Walk with The Teapot

The Teapot and I have similar taste in hair styles

I took The Teapot out for some halter work and then we walked down to the cove. She has the training from years ago, she just needs some consistent ground work, lots of walks. She always starts out like a spitfire, sometimes rearing-don't worry, she is so stout and out of shape she is harmless- but she always wises up out as we walk on. I made her do round pen work today, sans the round pen, we simply worked in the sand drive of a nearby property. She is so fun to watch trot. I don't want to overdue it right away. She just needs time, and walks. Every walk I tell her,

"We'll get there."

To the cove we go

Ollie, the resident goofball

This guy brings me such joy. Ollie is truly the goofiest fellow in the barnyard, and full of love. I have not had him out on a therapy visit yet. He does great here at the farm. I need to have a second set of hands to do that. So I'm working on finding people that are good fits to help me. All in good time. I don't seem to be in a rush anymore. I think I get to choose my speed. I feel like I rushed a lot in the past years, sometimes out of necessity, or because my work was more deadline driven, and I am entering this new slowed down version of myself. It's nice.

So, Ollie, don't worry-we will find ways to share you more on the road of love.

I birthed a goose

It was a pleasant birth experience. I'm going to live with her for a bit before offering her to the masses on the shop-but feel free to contact me if you are interested in her. I want to make her alma, it is only proper I think. Sebastapol geese are amazing, their feathers are torn and curl, it is very cool. Some of her fallen feathers are in the doll. I had some old scrap that was so perfect, it ripped and seemed almost better than the feathers.

Visiting elders..why it matters-because we are all on this circle

The grace of old hands-how much they have done over the years

Opie and I visited our elder friends at Wiscasset Green this morning. We have been visiting now for two years and have grown to think of them as friends, and even family. We've lost a few people too and it is not easy-you will not be told in advance of a death or a departure for privacy reasons, and it is hard. But it is part of doing this. I have to say it is hard on me.

But, I will continue on because I love them, I love our gatherings...and I care about them. I was thinking recently why these visits are so important-to them, but also me, and Martyn when he comes like he did today.

I think of life as a continuum, a circle. We are born, and cared for by young adults. We in turn become young adults and those parents move to the right on the circle, and grow old. When those elders die, they have passed on their traits and hearts to those on the left on that circle. Circles never end. Circles are prominent in all aspects of Nature-the moon, the earth, the sun... The time and energy we give to our babies and children is later found and felt in elder people who also had time and energy given to them by parents.

By visiting the elders, I am honoring the power that the moon has on the tides. It's really no different. You get, and you give. And you don't stop. You just are, like the moon.

Opie was particularly intent on going to one of the residents today. I have seen Pino gravitate to a person in a group and then I find out later that person was hurting from a trauma or loss. We all chuckled that Opie was intent on this resident, and I casually said that Opie must know she is sad, or grumpy, or hurt...and she told me with teary eyes her 70 year old son had died recently and she was hurt.

She looked at Opie and said, "He can feel my hurt hurts."

Opie is on the circle too.

Opie was gravitation to one elder today...and he knew why before I did

Papi has an important announcement!

We don't want to let down Papi. As President of The Old Kitty Knitty Club and well, er, the largest member of the elder cat suite, he has a very persuasive look when he needs more cat food, don't you think?

Thanks to the good people who go to our Wish List and send us food directly, we have helped put weight on all the elders, even our latest and oldest arrival, Gilda, who is turning 21 soon and gained a half pound, and when you only weigh five pounds that is a lot!

When you send items for the Wish list directly, it helps keep money in our fund for the other animal needs. Cat food is expensive, especially the special urinary food we must feed, so we all raise our paws to you.

Visit the Wish List, and our greatest need is the canned food, the first three on the list. We also use the dried food daily, so never turn it down. I'm just running low on the wet food.

NOTE: It is helpful to me and Papi when you purchase from the list, to send your name with the order, so Papi can send his special message to you. Otherwise, I don't know who is sending the item.

Don't worry, The Nose has it under control

Weather is such a crucial part of people's lives, especially those of us that live more in the elements in rural areas. Since I don't have to drive to a job, nor does Martyn in the winter, I actually get sort of jazzed up for big winter storms, especially since we have a generator now. I am afraid of lightening storms even though I love them, but a good snow storm is comforting in some way.

