life

The sixth of April 2020

goats

My whole life I have been a square peg in a round hole. I always marched to the beat of my own drum, I always looked for the road less traveled, and never tried too hard to fit in. I saw these quirks as my strengths in life, and many times they have been strengths and are what makes me who I am.

However, if there was any time to bravely be a sheep, it is now. Listen to the scientists, listen to the health experts, wash your hands, stay inside, wear a mask, keep away from others and you will save lives. It is that simple. Your time to shine, to party, to interact, to hug and embrace will come again, so long as we all do our part now.

The third of April 2020

goats

Many years ago, while I was trolling the depths of the internet, before our family ever knew it would eventually relocate to the UK, I discovered something wonderful. It was the Oxford-Cambridge Goat Race, hosted by Spitalfields City Farm in London. Every year, one goat representing Cambridge faces off against one goat representing Oxford race across the farm to a crowd of delighted caprid enthusiasts. It was an instant addition to my bucket list.

About three years ago, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend, and we were lucky enough to enjoy the 2018 and 2019 races as well. The 2020 race has been postponed in light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, and we hope to see the goats again!

The thirtieth of March 2020

pigs

Pigs have feelings too! Perhaps after a few weeks of March of Pigs you may have noticed that pigs are actually quite expressive. That’s because they feel a wide range of emotions, just like humans. Pigs can feel joy and happiness as well as suffer from negative emotions like sadness and grief. Pigs are not only emotional creatures, but have been observed to show compassion for others, and feel distress at seeing their animal and human friends suffering. They have distinctive personalities, some are shy and some are gregarious just like us. In addition to having excellent memories, it is very likely that pigs have complex feelings and thoughts, and are even able to understand symbolic languages similar to higher primates and dolphins. Amazing!

The twentieth of March 2020

goats, pigs

Sometimes it is hard to keep to a safe distance. Take Pam, Angela and Ellen here for example – they are not keeping a llama distance apart! With the first day of spring upon us, it can be hard to not get out and about as the world comes back from winter.

However, The Haven Zoo has created an opportunity to spend some extra time with their menagerie! For $5, you can book an enrichment with the animal of your choice! The Haven will send you a video of our furry friends engaging in a special activity or treat, personalised just for you. They also have virtual tours and other opportunities for socially distant, remote activities during social distancing efforts, click here to book.

The nineteenth of March 2020

goats, pigs

We are going to pause our March of Pigs for an opportunity for some quarantine fun and fundraising.

Cooped up inside, being socially distant, canceling plans, routines and holidays can be a huge bummer. Take a break from the chaos and enjoy a virtual tour of The Haven Zoo!

Just like everyone, the Haven is doing its part to support social distancing to stop the spread of coronavirus, and have closed their gates to in-person visitors. However, the Haven relies on donations to keep the animals healthy and fed. So you can support the Haven AND continue to practice good social distancing by booking a virtual tour of the zoo plus a special viewing of feeding time! Book your virtual tour here.

Scientists and public health experts have asked that we all keep at least six feet or two meters apart from one another. That can be a bit difficult to visualize. Perhaps some of our camelid pals from the Haven can help us out – a llama is about six feet long, so maintain a llama distance apart to stay safe and stop the spread! And of course, keep washing your hands.

The sixteenth of March 2020

goats, pigs

It seems strange to keep writing little things and posting pictures of pigs and then goats, but here we are. I assure you, I fully intend to carry on; however, at some point, I may run out of photographs. So, please send me your goat photographs, pig photographs, and whatever else you got to goat.of.the.day.blog@gmail.com

That said, I have been told to limit all non-essential social contact for at least three months. It is really hard to have to stop going to work and doing a lot of things I love to do out and about and in the community, BUT maybe something wonderful will come out of all of that. Maybe, with all of the time I will create something beautiful, or develop a new skill, or read and learn about fantastic things. And most importantly, I will be doing my part to stop the spread of the coronavirus. What a time to be alive.

The fourteenth of March 2020

pigs

There is so much information out there about how to handle current events. The best advice is of course, stay calm and wash your hands. Washing your hands protects you, your loved ones and your community and is generally just a good idea. Even in normal circumstances, hand washing is important to prevent the spread of disease and to stay healthy – and to help keep your loved ones who may have compromised immune systems healthy.

The twenty ninth of February 2020

goats

As you likely know – today is an extra day. The practice started over 2,000 years ago when Julius Caesar developed the Julian Calendar with the assistance of an Alexandrian astronomer, Sosigenes. Basically, the earth makes a full rotation around the sun every 365.25 days and did not fit neatly into a specific calendar or 24 hour cycle. So, it was decided that every four years they would add an extra day to make up for the extra quarter day. You can tell it’s a leap year if the last two digits of the year are divisible by four, except for century years. For a century year (e.g. 1900, 2000) to be a leap year it must be divisible by 400. So 2000 was a leap year, but 2100 will not be. Without leap years, eventually February would be a summer month in the northern hemisphere! Make the most of the extra day today.