Good morning! I’m Lesley, a volunteer and friend of
Gentle Giant and I will be guest editing the blog today. Derek and I have been
here for almost two months and I cannot believe how much we’ve learned. There is
something new every day.
For example, yesterday Greg taught us how to use a giant,
scary nail gun and how to man the Skill saw using the truck bed as a work
bench. Before this summer I thought that these skills were reserved only for
men with 25 inch biceps who chew tobacco, but no! Greg shows us how to do it
and suddenly there I find myself nailing and sawing like a pro! …like a pro
that regularly makes 9 or 10 mistakes before they get the job done correctly
that is.
So, there we were, sawing and nailing and pounding and
pulling and measuring and then Greg gets a smile on his face and says “We’ve
actually finished a project!” Yup, that’s right, we have officially secured the
corner of the big animal barn and Greg can now sleep at night knowing that it
will not topple onto their precious sheep, cows, goats and horses. Somehow,
Derek and I have managed to help Greg accomplish this. We’re pretty proud of
ourselves!
One reason why it’s difficult to finish projects is that
there are always other things that seem more urgent around the farm. Like
taking care of the cutest calf in the world, Hol-ley. After a long day in the
hot sunshine weeding and mowing, Maureen was on calf duty. We are teaching her
how to how to walk along with us on a lead rope (like a dog leash) and this
young calf already has a powerful little body. Maureen said Hol-ley was great
for a few seconds and then proceeded to tug and pull and resist like the little
wild beast she wants to be. At one point she even threw her body to the ground
like a child in a tantrum who doesn’t want to take a nap! We are all going to
keep working on this one.
Oh! Another important distraction yesterday was our
opportunity to observe the vet who came to the farm to check the horses’ teeth.
I did not realize that being a vet could be such a dangerous and exciting job.
Dr. Maci Paden had to give each horse a sedative before she started her work.
The look in Lady’s eyes was pure dopey bliss. It is odd to see a 2200 lb animal
in such an extremely docile state. I was afraid she’d fall over, but the
doctor’s pint-sized assistant was hilariously able to keep her standing. Then, the vet took a tool that looked
oddly similar to the big air hammer that Derek had been using the day before and
went to work filing down teeth that were too sharp.
Well, I have to get ready for another day down at the
ranch. I can’t wait to see what today has in store for us.
Take care and enjoy the photos!
-Lesley
Gentle Giant and I will be guest editing the blog today. Derek and I have been
here for almost two months and I cannot believe how much we’ve learned. There is
something new every day.
For example, yesterday Greg taught us how to use a giant,
scary nail gun and how to man the Skill saw using the truck bed as a work
bench. Before this summer I thought that these skills were reserved only for
men with 25 inch biceps who chew tobacco, but no! Greg shows us how to do it
and suddenly there I find myself nailing and sawing like a pro! …like a pro
that regularly makes 9 or 10 mistakes before they get the job done correctly
that is.
So, there we were, sawing and nailing and pounding and
pulling and measuring and then Greg gets a smile on his face and says “We’ve
actually finished a project!” Yup, that’s right, we have officially secured the
corner of the big animal barn and Greg can now sleep at night knowing that it
will not topple onto their precious sheep, cows, goats and horses. Somehow,
Derek and I have managed to help Greg accomplish this. We’re pretty proud of
ourselves!
One reason why it’s difficult to finish projects is that
there are always other things that seem more urgent around the farm. Like
taking care of the cutest calf in the world, Hol-ley. After a long day in the
hot sunshine weeding and mowing, Maureen was on calf duty. We are teaching her
how to how to walk along with us on a lead rope (like a dog leash) and this
young calf already has a powerful little body. Maureen said Hol-ley was great
for a few seconds and then proceeded to tug and pull and resist like the little
wild beast she wants to be. At one point she even threw her body to the ground
like a child in a tantrum who doesn’t want to take a nap! We are all going to
keep working on this one.
Oh! Another important distraction yesterday was our
opportunity to observe the vet who came to the farm to check the horses’ teeth.
I did not realize that being a vet could be such a dangerous and exciting job.
Dr. Maci Paden had to give each horse a sedative before she started her work.
The look in Lady’s eyes was pure dopey bliss. It is odd to see a 2200 lb animal
in such an extremely docile state. I was afraid she’d fall over, but the
doctor’s pint-sized assistant was hilariously able to keep her standing. Then, the vet took a tool that looked
oddly similar to the big air hammer that Derek had been using the day before and
went to work filing down teeth that were too sharp.
Well, I have to get ready for another day down at the
ranch. I can’t wait to see what today has in store for us.
Take care and enjoy the photos!
-Lesley
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