usually followed around by a feline procession, but i don't mind. i'm sure my pace is slowed down by my many breaks to give affection and attention, but love is just as vital as cleanliness in the manifestation of well-being.

yesterday, in addition to the cat barn, i cleaned out two of the pens that are being used for some goats (i'm quickly becoming really good at cleanin' up poop!). the animals have sixty-five acres of land to freely roam but when certain animals need special care, or are just being introduced into the fold, the pens are used.

there are currently two baby goats on the farm and they are so small and incredibly excited about life. i'm enamored by them and love to watch them hop around and discover the wonderments that reside in a simple pile of hay or plastic bucket. i spent some time with "Katie", the doeling, and found it really difficult to pull myself away from her. these animals' unconditional love is something from which we humans can definitely learn.

the drive out to Manchester can take up to two hours depending on traffic, and i have committed myself to once a week on the farm, every Monday. i rarely drive my car so i feel as though the lengthy trek will not increase my carbon footprint by much, it will, however, increase the healing that we are in desperate need of on this planet.

the drive, alone, is a thing of beauty. once on M-52 there's a spectacular cosmic shift that takes place. concrete, billboards, and busyness is replaced by quiescence and pastoral roads lined with cornfields and hip roofed barns. thistle, chicory, and joe-pye reachin' towards the sky... it will be incredibly refreshing and restorative for me to get out of the city at least once a week.

drishta dharma sukha viharin