Saturday, July 02, 2016

GOOD MORNING GOOD NEWS ---- JULY 2, 2016




Hi there !!!!   Welcome to July !!!  

You know what that means, right?

Time to come to Rikki's for 4th of July Tour and pic-a-nic ......

We've been working hard to get ready

Riley's been working in the kitchen to get things ready for the pic-a-nic  

Seymore's been mowing the grass

Buttercup is working out parking arrangements

Boomer is on the look out for you

Peete and Bahhambi are conferring on antics to entertain you

Chuck and Charlene have cleaned their house getting ready for your visit

It's the end of blooming season and the peacocks are ready .....  their tail feathers are now starting to drop ....  you find one on the ground ... you can keep it !!!

Mouky who joined Rikki's all the way from Egypt is so excited to meet you, he'll be hanging out in Cat House #1 for the day.  He came to Rikki's unable to use his hind legs almost a year ago.  With care and physical therapy he quickly began to be able to use those hind legs.  It was slow going, from dragging, to one or two wobbly steps and then falling over, to being able to run with just an occasional trip up !   He loves spending time outdoors ....  though he's saying, bring me treats, he really doesn't need any !!!   He's more than doubled his weight with lots of good nums here .... and what he thought was a really really cold winter time.  It was about 120 back home the day he arrived at Rikki's .... and we were setting into fall ....  he needed lots of extra heat and blankets till he put on some fat and crew out that thin desert coat !!!!    Now it's time to lose some of the chub Mr. Mouky!!

YOU make it possible for animals like Mouky to have a second chance

And because we LOVE YOU, we're preparing nums for you ..... with a little help from our friends ....  if a little fur or feathers in your nums bothers you ....   well not to worry ... you'll find no other parts of our animal friends in your food here !!!   Bring a dish for the pot luck pic-a-nic .....  and do remember .... no animal parts except fur or feathers and keep that to a minimum if you can pleaz !!!!!

Though it is ok ... not just ok ... but very advisable ... to please bring all kinds of good snacks for US, says Smokey Joe !!!!!

We are in need of DRY cat food. With about HALF of our 1300 animals being cats, we ALWAYS have an IMMEDIATE NEED at Rikki's Refuge for cat food! We could really use your help!
Can you be our hero and donate in one of these ways:
Paypal: mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Mail a check or money order: PO Box 1357, Orange VA. 22960
Mail nums to: 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan VA 22733

And don't forget us ....  dogs count too, says Moose !!!

Musetta is preparing a salad for you

Peepers LOVES salads ... especially the broccoli

Peepers really does love his broccoli! Did you know that EVERY meal, for EVERY animal, EVERY SINGLE DAY here at Rikki's Refuge, is provided by donations from YOU, our caring, generous, and AMAZING supporters! THANK YOU!    http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/FeedMe  you're only a click away from providing someone with a meal today.

NO .....  no deviled eggs .....   maybe we'll do a corn salad ...

We're gonna have a lot of fun

if you'd like to join us please get in touch ASAP ....  Tours@RikkisRefuge.org
  .... zoning limits the number of visitors at one time .... so you MUST RSVP NOW !!!!!

We'll have a lazy afternoon ..... just .... well .... laying around and enjoying another beautiful day on our beautiful planet here at peaceful Rikki's Refuge.

Lazy cats  ....  I'll be there kissing each and every one of you, says Duke

We won't relax and ruminate till after your visit and you're pic-a-nic-ing too

Bub and Goose will be resting and waiting for you to bring them apples.

Where else can you go on the 4th and get kissed by cows ?

Squirrel will greet you and climb up to sit on your shoulder

Petunia will always wake up if you bring her something good to eat ...  grapes ???

But most of the cats will just be lazing about ....
mmmmm .....   well maybe not THAT !

Sylvestra will sit up for kisses and treats !


The Richmond Veggie Fest has been rescheduled to Saturday July 9, noon till 6:00 pm and we still could use some help setting up.  Can YOU be there at 11:30 to help us get the tent up and the tables set and the Tshirts and other display items out and organized?? 


