Volunteering at Best Friends

I just got back from a weekend visiting my sisters down south, by myself, which was a new experience, and a nice break. I spent Friday wandering Zion National Park for the first time, but I'm more excited to post about Saturday, so I'm going to post out of order. One of the purposes for this trip was to be able to volunteer at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary that my sisters Keeley and Alex work at. Because I've always visited them with my son, it limits what I could do, so a trip by myself meant more options.

The trip was pretty last minute, and there was a little bit of confusion about what I needed to do to be able to volunteer, which meant it didn't exactly go as planned. The plan was to be able to split the day and work the morning with one sister and then switch to the other sister after lunch. They have two set shifts that you have to follow to be able to volunteer. It ended up that I hadn't submitted everything that I needed to online, so when I showed up at 7:30 a.m. for the volunteer orientation, I wasn't able to attend. They said I could come back at 11 for the second orientation and be able to volunteer that afternoon. I was bummed, but understand that when you get up to 200 volunteers a day, they have to follow procedures.

So after dropping my sister off to work, I decided to wander a few places she pointed out to try and kill a few hours. The first place I went to is called the Labyrinth. It is a meditation area off the main road inside the sanctuary. The fact that there is a meditation area on the grounds, gives you a very good idea about the founders. I wasn't sure what to expect because my sister had never been there either. There is a large flat area that has a circle path winding around itself until you end up in the center. It was a very peaceful, beautiful place to start out the morning.

To one side of the circle is a tree with prayer flags.

These were some of my favorite drawings



After looking around the area I walked through the labyrinth. Right as I reached the center I heard a bird squawking behind me and turned around to see a raven in a tree.

I can't say in the past that I ever had any attachment to ravens. But I have a couple people in my life who do, and since learning of their fondness for the bird, I have seemed to notice them a lot more, and always in meaningful times. The raven stayed in the tree for a minute and then flew off down the hill. So I decided I should go wander that way. The labyrinth is near the edge of the canyon, and is a beautiful viewing spot.

Just a little bit of the sanctuary land

If you click on the picture you may be able to see the greyish green house right in the middle. That is one of the founders homes. The sanctuary has lots of rumors surrounding the founders and practices there relating to cults and such things. This home is the grounds to a lot of those rumored events. Keeley and Alex said they have staff meetings there now and I would love to be able to walk though, it is very intriguing to me.

After spending some time sitting on a large rock that overlooked the canyon, I wandered down one of the dog walking trails to the second cemetery, which was created because the main one is now full. Here is a view of part of the main cemetery from near the labyrinth.

The second, smaller resting spot does not have the ornateness of the main one, and unless someone told you it was there, you wouldn't know. Walking into the resting spot, I can't express the very touching spirit that flowed in that area. I'm not sure I have ever felt anything that special in a human cemetery. There are simple paving stones used as markers most with just a plain name plate. But every single one of them has stones and mementos left from workers and volunteers that were touched by each animal. Some markers stand out quickly as a very loved animal.

But even these little rats were obviously loved.

Both resting areas also use wind chimes as memorials. There was a slight breeze that morning and I sat for awhile listening to the chimes. I have never heard chimes that had such beautiful tones. It felt like my own private concert. The chimes together with the general spirit of love there left me crying and very touched.


The next place my sister had recommended checking out is called Hidden Lake. It's a popular spot with the local teenagers. We were also hoping there would be some horses in the nearby pastures, but no luck that day. Hidden Lake is a water filled cave, and honestly, gave me the creeps.

The rocks outside of it are beautiful, but it took me awhile to even go near that opening. It's pitch black, you can't even tell there is water in it without getting close. Black cave water, no thanks. I didn't want to regret not trying to see what was inside, but this was the best I could do. I didn't care to try more, I wanted to get out of there. Creepy.

After I killed a few hours, it was time to go back for my volunteer orientation. There were only three other groups of people in my class, but just being around them for a few minutes was a very humbling experience. One group was three ladies from several different states back east who all work for the same company. One of them immediately came up to me while we were waiting for the class to start, and introduced their group. They were all so excited to be there. They had been planning this trip since August and were volunteering at almost every animal area over the course of three days. The excitement and passion of the people coming to volunteer, made me grateful for the ease of which I was able to participate. One of the other groups in our class was a family that came from Canada and made a vacation out of the experience. From staff to volunteers, everyone I met at Best Friends was incredibly friendly and welcoming. That on its own was a nice change from seems to be an ever increasingly unfriendly world.

