Cheers and Gone

Regrettably I am putting at least a hold on Driftwood Vegans blog posts.  Over the years I have written about a plethora of subjects, vegan and otherwise, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the outlet to share ideas, recipes, thoughts, rants, music, Cornish life, gardening and creativity.  In the last four years however my personal time was zapped away with other issues and many a time I wanted to put pen to paper either my time was short or my creative energy low (I know that sounds a bit hippy but it is reflected in the lower amount of posts in more recent years!).  I was also asked to cover various events or happenings in the vegan diary and I always put these first.  It has therefore become less and less of a personal creative journey and output and, as much as I have wanted to support the amazing work of others, it was becoming less my own work. 

The vegan blogging and social media world has wonderfully exploded in more recent years and so there isn't a shortage of great material to digest, support or encourage people.  I will obviously still do that on a personal level and never will my passion for veganism wain.  If anything, after 33 years, it grows stronger and stronger.  I am however making a few changes in my life; one of which is reclaiming my personal time and my creativity.  

One of the many reasons I started the blog was to push my photographic boundaries but it never quite worked out like that.  I pretty much ended up taking quick snaps in favour of concentrating on the words.  I want to reclaim my photographic roots a little more but also return to film making.  Film production was the career I trained in and was heading for, but I ended up sacrificing it years ago when the horror of working in London chased me back to the West Country.  I've no regrets but I do miss it and, with technology making it much more accessible on an individual and less location-centric basis, it is time to explore it again and see where it takes me these days.  I am also fortunate to work in an environment surrounded by hugely talented creative people, and with access to a veritable 'sweet shop' of creative resources and technology.

It may be, once I have left Driftwood Vegans gently sleeping for a while, I end up reawakening my need to put pen to paper again.  However, for the time being my last blog about Tolfa was a perfect one to 'suspend play' on.  It was truly from my passionate heart and one that was bursting out of me to write; such is my admiration for them.  Hopefully, at some point in the future you will see those words "the latest from us Driftwood Vegans" pop up again on Facebook or Twitter with an "err, I'm back" start to it.  For now though, you can follow what is happening in our world, led by Phil's Driftwood Vegans Twitter action.

Cheers and gone (as we say in Cornwall).

Tree of Life For Animals (TOLFA)

This is Kizzy.  I loved all our family dogs equally but there was just something about Kizzy that just 'got me'.  We totally connected, and even my dad said to me once that there was just 'something' about her without being able to describe further what he actually meant.  Kizzy, with her side kick Kenai, lived with my mum and dad but spent quite a lot of time with Phil and I down in Cornwall when my parents went off to visit my sister abroad or came to stay with us.  She adored the beach and swimming, but hated the rain.  She loved drying herself on any person happening to be passing by, particularly anyone who'd just put on clean dry clothes that very day.  She loved people and generally people loved her, despite the drying off antics.  She loved blackberries, picking her own from the hedgerows or begging from fellow pickers, and she loved strawberries, frequently raiding my dad's patch in the garden.  She also demanded an apple every night, by way of staring you down or giving a "whoo whoo whoo" reminder bark if you forgot.  She was just........ Kizzy.  She was a very lucky girl and we were very fortunate to have been part of her life too.  

After my mum and dad died, the family house sold and the dust had settled from a turbulent, busy and stressful few years, I wanted to do a few really positive things to reflect particularly our family's love of animals.  I came across Indian based TOLFA (Tree of Life for Animals) at a vegan fair in Stroud last year and bought a calendar from their stall.  On the front of the calendar was a puppy being held by one of the TOLFA workers.  That puppy could have been Kizzy when she was a pup (she came to us as an adult rescue).  Kizzy had the air of an Indian beach dog about her.  I started to read more and more about TOLFA and signed up for regular updates.

TOLFA was set up by UK veterinary nurse Rachel Wright in 2005 after her travels in India and Sri Lanka led her to want to make a difference to the stray, ill, and injured dogs that she encountered and, realising that there was little or no existing resources to do so in such countries.  Having travelled in India and Sri Lanka ourselves, and befriended and fed beach dogs there, this struck a chord with us.  Along with 'school pens' (biros) for the kids, I always had dog biscuits in my rucksack for any stray dogs I encountered, but beyond that had felt pretty useless to help.