And I got everyone midget sized insulated overall bibs. They are pretty content. We are well prepared here with our barns and shelters, electric water buckets in the most crucial stalls and frost free pumps. And now a generator which we haven't had to use, but could have used a million times before we bought it. Why we waited so long I can't say, although money is always an issue but we have the kind you fill with propane and it does what we need.

The beautiful snow, about 8" so far is sadly turning to sleet. I doubt we will venture out tomorrow either. The temps will be very cold for a couple days, and then warm up. My biggest challenge as the sleet takes over will be keeping gates and sliding barn doors free of ice. Having the electric water buckets for the outer barn is such a god-send. it took some doing to make it safe, but I'm so grateful I have that this year.

The happiest camper right now? White Dog, and Marcella too, they love the cold and snow. The Nose wants you to know we are well, and he has it under control.

Teapot on the run!

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The Teapot having her morning exercise #apiferafarm #TheTeapot #animalnonprofit #mainenonprofit #whitedog

A post shared by Katherine Dunn / Apifera Farm (@katherinedunnapiferafarm) on Jan 18, 2019 at 9:39am PST

I'm fighting the blues...give the goats hula hoops

I have learned over the years, all sixty of them, that sometimes melancholy creeps in, or swoops in, or crashes in. I think it crept in in the past week, not because of one horrible thing, but because of a series of events which led to a series of thoughts which led to series of fears, and whys and what ifs and then you realize, again, that there is no control over anything...anything.

And before I knew it you I was sitting in my studio trying to paint something significant, or actually I was trying to just pain one line of anything, and my hand is barely moving across the page and all I saw was hula hoops with goats.

I rather liked it. I thought that maybe my muses were telling me to lighten up, enjoy the off time. But any artist will tell you that sometimes off times lengthen. To be honest, I've never had a 'draught' per se, but I feel more and more, after being a full time creative since 1996, that sometimes I wonder if my well is drying up...or maybe that my well is getting stingy and just wants to paint and not share everything manically. I can also tell I am writing less on the blog. I have thoughts that after 12 years or what ever it has been, how much more does anyone want to read here? And they have FB, IG, Pins and pics and pokes, my ego is not that big I just don't think my thoughts are that compelling any more.

I heard about an artist-I forget who-who quit Instagram and other social media platforms-he has millions of followers-because he felt it was becoming the reason he was creating-to share it. I get that.

I'm shifting. I can feel it, and I am also feeling that I'm 'digging in' a bit, which gives me this urge to go sit in The woods with White Dog and not share anything for weeks...and just draw the shadows I see come in through the trees, and not show anyone. But sharing online is how I can continue to make a living, pure and simple. It means one has to constantly check boundaries, and motives of oneself, and others. It's exhausting.

And I like to share. I have grown away from sharing online for a reaction. It's nice to hear people respond positively, don't get me wrong, but I don't need it like I think I did early on. A lot of that came from personal relationship work and recognizing I don't really need anyone's approval for anything. But when I take a beautiful photo, does it exist if I don't share it? Isn't my sharing a gift in and of itself to those who resonate with it. I guess. Yes, it is.

But, I have a bit of the blues, or the stucks as I call them, the floppy ear donkey days. I think a lot of it for me is the constant bagging out of information from all the online sources, the constant news cycles with so much going on-alot of it bad-in the political world, and it is all important stuff. We can't turn our backs. But I think, for me anyway, it is making me distracted. I am almost feeling I am addicted to being distracted.

We sensitive creative intuitive can easily get sucked up into other peoples pain and issues, I have worked hard to understand what boundaries need to be to keep healthy and sane. I think the boundary that isn't there right now is I have to be online for a lot of different reasons-keeping the shop running, filling orders, updating sites, billing...it is so easy to fall into the I'll just check such and such to see if the world is till here.

Anyway, after all these years, I still have days where I think I might be done, not Dunn, but done. I think the muses just lifted me up a bit and gave me hula hoops today.

To my mom, and yours, and yours, and yours....

Today would have been my mom’s 93rd birthday, it has been 6 years since I saw her in January in '13 on her 87th, and in April of that year she died, suddenly, but in her own home and on her terms. I miss her, of course, but the way I miss her has evolved. I have said before that when a loved one dies, the love they gave, and that I received, somehow expands.