PLEAZ help my Uncle Ron .....  contact him at TopCat@cstone.net to let him know you'll be nice and help him.

Uncle Ron needs help hoomaning the booth during the afternoon, so maybe you'd like to take a shift sometime between noon and 6 pm?   Contact Ron TopCat@cstone.net to help.

Then starting at 6 pm Uncle Ron needs YOUR help to get things packed up and to the vehicles.  Pleaz -- YOU can come by then?   Contact Ron TopCat@cstone.net to help break down and pack up.

Ron is our Director of Serving Cats at Rikki's Refuge ......  so he really deserves your help at the Richmond Vegetarian Festival NEXT SUNDAY ....  please sign up to help him.   TopCat@cstone.net

Uncle Ron is always busy working on projects for the Cats at Rikki's Refuge.

Uncle Ron has just finished making all new windows for ALL the Cat Houses .....   and he painted them up nice and pretty --- you know, we need hoomans like you and Uncle Ron to help us out ... paint gets faded after a while and things don't look so happy ... would YOU consider volunteering and help to fix up and paint and all kinds of projects ?   Drop a note to  Volunteers@RikkisRefuge.org to learn how you can help out.

Ron says he's been happiest helping cats out his whole life .....  even when he was an itty bitty boy !!!!

And Uncle Ron just had a birthday too !!!!

He also like to keep Rainbow Bridge a happy place
 
This is the bench and wind chimes over looking Rainbow Bridge that Uncle Ron built.
Hmmm well this is frustrating ... I can't get it to embed here ....   and if I keep trying you're never gonna get this newsletter .... so here's the link  

     sorry bout dat !
 


Uncle Ron keeps our Rainbow bright and pretty.  He recently planted some cherry trees and fixed the roof of the purple Forget Me Not Pavilion and added some night lights to the bench on the bridge .... now I just gotta snake out mom's camera and scoot down there at night and try to get some nice pictures ...


We need your help!  Rikki's Refuge will once again be manning the refreshment table for some of the Bluemont Concerts in Fredericksburg this summer. We definitely need you July 9 and possible a few other dates!  Email Melissa at Re-Tail@RikkisRefuge.org for more information.  This is a great way to Volunteer and have FUN too !!!!

Our unicorn Milo has a sadz about the tour ....  he went to the doc this week cuz of a lumpy swelling on his throat ...... doc said he's pretty sure it's just fat .... he has been gaining a lot of weight lately ..... and doc said it's got to STOP .... no more nilla wafers on tours .... no more stealin cracked corn from the chickens .... no more sharing lunch with the staff ..... he's strictly on grass and fruits and veggies ..... doc said to watch the lump and if it changes or gets bigger to come back .... but for now best thing is lose weight ....... I really hate it when the docs say things like that .... I mean like what's so bad with bein nice n round ? I don't get it.
Milo says maybe you can find some nice fruit for him to snack on since his very mostest favorite nilla wafers are on the NO list now.

Me 'n Timmy purr for GGP while he be getting three toes cleaned and dressed at the wound center .... you can pray with me that three icky holes in his toes heal up quick like? He says it hurts and it really hurts when the doc works on them. Thank you, Love, Opie.

Our sheep are selling the shirts off of their backs!  Well, maybe not their shirts, but their wool!  Nora and Melissa have been busy sorting the fleeces, and they, along with Paul and Dennis, will be taking them to a local Wool Pool in a couple of weeks, to turn their wool into cash!  Paws crossed it's enough to buy a few bags of nums or maybe even their vaccinations for the year. 

Our wonderful sheep shearer offered us a real deal .......  she says we desperately need to get a livestock trailer for the sheep to make it easier and more comfortable for them to move from one field to another and to get them rounded up and in stalls in the barn at shearing time ..... and she feels so strongly about it she is going to donate back her shearing fee this year IF WE CAN DOUBLE THAT DONATION to buy a used livestock trailer ..... 

