Refuge Farms (www.refugefarms.org)

It’s been a very busy week here at Refuge Farms. Every day has been packed with commitments or tours or meetings – some days had more than one major event, even! So I sit here this morning with tired legs but a big smile on my face… It has been a good week here at Refuge Farms.

One of the major factors to deal with in a Wisconsin summer is the heat and humidity. This week was a gift! We actually had a couple of days with highs in the 70’s! Glorious! And the dew points stayed in a range less than my age! Huh! Because of this cool break, both the horses and I rested well and enjoyed our days more. The stresses of worrying about the heat and the sun and the flies and the heavy air and how to generate breezes were put off for another day. And we all rested.

This was the week of Country Jam! The ‘Other’ Herd participated in the event as Security staff in order to earn a bit of cash for our expenses. For some of the ‘Jammers’ this meant waking at 4am. Not easy! For some of the ‘Jammers’ it meant working Country Jam in the morning, their full-time job in the afternoon, and then at THE FARM in the evening for a Vacation Bible School group holding their closing meeting amongst The Herd. For some, it meant putting miles on their vehicles at $3.29 per gallon - and refusing reimbursement by THE FARM. For every ‘Jammer’, it meant doing something out of their way – out of the ordinary – to benefit Refuge Farms.

For you ‘Jammers’, I want you to know that the funds raised by our Security hours will be used to the purchase some of medicines needed by our Lanna. Maybe with these funds, we can address her eyes…?

Kid’s Ventures returned to us again this year. Thursday evening a whole caravan of vehicles turned their blinkers on and pulled in to the driveway! Smiling volunteers greeted them and then spent the next two hours trying to show them a good time but also trying to teach them something. Like how April’s feet are healing with the “bubble gum” she wears. And how the birds like different types of feed out of the different types of feeders. And all about Frances Andrew and what these flower beds and all these young tress really are. And how to get heavy feed sacks emptied in to the feed bin without spilling the feed on the floor!

The Kid’s Ventures group, as always, is polite and eager and full of energy! And each year we close with discussion of what we learned. And the Missions. And this year we talked about respect. How appropriate! I enjoy this group and I learned as much from them as hopefully they have learned from us.

Saturday was our Public Hours Saturday. I haven’t been in the driveway the past few Saturdays in an attempt to cross train the Management Team. But with the “usuals” at Country Jam, it gave me a chance to be the hostess again. I found myself introducing the concept, The Herd, myself, and our Missions. Throughout the day I retold the story of Frances and Andy and talked about this invisible thing here that we call the “Magic”. And I repeatedly asked our guests how they had found us? Where did they first see us?

I enjoy these times. The sunshine on my face and the breeze out of the South. The horses up to the gates trying their best to get all of the pets! And the faces of our new guests as they see Big Guy for the first time. Or see Cole and hear his ancient years. Or see The Old Horse and Addie-Girl scratching each other. Or hear that Jeri-Ann is only two years old! Yesterday, once again, I was asked – twice – if I was telling the truth or, “Maybe did I have another horse in mind?”

“No,” I reassured my guest, “that horse right there – the one you are petting - turned two on May 1st. Really.”

As a little girl, I remember singing along with Nat King Cole as he sang that song about these lazy, hazy days of summer. I sang loudly as our Hi-Fi with it’s fancy diamond needle played that album. Mom was tactfully (and gratefully!) outside hanging clothes or in the basement washing clothes while I belted out “Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of sum-mer! Those days of sunshine and cheer!” Well, they’ve been hazy. And it’s summer. Wonder when the lazy starts?

Yesterday, right about closing time, a familiar vehicle pulled in the driveway. Out poured – yup, poured - Cathi and Sabra. A bit sun burned. A bit dirty. With tired, bloodshot eyes from the dust and lack of sleep and too many highway miles. But with visible determination written all over their faces.

To the very first horse they went – in straight lines! With their arms swinging and their hands petting the air before they were touching anything close to a horse! They looked like they were seeing the reward of hard, hard work. Their first words, to me, summed up the entire week so well! It said what we all believe and feel and why we do all this stuff! What were those words?

“We sure must love these horses!”

Enjoy the journey of each and every day,
Sandy and The Herd