I figure that when a person is alive, they have all this love inside them, like energy, and they dole it out over time…but when the body is done, everything is released and the love expands and it explodes out free to be carried all over and merge with everything-the trees and sky, people, flowers…the air–it’s like air, the love expands and we breathe it daily. I can say that this experience has shown me the power of love, and while I miss her voice and talking to her and hearing her thoughts...I know that it’s all still there, the love.

Last night I dreamt about her and my father, and two of our Westie dogs, we were all together eating dinner somewhere...I have similar dreams a lot. I don’t know if this is my will to want to visit them, or their will to want to visit me...or both...either way...it’s the love again. Everything is connected.

Old Kitty Knitty Club-calling all knitters!

The Old Kitty Knitty Club is a way for you to collaborate on knitting projects that help elder people. Back when we arrived in Maine, we began adopting the elder cats out of the shelter and they live in a special Elder Cat Suite in the front barn. A couple of my friends who love cats came over and we knit amongst the cats. Well that led to The Old Kitty Knitty Club, and Papi is President.

But now followers from all over can partake in the Old Kitty Knitty Club. Right now, we have two projects you can partake in.

Blankets for Old Bones [Deadline April1, 2019]
Participants will knit [or crochet] 7.5" squares and send them to me. I will mend/sew them together into a blanket. The blankets will be used for our elder friends when they come to the farm to sit with the animals. We are right on the coast, and it can be a tish chilly so the blankets are welcome.

We will aim to do two blankets for now.

Make as many squares as you wish. Each must be 7.5" square. The finished blanket will be 25 squares. If we have lots of squares, I will do more blankets.

Colors: one blanket will be earth tones - mustard yellows, olive greens, greys, off whites, egg shell blue, etc. No need to leave a tail on your squares, I will choose a thread I like. The other blanket will be full of colors of your choosing. You don't have to worry if you have yarn laying around, just use that and I will be the painter and choose the colors I like when putting the blankets together [but all squares will be used]

Yarn: I prefer natural fiber. I will be hand washing these when needed. If you only have non-natural fibers, it is okay. I would only suggest you stay away from the super bulky yarn.

You can make your square as simple or fancy as you want. Stockinette, garter, whatever, fancy edges or not, one color or more-have fun with it. I started a Pinterest page for inspiration [and many are for me to be inspired, don't be overwhelmed by them if you are a novice knitter [which I am].

Attach a tag with your name and cute/state on it. Also when mailing to me, make sure I have your mailing address and email so Papi can send you an official membership card and other news if needed.

Misfit Wrists of Love [Deadline August 15 range, 2019]
Participants will knit wrist warmers or fingerless gloves and at end of summer I will gift them to the elder residents of the Lincoln County Elder Network homes where Opie visits. There are seven homes so if we aim for 70 pairs, that is a good goal. Choose any pattern you'd like. Attach a tag with your name and city/state. Pinterest board for ideas.

Mail to:
Papi, President of The Old Kitty Knitty Club
c/o Apifera Farm, 315 Waldoboro RD, Bremen ME 04551

Also when mailing to me, make sure I have your mailing address and email so Papi can send you an official membership card and other news if needed.

New art to soothe

"Wilbur became the snowflakes" 12" on wood [available]

"Blue Wing" 16 x 20 canvas [available]

Still dressin' his ownself

Once AKA Dirt Farmer, now AKA Rip Van Winkle...Martyn

Wilbur gets his wings and Ollie plays in snow

Sophie was his designated hospice nurse

"Wilbur got his wings!" 
Old Sophie told the goats as she came out of Wilbur's convalescing suite. Sophia had been designated as Wilbur's roommate as he lay in his suite, unable to rise, for the past two weeks.

"Will I get wings too?" asked little Ollie.

"Someday, Ollie, but not now, it is not your time for wings, you have to earn them in your own way," said Sophie.

After two weeks of effort, Wilbur is free of his body.

Wilbur began to show signs of his age this past summer, but nothing alarming. Right around when we learned that Birdie had suffered from the brain worm-something that was new to us- I think it was about this time I noticed Wilbur lay down more, but that in and of itself is nothing to be alarmed by with an older goat. He was not lame, he was not showing any signs of the same worm that crippled Birdie for weeks and damaged her nerves. We fortunately got to Birdie quickly, and learned from our vets the protocol and were able to treat Wilbur for the brain worm too. It could be other things. It could be a tumor or wasting disease/cancer, it could be some other diseases my vet said, or a combination, and it could be old age combined with all those things.

