Myiasis

The night is filled with the sound of Barn Owls passing secrets across the evening air. A bass-filled bellow from the cow field drowns out the discordant bustle from the duck shed, both illuminated by the halfmoon shadows, casting blue, illusionary appendages of ripening apple trees across the tipi wall.

Our last day on the Lizard was spent lovingly trimming the hooves of the flock at the Ruan Major Farm. Unfortunately, one of the sheep, number 72, was also suffering from a bout of flystrike . Thankfully, we were able to help the poor beast before the damage had gone too far, which can happen within 48 hours. There is a moral and emotional balance in caring for farm animals, somewhere between practicality and nurturing is the sweet golden spot that warms the soul and fills a person with a sense of belonging. You become part of a cycle between the environment, the fauna, and the eternal. Each element playing it's part in fulfilling the other participants. You learn to respect and admire the flow of country life. With a background from urban areas (Detroit, Atlanta, Anchorage with some brief stints in London), having an opportunity to reach back into the rural lifestyle and live by that cycle was really a gift. Thanks Jane and Rob !