Will YOU help out .....   EVERY DOLLAR up to $1,000 will be DOUBLED if you put "livestock trailer"
in the comment and you donate NOW .....   http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/Donate

If you have an old livestock trailer that is still safe enough to be pulled by a truck ..... and you'd like to donate it .... we'll give you a tax deduction receipt !!!!!   


Our Re-Tail Thrift Store just had a fundraiser -- Paint your Pet!  The class was taught by Wine and Design in Stafford. Everyone had a great time!  Check out Re-Tail at www.facebook.com/ReTail.org and find out other fun and exciting things that are going on for Rikki's! 

And don't forget ... Re-Tail is the BEST place to shop in Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania ... merchandise moves fast ... new things come in every day .... so don't miss out .... if you can't stop in daily to check it out ... well then stop in every other day !!!!

Meet Portia, our newest resident at Rikki's Refuge.  She was found as a stray and no one ever claimed her so this lucky gal came to Rikki's yesterday!  There are some really awful places poor little piggies go when people don't love them no more .....  you might not want to think about it .... but lots of times it's sliced into little strips and on somebody's breakfast plate.  Isn't that horrible?  But, yeah, even pet pot bellies end up at the slaughter house when they have no place to go .....  and then they end up packaged up and right there on your grocery store shelves.  Ick .......

We wish people would realize when they adopt a potbelly pig that they won't remain the size of a little dog ... they will grow and usually get to be at least as big as 200 pounds.  We are able to say YES to kids like Portia because YOU always say yes to supporting us! Thank you!   Without YOU, many of us would have ended up on somebody's plate ..... or .... ohhh I just don't want to think about it .....    help us save lives every day by becoming a monthly supporter ... it's easy ... sign up now and you don't even have to think about it anymore ... it just happens http://www.rikkisrefuge.org/Donate

Our dear friend Donna Savory in Richmond is doing a special fundraiser for Rikki's ..... it only goes on for a few more days .... so check it out ....   http://www.keepcollective.com/soc/wv3nh

You will find wonderful things just like this !!!

What is KEEP Collective? It is Stella & Dot's *NEW* little sister company, and our collection allows you to create one-of-a-kind memories/stories that you get to wear! Each design is a unique way to represent you, what you love, and what you celebrate in life. Think of these as modern day charm bracelets and necklaces with endless possibilities.

Donna is just getting started as an independent designer and is excited to share these pawsitive jewelry pieces with each of you. When she decided to sign on with KEEP, she realized she could give back to places she love such as Rikki's Refuge and is now donating 75% of her commission directly to Rikki's.

So here's how it works. You create your custom one-of-a-kind piece in three easy steps:

1) Choose your favorite keeper: mesh bracelet, multi-strand bracelet, silicone or woven bracelet, multi-strand necklace, mini pendant, vertical pendant, horizontal pendant, or even a pet collar!

2) Choose the charms that speak to you! Tell your "story" or just create a gorgeous design!

3) Use Opie's unique shopping link: http://www.keepcollective.com/soc/wv3nh

Let Donna know if she can create a visual sample for you at any time!   Contact Donna on facebook at DONNA'S PAGE

Happy shopping ..... 


And before I run off for a snack ..... would you wish my Daddy Fred a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ....

It's all cuz of you that I gotz to keep my Daddy this long .... and I'm so very happy ....  You all joined hands and prayed so hard and so long when Daddy had a stroke in January and couldn't even walk ....   And just LOOK at him now !!!!!   He's all well and feeling good again .....   He can walk and he can talk and he can drive and he can give me Fancy Feast .....   he's just about as good as new ....

But please don't stop your prayers yet .....  they'll be scanning his brain again in just a few weeks to see if that messed up spot is getting better .... let's all hope and pray that it's gotten lots lots lots smaller .... or maybe even all gone away !!!!

I love you all so much .... you are MY Rikki's family .... with out you .... well ... life just wouldn't be what it is .....  Thank you.

I love you,
  Opie


Don’t forget to SAVE A LIFE TODAY !
Rikki’s Refuge
PO Box 1357
Orange VA 22960

And please come see me soon !!