Farm Stay Get Away
For my birthday this year, with Covid looming and still recovering from hip surgery, I decided I wanted to go to a farm stay.
If you’re interest in a link to this bed and breakfast farm… you can try this link and maybe we’ll both get a credit when you use it… It’s called Slice Of Heaven Ranch in Herald California: https://www.airbnb.com/c/tomk13081?referral_share_id=7c2e99b7-7e72-44b3-9585-fb6247cd58b6
Because of the heat, and the fires this past weekend, and the fact I haven’t had much dog interaction since LAAS (Los Angeles Animal Shelters) have been mostly closed to volunteers since March (again Covid)… We picked a place about 5.5 hours north of Los Angeles, in Herald, CA.
I had an uncle that owned and operated a waterfowl farm for decades, and occasionally I would visit and work for free… getting my hands dirty and “really living.” By that I mean, not computer screen and traffic lights, but animal-poop-and-dirt real-earthy-timeless-living.
My gal was game so we both went up, making sure with the ranch owners that we’d be able to assist with chores and really work.
I think it took them a few hours to realize we meant it, that we weren’t there to hide in the room, or drink on the deck, but hand us a shovel and point us in a direction.
The farm operates as a dog and cat rescue, as well as horse teaching facility, and they keep chickens, goats, ducks, pigs, and sometimes cows (not this year). We cleaned barns, the paddocks, one of the coops, fed the pigs, milked the goats (not very well), played with the dogs, watched a goat breed, and my gals bottle fed kittens.
I haven’t written my review yet, but they offered a delicious breakfast, which was all homemade and locally sourced. Goat butter from the farm, honey from a neighbor, veggies, eggs, sausage, with even biscuits… They were super sweet and friendly. They didn’t expect us to do any work, and were very appreciative when we did.
I make a living faking things, so I like to get my hands dirty from time to time. I know it’s hard hard work, and those that do it everyday probably don’t understand why two people would pay to drive 5.5 hours, and pay to stay at the farm, all to work for free shoveling animal poop.
Side note: If you live within an hour and are looking for a big dog, you should consider staying there. The dogs run around with each other, and it’d be a fabulous way to see which dogs or cats you connect with. We each had our favorites. A few dogs do great there, but a few dogs really would probably rather be with a human family.
Below are some videos and pictures posted on Instagram. The ranch we stayed at was called Slice Of Heaven Ranch in Herald, California.
- Quiche Out
Tom Kiesche, Big Quiche 