GOOD MORNING GOOD NEWS ---- JANUARY 25, 2016
Have you ever wondered what happens at Rikki’s
Refuge during a snow storm?
First we have to plan ahead. Think of the disaster if there was not
enough people there to take care of the animals, to feed them, to give them
fresh water, to take care of any who are sick.
Everyone must arrive early in the morning if it’s a
regular work day for them, or by noon on Friday if it was supposed to be a day
off and they probably won’t be able to eave until Monday. So be sure to bring sleeping bag and nums
to share. Where else can you enjoy the storm as much as camping with the
animals to make sure all is well. During the night and storm they will need
waters filled frequently - ice, snow, no matter what, they must have fresh
water ... like that stuff that isn't frozen... snow accumulation will need to
be brushed off the roofs of their houses to prevent a heavy build up that could
be disastrous, routine check ups to make sure everyone is well and no one has
found a way to get into some kind of trouble, like a silly rooster gets out and
goes up a tree, so bring your LONG extension ladders please. Routine breakfast,
dinner, check ups, meds and cleaning in buildings will need to be done -- you
will be exempt from mucking yards that are covered in snow .... but boy oh boy
.... will you have fun cleaning up all that poo when the snow melts nuf to get
to it !!!
Then we have the prep work, like filling all the
beds with warm straw and stocking up on the nummy chow ..... YOU are what makes
Rikki's awesome and make us able to prepare..... it cost $534 on Friday to
fluff up all the straw beds for everyone big and small .... $800 to get in hay
for everyone to eat during the snow storm that's coming .... $640 in cat food
to last thru the storm ..... and we even bought nums for the others too
!!!! $120 in gasoline to run the generator
in case of power being out .... and all kinds of other expenses .... Friday was
a very expensive day at Rikki's ..... if you didn't need quite that much extra
for the storm .... would you help us out just a bit ? www.RikkisRefuge.org/donate ....
Thank you
The sky is falling, the sky is falling .... Oh no
says Robert the rooster who is hanging out on the deck and doesn't want to go
in the house at chicken city ..... but he's not liking the wind that's whipping
up and the piercing ice crystals coming down ... paws crossed no ice builds up
on anything and breaks it .... the one supply we forgot and had to run out for
after the snow started was cracked corn for the roosters, chickens, ducks,
geese and emus ... we stuffed the vehicle full and had to come up with a little
over $300 to get away !!!! If you'
had to skip a nice dinner out, a trip to the theater, or what ever cus of the
snow .... would you consider donating just a buck or two of your savings to
help us feed them birds ? Thank you so much, www.RikkisRefuge/FeedMe
It's cold and we need canned nums to build up fat
... never thought I'd hear mom say that !!!! Canned cat food of any kind for
most of us, fancy feast for me and some of the picky eaters in the hospital,
canned dog food for Duke and his friends, probios is desperate, we've been out
for over a week now, it helps us all have good poop .... and a few other things
we really need right help .... you can help pleaz???
Shop from my store or go in to amazon by clicking on
their logo on my store and they'll give me a donation each time you do .... no
cost to you !!
http://astore.amazon.com/wwwrikkisrefu-20
Prefer to buy elsewhere? You can ship to Rikki's
Refuge, 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan VA 22733.
Or you can help me figure out how to pay for a whole
PALLET of kitty nums --- that is 202 cases .... at ONLY $6.84 a case ....
sounds like a real bargain .... we were able to pick up a portion of the pallet
that had come in on Friday in preparation for the storm .... but we do have to get the whole $1,381.68
together by Wednesday if we’re going be able to get this special price!!!
if you'd like to chip in for a case ... www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe
This has been the kind of weather that makes me so
thankful for you wonderful folks who voted for us in the Toyota FOUR WHEEL
DRIVE vehicle contest !!!! It's
doin good .... without you .... we'd just be stuck in the snow with no where to
go and no way to get last minute supplies in !!!
Running for the hay truck .... $800 of hay just
dropped off .... with all the grass covered with snow .... it's all hay and
grain for breakfast, lunch and dinner .... and the midnight snack too !!!! It's lots of snow and that means big bucks
to get all the animals thru it safely and happily .... will you please help? www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe ....
Thank you ...
Calvin is running to make sure he is first in line
for hay and treats! THANK YOU for ensure that we have enough for Calvin and all
his buddies here at Rikki's Refuge during this snow storm and for the
What’s all the fuss about ? It’s lovely wet weather !!!
Kiki hoping this isn’t going to be just a tease of a
storm ... let it snow let it snow let it snow !!!!
Night falls and snow keeps falling.
Sanctuary Manager, Doug, as well as our staffers
Jessy, Shaun, Maddie, and Daniel bunk down in the Life Center for the
night. I doubt they miss the days when
it was “find room to roll out a sleeping bag in the 9th Life Center with the
critters” !!!
One person won’t get to sleep .....
Doug will be up all night making sure every single
animal is safe and protected. He’ll
freshen supplies, make sure every one has fresh - unfrozen - water throughout
the night, plow out areas where the snow is drifting high ...... it gets so windy and cold that he needs
frequent breaks to go inside and thaw out his beard .... then it’s back to
patrolling the property and keeping everyone safe.
It’s important to make sure the buildings have power
all night .... and to be ready to fire up the generator if necessary.
Really caring about the animals means 24 / 7 and
it’s not weather related ... and it certainly doesn’t work around your schedule
... you have to work around the schedule the planet gives you .... you can care all you want ... but if you’re
not there making safety and protection happen ... well .... it just wouldn’t be
worth us being there at all, now would it !!!! Having animals is a serious commitment. And a serious expense. We’re a team, you and us !! We make the commitment, you cover the
expense !! Together we make it happen
!!! www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe
Dawn breaks .......
