there's a brain in the freezer

No, really. There is.



As reality comes to land in the paddock of "facts of farm living", I am faced with challenges both expected and unexpected.



We lost a rabbit today. Went down to feed them and one of the cages was open with only one smug-looking brown hare inside. His mate, the more adventurous black rabbit had escaped through the open gate and had done a-runner-and-a-hopper! As we searched, I couldnt help but make a half assed attempt at looking around, all the time grinning to myself. Images of this giant black rabbit (european hares are massive) gorging himself on the neighbours raddishes, free in the wild, the wind in his tail-muff. Of course, in my imagination I gave him a little blue jacket and called him Peter and as we searched, the little blue jacket gained some black horizntal stripes to honor his time imprisoned.



Neroni, the black farm dog with the million dollar grin and not a lot of IQ was onto the case, unfortunately, and poor ol' Peter was captured beneath some farm machinery soon after his absence was discovered. Oh well. I hope he ate radishes in the mean time.



We bought 8 new chickens yesterday. Im not sure why because we already have 12 that dont lay, so I assume they are for eating (sorry Heath). I am happy to report that I have been told that chicken farming in Europe is only free range. No-one uses cages any more. The chicken farm stunk to high heaven and had I been the Italian RSPCA I would have demanded adequate ventilation but I suspect that pleasentries between neighbours is probably more important here than fresh air for the chookies.



These people eat meat. Their parents still remember the depression and all this fresh air and Mediterranean diet has kept most of them alive well into their 80s and 90s. They throw nothing away, they waste nothing. It seems like the "Rethink, Reuse, Recycle" message is second nature - common sense!! Their health and the health of their families and friends is far more important than fashion and coolness. These people have drawers of new clothes that are unused because they wear the "house" clothes they have to shreds and have the new clothes there for going out.



Sure, they dont compost, but they honestly dont need to - they live on clay, rich in organic matter. Sure they vaccinate their Rabbits, but if they didnt mixamitosis would spread like wild fire. They spend next to nothing on non pershable goods, they hardly go anywhere. I imagine their ecological foot print is next to nothing. They breed, feed, tend to and kill their meat and if you're going to be a meat eater, I'm not sure how you could be any more rightous about it.



I would probably do it a little different, but in caring for the animals, I am seriously in danger of caring ABOUT them. Not cool if their going to end up on the stove and on your plate. Having said that, we are looking forward to the arrival of a flock (?) of baby rabbits. I think rabbit will be off my menu for some time after that.



And yes, there IS a brain in the freezer. Very nutritious, very gross. Maybe they just wont tell me.