For a good two weeks we have fought together, and his eyes and attitude were with me, he had not given up. Until a couple days ago, I could tell he was just plain tired and uncomfortable. I kept thinking of the story of the llama who was downed for one year, and the couple kept trying, and wouldn't give up, and one day, she rose. But Wilbur could not even put weight on his feet, and they were curved now. Since he was downed, I went in morning noon and night and got him up, cleaned his bedding, sat with him, gave hm water and food. The last two days, his body could not swallow, and when the vet came today, we immediately put him down because he was in clear discomfort. I have found a vet I truly love, and I've been working with her now about a year and have learned so much. There is so much to understand about deworming, not deworming, when to deworm or not to, learning your area, etc-and I've learned this year many things that make me a better caretaker, even after 15+ years you can always learn and grow. I don't think any of it would have saved Wilbur, in fact it probably would have just prolonged his life slightly, if that.

I have spent so much time with him, and I have been putting Sophie with him too at night and during the day. While chores are being done, I let the other Misfits come by and visit, and eat together. The animals already know, except Ollie, what is to come. They say their goodbyes in such a different way. They come and sniff a dying member, and there is no drama, just recognition. It is always beautiful and sad too to be part of these intimate herd moments.

With each passing of one of the Misfits that came to us long ago, and lived out West with us, it is like another string to that floating farm in the sky being cut. I will miss this sweet goat. Once a brilliant acrobat, he could fly through the air with the greatest of ease, and once even had a trapeze-it is said in the barnyard but I never got to see it. To watch an athlete's body disown him, it is hard.

This morning, when I knew the vet was coming, I told him his wings were ready for him, they were right with me for whenever he needed them.

And sometime around ten this morning, he put those wings on and took one last look at me. We all stood together and watched the light of the sky change and the shadows on earth were magnified for seconds.

"Will he come back?" Ollie asked Sophie.

"No," she said.

And Ollie ran outside to play on the snowy compost pile.

Once a day, The Misfits were allowed in to eat and commune with Wilbur

In his younger days-he had the sweetest smile

One of my favorite photos of him in his youth

Wilbur aka The Acrobat Goat...now you know why

The moon for a new year

I spent the week getting the end of year books done, and am pleased that we did so well with the first full year of the non profit. We are starting the year without any debt encumbering us as we move forward, a barn addition was built, the hay is in, the vets are always paid pronto and the feed/costs I estimated were pretty spot on. There is so much we've accomplished, and so much more to do, and learn, and grow.

I want to put more art back into he mix though-I want to open the barn up for drawing days, where people can come for one to two hours with their own drawing tables, sit amongst certain animals and draw, or write, whatever they choose.

I want to find better ways to see people in the winter with the Llama of Love, and work on helping The Teapot become a therapy guide.

I want to have some doll workshops.

I want to expand the Old Kitty Knitty Club to do good with their knitting needles.

I want to have more time with Boone next spring.

I want to never forget the amazing presence of the moon...the circle.

You have noticed that everything an Indian does in a circle,

and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles,

and everything tries to be round.

In the old days all our power came to us from the sacred hoop

of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken the people

flourished. The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop,

and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace

and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain and the north

with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance. This

knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion.

Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle.

The sky is round and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball

and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls.

Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours.

The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon

does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great

circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were.

The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is

in everything where power moves. Our teepees were round like the

nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation’s hoop,

a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children.

Black Elk, Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux 1863-1950

The Morning Chew...with Goose & Llama

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A post shared by Katherine Dunn / Apifera Farm (@katherinedunnapiferafarm) on Dec 28, 2018 at 5:26am PST

The Annual Christmas Garland Festival -the importance of tradition

I wasn't thinking I could pull it off this year, with this head/sinus cold going on day nine....but I rose with the Christmas spirit and we had our annual Christmas Garland Festival yesterday. I'm so glad I made it happen. Amazingly, except for Moose and Goose, everyone was on tip-top behavior and this year the garland did not suffer as it has in some past festivals. Even the blind chicken partook.

The garland was a gift to me many years ago from an Apifera follower. I liked it so much-it was handmade out of felt, buttons and jingle bells-that I decided to share it with the barnyard for Christmas photos, and it immediately turned into an annual tradition.