Buildings are inspected for damage.
Thank goodness our new - and under construction -
Medical Treatment room is standing .... it had not been in a stable state for a
heavy snow load, roof half ripped off for remodeling .... volunteer Mary spent several days before the
storm shoring things up so we wouldn’t lose the room.
First snow storm for our new Office Trailers.
Kiki says, well this IS better .... but could we get
some SERIOUS snow here ?
Not to worry Kiki .... it will keep snowing another 16 hours !!!
Our young lady, Chicken Little, got to experience
her first snow. Suffice to say, she is not a fan. She froze in place for a minute,
pecked at it once and then ran to the door and waited to be let back inside!
She has remained there the entire afternoon.
We are able to help and care for Chicken Little
because you have always cared about us!
Thank you for making sure that this little lady had enough food to get
through the snowstorm and that she’ll have enough to get thru the winter ahead.
www.RikkisRefuge/FeedMe And even though she doesn't understand that
she is one of them, she will share with her bird friends at Rikki's!
As Opie sat by the window and watched the snow fall
.... all day .....
Watching this snow has me so worried .... everything
is covered .... EVERYTHING ...... the door to the storage pantry has snow piled
and piled up against it .... no one is digging it out .... what will happen
when the food in here is gone .... I'm a stress eater ... and it's going fast
.... and I look to the driveway beyond .... and it's impassable .... how will
the supply trucks get thru .... what will happen when the food in here is gone
.... I'm a stress eater ... and it's going fast .... I look on the news and I
see the tractor trailers stuck on the roads .... they can't travel .... they
can't come to restock the food .... what will happen when the food in here is
gone .... I'm a stress eater ... and it's going fast .... this snow is so very
stressful ..... how would I face the end .... slow starvation ... or freezing
as I try to walk to the fancy feast store in snow over my head .... what will
happen when the food in here is gone .... I'm a stress eater ... and it's going
fast .... doesn't the US postal service promise to get thru snow or shine or
something like that ? Oh so YOU can save me !!! just buy some nums in my store www.OpiesCornerStore.bigbig.com
and da nice mail man will bring them to .... he likes to come visit me ... and
I bet his jeep can make it down the driveway !!!! Love, Opie
PS if you prefer www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe works
too !! Thank you for keeping my belly full rain or shine, flurries or feetz of
snow
Did we get any produce in today? Or is it hay and grain AGAIN ?
And the snow and wind lasted all day Saturday and
into the night ....... Shaun, Maddie,
and Daniel hunkered down in the Life Center again for the night .... Jessy
called for a ride out and her dad came and picked her up in a big truck .... Doug stayed
up on night patrol .....
And when the snow stopped in the night, Doug and
Kiki made one last check that everyone was safe and sound and snug in bed and
they finally got some sleep.
But not for long .... sunrise on pristine white snow comes early ...
Someone commented on how lovely the oh so quiet and still snowy mornings
are ... but NOT here !!!
It’s far more intensely loud here than usual --
everybody -- just everybody oinking, cawing, crowing, mooing, bleating for
breakfast .... usually it's only the meows and woofs while the others dine on
grass and brush and bugs first thing in the morning !!!!
A peacocks view of a snowy morning at Rikki’s Refuge
!!!
Soon the buildings would be teaming with folks
coming to work .... but no .... nobody else showed up .... leaving all the work for our heroes
Doug, Shaun, Maddie, and Daniel ....
And Joe, who joined the team to help with the dig
out.
Beauty loving the sunny snowy day !!
The ducks happy to play in the pools again .....
And the cows still mooing for that produce truck
.... sorry guys, I don’t think it’s
going to make it today !!!
As Sunday came to a close, Shaun, exhausted, left to head home. Doug, Daniel and Maddie, seriously dedicated to the animals, continued to bunk in to see that they were safe and sound and cared for until roads were clear and others could come to work.
As Monday now dawns, bitterly cold, our true heroes, only three strong, Doug, Daniel and Maddie are prepared once again to take care of all the animals, despite the work load increasing as helpers drop out.
Join me in giving these three a big hand !!!!! I will guess that by tomorrow, things will be getting more back to normal !!
As Sunday came to a close, Shaun, exhausted, left to head home. Doug, Daniel and Maddie, seriously dedicated to the animals, continued to bunk in to see that they were safe and sound and cared for until roads were clear and others could come to work.
As Monday now dawns, bitterly cold, our true heroes, only three strong, Doug, Daniel and Maddie are prepared once again to take care of all the animals, despite the work load increasing as helpers drop out.
Join me in giving these three a big hand !!!!! I will guess that by tomorrow, things will be getting more back to normal !!
Everybody at Rikki's Refuge is all safe and sound .... all cuz YOU make this DREAM called Rikki’s
Refuge possible ... Thank you for your continued day to day support !! www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate
And here’s a real easy way you can help fed the
animals for FREE !! VOTE ... tell
everybody to vote every day ... it's really quick and easy ... help us win
5,000 meals !!!
http://savearescue.org/contestant/rikkis-refuge/
If you can't come help shovel us out ..... will you
send us some nums ??? www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe
.... this is hard work and we need nums to keep up the strength .... we're
shoveling out so we can get in everyone's door or gate so they have fresh clean
water and all the nums they can eat ....
Love,
Duke,Socrates,Opie
Don’t forget to SAVE A LIFE TODAY
Rikki’s Refuge
PO Box 1357
Orange VA 22960
