Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Good Evening, Good News !!!! January 30, 2013


This is the week to win !!!
Are YOU on my team ???
Will YOU help me win the weekly contest at the Animal Rescue Site ???

It's real easy .... go here http://animalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3 and enter Rikkis Refuge in VA in the USA and follow the directions ...
it's easy, no information collection, no spam .... just your vote ---

help me get the mostest votes this week ... just this week ... vote daily thru Sunday and YOU can help me win $1,000 to feed my furry friends at Rikki's Refuge.  There are 1925 of us ....  well a couple hundred of them have feathers ... but we feed them too.  Vote every day from every computer you have, home, office, phone and so on !!!! 

Let’s work together real hard this week and win the weekly $1,000 prize !!!
 

Opps .... I goofed
I promised to tell you the schedule for the February 18th fun fun fun ..... I sorry ... today got so chocked full of things to do I haven’t gotten to the schedule and the flyers yet and I’m so tired my whiskers is drooping ... so I do tomorrow, ok??


Good Seminar Topics ??
We want to give a series of sort like self help, how to help your animals, things you can do to help the animals, and that kind of talks. In early March, like maybe the 2nd or 3rd we'd like to do a seminar "Thinking of Getting a Bunny or Guinea Pig or Chick or Duck for a Pet?" I'm sure you know why --- it's Easter at the end of the month and people will be thinking of getting them for the kids for Easter. We're thinking, maybe, just maybe, if we can present the facts about the care these animals need, daily feeding, cleaning, attention and the cost of owning them .. the people who'd just be tossing them for these kind of issues later on ... will maybe not get them. And those who are serious will learn proper care. Who knows lots and lots about these animals and could do a 30 minute of hour talk - we'll supply hands on demos if you like - ???? Robin McClary, any chance this would be up your alley ????

Then in April - Cats vs Dogs month - I'd like cat and dog speakers. For dogs, training, behavioral issues resolution, clipping nails, cleaning ears, when you need to go to the vet and what issues you can deal with, etc. Melissa Felts would you be interested? For cats, well forget the training part .... but basic home care, clip nails, how to care for your own bite wounds ... you know .. that kind of thing.

I'd also like to hear your ideas on other useful topics we can cover.


Good Newz ... Gotz more Nums !!!
Thank you Purina for donating so much nums to us and thank you Mike Wood for driving all the way to Pennsylvania and bringing the food all the way back to us.  That’s a whole day full of driving for Mike, just to help us get nums !!!  Thank you Mike !!

Ting Ting Checks Out the Delivery
Good Job, Mike, Good Job ... looks like a nice load !!!
6,000 pounds of doggy and kitty nums !!!!  Yum Yum !!!

Jessie Says Drop It
Come on, drop some of those nums for me !!!!

Maow Maow Explains to Jessie
Butt out beast!!  This load is all cat and dog nums. 
You get all that produce all the time. 
Now back off, this load is OURS!

Maow Maow Helps Mike
Inspect the truck ... gotta make sure there’s not one morsel left behind!


ooopppssssss ...... Daddy just reminded me of something
.... Last spring he had some special deals where you'd get a pawtographed photo of him .... he got those all ready for you ..... and some of you wanted special inscriptions .... so he had written special things on some of them .... then he went to Rainbow Bridge before he got the photos matched up to the addresses ...... I've been trying to find his list and it's kind of jumbled up. Did you donate to receive one of his pawtograph photos in Feb, March or April of last year? If so can you tell me the date, even approximate, or the transaction ID, and what special inscription you requested .... then I'll go thru the pictures and get yours out to you .... I have like sixteenmillion emails from that time and I'm realizing with no specific header or anything .... it's going to be another 12 - 14 years for me to read all of them and match this up. If he pawtographed more photos that he actually sold last year .... those will go up for sale later on. So please let me know if you have one coming to you. I'm really sorry it's been so long, every time I try to start working on it, it's so jumbled up and confusing.

"
it's easy, just click on the kitty, to make life a little easier for us kitties .....

Love you bunches,
           Opie
ps: remember 2013 is the year of the purr ....
Click Vincent to hear him purr ......

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Good Evening, Good News !!!! January 29, 2013


This is the week to win !!!
Are YOU on my team ???
Will YOU help me win the weekly contest at the Animal Rescue Site ???

It's real easy .... go here http://animalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3 and enter Rikkis Refuge in VA in the USA and follow the directions ...
it's easy, no information collection, no spam .... just your vote ---

help me get the mostest votes this week ... just this week ... vote daily thru Sunday and YOU can help me win $1,000 to feed my furry friends at Rikki's Refuge.  There are 1925 of us ....  well a couple hundred of them have feathers ... but we feed them too.  Vote every day from every computer you have, home, office, phone and so on !!!! 

Let’s work together real hard this week and win the weekly $1,000 prize !!!



Why oh Why do they let da hooman drive ???



I keep having this dream .....

Can I tell you about my dream and see if you can help me find the person in it ?

Here's how it goes .... 

I'm searching and searching for a store where I can run a Thrift Shop to help bring in money to feed all my furry friends at Rikki's Refuge ....  I'm searching and searching and walking all the streets in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania (that's in Virginia in the USA) ...

I knock and knock ... and nobody opens the door .... then one person does and says "go way you silly cat ... you can no afford my rent ... be off with you" .... and I walk and I walk and I keep knocking and they keep sending me away ... my feets are getting really sore ....

and I wanna stop ... but I know I have to help my aminal friends back at Rikki's Refuge ... I've promised that every one of them ... all 1295 of them ... will always have nums and a nice doctor to take care of their hurts and their sicks and even icky flea drops so they no get bites and so they all gets a nice bed to sleep in .... and I know I must walk and I must knock on doors till ..... 

this door is opened by a hooman with the kindest smile ever and they say, "come in you precious little kitty, why are you out walking the streets and knocking on doors?  Are you hungry, do you need a bite to eat?"  And then they give eleventeen cans of Fancy Feast and while I gobble it all up I explain ...

