A funny thing happened to me at the barnyard yesterday.

I met Tinsel.

Tinsel is a two-thousand-pound dairy cow. As a newborn baby, he was taken away from his mama.

Baby males are “not useful” in the dairy industry; so they are discarded and sold as “veal units.” Which translated indicates slaughtered, packaged and cooked in American restaurants as Veal Parmesan.

Young Tinsel was saved by a rescue group and then transported to the Rooterville Animal Sanctuary in Melrose, Florida. He is now thriving and very happy under the care of Elaine West, founder and director of this 30-acre sanctuary.

And I met him yesterday… in his Field of Dreams… a big pasture that he shares with full-grown Holly, another discarded baby cow.

After watching and photographing Tinsel and Holly, I want to thank them. For my heart was wide open and now… so are my eyes.

“Eyes wide open” for the total truth of how all farm animals are funny, smart and chock full of life.

“Thanks, Tinsel, for being so goofy about eating bananas!” You made me laugh like a six-year-old.

“Thanks, Tinsel, for being an ambassador to the world – you show us how extraordinary you are – just being you… with your personality, your intelligence and zest for life.”

I am so grateful that Tinsel was spared the fate of being shredded into pieces for someone’s dinner plate.

Tinsel is too majestic for that. He looks much better in his Field of Dreams than on a dinner plate.

To see for yourself, consider visiting Tinsel at the Rooterville Animal Sanctuary.

Or… from the comfort of your computer, see him at https://rooterville.org/animal-stories/

Wishing you a wonderful 2017.

And here’s to you, Tinsel….may your Field of Dreams be everything you wish it to be.

I’ll bring more bananas next time, dude.

With respect and love,

Dee

Fact: Twenty-one million baby calves are slaughtered each year around the world. That is 21,000,000. (Source: http://freefromharm.org/dairyfacts/)