Four years after that initial 'seed was planted', Rachel had purchased land in Rajasthan in Northern India and TOLFA was born.  For the local ownerless dogs, as well as any other animal in need, this animal hospital was a life saver.  The work of TOLFA however is far from just emergency first aid for these animals and, as it grew so did the all important preventative resources it provides, including neutering and vaccinations.  One of TOLFA's missions is to see the Rajasthan region completely free of rabies by 2030; to the benefit of animals and humans alike.  Any animals unable to be safely released back to the exact area they were found in, are given lifelong sanctuary at TOLFA. Since 2005 a staggering 170,000 have been cared for.

Alongside the care to the animals, TOLFA run education and support programmes in the local schools and communities.  This includes offering veterinary care for the animals belonging to low income families, teaching children how to look after and be compassionate towards all animals and, through such programmes, changing the general attitude of the whole community towards animals.  

I am in awe of what Rachel has started and what TOLFA is achieving on a daily basis (they respond to up to 30 calls for help every single day).  The more and more I read about them, the more I wanted to help.  I started off with a donation to a particular appeal and also bought an awesome TOLFA designed limited edition fund raising T-shirt but, once I had sufficient funds to do so, I decided to take that a step further and applied to sponsor a kennel at TOLFA.  A plaque is placed on the kennel door and upon being asked what wording I would like on it, I instantly heard the spirit bark of our very own 'Indian beach dog' Kizzy.  We received our first update on the new resident in our kennel in December and will continue to be updated throughout the year with further residents of this kennel.

Please, please do consider supporting and donating to this amazing charity.  They have of late hit a particularly difficult period, running at full capacity, whilst trying to deal with flooding from unusually severe monsoons this year.  This has led to a temporary closure of their rescue service.  Additional support now could help them get back on track and fully operating the service that is making so much difference to so many.  Please visit their very informative website for further details on what TOLFA does and particularly their How To Help page.  This appeal isn't just from us Driftwood Vegans.  It comes directly from our Kizzy too.......

A Vegan Weekend at Par Market

In a damp, cold  and blustery Cornish winter you really do need something good to draw you away from the comfort of a roaring fire, and a vegan market in the heart of the county might be just the thing to add a little warm glow to your weekend.

On Saturday 18th January, Par Market and Food Hall hosts a Vegan and Sustainability Market.  Founded in the 1970's Par Market, near St Austell, has grown from a Sunday outdoor market into one of the largest indoor markets in the UK, with over 70 stalls to browse, and now with the addition of a Food Hall.

The Vegan and Sustainability Market throws open its doors on the 18th at 9.30am and continues on until 5.30pm and has attracted a multitude of local traders dealing with vegan, fair trade, sustainable, cruelty free products and services.  Included among them are Open Heart Studio, Little Acorn Bakery, and Raw Indulgence; all on hand to deal with your sweet treat needs.  For your beauty needs The Mindful Hive will be supplying their range of soaps and shampoos and Iris Bluebird will be there with her selection of health and well being products.  For your naked skin and fur babies there will be Just Jonah with their organic baby and children's wear and Peace Treats with their range of vegan pet treats.  Sadly your dog companions will have to trust you to choose for them in regards to the latter because only assistance dogs are allowed in the market.  For grown up clothing and accessorising there will be Love Cork  (really looking forward to that one) with their range of vegan and sustainable corkiness.  Also, as we all daydream about the balmier warmer months of getting out into the garden, and the start of the main growing season, The Naturally Vegan Plot will be on hand to advise about all things green fingered and veganic.  This is just a small selection of those attending so do check the Facebook event page for an up to date listing.

With all that browsing you are bound to want a sit down and a munch (if you haven't gorged on the sweet treats).  Huckleberries from Bodmin will be on hand to fill us up, with their delicious burgers.  There will also be a range of vegan food available in the food hall including chilli, burritos and nut roast.  In fact Par Market and Food Hall are advertising vegan food availability not just on the day of the Vegan Market but also on Sunday 19th January too, in an event which runs from 11am - 4.30pm each day called The Big Vegan Feast Weekend.  You can buy advanced tickets for your roast dinner meal, for either the Saturday or the Sunday with adult meals at £8 (children £4).

It is certainly shaping up to be one of those weekends when it won't matter if, to put it in the Cornish way, a skenny* blows in or it's vady** and unkid***.  It can be as gashly**** as it likes with all that fab vegan stuff going on indoors down in Par!

*  A sharp, gusty wind.

**  Misty and damp.

***  Dreary and gloomy.

****  Ghastly and horrible.