Rikki's Refuge: Aug 20, 2014

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Good Morning Good News !!!! August 20, 2014

It’s a foggy fall morning. The fog is swirling all around. Lifting off the ground. Slowly climbing the trees. The kind of fog where there be dragons. Swirls of blue. Swirls of pink. Swirls of purple. It rises up to meet the sunrise. The kind of fog where heaven meets earth. There is no divide. A time when the dragons, the fairies, the mystical beings can mingle with earth creatures.

As the fog rises .. there ... there ... there comes one .... legs firmly planted on earth ... walking out of the fog ... towards me ...

The nights have gotten cool ... the leaves are changing .... the world is turning round towards autumn.

It’s been a lovely peaceful summer. Wonderful weather. Wonderful animals. Wonderful happenings.

Life at the refuge has rolled along in peace and quiet. No great and exciting happenings, no great and exciting disasters.

No new species, no new emergencies.

When the routine, day in and day out, runs smoothly, a moo here, a bark there, a pat here, a hug there ...... you know this is the way it should be!!

The new species, the disasters, the changes .... it’s exciting to read about ... it urges donors to help out.

But the routine, the peace, the love .... that’s what we strive for every day .... and when we accomplish that .... it a good solid feeling of peace and happiness for all. For the animals, for the caretakers, for volunteers, for donors.

Sometimes donors forget us when life is peaceful and calm. When there is no urgent and expensive surgery, no materials to buy for a broken fence, no urgent care for a new comer. Peaceful day to day life, everyone is fed, the houses are cleaned, the routine medications are given, the flea and tick and worm meds go down, are dropped on, are sprayed on, everyone lies down in a comfy bed for the night .... all is calm. all is right.

The cost of giving one of our almost 1300 animals a clam, peaceful, happy home is about $1 a day. A cow may cost a little more than a guinea pig, a dog more than a cat .... but when we mix it all up, like the big happy family we are, it rounds out to $1 a day for basic food, housing, medication and love.

It’s only when you add everybody up all together that the number gets big .... awfully big.

We need your help for survival each and every day. In the nice easy peaceful times and when disaster or emergency strikes.

You have so much on your mind, summer adventures of your own, kids out of school, travels, relocating, new jobs, your family, your own furry friends, volunteering, projects. Just like us, with longer daylight hours, you work to accomplish so much more, lawn care, landscaping, painting, repairs.

Knowing we have the money to care for the animals this summer has been the one thing that has filled us with worry, caused restless dreams, and some days left us downright scared. It’s a usual summer thing. The expenses are always there .... donations drop off as folks have more to do in the summer.

We compensate the lean summer months by letting accounts run up .... yet we have those nasty credit limits too, just like you !!!! And now we must start catching up before winter brings bigger food and housing costs !!

Will YOU help us? Pick one critter and help them with only $1 a day. Skip the fancy coffee and help several animals. Eating out tonight? Plan to skip dessert and do us and YOU a favor !!! www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe

There’s an easy way to help out every month. So easy not to forget the animals in your busy lives. So easy, you’ll almost forget it’s even there. Recurring donations. You can sign up to make a donation once a month. And that’s such a huge help. To know you care and to know you’ll be there.

It breaks the peace and the calm and the happy, gentle routine of caring for the animals when I have to worry so about where the next meal is coming from, how I can pay for a vet visit, if I can afford subq fluids so the kidney patients feel like eating, asthma medicine so many will breathe easier, arthritis relief medication for the stiff old knees, the farrier to trim the old donkey’s fast growing hooves.

Think about a recurring donation .... right here www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe

To the left, you see One Time Donation where you can help with a special item, or make a donation today.

Next is Recurring Donation where you easily enter how many animal days you’d like to help. Enter 1 to care for one animal for one day a month. Enter 10 to care for ten animals for one day a month. Enter 30 if you’d like to care for one animal everyday, every month !! You can enter any number from 1 thru 10,000 ..... 10,000 cares for everybody for a little over a week ... even at $1 a day, 1300 animals use it up quick !!

The next slot let’s you specify how long you’d like to make the monthly donation. It’s best for the animals if you leave that blank! That means forever (or until you tell it to stop) !! Or you can enter 12 for a year, 24 for two years and so on.

Hit subscribe ... and you’re almost done .... I think it’ll ask you to prove you’re a hooman with a credit card or bank account or somethin like that !!!

Thank you !!!!!

Thank you for saving MY life today !!!

and EVERY day of the year !!!!!

Please get your VOTE in EVERYDAY!!

The Shelter Challenge is a wonderful opportunity to help the animals with only a few clicks !!!! Totally FREE and EASY and QUICK .... turn your clicks into meds to prevent ticks !!!!

Please vote today and every day ... Just go to this link http://www.shelterchallenge.com/web/charityusa/nomineehome?userId=53331&nomineeId=17448

and enter Rikkis Refuge (no ‘ ... see ??) in VA in the USA and that’s it !! Thank you

Please vote today and every day ... Just go to this link http://www.shelterchallenge.com/web/charityusa/nomineehome?userId=53331&nomineeId=17448

or click the guinea picg and enter Rikkis Refuge (no ‘ ... see ??) in VA in the USA and that’s it !! Thank you

What ‘ch doin’ Labor Day ?

Trying to get a head count to see who’d come on a tour at noon on Labor Day. Would you like to come and get up front and purrsonal with the cirtters? Tours are really IN YOUR FACE !!!! Get licked by cows, butted by goats, jumped on by cats !!!! Our animals really love to interact. Tours start at noon, run 2-3 hours, and involve 3+ miles of walking on natural (read uneven) terrain.

If you’d be interested in a tour let me know: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

If you’re a certified Rikki’s Tour Guide and you’d be interested in leading or helping with a tour, let me know: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

How bout nums? Would you like to have a get together, veggie bar-b-q, pot luck ... at the education center after the tour??? Let me know what you’d like to do: Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

We’d sure like to see YOU !!!

NUMS for YOU

brought to you by Maria Appleby, Rikki’s Social Media Director

you share with me, and I’ll share with you

try this wonderful vegan recipe today

Stock up NOW for Saturday !!!

This Sunday at 7 pm..... Come and join us ....

..... vegan or vegetarian please !!!! We'll be opening with a meditation and then discussing the second agreement from The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz --- some very valuable lessons we cats are born knowing and you hoomans would do good to learn from !!!! You’re welcome even if you aren’t reading the book. If you enjoy discussions about personal growth, spirituality, and reaching out to be the best you can be -- you’ll love this group!

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME TO

SAVE SO MANY LIVES

... with your support we’re able to help so many into their new furrever happy homes .... and to give that life long home to those not quite so fortunate ... Thank you for your support

http://rikkisrefuge.org/FeedMe

Without YOU

none of us would have been alive

to enjoy this beautiful summer !!

THANK YOU !!!!!!

Your donations have saved the lives of every animal featured here today !!!! AND your donations are giving them happiness today !!! Please make a donation in honor of the animals you have loved to give everyone here a happy tomorrow !!! www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe

Love,

Vincent and Mom