A typical day

For those of you wondering, here's what a typical day consists of:

7-7:30ish: I usually try to haul my butt out of bed so that I can enjoy the morning. The light's soft & things are relatively peaceful in the valley (unless, of course, the 34 dogs are barking at something...)
7:30-8: Watch Tong Jhan (8 months old) & un-named baby (2 months old) play together. They're allowed to roam free for a little while, while the mothers & auties are still in their shelters. They're just like a couple of toddlers!
8:00: Breakfast. Always consists of white bread & jam, coffee, and if we're lucky, there's fruit salad or a hard boiled egg waiting for us.
8:30: Let the cows out of their pen, get them some water from the river.
8:30-11: Relax, muck out the cows' stall, work up enough of a sweat so that the cold water shower (a big bucket of water & a ladle) will be bearable.
11:30: The day people arrive with the bananas that have been purchased in the market. After Michelle gives them a quick rundown on the park, we set about feeding them. I grab a few bunches of bananas & head off with Yosu - the mahout of Tong Jahn & her mother. He knows how much I love the little one, so he makes sure I get to feed her each day. :) Involves peeling each individual banana (unlike the older elephants who eat the bunches peels & all).
12:30: Attempt to wash all the mashed banana & mud off my clothes & then I grab a plate of food. Yum! With 8 or 9 different dishes to choose from each day, lunch ROCKS!
1:30: Down to the river to give the elephants a bath. This isn't really necessary (as soon as they get out of the water, they cover themselves back up with dirt - a natural sunscreen & insect repellant), but it gives the volunteers & day people a chance to interact with the animals & everyone seems to enjoy the water.
2:00-7:00: Free time. Some days, if it's not too hot, we work at clearing some of the driftwood that was washed onto the beach during the floods (a never ending job!) Other days we just hang out in the main shelter & read or chat. VERY strenuous! ;)
7:00: DINNER! :) It's even better than lunch.
8:00: The first week, it was either cards or a movie, the second week, I started teaching one of the Mahouts English in the evenings. Kopi's 17, from Burma & speaks very little English, and no Thai. Hard to learn much in a week, but I guess it's better than nothing....
10:00: BEDTIME!