All in a Monday

I've been on the move.

Spent the weekend in PA with my grandparents. Yard sales, church, laughter, and meals.

I love driving my grandparents around.

I scored cross county skis for $12, a little automated pig stuffed animal that oinks and wags it's tail, and a copy of My Side of the Mountain for 75 cents (already finished reading it! Had been 20 years and was like reading it for the first time). Grandpa's treat.

Previously I had spent 2 weeks in a cabin off the Appalachian trail. No electric or plumbing turned on. Nothing but a wood stove. It is the cabin the man I was dating this time last year lived in. He passed away on 4/19/14. Those 2 weeks were quite special. When I closed my eyes it was as if he might just walk through the door.

Today I went to a farm in PA I visited last weekend. Before I set up shop I did a once over to see if any improvements had been made within the week. Their pig operation is in dire need of help and I was going to work in exchange for my rent and get an off farm job.

Well, 80 degree day and the goats, sheep, and pigs had no water. The pigs were still in inappropriate groupings, there was insufficient feeder space, the pigs had not been dewormed and are all a fraction of the weight they should be, and one of the various emaciated starving pigs was eating on a calf carcass out of the manure pile. Yes. Seriously.

I gathered my dogs and promptly left. Farm owner was picking her kids up from school so they didn't have to ride the bus. Water for animals...pick up kids from school that could ride the bus home....hmmmm. priorities are all wrong.

I messaged her what the issues were and it is clear their is no real dedication to changing or improving. The accommodations were a glorified tree house with no electric or water (bath house not far and an outdoor mountain spring supplied  shower) worth maybe $200 a month. With only a few dozen hours dedicated to the farm there is no way I could turn it around and they do not have the interest to take the lead.

I will pro bono consult from afar and will likely call the authorities tomorrow for a farm inspection.

Those poor pigs. Awful conditions at that farm. Unbelievable really.

Back to the drawing board.