After my orientation it was off to work with Alex in one of the cat houses. There are over 400 cats at Best Friends. A little daunting to think about. Alex was working in the house called Jill's Diner that day which houses around 30-40 cats I think. It was a little hard to tell because a lot of them are hiding and this might be all you see of them that day.

This house has four runs which all include and indoor and outdoor area for the cats to move freely between. The rafters are open with extra boards added for walkways and houses and bedding in the corners for those cats that want a little less interaction. On the ground there are lots of scratching posts and climbing areas, shelves and other areas for playing and napping. The cats seem very happy there and are definitely well taken care of. I helped Alex clean one of the runs and I have to say, for an area having 30+ cats, it didn't smell. I talked to Alex about some about the struggle between different houses on cleaning procedures and problems and helps that are created just by what products they do or don't use. I was glad I was there on the day she was working in a house where the main caregiver believes in using natural products and cleaners and avoids cleaners that while intending to make the area smell better, end up creating more problems. If I was a cat, I'd want to live in Jill's Diner. Of course you could also get the chance to live in the house where the caregiver has an obsession about all of the bedding and toys being only one color in each run.

This is Papa and he is one of the older cats and he hangs out in the lobby where the caregiver works because he prefers some alone time.

I pet kitties while Alex had to give them fluids and helped distribute dinner. One of the cats that is given fluids is Jasmine. She is 20 years old and the oldest cat at the sanctuary. Alex loves her.

She is pretty much just like a little old lady. Her fur looks like it needs to be combed, her meowing sounds like she's been a smoker for most of her life, she usually has to be shown where her food is, and she walks like every movement in an painful ordeal. But I think she is pretty happy with her home. Besides helping Alex out, I mostly just got to socialize with the cats. There are definitely a lot of cats that don't want anything to do with you, and a lot of the ones in this house are feral. But there were also several that had no problem being affectionate.

This is Phantom.

Two of the friendly ladies from the orientation wanted to take a cat out on a walk, they do have some that love to do that. Phantom loves to go on walks and was just as comfortable on a leash as a dog. She ended up wearing out the ladies.

This is the beautiful Mojito.

He is a very small, sleek cat. He is very adventurous and curious. He loves to chase wadded up pieces of paper. While in a neighboring run, we also found out he had no problem climbing the wire walls trying to get at a cat toy on the other side.

But my heart got sucked up by two sleek black kitties. I've always had a soft spot for sleek black cats, pretty sure I got it from my mom. The first one I met was Jag. I was lucky to get this shot of Jag early on, because after this he was glued to me when I was in the run and it was hard trying to get another picture of him.

Jag and Phantom were both cats dropped off at shelters with notes that their owners had lost their homes or jobs and that they couldn't take care of them anymore. My sisters said that in the last few years the number of animals coming to them for this reason has skyrocketed. Very sad other side to the downturn in the economy. Jag would have easily come home with me if I lived in a cat friendly place. It's honestly amazing that my sisters only have five cats considering where they work.

The next little guy to melt me was Exodus.

He also came right up to me when I walked in and was very content in my lap, making it hard to take photos of him. Exodus's story was heartbreaking. He came from another shelter with a broken jaw which causes his tongue to stick out on the side. They are pretty sure this injury was the result of being violently kicked. Even with that kind of background, this cat had nothing but love to give. It is stories like that which make you want to fill up your car with animals and take them home. But after talking to Alex about it she pointed out that it is important for people to adopt from their local shelter which is most likely a kill shelter. You will be actually saving that animal's life. All the animals at Best Friends will have a comfortable place to live for the rest of their lives, even if the ideal would be for them to all be in homes. Exodus and Jag were really hard to say goodbye to though. Exodus and Mojito who are buddies, got to go on an overnight with the three friendly ladies though. So knowing the love they were going to have poured on them that night made it a little easier. I'll definitely be watching these guys stories and hopefully visiting them again.

Even though I didn't get to volunteer with Keeley this time, I did get to tour where she works and meet a lot of co-workers. I've always been proud of my sisters, but getting to see in person the hard work that they do, and hearing the respect their co-workers have for them, was a great, proud sister moment. Keeley was on-call for the weekend and ended up having to go in very late each night I was there to sit with or check-in on surgery patients. Seeing the animals in recovery and knowing the great care they receive there also made me very proud about the work my sisters help do. Keeley is leaving on Tuesday to go to LA to help in a clinic they have been taking over there. Best Friends is an amazing place, but it can't solve the problem by its self. Other locations like the one in LA, will be a big step towards getting places all over the country that can help do a lot of good things for animals.

