Prof. Sam LawlerSep 19, 2025

Fediverse! I need some help!

I have a fellowship to go to Aotearoa New Zealand for a few weeks, and also an offer of an additional fellowship to give lectures around NZ. This is INCREDIBLY EXCITING!!

...but I have a lot of animals! And it's going to be during Saskatchewan winter! The potential farm sitters I've reached out to locally have all fallen through, so I need help to find someone.

Not sure if I should put out an actual farm sitting job ad here? Or if there are better places to try?

Nick SchonningOct 8
Show threadProf. Sam Lawler

Just got my official letter for the fellowship to New Zealand! And I have a possible lead on a local farm sitter, but nothing is set yet.

So I'm just going to put this out onto the Fediverse again, in case someone who knows how take care of goats in Real Canadian Winter (down to -40C temps) happens to be looking for housing in Saskatchewan in Jan-Apr 2026

Oct 7 at 9:56pmWeb
Show threadProf. Sam LawlerOct 17
99% sure I've got a farm sitter sorted out! It's great too because it's a family that is currently 9 people crammed into a 1 bedroom house, so while farm sitting over the winter (when the cramped living conditions are hardest), they can spread out between 2 houses. It's really nice to actually be useful with this farm sitting gig!
Show threadJonathan Arnold 🇺🇦Oct 17
@sundogplanets That sounds great! Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!
Show threadScubaETOct 17
@sundogplanets That would be awesome! Keeping my fingers crossed for your NZ adventure!
Show threadsaarmullerOct 17
@sundogplanets Such good news! Now that last 1%!
Show threadHanno ReinOct 7
@sundogplanets I will never complain again about finding a cat sitter!
Show threadStacey Cornelius 🇨🇦Oct 7
@sundogplanets Alas, I do not have goat experience. Congrats on the NZ letter!
Show threadD2Oct 7

@sundogplanets …

Well, I’m a fan. And I *can*.

But eeeew. My plan is to flee Idaho for Jan to March toward _warmer_ climes, not all (hand waves) *THAT*. Is there a volunteer list for baggage-toting assistants toward NZ?

Show threadMartinOct 7
@sundogplanets Congrats! How long of a stint there? Sounds exciting.
Show threadCoolBlenderKittenOct 7
@sundogplanets
This is amazing! Fingers crossed that you will find the perfect house sitter.
Sadly I feel absolutely unable to cope with the Canadian winters, it's around 6 to 10 degrees Celsius here and I am struggling badly 🫣🥶🥶🥶🥶
Show threadYvanOct 7
@sundogplanets I assume you just need to carefully stack the frozen goats until they thaw out in spring?
Show threadGary HoustonOct 8
@yvan @sundogplanets maybe you just have to make knitted sweaters for them.
Show threadPablo RrrrrrrOct 7

@sundogplanets Really? A fellowship in New Zealand and no lotr references? C’mon!

Can’t help but boosting to my eight followers.

Show threadProf. Sam LawlerOct 7
@pablor All the techbros ruined LOTR references already :(
Show threadPhil Stevens Oct 8
@sundogplanets @pablor We're kind of over the LOTR thing now, and PJ is being a right twat to a much-loved cafe this week.
Show threadPatrick Lam Oct 8
@phil_stevens I don't know what happened there but the café owners retracted their statement about PJ
Show threadPhil Stevens Oct 8
@va2lam Pretty wild by the looks of it. Stockholm syndrome?
Show threadPatrick Lam Oct 8
@phil_stevens I went and looked at Reddit (sigh) and this isn't the first time the owners had a skirmish with their landlords?
Show threadPhil Stevens Oct 8

@va2lam Your fortitude and willingness to suffer in the pursuit of objective truth will not go unnoticed.

I suspect what we're seeing is about 1/10 of what actually transpired, and that Both Sides(TM) might be a bit sus. But PJ has a penchant for throwing his weight around with the locals and it could be that the cafe folk overplayed their hand by making some assumptions that weren't covered in writing.

Show threadPatrick Lam Oct 8
@phil_stevens yes, it is also possible, as they on Reddit, that ESH
Show threadMarkDOct 7
@sundogplanets Have you considered taking them as companion animals? Might be easier than getting a sitter for a -40C farm!
Show threadKevin RussellOct 7

@sundogplanets

Needs hashtags?

