PEOPLE WHO ARE VIOLENT TO ANIMALS RARELY STOP THERE!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Finally back...

..in my old comfort zone! Phew! I can breathe! The last few weeks have been really stressful for me and I have stretch beyond measure out of my comfort zone, I know it will take me some time to recuperate from this one just in time to get ready for the next or tackle a new big challenge. And really what am I going through all stress for? Well what else but my beloved longears. And yes I love my job as volunteer co-co-ordinator but it forces me to get miles out of my comfort zone and guess what I survived. :) Over the last few weeks I have worked on setting up the Orientation and Training for the new Volunteers and a Volunteer Forum for existing volunteers. Last Saturday was the Orientation for the new volunteers in the morning and then Potluck lunch with the "old" volunteers and I chaired the Volunteer forum. Me chairing anything...you gotta be out of your mind to expect that from me lol...but with short of holding my hand through the meeting, I had great support from our Operation manager, for which I am so very grateful for. But the biggest supporter and the biggest helper with everything was Cheryl, she walked pretty much every step with me, while still doing her job as well as she always does. So today the actual Training was a little bit more relaxed for me, as I knew the people and I am familiar and good at the things that need to be done down in the barn, so today really was a breeze. Now the first part needs to be just as easy and I wouldn't have to stretch quite as far. Seems like everybody has had a good time today and seem eager to get started. I even managed to recruit a few more people to help out on Open Days, so we are not quite as stressed before visitors arrive to have everything ready to go. After the training I was working on all the paperwork and got name tags ready for the new crowd. But I am so happy it's over until September and I can start working on some of the other projects I have kind of put off to the side for this.
While the new volunteers were learning to groom and some of the donkeys were getting new hair dos ...like little Poppy here.....

I had some time to brush Juno, poor little creature is still wearing her winter coat because she won't let people groom her long enough. So maybe tomorrow I will plant myself right out in that paddock and brush her, she has to be so hot.
I also got to meet our new donkeys, well they are actually not new, they just returned from a foster farm, seems like the economy is really hitting people hard and they are the second and third donkey return in the last little while, we are definitely over capacity right now. But Luna and Curly Sam are just the cutest, it's another love donkey couple, that came at separate times, but it was love at first sight for those two and they are inseparable. They are very small Standard donkeys and cute as buttons. Luna, having lived with a group of big horses before coming to the DSC is feisty as she had to be to be standing up to the horses, she is very demanding and pushy. Sam, well he was quite reserved today, but I have heard some interesting stories about him, so it will be interesting to see him being himself any time soon. He is very small but apparently doesn't know that, and he been taking on big boys like Apollo and Buddy in the past.
Curly Sam

Luna

Apropos Buddy still no news on him, his EPM test came back positive, but that apparently doesn't mean anything as it has a 50 % chance of reading positive even if it is negative. So we are hoping that no news is good news. Let's just keep our fingers crossed.


4 comments:

Cathy said...

Hello Tina
You've done well looking after the donkeys and everyone else - now its time to look after YOU.
Sit back for a little while - enjoy your time out in the paddocks with your four legged friends and 'smell the roses'
Take care
Cathy

Louise said...

You should be very proud of yourself for stepping outside of your comfort zone. Now, you can sit back and enjoy yourself for a bit. The new donkeys are adorable.

Sharon said...

I know it's hard to step out of your comfort zone, but you did it and it went fine!

Poppy looks adorable with the new "do"!

Sandra said...

I am sure all the donkeys appreciate you stepping out of your comfort zone. We really grow by doing it. Keep up the good work!