The work my sisters do is physical demanding. You don't get paid much, and you have to have a passion for the animals to make it worthwhile. I'm glad there are people like them working at facilities like Best Friends, and everyone else out there doing the work they do to help save animals lives. I only helped for a few hours on one day, but it was an extremely touching experience and one I hope to be able to repeat many times. And in a Price is Right closing, please spay and neuter your pets.

Lava Hot Springs

Finally getting around to posting about my trip to Lava Hot Springs last month. My friend Becky had asked if I wanted to go up sometime while it was still cold. Having never been, I was up for the adventure. Lava Hot Springs is a small town in Idaho built around the naturally occurring hot springs. One of the nice things about these springs is that unlike most hot springs, these have no sulfur in them, so you don't smell for days afterwards. The town has a small main street with a few open gift shops, but not much else. They definitely seem to have been affected by the economic downturn. My only complaint about the place would be that finding someone to eat isn't exactly easy.

We stayed at the Riverside Inn which was a nice little bed and breakfast. Only suggestion, ask to not stay in the room right next to the lobby. And just plan that your back is going to hurt from the mattress. But you know, minor details on an adventure.

Most of the hotels have their own little soaking areas, and then there are 2 large city pools, one wasn't open for the winter. Our B&B had 3 indoor tubs, but the thought of sitting inside, in a small room, in the tubs wasn't exactly appealing to either of us. So we opted for the outdoor barrel tub. There was a bit of an adventure involving a hose and trying to cool the water off a bit, but you probably had to be there.

We also limited our water time to night time. We had a lot of fun sitting in the tub under the stars. And I taught Becky the few constellations that I can ever remember. I will note it's kind of hard to point out stars to someone when every time you raise your hand out of the water, all you do is create a large steam cloud blocking any visible stars. There was a lot of head nodding towards them.

To fill up Saturday we went driving around to take photos. Becky asked at the front desk (because I can't do stuff like that) for any suggestions of places to take photos. We got the recommendation for a close by little ghost town. Apparently we missed the turn off for it, because we never did find that road, but I'm glad we didn't, because I really enjoyed what we did find.

Off the side of the road we saw some beautiful orange willows that I wanted to photograph.


Along that road, we passed a group of horses. Becky suggested stopping because she had never photographed horses before. They were very happy to oblige posing for us.


Three of them were pretty friendly, but one in particular took a liking to me. He took a couple minutes to make sure I was ok, and then decided to take a closer inspection. He started by mouthing my camera strap, then my shirt, and then he started breathing in my ear. It was one of those rare moments when you feel like something really cool is happening, but at the same time you feel like you can't move because you're not exactly sure what is going to happen next. I'm not exactly sure what he was so interested in, but he was kind of like a dog trying to get my attention. I of course completely fell in love and really didn't want to leave, even though it was freezing outside! I would love to go back sometime and hopefully be able to visit the horses again. It was a very special and fun moment.

After the horses we continued our drive and ended up in the little town of Grace, ID. Along the way we passed a very small little town that had murals along several of the now closed businesses along the main road. I thought they were pretty cool.

Grace is a small little farming community, which is pretty much all that exists in that part of Idaho.

I just happened to look in the right direction at the right time and see what was one of the oddest things either Becky or I had seen. A very large, wooden pipeline. With some obvious issues made very evident by the freezing temperatures.

Leaks all along the entire pipeline causing ice sculptures. I'm still a little baffled by this pipeline. There seemed to be as much water outside of it, as I assume was in it. I seriously could have just stared at it for a very long time, except for the biting cold wind that sent me rushing back to the car after 2 minutes. Both Beck and I commented that the pictures didn't seem to capture the oddity of the situation. So I'm glad I got to experience it myself.

That night we went to the city pool, I didn't take a camera, but you can see pictures on their website. I'm pretty sure I would have no desire to be in 100+ water most of the year, but with snow all around you, it was perfect. And walking back the few blocks to our B&B, dripping wet, in swimming suits and towels, with jackets, the towel freezing to my legs and a lady outside laughing and commenting that we were crazy, was pretty awesome, but sadly not photographed.

For Grandpa

This weekend was full of lots of family time and was extremely exhausting. Good, but definitely exhausting. Emotional days followed by late nights with sisters, means I feel like I need a few days to recover. I want to get a post done though, or I know I'll never get around to it. And there are some memories I would like to make sure I get down.

