Rosie

We arrived on a Friday and fished…and toured your wonderful town of Jacksonville, Oregon. Everywhere we went we chatted with people and when they asked us why we were there, we said “We’re here to fish…and pick up a pig and a handicapped goat.” When some heard it was Sanctuary One, they gasped and said, “Not Lisa! You’re not taking Lisa?!” We assured them it was not Lisa, but a slightly grumpy little pot belly pig named Rosie whose elderly owner couldn’t keep her. Rosie had bonded with a very handicapped goat named Stevie who had been crippled by neglect – but was helped by the Humane Society in which an operation helped him walk again.

Each year since ’07, our Apifera Farm has had a fundraiser called Pino Pie Day where we share the healing powers of our little donkey Pino, the farm and other animals,  and my homemade pie. Aprons are collected from all over the world

[donated by Pino’s fans] and are strung from a clothesline with sales going to help sanctuaries that help old barn animals. This year,  apron sales will benefit Sanctuary One, as well as New Moon Goat Farm/Rescue and Lavender Dreams Donkey Rescue. Apifera has adopted an old donkey and eight pygmy goats from the latter two.

Aprons? Pie? Donkeys? How did this come to be, you might ask? It started with the artist’s broken heart and evolved into a cherry pie of love which led to…well, you can read a quick illustrated overview and see a real Pino Pie Day at http://tinyurl.com/7hby9mn

We loved Sanctuary One – and met with both Sansa Collins and Robert Casserly. I stay in touch with them both, and Rosie and Stevie are also part of an illustrated book I’m writing about our barnyard “misfits.” The Rosie-Stevie story has also been featured on my essays for Huffington Post.

I just thought it might be an event you’d enjoy sharing- it connects two parts of Oregon, both farms trying to help the land, and animals, but also bring others in to share and experience the beauty and healing of it all. We are not a 501c and I raise my money to help my animals through my art and writing, but i consider Sanctuary One a real model for me- I’d like to bring in veterans and others to share the love here.

Stevie

Stevie and Rosie lead a very simple, sustainable life. All they need is within the barnyard- companionship, shelter, warmth, hay, weeds, dust to roll in, and the open sky.

Stevie has such a wonderful personality. He still gives daily kisses – which I was told he did when we adopted him, and it is true. he is a very strong fellow and while he is no wussy around feeding time pushing, he has the heart of an old hippie- mellow, just hanging out and enjoying the breeze. Rosie is my little grump, but I love her. Her mood depends on which part of her nap she is in. She loves belly rubs, sits for cookies, and snorts around the barnyard like a vacuum cleaner on a mission. She occasionally gets swept up in the flock of sheep as they leave the barnyard to go to their pasture, but she stands her ground and doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone. She sleeps in the same area as Stevie and although they are independent during the day, they sleep near by each other – I guess similar to many couples!

Katherine Dunn
Apifera Farm, Yamhill, OR
http://apiferafarm.blogspot.com/p/pies-donkeys-love.html