Kindred Spirits Sanctuary: Pigs

The following is a photo account of my trip to Kindred Spirits Sanctuary in Ocala, Florida.

"Kindred Spirits is a non-profit farm animal sanctuary that helps neglected, abused, unwanted, or displaced farm animals."

This will be a 6-part series broken down by animals because each animal deserves their own spotlight.

 Part two is PIGS.

Click here if you missed part 1: cows.

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I asked the woman who was giving us the tour:


"I heard that pigs are as smart as dogs..?" 


She quickly replied, "They're smarter."

I believe this 'fella is Nomar. From the KSS site, "Right before Nomar came to live at Kindred Spirits and right after he was rescued from a fate worse than death, he was in a photo shoot with an Australian pop singer named Missy Higgins. Ms. Higgins is an enormously popular celebrity and is also a vegetarian! While Nomar was a child celebrity himself, he hasn’t let it go to his head. He is one of our sweetest and most outgoing pigs, and is always one of the first to come up and say hello! (Of course, it helps if you are toting treats then Nomar is first in line!).In February of 2005, Kindred Spirits Sanctuary received a call from PETA about a young piglet that needed placement. That piglet was Nomar, who turned out to be quite the celebrity.."

This black and white pig may be Mario. From the KSS site: "Mario was a pig on a mission. This amazing pig was on the run through upscale Tampa neighborhoods for two weeks before Florida Voices for Animals intervened and brought him safely to Kindred Spirits Sanctuary! Nobody is really sure where Mario came from originally, but once he was out, he was on the run!

There were many sightings of the black-and-white male pig as he sprinted across busy roads and rooted through backyards. While suburbanites in Tampa didn’t want their landscaping ruined, they also didn’t want anything to happen to a pig so tenacious. Florida Voices for Animals took action, and tried to persuade the trapper who had been dispatched to catch the pig to let him go to a sanctuary. Initially the trapper refused. The community responded, and after many phone calls and threats from concerned animal-loving citizens, the trapper not only decided to give Mario over to FVA, but another pig that he had recently trapped as well. Both pigs were assured a happy ending when FVA found Kindred Spirits Sanctuary.

John Moyer and Jim Gisondi of FVA personally escorted the two pigs to their new home at Kindred Spirits. The black-and-white pig had already been dubbed Mario (as in Andretti, based on his speed!), and the smaller female pig was named Poppy by Kindred Spirits’ staff. Mario and Poppy now spend their days eating, rooting, bathing in their mud hole and enjoying the warm Florida weather in style!"

More of the animal stories can be found through the KSS website here

I loved these little guys! Their cute tails kept wagging with joy it seemed!

"Heyyyy guys!!"

I didn't even get to see this lady stand up, but I think she was as big as a cow!! my goodness...amazing!

Some of the pigs were kind of deformed looking from inbreeding...

Want to help a pig at Kindred Spirits Sanctuary??


From KSS website: Sponsoring a farm animal through Kindred Spirits Sanctuary is a win-win situation! People who care about these animals and their stories, but don’t have the time or space to adopt a farm animal, can still give a needy farm animal a great life! Sponsorships cover the cost of feed, shelter costs, and routine veterinary care for a particular animal for the duration you choose. You can sponsor an animal for an annual, bi-annual, quarter, or month duration. Each sponsorship is prepaid and does not renew automatically. By sponsoring a Kindred Spirit, you are assisting Kindred Spirits Sanctuary in providing the best care for each animal that makes his or her home here.


One year: $420
Six Months: $210
Three Months: $105
One Month: $35


Click here to sponsor a pig! oink. or choose another animal. Donate through paypal!
(As a side note, I was NOT asked by the sanctuary to provide this information on my blog. I'm only doing it because after my visit to the sanctuary, I truly believe in what they're doing, and I know if my blog readers could visit that they would feel the same way. All of the information I've posted here is from my own personal account with visiting the sanctuary, and information from their website.)


Keep an eye out for part three: chickens!

Kindred Spirits Sanctuary: Cows

The following is a photo account of my trip to Kindred Spirits Sanctuary in Ocala, Florida.
"Kindred Spirits is a non-profit farm animal sanctuary that helps neglected, abused, unwanted, or displaced farm animals."


This will be a 6-part series broken down by animals because each animal deserves their own spotlight.


 Part one will start with the cows!


Mirza and I took the 2 hour trip to Ocala, Fl on Tuesday for a tour of the farm. We met with a wonderful staff member who gave us a personal tour and account of the animal's life, and how they ended up at KSS.  The stories that I post here are from my own memory during the tour!

Some of these cows were rescued from cattle farms as calfs. They said usually the baby cows will be killed, especially if orphaned because the farmers don't have the time or resources to help them, or they don't want to...

My favorite photo..

(These photos were taken inside and as a result, did not turn out as well as the other's)...


