It has been a few weeks now since the other girls left and life has been very hectic here on the farm. Fortunately, James (the masters student here) is a really good person to work with, has taught me a lot and has become a really good friend. I was really sad when everyone left and at first, I thought I would really struggle living on my own without a car. Honestly, I have got used to it really fast and learnt to enjoy having a lot of time to myself. I thought I would fill you in on life working on the farm and also some of my latest amazing adventures... Enjoy!
Wild Furry Friends
So although a lot of my smooth-skinned friends have left, I have been lucky enough to make some friends of different species. I went on a run one day to find about 6 baby raccoons outside my house. They were honestly some of the cutest little beasts I have ever seen and they stuck around for a minute so I could actually get some pictures! I have also seen one of the resident foxes here a few times who is quite tamer and lets you get reasonably close to him (he comes out a lot in the day for some reason). The bald eagles have been flying around the area and I have seen a fair few now although I haven't been close enough to get a decent shot.
Some of the wildlife here isn't so cute though and some of the insects are yucky. There are also a lot of snakes and although I haven't yet seen a live one, there are about 30 snake skins in my attic (not an exaggeration) and they live in a few of the basements in the houses on the premises.
I was working outside with the horses one day when I was VICIOUSLY ATTACKED FROM THE SKIES.
The culprit? A huge American prehistoric raptor (THEY STILL EXIST IN VIRGINIA!!!!)
Okay.... It might have just been a horse fly. But these horse flies are not your average horrible blood-sucking pests. It is called Tabanus atratus AKA the giant black horse fly and is about 4 times the size of an average English horse fly. When I first arrived here and saw one I thought that it was a hornet. They are actually one of the largest flies in the world and their body can be over an inch long.
Domesticated Furry Friends
I have also had the pleasure of being able to look after Dr Bridgett McIntosh and her husband Dr Preston Buff's pets, who are are inspirational to me both on a professional and a personal level and I feel lucky to be able to say they have become great friends.
Oh and Bridgett and Preston are okay too.
(hahahahahahaha funny me). Their pets are just like their owners - friendly, fun and very kind. I have been spending quite a lot of time with these little guys so I thought I would introduce you to them! They have been great company for me since the girls left and erm... I am sorry girls, but you have been replaced pretty fast with these beauties that won over my heart....
Thanks to Bridgett and Preston, I have recently got the chance to go to some local farms and events, which has been a lot of fun. I went to my first ever polo match at the Great Meadow equine facility. The atmosphere was really good and we took along a picnic, which we feasted on. It really amazes me how many disciplines of equestrian sport are so popular in such a small area - dressage, show jumping, eventing, showing, hunting, show hunting, polo, Western and pleasure riding. I am very naive towards some of these. perhaps especially polo, so it was great to be able to watch a few matches!
I have been working more hours since the other interns left so I have been getting to do a lot more with the horses. I have also been getting used to the early mornings every day and although I must admit, I sometimes find it hard to get up, it is difficult to stay in a bad mood for long when you have early morning views like these....
So I only have a few more days left here in Virginia and I can't believe it is almost the end of my internship. I feel like I have learnt so much in such a short space of time - I don't know where all the information is being stored. The next blog post I do will be the conclusion to my time in Virginia, and then I have more adventures in Tennessee and New York - I can't quite contain my excitement.
Missing my lovely English friends and family a lot - but I will see you all soon!
Much love,
Charlotte
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