There's a new kid in town!

No, not at my house!  Mitzi clearly loves being an only dog, and so I have made a commitment to her that I won't adopt any more dogs as long as she is alive.  

Over the past six months or so, I've been growing weary of this area and of blogging - many of my small circle of local friends, especially my hiking buddies, have moved away or passed away; my own family of critters has shrunk; and while I love the beauty of the area, one can only post photos of the same spots so many times before readers lose interest.

Just how many times can I photograph
this same view?

When I began this blog in January 2008, I lived on acreage in the Fraser Valley with seventeen critters - a foster family of twelve potbelly pigs, an alpaca, three dogs and a cat, as well as frequent visiting critters both domestic and wild. Friends' dogs, coyotes, bears and their cubs,  runaway llamas or chickens - there was always something new to write about. Now, with one cat and one cat-like non-hiking dog, there's not a lot to say. Or do.

Martin the alpaca was always
good for a story or two

And remember Brazen the coyote
who visited the farm frequently but never
did any harm (except to wild rodents)?

Heck, we even had lots of snow there to
make for a good story.
This is Belle checking out the white stuff. 

I've never stayed very long in any one community - I think my record, as an adult,  is ten years and I've been here six - and so I began surfing the real estate sites for other affordable and interesting possibilities.  The grass is always greener, is it not?

Nothing was ever greener than
the beautiful five acres we rented.
Sadie and I both loved it.
Sadly, good things sometimes end.

But....then I heard a rumor.  And the rumor was true.  And all of a sudden the grass around here was looking mighty green (okay, maybe it is the sun glasses - our actual grass is really very very brown right now). There's a new kid in town, and one that I want to get to know.

The new kid in town - well, in nearby Chemainus - is an animal sanctuary.  A sanctuary that has, among other critters,  potbelly pigs!  RASTA (Rescue and Sanctuary for Threatened Animals) has been well established in Alberta for a number of years, but the difficulty of looking after so many animals in harsh winter conditions led the owner to decide to relocate the sanctuary to Vancouver Island.  And the property to which she is moving, with all the animals, is just ten minutes from my home!

Guess who has already offered to volunteer there?

The property has a house on it, but little else, so they are currently clearing brush, building fences, and drawing up plans for a barn. A few of the pigs are here already, in a temporary foster home, and the rest of the animals will be here by the end of the summer.

If you live in the area, think about volunteering.  There's a work party tomorrow (Sunday), and there will be an ongoing need for volunteers in many capacities.  Check out their facebook page or their website for more information.

I look forward to getting to know them.  And I hope you will be able to look forward to entertaining stories and photos here at  'My Life (volunteering) With The Critters'.  If you have read my earliest posts, you'll know how very entertaining piggies can be!

Yes, we are, we are very entertaining!
Even when we are tired little piggies all tucked in for the night.
(This little piggy I fostered made his own blanket from a larger one, and then
pulled it over himself just so!)