Many of the traditions I had as a child for Christmas are gone, mainly because we keep things very simple around here, and without children or extended family, our holidays are spent like many nights-by the fire with some spirits and good conversation. I cherish our time together. I spent a lot of energy in my youth complete with broken hearts and bad choices looking for a solid mate and friend, so when I met Martyn at age 42, I had no problems with spending time with him. We are rarely apart, but also have very independent lives during the days. I like being with him.

We honor the spirit of Christmas by celebrating with a Charlie Brown tree harvested from The Wood, and in so doing we create more light for the other trees. The tree goes onto the barnyard for the goats to eat and so we honor the gift of food from Nature. So that s a tradition we created. And The Garland Festival has become an Apifera tradition, and it matters. Why? Well, despite all the chaos of life and the world, knowing that there is a day when a beautiful red and green garland-made by hand and given in friendship-will adorn the animals that we care for, it brings a sense of stability. It reminds us that a tradition s something we create, and do over and over, and it shows those watching or partaking what our true values are.

We nourish each other with good food, and warm ourselves with the fire made hot by the wood Martyn has chopped from the our land. That is tradition.

The Garland Festival is something I like to do for the animals too. I really think most of them understand this is a special activity just for them. The one that really made me smile was Birdie. The second I put it on her, she literally posed, she must have stacks of old Vogue magazines that she knows how to stand just like Grace Kelly. She truly loves to be admired but not really in an ego way, it is the same feeling I had about her on Misfit Love Day when I put the crown on her head-she was working the crowd with love and...well, her beauty.

You can see all the photos from this year's Festival on our Instagram feed. And past years too can be seen right here on the blog.

Inviting little me in...where is your wonderment

I'd love to invite her here for a day. Oh the questions I would ask her. The look on my face shows me that even then I did things with strong intention. And Christmas was a wonderful time in our family, right through the final years of my parents' lives.

I am thinking of a lot of people this year, some gone, some are still here but are in suffering states due to people they've lost, or illnesses. So the fact I've had a sinus cold for 9 days now-it seems to finally be clearing but is taking forever-I can't complain when I see so many others in such sadness.

So I'm focusing on the wonders I had when I was this little girl, she still lives with me of course. I was going to the car, and heard a bird, looked up and there was a big jay, so blue, so bold blue against the then grey sky. And I thought,

Imagine the first time you saw a Blue Jay...

That is what Christmas is for me-the wonderment of acknowledging everything this earth, and universe brings into a daily life. The amazing way a heart can seek out what it needs after it has been hurt, the way new friends can enter one's life when you need them most, the way a song can make you cry as it transports you back to a moment you do want to feel even if it makes you miss someone...the way the cat, goat, or horse sound each morning.

Merry Christmas everyone. Happy Holidays. May you feel some wonderment today, even if sandwiched in all the craziness of the current situation we are all facing as Americans...but as importantly, as humans and Earth dwellers.

Moon over The Great Whites, a greeting from a father gone

The moon has been spectacular these last couple of nights. When there is a full moon, I always say,

"Hello, Bob."

Bob was my father, gone since 2008. The day he died he literally became the wind to me, it was so visceral. My skin and body were electrified after he died, I could feel so close to him just by the wind. I had never experienced that before. And that night, the full moon appeared, and I did not hesitate, it was him.

So it was not quite a full moon, but close enough to greet him.

I had been doing barn chores and turned around and there was the moon, right over White Dog. I think this is the blessing of the darn iPhone, I can't lug a camera all over during chores, but that is when so much happens that is the fabric of the life here. I asked him to stand while I got my camera out, and good molly goodness, he did. Thanks, Benedetto, it has been a very well received photo. And then leaving that field for the house, there was Birdie.

Beautiful. A moon over a llama, my llama. How many creatures were bather in that light last night?

The tree still stands!

We have always had little Charlie Brown trees, cut down from The Wood, but this year, with the three cats newly in the house, we were thinking it might be a disaster. On top of that, we both came down with really bad colds so have just been trying to survive, if I may be so dramatic [we are both recovering though].

Martyn's cold was subsiding and he was feeling pretty good this weekend, me, not so much. But when I came down from some time in the upstairs studio, he had surprised me with a little tree, and had all the lights up and some decorations. We had always stuck with a bird and fruit theme, and these are pretty much unbreakable. I didn't put up any of the family treasures, some of those ornaments are 100 years old!

