Today I turned 40 years old with a bottle of champagne and my family on a summit overlooking the North Cascades. We kicked off the weekend on the Pacific Crest Trail at Harts Pass near Canada. The PCT was the first “big girl” trail I hiked after moving to Seattle in 2013. Spending time in complete silence (for hours) was a first for me. It truly changed my life. When I finally grew comfortable paying attention without immediately reacting, I was really able to listen and see life around me in a way I never had before. If someone asks what really led to the end of my career, it was an internal shift I have a hard time describing but ultimately resembles self-awareness, and it probably began on the PCT. I met several through hikers this weekend who started at the Mexico border and were almost done. I asked what they planned to do after such an accomplishment. “Go home and get back to work,” most said. At first it seems anticlimactic but I remember Trent Peterson, a young man whose story I told years ago, as he rode wild mustangs along the PCT. He used to say that the PCT is just a trail, what matters is that we slow down, pay attention and see clearly whatever path we’re on. I looked up a quote from that report to share with you all.
“This isn't to advocate for the PCT. The PCT is just a trail. Get out of the rat race and slow down. Pay attention to the little things, not just the big things, because it's the whole picture we need to be aware of," he said.
The first time I watched a cow sorting practice last year, it was like a switch went off in my head. “THIS is what I want to do with the rest of my life.” Some people want to retire. I want to be a cowgirl. Thankfully, Lily enjoys it too (though she says it’s more fun to do it in the shade), and turns out Sassy isn’t scared of running up on cows and chasing them away. All of this made for a fun day trying it for ourselves for the first time at the kids’ Rodeo Camp.
Yelling at the cows definitely helps so I keep my cowgirl chompers healthy with the vitamins A, D & K in Green Pasture’s fermented cod liver/concentrated butter oil blend. It’s also packed with omega 3s that keep inflammation at bay when putting my 44-yr old mom body to the test. Use promo code “ALISON” for 10% off at check out. https://greenpasture.org/
Anyone who has ever had baby goats knows their little hops are the cutest to watch. Here’s a compilation of some from yesterday.
You can support the farm and your health at the same time by shopping with Green Pasture. I have been taking the fermented cod liver/concentrated butter oil for 15 years now and I really do credit it with overhauling my chronic battle with cavities. I take it every day for the vitamins and omega 3s. It’s a food-based source of nutrition which makes it that much more available for your body to utilize. Use promo code “ALISON” at check out for 10% off. https://greenpasture.org/
We watched a snake eat a rat, and it was the most fascinating thing I have seen in a long time. Lynn says it is a rat snake. If you have any other ideas, leave them in the comments. Anyway, do we need a barn cat if we have a barn snake?
Don’t forget to keep your fangs healthy with the fermented cod liver/butter oil from Green Pasture! Packed with omega 3s and vitamins A, D & K - it saved my teeth from chronic cavities. Use promo code “ALISON” at check out for 10% off. https://greenpasture.org/