My grandma Craig died back in 2001. She'd had back surgery that she never recovered from, followed by a stroke, and then just a series of problems over the course of a few months. I spent a few hours with her in the hospital one day. The plan was to give my grandpa a break from being constantly by her side, but he still stayed not wanting to leave. The day I was there my grandma was in a lot of pain. I tried to help rub cramping legs, but I'm not sure I gave her much relief. That day ended up being the last day I saw her before she passed and part of me has always hated that it's the last memory I have of her. That memory is how I picture her, in pain and uncomfortable.

When my grandpa had to be put in a care center, there was a part of me that didn't want to go see him at all. I didn't want that to be my last memory of him. I will admit there was also a level of laziness involved there, but the thought of my grandma was always in my mind. So I didn't see my grandpa that much over the last few years. On the 10th I got a call from my sister that I had long since expected, that my grandpa's nurse felt he wouldn't last much longer, and to come and say goodbye. The memory of my grandma flashed in my mind, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to actually say goodbye. There are so few times in death that you actually get that chance.

As I was getting ready to head over I knew that it had to be close to when my grandma died because her funeral had been on Valentine's. I pulled up her obituary to check, and yes, she had died on the 10th, 11 years earlier. The thought of my grandpa passing on the same day as my grandma had a sweetness to it. I guess that wasn't meant to happen though, because he did hang on for a few more days.

I sat beside my grandpa's bed and was surprised at how well he looked to me. He definitely didn't have the, just about to die countenance I had prepared myself for. Instead he opened his eyes and said hello even though he wasn't sure who I was. I held his hand which was resting on the bed and instead of me comforting him, he patted my hand while I sat next to the bed. He acknowledged a few people as they came in, but mostly just rested. The only outward sign of struggling health was a bad cough. After staying for awhile I went to give him a kiss goodbye and he woke up and kissed me back. I went to the end of the bed while my sister said goodbye and waved to him. My grandpa looked me in the eye, and winked. And I left with the perfect closure. Not a bad memory of failing health, but a smile brought on my a gesture that showed me even though his mind and health were gone, enough of him was still there to reach out and say goodbye.

While at the care center saying goodbye I was talking to my aunt who was there, and we were talking about the significance of the day and my grandma's funeral. My aunt told me that after my grandma's funeral her daughter, who I think was about 7 at the time, turned to her and said, what a beautiful day for a funeral. A little confused my aunt asked her what she meant. She said, well Valentine's Day is a day to think about all the people you love, so what a beautiful day for a funeral. A few days later Valentine's Day had rolled around again. All day there was part of me that felt like my grandpa would go that day. Or maybe I just liked the significance if he did. I went to bed about 11:30 that night and immediately started crying, I knew my grandpa was gone. It was just over 30 minutes later when the nurse went to check on him, and he had passed away. Because it was pass midnight when they checked, he officially died on the 15th. I'm not convinced though. I'm not sure what happens when we die, but I don't have a problem believing my grandpa left on Valentine's Day to be reunited with the love of his life.

We had a beautiful service on Saturday full of lots of great memories. Some I was familiar with, and some were new. It wasn't surprising to me, but I was proud to hear stories of my grandfather going against the racist norm that he grew up around in the deep south. I felt pride in hearing stories about my grandfather encouraging his children to question the world around them and not to accept things just at face value. Next time my boss gets on me for stirring things up I want to tell him, sorry it's in my blood.

My grandpa had a passion for the written word, and although I can't say I give it the attention I should, after hearing many more great stories about the love my grandpa had for books and reading, it makes me want to re-commit to having that be a meaningful part of my own life. And to make sure it is one I help pass down to the next generation. I definitely owe any interest in Shakespeare to my grandpa and the memories of him explaining the plots and characters around the campfire before going to see the plays at the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City. I will miss having that.

My grandpa had specifically requested that he have bagpipes at his funeral. I remember him talking about it way back when I was in high school and played in the high school pipe band. I never owned my own set of pipes, so after high school, my pipe playing days ended. I had wished to be able to play at other funerals for my other grandparents that had passed away in earlier years. I was never in contact at the time though with friends that still played, and doubted if I still had the skills to even attempt such a thing. I'm now back in contact with my best friend from high school Becky, who does own her own pipes. Upon my grandpa's passing, I asked her if she would be willing to play, which she agreed to do. There was a part of me that wanted to try, but really doubted that there would be any ability left after 17 years. Becky sadly lost an aunt later that week, who's funeral would be the same day as my grandpa's. She wasn't sure if she would be able to go because it was out of state, but I didn't want to take the opportunity away and felt it was the push for me to maybe try it out.

