Sitting here on a Sunday night as I start to write this post. Looking around me and seeing all of my animals dozing or just about there…the bed was just freshly made with laundered sheets and two fleece blankets, so you know what kind of a magnet that’s gonna be this evening for all of the felines! (Well, and this human and of course, the dog.)
It just makes me feel content, moments like this. The heat is running (of course, it is Boston on Feb. 1st, after all, and we are expecting ….wait for it…., more snow!!!) YAYYY (yes folks, you’re not imaging it…that is sarcasm you are hearing as you read this post to yourself.)
But really, it does. I feel content because I know I’m settled in for the night, and don’t have to go out in the cold. (Gotta love having a dog that is trained to use pee pads and who hates the cold, too.) Well, at least I don’t have to go out until the morning anyway, since it’s unlikely my workplace will close.
Earlier today, as is my normal Sunday routine, I got up early, had my two cups of coffee and got ready to go to the shelter to take care of some animals. I was delighted to see that they had another goat that wasn’t there last week! Even the skiddish goats who came in a few weeks ago as emaciated strays seemed a bit more acclimated to us today. And at the end of my shift there, I spent some time with Fancy the horse, and Ross, the pony, outside. Ross can be a bit, how shall we say, overzealous, when food is in front of him, so it was hard holding the last carrot out of his reach so Fancy could eat it. He is such a cutie – he kept backing up or sidling up next to me to be petted and scratched, and then at one point, he got down onto the ground and rolled over on his back and kicked his legs up in the air. It made me so happy to see him so happy (and relieved from his itchy back, I’m sure.)
I have come to realize that whenever I am at the shelter with those animals, I laugh. I talk to them just like I would my pets at home, always in a calming voice, and the horse and pony make me laugh. There are five goats there now, including a mama and baby girl, and the baby girl is such a nut – she has taken to jumping into the wheelbarrow while we are cleaning out her pen. Both myself and the other volunteer this morning thought it looked super cute, but we still both shook our heads like “girlll….you are weird!!” Only for these animals would I get up so early on a Sunday and actually look forward to cleaning up after them.
Other things I love? Spending time with good friends, having a good conversation and four forks to eat a piece of chocolate cake. That’s how I spent my evening last night. It was very needed – with the weather and my starting school two weeks ago, I found myself in a very down mood toward the end of the week. Seeing my best friend and two others definitely helped lift me out of a funk. And hearing that my best friend is still feeling amazing as she reaches week 17 of her pregnancy, that is just awesome in my book. She will find out what she is having in two weeks – my guess is it’s a girl. Don’t know why, but I just do. She is blond haired and blue eyed, and her husband is from the Bahamas, so you all know just how beautiful that baby will be. (I gotta admit, girls are so much more to buy stuff for, what with all the pink clothes and stuff, but …ok, I digress.)
Did I already mention chocolate? (Yeah, there was that bit above about the chocolate cake.) I could go on and on forever about how much I love chocolate, but I’ll stop now so I can shove a few chocolate chips into my mouth…ok, I’m back!
I am sorry for not having blogged the past few weeks but I just started school and am settling into a rhythm of handling that and working full-time. I have to admit, I am enjoying learning again. And I started auditing an animal law class last week at work – it’s so cool to be in a room with so many others that feel the same way about animals you do, and are passionate about it.
Oh, and one last thing I love? Knowing that this is my LAST winter in the northeast. The location where I am looking to move hardly ever gets snow and as of last week, while we expected a blizzard, its weather forecast was for highs in the 50s. Enough said. I’m going, baby!
What kinds of things do you love – what warms your heart and makes you laugh as if you don’t have a care in the world? Please drop me a line below and let me know!
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Chasing Simple Dreams 
You go! Thanks so much for all you are doing for our furry friends in need. Really awesome!
Great post Terri. Hopefully Spring will be here soon and your harsh winters will be a thing of the past for you….. once you move further south.
God, I so hope so too, Gary! The cold winters better not follow me!
The animals in your post are beautiful. The cats (babies) remind me of mine. I recently built a cat shelter, outside of my kitchen window, for the neighborhood strays. I put an electric blanket inside for the really cold nights, and can look inside of it from inside of my house. It has been wonderful for them and for me. I always smile when I look inside and see several cats curled up in peaceful bliss as the cold winds blow outside. I really enjoyed your story and photos. I came upon your site while visiting Alan’s (Art of Hookie) blog. I will visit again. Take care.
David, thank you so much for commenting. I especially love what you are doing for the animals down there by providing them warmth and shelter. You are giving me some ideas for when I move to the NC area and have a place of my own. I have five cats, and one small chihuahua. Animals are such a huge part of my life.
I give you a lot of credit for taking care of those animals. I have one dog and she can be a handful. I don’t miss the blizzards of New York at all. Snow piled up so high, nowhere to park, a thick sheet of ice below the snow, people who drive too fast and almost run your car off the road…
I enjoy your attitude of gratitude. I am thankful for the friends I have, the guy I am seeing currently, my intelligence and ability to take control of my own destiny. I am independent, living a relatively humble life and not everyone can say that. Oh and the weather here has been marvelous. Highs in the 70s, had brunch this afternoon outside during the middle of February.
My apologies, I’ve not checked my blog for comments over the past few weeks, so I’m sorry for the delay in responding. I am going to put up a post this weekend to explain my absence. You sound much happier these days, both in your comments here and on your blog. I’m very glad to hear it. The way you describe the NY winters is pretty accurate for what we have now. All the pictures you see on the web and tv are legit. It’s just overwhelming, to be honest. And I guess, snow depression is becoming a new thing. And with me, well, i just love all my animals to death. Some days they drive me nuts with trying to eat each other’s food (do they really think the grass is always greener?? YES!) but I still love them to death.