Terri Farley

Sunday, January 01, 2012

GOOD New Year News from Palomino

Watching Honey Bandit and the horses, I sometimes get overwhelmed wondering how we can keep going. There are times when it seems impossible and that we will never make it. I know there are so many rescues out there, trying desperately to make a difference for the wild ones, giving everything they have to make that tiny difference. So many of them are out there running on fumes, (especially some of the smaller ones), and fretting every day about where the next bale of hay, bucket of grain, or supplies in general will come from. There are times when I think that we will never make it, when it is hopeless, and I want to sit and cry. Then out of the blue, something happens, and you know it will be all right! Keeping the faith is so crucial when you are doing this, and I know that there are many others who go through times feeling the same helplessness and frustration. Honey Bandit is truly one of God's miracles, and I know that I need to keep the faith, as HB's survival is truly a "God" thing. The fact that He led me to HB and we were able to get him out of there is simply a miracle. Honey Bandit today is because of ya'll, and all the support you gave us. He wouldn't be here today if not for that, and we thank you from the bottom our hearts!

I was given a personal gift from a wonderful friend at Christmas. I was stoked, and planned to use it to buy hay. My son and I were in Redding, and met a man who was struggling much more than we. He had three kids and was out of funds, even for the necessities like groceries. We shared some of the gift my friend had given me, stopping only for a minute to think about the hay. The joy on his face as he rushed away to buy groceries was the best gift my son and I received this holiday season. (I really hadn't done anything, it wasn't like I earned the money, I was just blessed enough to be able to pass it on to someone who really needed it more). It is amazing how a simple act of kindness can snowball to bring joy to more and more people.

Then a few days later, we received a huge blessing. :)

Yeehaw!!!! MATT, the manager at the LOWES in REDDING, California, made a donation of lumber for Honey Bandit's "Winter Warm and Dry" project. ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS SUCCESS! We can't thank him enough. Please make sure the next time you are in Redding to stop by LOWE'S, and TELL 'EM HONEY BANDIT SENT YOU! I definitely cannot say enough about the way everyone in this area steps up. This is such a great community and we are extremely grateful that LOWES is such a strong supporter of our community and HONEY BANDIT. The lumber he donated made it possible to put up posts to hang up gates and for us to start on a hay shelter. Our wonderful neighbor down the road also donated some roofing a few months ago, so now we can actually start to build the hay shelter. We have been so lucky with the weather. There have been many days with extremely cold temps where all the water was frozen, but we have yet to see any serious weather of any kind. PTL!

So thank you again, Lowes, and Matt, (Manager "extraordinaire"), and all your employees, for making it possible to continue working on the facilities needed to make this winter "Warm and Dry" and safe for the rescued animals that live here. We still have so much to accomplish, and each step is not only a huge relief, but an extremely vital part of having a safe and successful rescue for the critters.

Don't forget to bring the kids and come visit Honey Bandit, Dabubbles and the rest of the gang. If it's snowing we will just build a big bonfire to stay warm and bring out the hot chocolate. God bless everyone for all their help and for helping us to "keep the faith". Have a wonderful and safe New Year! And remember, a random act of kindness may be the start of a huge change in someone's life!

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 9:34 AM

Comments: Post a Comment