Gentle Thanksgiving receives an incredible gift

As I mentioned in my last post, the Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, in Scio, Oregon, held its annual Gentle Thanksgiving party last Saturday. This event is a simple, no-animal-eating, family-oriented, get-to-know-you affair. Its primary purpose is to share with the public the beautiful animals who live here as well as to increase awareness of the Sanctuary's existence.

This year was a great deal of fun and, as if this weren't enough, it also brought us an amazing surprise at the end of the day.

The new pigs, rescued from the Iowa floods by the nationally-known Farm Sanctuary and brought to us in Oregon last month, were excited by all the hub-bub:

"Say Cheeeeeeese":

And, yes, little piggies really do have curly tails:

Here's Jessie, the sheep, wondering why all I have in my hand is a camera:

The weather was perfect for the event - the donkeys enjoyed napping in the sun:

The llamas, generally quite standoffish, did give me a nod and an ear twitch as I called out to them:

Fyrefly always looks like she has something important she wants to tell me:

Roy, the gentle giant, stood right next to the fence the entire time, waiting for pats and carrots:

The animals love it when company comes:

Have you ever noticed how photogenic geese are?:

Summer, the goat, gave everyone a thorough treat-check before they were allowed to leave:

So, now, allow me to direct your attention to the lady inside the pink circle (that's her son with her to her left):

This is one of only two pictures I have of her. And it's purely by chance that I got the two that I did at all. You see, we've never met this woman before. At the time I took this picture, she was no different from any of the other kind people to visit the farm that day. She arrived quietly, took a tour of the farm, visited with the animals and, when she was finished, introduced herself to Wayne and presented him with a $10,000 donation check. I am not kidding. This woman is my hero. I can't even begin to tell you how much the Lighthouse Farm needed this money. This incredibly generous donation will help to not only care for all the animals over the coming winter, but allow us to make some much needed additions and improvements to fencing and shelter as well. Incredible.

I wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving that is full of smiles and laughter!