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.
Hei Hei sneak attacked me today. Dude is living on borrowed time. He is one of 2 roosters we got assuming they were female chicks but turned out the feed store messed up. Our other rooster, Barred Rock, is such a gentleman but he runs Hei Hei around to make sure we all know he’s in charge. I think Hei Hei wants to dominate somebody so he takes it out on us. I tried taming him by pushing his face in the ground but I have only done it a couple times and I guess “training” a rooster takes consistency. Croc pot training is probably best.
Sometimes horses need a spa day too. We recently treated Sassy with a hoof soak for white line disease. This is a bacterial infection in the white line part of the hoof. It is not serious unless the hoof cracks so severely it renders the horse lame. To treat Sassy we used Clean It, a powder that is added to water, put in a bag, then you stick your horse’s hoof in the bag. It has to stay there for 45 minutes. Then you dump the water and do another 45 minutes in the bag for the vapor stage. It releases hypochlorous acid, which is the same substance white blood cells release to fight infections. Sassy is back to “normal”, which I use lightly because our farm is anything but normal! 🤪
It’s almost Spring and love is in the air. OK, maybe not love. But, we hope whatever is in the air, produces some cute kids in 5 months. Goat breeding season is here! Our mini Nubian, Sundae, is in heat so we moved Tod, our buck, into the lady goat pasture. Peter is sitting this one out. However it has turned out to be a lot more complicated than I had predicted. Who knew female goats have preferences and need some time to warm up?! So high maintenance! I’ll have an update soon but Operation Valentine’s Day may need a new mission plan.