Anyway, I'm so glad he did this, it was such a nice surprise to come down stairs and see it lit up, such a sweet little tree. And so far, no Flying Squirrels have taken her down! Mister Moseley came on the table right after we were finished, and I really felt he was saying thank you, he sat and looked at the lights for the longest time...and then went back to bed.

The Teapot thrives, while we get sick

One thing about being self employed, you don't get sick days. Martyn came down with a bad sinus cold last week and yesterday I got it. Chills, slight fever, blah, blah, blah. So what do we do? Go outside and work it off. Now I will say it was a beautiful 40+ degree day with sun, no wind, and the task at hand was not that difficult. We needed to put up pressure treated boards on a fence that divides where I feed The Teapot and the other equines. Boone was pushing over the fence to try to get one blade of hay. I'm hoping I can wait until spring to get the No Chew on it, so I was quite pleased that it was still standing this morning [tongue-in-cheek].

Lydia Rose, aka The Teapot has already shed some pounds. We have her on a good diet of hay and trace minerals and tish of senior feed just so she doesn't lose too fast or lose good resources of minerals and vitamins. Her Cushings test was fine and in spring we will do an insulin test, as per the requirement of the rescue we got her from.

I have been working on her ground manners, she has them lurking in her, taught long ago, she just got away with a lot in the last years, and not because she wasn't loved. She is also settling more when i put her with the donkeys, and less 'ears back' to move them around is happening.

To be honest, she reminds me of a combination of Paco when he first arrived, and Rosie the grumpy pig who nobody wanted as their friend. I do not feel any sadness in Teapot, she just needs a clearer job. So I am going to start walking her on a lead into the woods, and I am planning on having "Wood Walks with Teapot" or something like that.

I had planned to make Paco her buddy, and maybe teach them to pull a cart together. But Teapot is not herd bound, and I'm thinking now since she clearly had some driving training years ago, she might be a good candidate to work with on an individual basis. I also of course hope to have her be one of our therapy healers...but we will proceed one step at a time.

I looked at the photo of her taken right before we picked her up, and compared it with the photo taken yesterday. Her coat is looking shinier and she has lost a little bit of weight.

Making the fence Boone proof

Left, The Teapot after some time on her diet

Opie's elder friends sing along

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Opie and I were so happy to be back with our dear friends we have come to know and love at Wiscasset Green. Today we celebrated Opie’s second birthday -it was so good to see everyone -we will be back on track now with visits! #apiferafarm #eldershelpinganimals #opiethetherapygoat #mainenonprofit

A post shared by Katherine Dunn / Apifera Farm (@katherinedunnapiferafarm) on Dec 13, 2018 at 10:49am PST

Opie and I made visit yesterday to our friends in Wiscasset. It has been awhile since I've seen them, since early fall when they came for one of their visits to the farm. I have missed them and after two years of getting to know them, I truly mean it when I say–and I told them–I miss them when I don't see them regularly. The last few months were so full with the new barn addition and other projects....I had to take a step away for a bit.

So it was an extra special visit yesterday. There is a new resident who is very sweet, and I enjoyed meeting her. She is very homesick, and she shed some tears, I held her hand and supported her sadness. She doesn't think she belongs there, but her kids do. At ninety, to have to leave your home...it is all hard stuff.

We talked about that yesterday, how they all do miss their homes, but they know they are lucky to be at WG–and I will say it is a very homey old house, in the beautiful little village of Wiscasset. But...to have to leave one' home...there is no getting around it, it is a sad thing and it is something some people might never adjust to.

I don't know if I will be so graceful at it, if it comes to that. Yes, it comes into my mind from time to time–where will I end up? I of course want the universe to take me out quickly, and let me live amongst my animals, and Martyn, for as long as I am meant to, and then just dissipate me. I think everyone has fear of being put in a 'home' and some are so much worse than others.

I told the new resident that I will be back regularly, and that she is going to find herself falling for Opie. She had a goat as a little girl, it was at her mother's farm, but she wasn't much of an animal person she said, but she wanted to come meet Opie. I hope to get to know her, and maybe bring things to our meetings that will give her some joy, some comfort.

