Part 2
Wild Horses & Bunny Rabbits

What's this got to do with my transition 

to becoming a vegetarian? 

Let's now step back a few more years in my personal history...

At age 15, I was invited to visit my friend Lori's family friends in Northern Nevada. 

This was my first big venture from home & I really had no idea of what to expect. The trip began with Lori's older sister picking us up & driving us to our destination via her VW Bus - and not to forget a quick stop at her upstairs apartment in the Haight Ashbury District of San Francisco. She was a true flower child, as were many others during those late 1960's days. The air was filled with peace, love & hippie beads! 

During our travels, she would snack on fresh strawberries, carrot sticks, celery & dried fruits & nuts. I closely watched her & began to associate her natural beauty with the foods she was eating. Her 8-track tape player blared the sounds of Jimi Hendrix, Donovan, the Beatles, the Mamas & The Papas & Jefferson Airplane the whole way there.

On our way we also stopped for a stretch in a public park & Lori's sister stopped in a wooded area when nature called.

I can tell you that when we arrived at this ranch in Northern Nevada, I was totally unprepared for the poverty I witnessed. The screen door hung kind of crooked & creaked. Inside annoying flies bit you at their will. I'm either remembering dirt floors in some of the rooms or either really old carpets & wood flooring that didn't properly line up. If a couch could tell its story, I am sure it would include tales of all of the children growing up.

Inside the small sitting room, the furnishings were very basic, with an old piano lining one wall, and a picture of Jesus Christ on the opposite side. There was no bathroom, only an outhouse about 25-30 yards away. To reach the outhouse, you were bombarded with flying locusts with each step, & I'm not talking a few, I'm talking about swarms, hundreds that you'd have to fight through.

The parents & children were all gentile & easy to love - we bonded quickly. And talk about hard working - the males in the family literally woke up before dawn & began their work with the animals and the farming. The mother worked all day long to prepare the dinner meal from the food that they had harvested on their land.

One night the older boys invited us to go rabbit hunting with them. I thought nothing much of this - although I figured it would be exciting. Sure enough after dark we headed out in their truck with flashlights. I had never-ever witnessed stars in the night sky as bright as these before. The older boys would search the bushes with their strong flashlights. When the boys caught a rabbit's eyes in the glare, the light would hypnotize these bunnies & they couldn't move. The boys took aim & fired.

Somehow I convinced the boys to let me "help" them by holding the flashlight for them. The rabbits would freeze every time I caught a glimpse of their eyes, The boys took aim &... I shut off the flashlight.

I did this several times until the boys got a clue of what I was up to & I was returned to the house. 

The next night as usual we (about 9 of us) sat reverently at the supper table while the father offered a prayer of thanks for the bounty of food before us.

The meal was always simple - but tonight, it was different. I didn't recognize the type of stew that was being served so I made inquiry to the mother. She replied "It's rabbit stew!" My stomach began to heave. What was I to do? I didn't want to try even one bite of Hippity or Hoppity, but Lori continued to pressure me & explained that it would be rude not to accept their meal. 

I was told to try at least one bite, but I couldn't keep my mind off those darling rabbits I'd seen the night before in the bush.  

This was a long time ago, but I remember not being able to swallow even one bite of rabbit stew - I think it went into my napkin & I was eventually excused from the table.

That night I do remember sobbing to Heavenly Father, for I did not understand the necessity to kill such a beautiful living creature like the Jack Rabbit. This experience planted more seeds of thought for me, which would sprout much later.

Before I leave this section, I do want to include my great appreciation for this 3-week trip & for this family who humbly shared themselves & all they had with me. My horizons were definitely broadened, & the experiences I had helped to build my character.

During my stay, I was given a beautiful white stallion to personally ride & take care of. That horse was so tall that it had been trained to lower himself for you to more easily mount, although, I'll admit, I usually climbed on from a nearby fence. We always rode bareback, & if you burst into fits of laughter as most teenage girls do - the horse actually stopped (without command) so that instead of falling off his back, I was able to gently slide off to avoid hurting myself. I remember galloping through fields of alfalfa with my friend just for the pure enjoyment - what freedom!

I remember watching a mama cow give birth to her calf & giggled as it suckled my finger only moments after standing up on all 4's. 

And never to forget the vivid memories of the special day when we went jeeping on the back-roads of the nearby mountains. All of a sudden we were caught in the midst of a huge hail-storm & were soaked within seconds. The road was so bumpy, that I turned my head to steady myself & witnessed dozens of wild-horses running through a meadow glen in the rain, lightning & thunder - what a magnificent sight to see!