I don't remember the age of this calf, but he was born blind:(. The cool part is that from what I remember, he is being paired with a goat, and the goat will be his "seeing-eye goat." I found that incredibly cool!!

Unfortunately, I do not remember the names of many of the animals, but THIS cow was not expected to live past 1 year because of his pneumonia, and was going to be killed, but he is now 6 years old!!

Want to help a cow at Kindred Spirits Sanctuary??


From KSS website: Sponsoring a farm animal through Kindred Spirits Sanctuary is a win-win situation! People who care about these animals and their stories, but don’t have the time or space to adopt a farm animal, can still give a needy farm animal a great life! Sponsorships cover the cost of feed, shelter costs, and routine veterinary care for a particular animal for the duration you choose. You can sponsor an animal for an annual, bi-annual, quarter, or month duration. Each sponsorship is prepaid and does not renew automatically. By sponsoring a Kindred Spirit, you are assisting Kindred Spirits Sanctuary in providing the best care for each animal that makes his or her home here.


One year: $516.00
Six Months: $258
Three Months: $129
One Month: $43


Click here to sponsor a cow! moo. or choose another animal. Donate through paypal!
(As a side note, I was NOT asked by the sanctuary to provide this information on my blog. I'm only doing it because after my visit to the sanctuary, I truly believe in what they're doing, and I know if my blog readers could visit that they would feel the same way. All of the information I've posted here is from my own personal account with visiting the sanctuary, and information from their website.)


Keep an eye out for part two: pigs!

Mother's Day

Tri training
Earlier this week, I had  a private swim lesson with a very knowledgeable swim coach who also helps triathletes to meet their swimming goals. I found the lesson to be extremely helpful and generous, too. I only paid for one hour, but he extended it by a half an hour because he wanted to make sure I felt comfortable.
We worked through a lot of drills to help me develop right form. The technique I find the most difficult is breathing! However, he said I should be proud of myself because I did well and I have "good hand-eye coordination." I haven't had a chance to practice since that lesson, but will be hitting the pools soon, especially when I return from DC. I even bought some fancy-schmancy goggles!

I'm also looking forward to his open water swims once I feel more comfortable with my strokes...
But I must say, I'm concerned that the Gulf of Mexico will only live on in my memory after this oil spill:(

On the running front, today I completed  week TWO of the Couch to 5k program! I've also taken all of my runs outside and find it much more difficult, but almost refuse to use the treadmill at this point since I feel it does not simulate real life like I would need for the 5k at the end of my tri's! Even though the heat is terrible, I'm learning to deal with it, and I enjoyed Caitlin's post this morning about Running in Hot Weather.
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Today I spent a few hours at my Mom's, and then came home and hung out with Mirza.
Here are some random photos from the past couple of days:

Meet Thumper. My older brother found this obviously once domesticated rabbit hopping down the street one day about 2 1/2 years ago. Today he lives at my Mom's, just like the cats! They actually all play together and it is incredibly cute:)

I love my Vitamix. Here I am practicing for my informercial...any takers?? I could totally sell this product because I believe in it:)

Don't hate on the apron, people! I'm quite messy in the kitchen!

Happy Mother's Day. Here I am with my fur-child, Max. That's the face he makes when we ask, "Max, are you huuuungry?"

My Mother in her early 20's, I believe. We have similar profiles:)

Also:


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In other exciting news, on Tuesday, Mirza and I will be taking a drive up to Ocala to visit Kindred Spirits Sanctuary. From their site, "Kindred Spirits is a non-profit farm animal sanctuary that helps neglected, abused, unwanted, or displaced farm animals."




(Photo from their site)
I love farm animals. A few weeks ago, we went to the local SPCA and they actually keep a few farm animals, not for adoption, but those they have rescued. They take care of a cow, horses, goats, chickens,peacock, donkey etc. 
I don't remember if I blogged about this already, but we hung out with the cow for a bit while she roamed the yard, eating grass, and swatting flies with her tail. She was dark brown. Seriously, I kept looking into her big brown eyes and literally saying out loud, "I'm so sorry, I'll never eat you again, Mr. Cow!!!" (even though she was female, haha). I just felt incredibly sad. She just wants to live and be free, like every other animal! And the chickens, so cute. Mirza literally had to pull me away. Honestly, I think I would have sat there all day just watching her. I felt at peace watching the animals do their thing, so to speak. 
I would LOVE to live on a farm or work at a sanctuary. I think I would totally be the kind of person that would not care about getting up early and helping to clean up cow doodoo and doing daily farm chores. I honestly think in a past life that I lived on a farm. Obviously, I would not live on a farm that killed animals, but you get my drift.


In honor of my trip to Kindred Spirits Sanctuary, I've been reading a lot about animal rights, etc. I'm almost finished with Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, and picked up a few random books from the library the other day...