The residents heard it was Opie's 2nd birthday, and they made him a little "2" out of raw squash, and then we all sang. Opie wore his jingle bells too. He was very quiet yesterday, the room was very warm, with a space heater on, and sun streaming in the windows. He took a stand up nap at one point.
The residents also surprised me with a little gift of a calender and a farmer's almanac-so sweet! I told them I had a New Year's surprise I was working on...Joe said they never expect anything in return because they just so love our visits-that was so special, got me verklempt thinking about it.

I'm very excited to start the new year, and get them all out to the farm again too. But we'll be going on visits starting up in January...it clearly brings them joy, as do Opie's letters. In spring or summer, i hope to bring Ollie when we can be outside but I'll need an assistant with Opie and Ollie.

Who is two? A breakfast animal cracker toss!

Our little Ambassador of Love turns two today! He is still stinking' cute, and still full of love, all though on a quieter tone than when he was a rambunctious little sprite-the latter has been taken over by Opie's sidekick, Ollie.

We tossed animal crackers today in his honor, for breakfast, and The Misfits thought a breakfast party was swell-why wait until lunch or tea for a birthday party?

Annual Live Nativity Scene...who will be Jesus?

Before you ask, no, I never film or photograph the Annual Live Nativity Scene. We have to have some rituals all to ourselves. Besides, it takes a lot of energy to get it to happen, and often ends in disaster, like someone knocking the manger over, or Boone eats the Baby Jesus bed...

This year there is some debate about who should be Baby Jesus. I will let them figure it out, this is really their Christmas event for themselves, so the decision is their's to make.

Odd animal friendships-it's all the rage, but we knew that long ago

In case you haven't noticed on social media, it's all the rage to post sweet videos of odd animal friendships-emus and donkeys, chickens and cows, dogs and ducks, on and on. I enjoy many of those videos too. Although I do sense many are propped.

Many people are out of touch with Nature and I feel like some of these videos present Disney-ized versions of real creatures. There are people out there that truly believe all pigs are teeny [um, those are called new born piglets] and should dress in clothes and live in houses, or that a horse lying on the cold earth in winter is abused and they call a sheriff [please don't do this, horses love to lie on the ground even in winter].

So, I hesitated somewhat to share my Goose & Llama evolving friendship, but after weeks together, the goose, who we named My Grace, does seem bonded with her llama. And I like that, she has a defender. I find them sleeping together, they eat together, and for the last couple days I've allowed Birdie to go outside and get some sun. I wanted to make sure she was stable enough, the last thing we want is for her to fall or pull something due to her nerve damage as it could set her back.

I now have Birdie on anti-inflammatory pills and we have gone to pills every other day after getting good results for one week of daily pills. The idea is to taper her off as much as possible without losing ground. Nerve damage is a long road of recovery, if at all, so I feel we will go a year before we see what recovery we will have.

But I'm pleased with her progress, and she seems like herself too. She tried to do a little llama 'skip' something they do as they run, head and neck down-it is like a frolic and I so miss seeing her do it, it is pure joy. But she couldn't quite make it work, and I encouraged to stop and stand.Still it was a sign of progress.

So Goose & Llama will not be appearing in any viral videos, I am sure of that, but their friendship does seem real. And lets not forget My Grace was there for our old friend, the World's Grumpiest Pig aka Rosie. I've seen these inter species friendships many times, and sometimes they stick, and sometimes they evolve.

I have a crazy theory that My Grace admires Birdie's long neck, and Birdie admires Grace's neck too and how it can twist and turn.

We celebrate Papi!

Papi turned a year older and we celebrated with him this week. Papi is one of the youngish elders in the Elder Cat Suite, turning 10. When the shelter took him in he had such bad case of urinary issues that he had chewed his penis off. Surgery was done to help what was left, poor chap.

If you have met Papi you know he is not one we have to worry about keeping weight on! The opposite. He is a portly fellow but what is funny is he is always the one to sit back and let everyone else eat first, so I try to give him as little wet food as possible. But on his birthday, we did not measure his intake.

Everyone needs a day off from counting calories, I told him.

{If you are one of the I-Love-Papi-Club people, feel free to send him a donation, or cat food [of course the latter will be hidden in a locked safe}

Will I ever learn

You'd think after all these years I'd learn not to store the Christmas lights in the barn.

Teapot on the loose!

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A post shared by Katherine Dunn / Apifera Farm (@katherinedunnapiferafarm) on Nov 30, 2018 at 8:37am PST