I was surprised that I was in fact able to remember the fingerings to Amazing Grace, and did better than I had expected after such a long void, but was definitely far from being able to play in front of people. I had a few days to practice and try and build up some stamina. On Friday while practicing I was feeling a lot more confident. I was no where near the ability I'd had back in high school, but felt like I at least wouldn't embarrass myself. After the funeral I headed down to the cemetery to get warmed up. The wind had really picked up which had also caused the temperature to really drop. Two things that in no way help playing an instrument outside. The time came for me to play and honestly I've pretty much blurred the memory except for the fact that the low note I was struggling with while warming up because of the weather, did not play. But besides that issue, I made it through. The family was all very appreciative of the effort, and knew my grandpa would have appreciated my playing, even if it was less than perfection. I imagine if my grandpa had been there I would have gotten a wink, a slight shrug of the shoulders and a whispered, sometimes that happens.

I also have to mention the beautiful casket that my mom helped arrange. When my little sisters moved to Kanab, we noticed on the first trip down to visit, a sign for a woodworking place that among other things, made caskets. Little did we know then, that a few years later, my mom would be driving down to pick up the hand-made pine casket for her father. They did a beautiful job and I'm sure my grandpa would have loved the simplicity of it.

Saturday night my family went out to our favorite restaurant, Bombay House. I found it very fitting because it was my grandparents who introduced us to the wonderful restaurant and owners. And it felt like the perfect ending to the day. Later that night my sisters and I all sat on the front porch, in the freezing weather, singing songs. Singing was another important tradition that is in our family because of our grandparents. And I know it is something that will forever remind us of the wonderful grandparents we had.

My mom's generation was missing my aunt and uncle who are serving an LDS mission in Brazil, but my generation had all 21 grandchildren in attendance. Can't say this is the best picture ever, but hey, we're all there! Not sure when that will happen again.

My grandpa was a wonderful man, who leaves behind a full legacy. I don't remember ever hearing an unkind word, or a raised voice from my grandpa. He was one of those people that made you feel special, just from being around him. He lead a full life and was the kind of man that makes me want to live a better life to emulate the example he was for our family. He will be missed beyond compare, but his memory will never fade from those lucky enough to have know him. I love you grandpa. Thank you for the life you lived.

Catch Up

Oh yes. Remember this blog? Yeah it's still here. Being neglected by me. I have a couple of posts I need to do, but I'm pretty sure this week is going to be a bit full because my sister is flying in tomorrow, and then the other sisters will be here this weekend for my grandpa's funeral. I want to do a post for him, but thought I'd wait till after the funeral. Most people that read my blog read my sister's and she did a beautiful post in which I share her thoughts and wonderful memories.

Right now I'm mostly feeling nervous because I'm going to play the bagpipes at the funeral. Something I had a bit of experience doing in high school, but it's been 17 years since I played. I had wished to be able to play at my other grandparents funerals, but it didn't work out because I wasn't in contact with anyone that played, and honestly I didn't think I could do it after this long. In the last year I have become close again with my high school best friend Becky, who is graciously letting me try to play on her pipes. My attempt so far went better than I expected, but it's hard to not realize how much better I was way back when and not feel a little overwhelmed about it. I know that the family will think it's cool no matter what (at least I hope they do!) but it's hard not to want to do a really good job.

The second thing I need to post about is my weekend visit to Lava Hot Springs with Becky. It was a nice, close, get away and I had a great time. So just wanted to pop in and say, yes, I'm still here. Please stay tuned for further updates.

Welcoming 2012

I didn't have much planned for today, other than enjoying the day off from work. That was until I took the Christmas tree outside and saw how beautiful the weather was. I went back in and changed and headed out for a hike. I'm really glad I took advantage of the amazing weather we've been having.

I do appreciate living in a place that has four seasons. There's something harmonizing about it. As the seasons change, other things in your life change. From what foods I crave to what I do after work. The problem with four seasons, is that I don't like extremes. I pretty much like everything about spring and fall, summer and winter are a different story. I can't stand the heat of the summer and have never lived somewhere that I got to take advantage of air conditioning. But I do appreciate the long days and the escape from the heat that the canyons offer. I like being able to take Will to the pool and enjoy the cool water. I don't like the cold or the snow of winter. It's pretty up in the mountains and on Christmas, but that's the only time I want to see it. But I do appreciate the desire for soups and working on projects indoors that I ignore the rest of the year.

Today it was up to about 50. Not exactly normal for this time of year, but I'm definitely appreciative. I know there are negatives to this weather but I for one am going to try and take advantage while I can. A nice cool weather hike is the perfect start to a new year for me. I hope it's a sign of good things to come.

The trail normally looks like this is October instead of January


The plants are a little confused by the weather