Turning Vegetarians into Carnivores

I’m a die-hard vegan. The only animal product I’ve intentionally consumed in the last 14 months have been eggs from friend’s happy chickens because I not only feel 100000x better when I eat a whole plant-based diet, but also because I don’t agree with the concept of eating animals or with the torture they go through on their way to meat/milk/egg production. It sickens me whenever I think of the terror they must feel on a daily basis. In Greece, I extended my veganism to include feta simply because it’s made here on the island and holy mother is it the bee’s knees. I feel OK eating it because for one, I have no allergy to goat’s milk and also because the local, predominately small-batch production of cheese here is more ethical than how it is in the states. I think that I might also starve to death without it..

There is no shortage of eggs here at the farm. In fact, I’m on the verge of helping organize and execute a plan to cart off all but 12 hens and 1-2 roosters in order to diminish the sheer insanity that comes from harboring 80-100 chickens. And there are more every day. The roosters run around attacking one another, raping the poor hens, and spend all of their spare time crowing (including the wee hours of the morning- 2am and 3am seem to be their peak time to annoy society). All the time they crow. And I hate them all. So I would happily help cart them all off to live (?) elsewhere. They even enjoy spending additional time each day giving mites to the ponies, who, in turn, share their itchy scratchies with yours truly. And to further my pain and suffering- I counted 18 mosquito bites on my right leg alone. This whole “island business” is making me a bit cranky and preparing me for many journeys into “mosquito territory) - bring it on, Wallowas!

There is also an assortment of weird alien insects here, including things called “storm flies” that serve as nearly invisible sources of “tickling;” creepy, giant flies with green eyes that bite painfully and leave blood drops cascading down your appendages; “hornesses (sp?),” which are basically wasps born directly unto satan and released upon the earth to both terrify and maim. Also- spiders. Giant, scary spiders. And flies. Everywhere. END BUG RANT. *shudder*

Anyway, aside from those things, the farm life is fun, albeit stressful, with the festival now less than 3 weeks away. I’m getting concerned since there is still loads of cleaning and training to do and very little instruction on how things ought to be prepared is being communicated- meaning that things will either be done twice or never be done at all. But, I am hoping that the festival is a success that that the community, tourists, and volunteers alike enjoy themselves and are willing to make donations to the Skyrian horse.

These little ponies are incredible- they look like someone took a group of thoroughbreds, hit them with a shrink ray, and sent them to Greece. It’s incredible. I’ve been given the pleasure of putting saddle time on a few of them to help them learn a thing or two about being ridden. One of the ponies, Hermes, had only been sat on up until last week when Amanda asked me to take him for a spin. I put 3 walking rides on him, he taught a lesson with a VERY new rider on his back, and is the most mellow, stoic little pony I’ve ever encountered. Now I just need to find a way to ship a few of then to the states… Any investors out there willing to pay import costs on a few ponies??