I will definitely bring my camera to the farm and blog about it upon my return! I am sure I'll have a lot to say and post:)

swimming in the black forrest

I feel so accomplished because this morning I biked 12 miles (the sprint tri distance) in 58 minutes!! I would have been quicker if it weren't for all the stupid overpass bridges. MAn, they slow me down.
Either way, I am proud of my time and distance for today. This is the longest I have ever been on my rode bike. Even though it was HOT, it didn't bother me until I stopped.

Lunch was a burrito/soft taco.
I sauteed 1 can organic black beans, 1 can organic corn, 1 yellow onion, garlic, 1/2 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, etc, and a cooked a box of organic rice pilaf...then topped it all onto these awesome handmade yellow corn soft tortillas.

Blue corn tortillas on the side!

And dessert was watermelon and kiwi:

Mirza and I stopped at the bakery to buy some fresh bread for our dinner tonight..
And then we went swimming!!! so much fun. It isn't for tri-training, just leisure fun. It is getting so hot out.

After, we drove to a local pool to see the prices to join and I think I might do that about twice per week since it is only $3 per entry. It's just hard figuring all of this stuff out!! I'm concerned about getting adequate practice in the pools at my apartment complex because they're so oddly shaped and not very long.

I keep reminding myself that I am doing all of this for FUN, enjoyment, personal growth, health, etc., so the moment I start to get too overwhelmed with it, I just breathe and remember it's all in fun; no one is making me do this, but myself! And then I get excited again. It takes time to figure out a training plan, but that's part of the journey, I suppose.

DINNER:
Portobello sandwiches and homemade fries.
I marinated a portobello cap in 1/4 balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, clove garlic, marjoram, and thyme. I grilled them on the George Foreman and used the amazing Italian Ciabbata bread from the bakery. They were topped with muenster cheese and spinach.

And dessssssssert....

Black forrest cake. Mirza's favorite. oh yes.

Work the next two days:/ It totally cuts into my tri training;)

New shoes!

Hello all!

 I was looking forward to this day because I had plans to go to Tampa to buy new running shoes! The ones I've been wearing are 3 years old, yikes!!

Snack this afternoon was a juice from the Vitamix that consisted of 1/2 frozen banana, a couple of frozen cherries, and a packet of Amazing Grass' Wheat Grass with cold water.
It looks ugly, but was tasty.

I waited for Mirza to finish studying before we made our way to "Fit 2 Run" at International Mall in Tampa. I went there specifically so I could do the gait analysis.

Apparently, I over-pronate!! I kind of had a feeling, at least with the right. I feel uneven. I tried on some Nikes, Brooks, and Asics. I tried to remain impartial because I predominately wear Asics now for work and exercise, but I still did like them the best out of all the shoes we tried.

Wow, running on the treadmill and seeing it played back is really eye opening. I run like an idiot; I'm all over the place. Mirza said it looked painful! bahahaha!
When I ran with the higher stability shoes, my foot was completely even and did not roll inward. Success!
I ended up buying the Asics GT 2150.

After shoe shopping, we stopped for some lunch. I forgot to take photos, oops. I ordered a portobello sandwich from the Gallery Eclectic Bistro. Was pretty good.

Today was week 1, workout 3 of the Couch to 5K!
Mirza took some pictures of me during my workout!
But first, my pretty new shoes...

(these were taken during my little warm-up walk)

(By the way, "only YOU can prevent forrest fires")

I do a brisk 2 minute walk to warm up my muscles, and then a variation of stretches, including these as a base point. After my stretches, I hop back on the treadmill and walk for another 2 minutes or so and then start the training plan for that workout. This week was 60 minutes running alternating with 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
For week 1, my miles were: 1.71, 1.61, and 1.63. Right now, I am not focusing on miles, but just so I can have a baseline to compare, I've been keeping note. Surprisingly, I have noticed a difference in just three workouts. This last one was a lot easier and I know I could have run longer, but like I said in previous posts, I'm not going to push it and then injure myself.

(Still walking...)

I will take it outside eventually. I know that running on the treadmill and running outdoors are not the same, but I am doing what I am comfortable with right now. I need to get used to the heat because it is going to be HOT in August and September.

After we both worked out and stretched, we went for our first swim of the year! The pool was the perfect temperature.

Some time this week, I am going to have a private lesson with a swim coach to learn the general techniques for my triathlon training. I was going to join the pool that he coaches at, but it is in another city and the non-resident fee, plus lessons, and other things they want you to pay for just add up to be way too much. The private lessons are cheaper in the end since I have my own pool to practice in! He also does open water swims a few times each month, so that will be quite beneficial.
Hoping to get started soon!
Tomorrow is a bike day, followed by two working days.
I am going to attempt my week2workout1 on Wednesday following two 12 hour shifts. I say attempt because it might not work out so well! I am dead after 12 hours:)

What are your favorite running shoes? Do you stick to the same brand or mix it up? Also, do you prefer to run outdoors or on a treadmill and why?