#Saskatchewan #farmsitter #farm #goats #noRealGoats #yesGoats #GoatFarm #cdnpoli

Show threadKo Simon toku ingoa Oct 8
@sundogplanets oh, so the idea is to be here for an entire semester? Will you be lecturing a paper at a university here?
Show threadProf. Sam LawlerOct 8
@SimonCHulse No set plan, but hopefully giving some public talks. Will share beforehand!
Show threadTimothy Schwinghamer (he/him)Oct 8
@sundogplanets I'm not going to do it but I'm curious whether or not you have heat lamps. I used to use heat lamps for my goats, in the relatively warm winters of Southern Ontario.
Show threadProf. Sam LawlerOct 8
@schwinghamer I do use heat lamps on newborn goats (and sometimes headbands, and all sort of silly things to keep their ears from getting frostbite)
Show threadTimothy Schwinghamer (he/him)Oct 8
@sundogplanets send an email to me timothy.schwinghamer <at> agr.gc.ca with the job ad and I will send it out to my AAFC coworkers.
Show threadProf. Sam LawlerOct 8
@schwinghamer Thanks!!
Show threadKay   Oct 8
@sundogplanets congrats on coming to Aotearoa New Zealand! All I know of goats is from cartoonist Alison Bechdel's latest graphic novel a loosely autobiographical feast including a goat sanctuary. Recommended reading. Also possible help in promoting goat sitting ideas. 🐐
Show threadJack Yan (甄爵恩)Oct 8
@sundogplanets Welcome to Aotearoa (in advance)! Come while the weather is nice!
Show threadGary HoustonOct 8
@jackyan @sundogplanets Compared with -40C, I don't think she can go wrong.
Show threadPatrick Lam Oct 8
@ghouston @jackyan @sundogplanets and yet it's warm inside in Canada and not necessarily in New Zealand, though January to May should be ok
Show threadJack Yan (甄爵恩)Oct 8
@va2lam @ghouston I sure hope @sundogplanets has a properly insulated place to stay. Building here is shocking.
Show threadPatrick Lam Oct 8
@jackyan @ghouston @sundogplanets thing is, in -40 if you don't have enough insulation, you get hypothermia and you die. In 5 degrees, well, maybe you get black mould, but you don't die immediately
Show threadCarolyn ~ كارولينOct 8

@sundogplanets Kia ora from Aotearoa!

My colleague and her spouse are moving back to Saskatchewan at the end of the year and might need accommodation! I’ll pass on the message and see if she is keen (Prince Albert area).

Show threadProf. Sam LawlerOct 8
@akoaroha I'm like a 4 hour drive from Prince Albert so probably not going to work...
Show threadBen ZaninOct 8

@sundogplanets

The Ballad of the Saskatchewan Goat-Sitter

(chorus)
Oh it's cold in the morning
It's fucking cold outside
There's frost on the hay bales
You can't stay warm if you tried
But the goats need their breakfast
So it's to the barn you go
At the break of day you bring the hay
And the goats all say hello

OK someone take the first verse please

Show threadMisanOct 8

@gnomon @sundogplanets

Forever have their dream been
To herd the kids and goats
To cuddle and feed and tend to their need of mischief, care and oats.
A job came up for goat sitting in the midlands of the west
A winter dream, a chance it seemed for them to do their best.
There was no hesitation, no doubt or second thought
They would brave Saskatchewan winter at the goat sit job they caught.

Second verse anyone?

Show threadJ RyanOct 8

@mi @gnomon @sundogplanets

The goats are on the bales of hay
The goats are on the horse
The goats are nibbling on my socks
Their eyes are full of snot!
Just as I begin to turn, to start another round
A goat comes out of nowhere
To knock me on my butt

Show threadMightyBigCarOct 8

@Jjchr @mi @gnomon @sundogplanets

[to the tune of the Monty Python spam song...]

Goats goats goats goats
Goats goats goats goats
Lovely goats, wonderful goats
(Goats goats goats goats)
Frolicking goats, glorious goats
(Goats goats goats goats)
Beautiful goats, splendiferous goats
(Goats goats goats goats)
[continue until your brain melts into a puddle of goat]

Show threadfamousringoOct 8

@gnomon @sundogplanets presented for inspiration:

“Everything is better when there’s [goats] around”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2nk8-MqnHlw&pp=ygUpZXZlcnl0aGluZydzIGJldHRlciB3aXRoIHNvbWUgY293cyBhcm91bmQ%3D

Corb Lund - Cows Around

YouTube
Show threadLM LittleOct 8
@sundogplanets Might want to contact https://wwoof.ca/en/ to see if any volunteers are needing a goat gig.
WWOOF

Show threadPatrick HerdOct 8
@sundogplanets hmu if you need any help over here, my wife and I both speak academic, engineering, and smallholding
Show threadHeliographOct 8
@sundogplanets maybe some nuzillanders would be interested in swapping places for a while? down here they do swap houses a fair bit ☺️ I duly hope you find someone in time for some #farmsitting or #housesitting 🤞 #newzealand #saskatchewan
Show threadSchroedingers_CatOct 8

@sundogplanets I hope you can find someone. I mean, obviously, I would be offering, but I have no idea about taking care of goats.

Boosting anyway - you never know who may find this!