Day Seven: Study Study

Since I'm still waiting for that "independently wealthy" thing to kick in, I've decided that my weekend adventures will only take place on a bi-weekly basis.  Not having a real job and living on savings, while perky, is also a little fretful.  So here I sit at my favorite coffee shop across the street from my place, blogging to all my readers...all four of you.

I try to come here a couple times a week to study.  At the end of this fun little journey, I have to take a gigantor test.  Then, a new journey will begin...finding a job.  I have no idea where I'm going to work.  I'm looking for jobs out West, but really have no idea where I may go.  Either way, it's crazy to be in this position at this point in my life...but also a little thrilling.

For now, time to focus back on studying.  And vanilla lattes with a side of turkey pesto panini.

Day Five-Six: Not my fault!

I honestly tried to update my blog last night, but apparently Blogger was taking a dump out back because it was down.  After a couple attempts over a couple hours, I gave up.  Challenge be damned!

So here I am on Day Six.  :)

Yesterday was fun.  More baby goats...and the end of baby goats.  The client that had all the goats took the last ones home and all the others have birthed out their free-loaders.  By the way, newborn goats now rank right up there among the cutest babies.  They're so tiny and furry.  And they have hooves!  They're like tiny little toy dogs...with hooves!  I want one.  Or a small herd.  But only if they stay tiny and precious forever.  Dang.

Last night I baked cookies for the supervisor that coordinated my internship.  It's her birthday today.  They're pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and I'd like to thank my cute Auntie Angie for the super easy recipe she gave me back in the day.  See?  Cookies:

Today I got to do some fun procedures around the rear-end of the horse.  I'll spare everyone the details, as I've learned over the years that usually when I think something is "Whoa cool!", everyone else thinks, "Ew.  Gross." But it was fun and valuable practice that I'll no doubt be able to use in the future.

I'm really enjoying my internship.  It was hard at first, in that it wasn't quite as hands-on that I'd hoped for.  I'm realizing now though that I get to see and learn about procedures that may have taken me years to understand and come across in general practice.  Given I'm fresh out of school with only a small amount of experience, I'm hoping it will come in handy when I get out there and try to find a job in the future.  Fingers crossed!

That's all for today.  It's Friday night.  Surely there's something to get into tonight!

Day Four: Half-way

Although the day isn't over yet, I'm updating my blog now.  Stupid every-day-update-challenge!  Moving on...

I'll probably be here late tonight because Goat Mom #3 is looking like she's gonna huck some kids out later today.  Yesss!  More baby goat hugs!

I just got done working the squeeze chutes all morning so we could de-horn a small herd of calves.  It was fun until the brats decided to lay down and play dead.  Fakers!

I have cow poop everywhere.  I'm dirty.  I'm tired.  And the day is only/maybe half over.

Oh yeah.  It's another good one.  :)

Day Three: Baby Goats Friends

Today good was a good day.  Not one, but two goat mamas gave birth - at the same time!

Around lunch time I walked back to the small ruminant barn and noticed one of the goats was in what looked to be early labor.  I took off running and grabbed the students and doctors, but was then told to calm down - she easily had about 3-4 hours.  Everyone took off for lunch, but I stayed to eat mine in the barn and take on "Goat Watch: 2011"!  About five minutes later, I looked in the stall across the way and what do you know - another goat in labor.  I took off running again.  I've learned that it's better to annoy people even if "it's too early", because the one time you don't - you're EFFED!  Everyone came back, I got the same "calm down" talk, and they left again.  I sat back down on my bucket to consume my PB&J, when all of a sudden both goats laid down and started pushing!  Like fluids flowing-bearing down-hollering out loud because babies are coming-PUSHING!  And cue running to the other end of the barn.  Again.

It was quite the dramatic event.  I figured Goat Mom #2 would give birth first, but both goats literally gave birth at the same time.  There was much running around by the doctors, wide-eyed, scared looks from the students, and lots of laughing from me.  I found the chaos comical.  I worked with one of the newer students on Goat #2.  I could tell she was scared but she did great and helped deliver both babies.  By the end, the barn looked like a tornado of towels, lube tubes, gauze pads, and oxygen masks ripped through it.  It.  Was.  Awesome.

In all, four healthy baby goats were born - two from each mom.  And all girls!  So cute!  They were already up and standing and headed for the Promised Land (aka Mom's teats) within minutes.  Yesss!

I foresee baby goat hugs in my morning.

Day Two: Rain

Last year when we visited Seattle, I was quite disappointed.  It was beautiful and bustling, but it didn't rain.  I was so excited to experience what Seattle is known for, but no.  No rain.  This year...  I got rain.  Seattle averages about 36 inches of rain each year.  Pullman averages 24 inches.  Yes, it's a foot less than Seattle, but it's still more than wimpy Salt Lake City at just 16 inches.  Pffft.

