Sunday

Here are some pig facts:

Pigs love getting their bellies rubbed. If you scratch them they will roll over like a puppy and make happy snorting noises which I just can't get enough of.

This weekend was great! I had so much fun, saw so many lovely people I could hardly stand it and ate so much delicious vegan food I thought I might just drift off into a thousand year coma. It's very difficult to sit down and write this right now instead of just watching instant Netflix episodes of 30 Rock until I fall asleep, but now that I've gotten started I'm glad that I made myself because I know I won't remember everything I want to say by tomorrow, and I also know that there are hundreds of you readers out there waiting with bated breath for my next update, so here goes (again):
This weekend was great! Yesterday Dave came up to see me on his way to Boston, which was, of course, wonderful, and this afternoon my mom, dad, sister and grandmother all dropped by the farm too. It was really fun getting to show everyone around and flex my touring skills. I even directed a total stranger to the compost piles yesterday. Hollah!


Last night Dave and I went to the Tinker Street Cinema and saw a film called Please Give (written and directed by Nicole Holofcener), which is really quite good. I would suggest that you all go see it straight away, but that it is very sad during some parts, and doesn't shy away from mammograms, so it might not be a film for everyone.
I would like to go to Upstate Film's other location to see the Secret of Kells soon.

Here are some highlights of the past few days

• Pete the pig had a breakthrough today. He stood up all by himself! It was incredible; he's gotten so much better even during the short amount of time I've been here. We're all very proud of him.

• Sammie the Turkey, who has had to stay inside while his leg heals, is feeling much better and was able to walk around and go outside a lot this weekend. All the older turkeys have been getting along really well ever since the new, Heritage turkeys moved in. We think it's a common enemy sort of thing. The new turkeys can fly and love to perch, something new to the staff here at WFAS in regard to turkeys. They're kind of escape artists too, and very smart.

SammieMy dad with a Heritage turkey (either Hercules of Hades- I can't tell)

• My little sister

• Patsy's hair cut
• Visiting the reservoir and the forests around Woodstock (watch out for mosquitoes!) with Dave

This upcoming week is my last full week at the sanctuary- I'll be going home to give my presentation about my time here and to graduate and stuff, but I would like to come back for the June Jamboree on the 13th and 14th and also visit and continue to volunteer here if I can. It's really hard work- I'm exhausted!- but I know I will miss it here a lot. Everyone is so nice and the animals are just the best. The sanctuary and Woodstock in general just have a sort of serene quality that's hard to explain. We went to look at the exhibit at the Center for Photography at Woodstock this morning and all of the pieces were just beautiful. There are so many talented people here and so many beautiful things all around it's hard not to feel inspired and happy.

Nemo still at work on his totem poll sculpture

This upcoming weekend is the benefit concert with Chrissie Hynde so we're all working hard to make the farm look especially nice and spiffy. You should all totally come. Tickets are thirty dollars (all proceeds go straight to the farm animals) and can be purchased here.
Thanks for reading!
Hope your weekend was pleasant,
Sarah

Peace begins on your plate!