Pounding

Today I partied all day with big cats. There is a nearby conservation center for lions, tigers, lemurs, leopards, binturongs, servals, and more. One of my friends works there and invited a bunch of us to come volunteer for a day in lieu of a birthday party for her. (She's cool like that.)

We spent 9:30am-3pm digging, cutting pipe, and pounding metal fence poles into the ground. I was primary "pounder," a role which included standing atop a ladder and repeatedly forcing all my weight downward onto a pole-driver in quick succession to sink a fence poles into the ground, pole after pole. My core was super engaged and my legs and arms did most of the work. I was likened to a "machine" by one of the staff.

After all the hours of physical work in the hot sun and the close contact with roaring lions and the sight and smell of whole dead chickens being tossed into cages, I began to feel like an animal too. I loved the animals and I loved working hard and digging ditches with friends. There's no doubt I'll be back to mingle with the jungle cats again soon.

I got home and my feet ached, my hands had many callouses, my fingers and arms were throbbing and my body yearned for rest and hydration. Today was supposed to be a rest day!