I quite enjoy the rain.  Rather I enjoy the humidity and green, lush environment it creates.  I remember driving around Washington last year during our visit and marveling at the trees.  Trees!  Giant Spruces and Evergreens right in the middle of cities!  Oh and moss!  Moss growing on stone walls, ebbing down rock cliffs on the side of the road, dotting sidewalks and pathways...  Man, I love me some spongy moss.  There's only one drawback to the rain.  And no, it's not the dark clouds that sometimes accompanies the rain.  It's the wicking.  The wicking power of my pants dragging along the ground.  I am too short and my pants drag.  I'm not complaining.  Spongy moss definitely trumps wicking pants, but man...I haven't had a dry-pants day since I moved here.  Heh!

Here's some lush-ness from the empty hill behind my apartment.  See?  Flowers, grass, trees...lush!  Love!

Day One: Dam!

Alright.  I'm going to do it.  I am going to blog for 30 straight days!  Or, at least give it quite the noble little effort!  I've already tried to start taking mental stock of what I might write about each day, and so far I'm up to a glorious number of...five posts.  So yeah, this should be good times!  Anyways...

In my continued effort to get out and see the sights of my new residence, I went to the Lower Granite Lock and Dam yesterday.  It's graduation weekend so the town is quite full of proud mamas and papas - perfect weekend to run away!  I went to the Visitors' Center last week and grabbed some brochures, and the dam was in there.  Cheap, not too far away, and remote - perfect!

The drive out there was insanely beautiful.  I love the Palouse.  I miss the mountains of Utah, but the rolling hills that surround my new home never fail to amaze me each time I drive through them.  I love how the lines of the hills simply roll, wave, and swirl.  The dark, rich soil is just starting to give way to slight, green buds of wheat as Spring rolls into the area.  Amazing.  I wish I were a better photographer - capturing what my eyes see would be quite the feat.

After driving about 30 miles through the wheat fields, the road gave way into a steep canyon.  The sky was quite pretty yesterday.

I would like to report that the dam was this amazing wonder, but it was kind of like all the other dams I've seen.  Weird.  I did, however, get to drive across the top of the dam...but only after they wrote down my driver's license info, license plate number, asked if I had any weapons, wondered what I ate for lunch, and what I was going to name my first born child.  Gee thanks so much, terrorists.  Bitches.














Driving across the dam was a little sketchy.  The roar of the water was pretty loud.  I rolled down my windows to make sure I didn't hear a big CRACK!  You never know!

I didn't do the dam (HA!) tour.  My parents are descending upon Washington in about two weeks so I might take them back then.  I did, however, take a quick tour of the fish hatchery and research center.  Did you know that Washington loves its fish?  Not only did they have "fish ladders" running through the dam to aid the little spawnies in their journey to the ocean, but they also had a fish waterslide!  Complete with a watchful lifeguard peering down from above!

The drive back was just as beautiful.  The Palouse area is scattered with big, red barns.  They're awesome!  They might be the subject of a future blog post just because they're so characteristic and charming.  This one (of about five) caught my eye on the way back.

And now some completely unrelated pictures and thoughts!  Yes!

I miss these faces:

I especially miss this face:

Day One is now complete.  Stay tuned for Day Two, and subsequent Days Three, Four, and Five.  I have no idea what I'm going to write, but I'll do my best not to swear for taking on this ridiculous challenge.  At least not out loud.

This Is The Day

My life has surely changed.  After some tearful goodbyes, an early morning wake-up call, and a 12-hour truck ride with the brother, I've arrived in Washington.

I started my internship at WSU and am now about two weeks into it.  It's not quite what I expected, but then again, when is life ever that way?  I am happy to report that I've already been splattered with cow poo a good three times already though, and I couldn't be happier about it.  I really enjoyed my last internship at the small animal ER, but working with large animals now feel like...home.

Settling into a life away from my family and friends has been tough.  I have good and bad days.  I mostly miss everyone on the weekends when I'm left to find something to keep me occupied all day.  I've made it a priority to get out, though.  I spend my days at the coffee shop, exploring the little shops downtown, going to the bar for dinner & drinks, and traveling to different tourist spots.  The things we all seem to take for granted when we've been in one place for a while.

I always wanted to live in a small town, and I'm quite grateful it's living up to my expectations.  So much so that I might blog about it more.  I'm seeing a 30-day challenge thing going around.  I don't know exactly what it's about, but figured I'd just give it a go to blog for a straight 30 days.  Yep.  That's what I figure.  But I'm not starting today.  Maybe Monday...or Tuesday.