Howdy y’all!
Long time no share.
We have been in Oklahoma for over two weeks and not for the tiniest
moment have I had time to write.
We have been working sun up–to-sun down. That is seriously my new favorite saying. I have been
texting my friends that redundantly as an excuse for the lack of communication and
explanation on my job. I was
saving it for this post.
When we first
arrived here, it was our expectation to immediately start working. We were very excited at the thought, as
we both had been beach bums far too long.
The inherent need of feeling productive and a contributor in today’s
world was enveloping my existence and directing my attention to Craigslist jobs
and random household chores.
I would have paid someone to let me dust his/her home or clean the
bathroom. The monotony of doing
nothing and reminding myself I was on vacation was boring me. I was ready for some physical work. That’s exactly what I got.
Upon arriving here, Sally (Trenton’s step-mom), anticipated
on hiring us as property managers for their family’s ranch (The Big V Ranch)
and to help in the garden. To serve the Big V justice, I must at least note
that the “quaint” ranch is a large home built in 1893 and situated on 1,000
acres that is registered as a historic home in the Department of Interior. The gorgeous national landmark is
popular among brides-to-be and ranch tour companies for it’s cultural
significance and beautiful restoration that was completed in 2008. It is breathtakingly beautiful and
HUGE; the third floor sleeps fourteen people! It was truly a blessing to land in such accommodations.
In exchange for
staying on the ranch, we were scheduled to work on the farm and help in the
garden; however, we arrived days prior to a blizzard so there wasn’t too much
farming to do. A week went by without steady work until Trent’s "kind of" uncle (Sally’s brother-in-law) approached
us one evening with an amazing opportunity that couldn’t come at a better time. It turned out that one of his clients
was looking for a couple to live on his farm, take care of his livestock, and
work for his business: a wildcat breeding facility called A1savannahs. Check it out- www.a1savannahs.com.
The business is ran by a Swiss man and his wife who seem to
be great people. We interviewed
with the husband, Martin, a week or so ago and it went great; we got the job.
The opportunity to work with animals, work on a farm, have a free place to
stay, earn a steady paycheck, and work with cool people was right up our
alley; most importantly, it was necessary for our sanity. We needed to work. We
needed to do something physical. Even though we had been frequenting the
renowned YMCA of Ponca City, a more laborious effort was desired than forty minutes of cardio on the treadmill at a 5.5 pace. We all gotta start back somewhere.
We just completed week one of the new job and it was
great. We are taking care of
kittens, Savannahs, Servals, Bobcats and livestock every day. The “taking care” simplification
involves feeding, cleaning, medicating, changing litter boxes, etc… It is a
dirty job, but it is worth it. I
love working with animals way more than humans. I am excited to see them every morning and not because of
their repetitious gossip/small talk that I can grinningly bear with morning coffee, but
because of their cute faces, honest eyes and soft meows that seem to speak to
my heart. Even though we are
working long, hard days, and with cats when I am naturally a dog person, I really
love my job. I believe I am just an
animal person.
Meow,
Jamie
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