"You see I have 1295 friends at home, and it's my job to help them, help them to be loved and happy and fed, and I think a Thrift Store could help me do that, nice people would give me nice things and more nice hoomans would come and buy the nice things and they'd be happy and I'd take that nice money and turn it into nice nums and then my aminal friends would all be happy to." 

And this nice hooman smiles and says, "Well little Opie, I think you've come to the right place!!  I have a building here you can have, it's a little run down, but it's in a good location where lots of people come by.  Do you mind having to clean it up a little?  Maybe get some hooman volunteers to help you paint?  I'd be so happy to donate this building to you!  It belonged to my grandpa and grandma .. but they've gone to Rainbow Bridge and I don't have much use for it, and nobody seems to want to rent it now, and I really really need the great big giant tax break I'd get for donating it to you.  What do you think, would you like this building?" 

And I look around!! And I see the other shops around, all busy with peoples, lots of peoples shopping.  And I see a big open space and a big front window I can put up purrty pictures of the aminals hoomans will be helping by shopping in my store ... MY STORE .... MY STORE !!!! 

And I jump up and down and I nosekiss this nice hooman and sit in their lap and purr for the longest time afore calling mom and telling her to come and sign the papers !!!!"    ... can you please help me find that nice hooman in my dream?  Share this with everybody, pass it around, post it everywhere ....  I know my dream is for real and that wonderful wonderful hooman who wants to help the aminals of Rikki's Refuge for ever and ever is out there somewhere .... if I just walk long enough ......

Can YOU identify the nice hooman in my dream who has the store they need anymore?  The nice hooman who will help us open a Thrift Store so we have another way to work to provide care for the animals?  Share my dream with everyone you know .....  you know the right building is just sitting there waiting for me to walk in .....


Angel
.... left behind cuz she was old ... came to Rikki’s Refuge .... fell in love with volunteer ... went home with Melissa Felts !


Baahhh Bahhhh Ebony
the black sheep in our family


Mr. Peacock starting to get his new feathers in
Did you know they fall out every year and they have to start over ?


This is a great shot showing his hat


Put February 18th, Presidents Day, on YOUR calendar
Very exciting things happening !!!! 
We have two VIP far away visitors coming and some really special events that day !!!

.... Gots to run now ... but I’ll give you all the details tomorrow .... get it on your calendar ... you’re gonna wanna spend the whole day with us ....  ending in a vegetarian BBQ and get to chat with our celebrities .... oh and I’ll tell you something else quick .... one of them is a world famous photographer and he’ll be taking YOUR picture with the Rikki’s Critter of your choice ... that’d me be wouldn’t it??  Well maybe Duke .... or Petunia ...   AND there will be a two hour photography class all about how to get the best animal shots .....  space is limited, so let me know right away if I should hold a ticket for you ....   All the details tomorrow !!!!



Yikes, I just heard Lena tell Paul to order $1,000 of canned cat food ... we have really been numming it up this winter cuz it’s been cold.  How much we eat and how much canned is all dependant of lots of things, and the weather is the biggest.  If you could help us out with a few bucks towards this $1,000 bill, I’d really love you muchly  !!!  Thank you  http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate.php


Love you bunches,
           Opie
ps: remember 2013 is the year of the purr ....
Click Vincent to hear him purr ......




Monday, January 28, 2013

Good Evening, Good News, January 28, 2013

Ok ....  are YOU with me this week ???
Are YOU on my team ???
Will YOU help me win the weekly contest at the Animal Rescue Site ???

It's real easy .... go here http://animalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3 and enter Rikkis Refuge in VA in the USA and follow the directions ...
it's easy, no information collection, no spam .... just your vote ---

help me get the mostest votes this week ... just this week ... vote daily thru Sunday and YOU can help me win $1,000 to feed my furry friends at Rikki's Refuge.  There are 1925 of us ....  well a couple hundred of them have feathers ... but we feed them too.  Vote every day from every computer you have, home, office, phone and so on !!!! 

Let’s work together real hard this week and win the weekly $1,000 prize !!!


SUPER GOOD NEWS !!!
Great Grand Pa is doing good in Florida .... and he’s really liking the weather and real happy he gotted home before all this snow be on the ground.  I think I kind a wish I could be there with him and Bowtie too ..... but mom says I have to stay here in Virginia at Rikki’s Refuge and help take care of all the aminals.

GGP had a bad lump in his bladder and he had to go to the hospital today and have a nice doctor take it out.  They thought he’d have to stay in the hospital overnight ... but uh ah he didn’t !!!  He woke up quick and was feeling good and he was home by 4 pm !! 

He called me to remind me to eat my 4 pm snack and he sounded real good, just like himself and said he felt pretty good too ... just a little tired.



Happy Birthday Mariza !!!!!

Thank you for so many years of service to all the critters and all your help over the years!!!  Mariza well remembers the "old days" and how far Rikki's has come.  She’s been volunteering tirelessly for the animals for over 13 years .....  read all about the different things she’s done over the years
http://rikkisrefuge.blogspot.com/2013/01/meet-mariza-soliman-january-28-2013.html



Sweetheart Walk and Mingle
Is your best friend nothin’ but a hound dog ?

Well at Rikki’s Refuge we LOVE Hound Dogs !

We invite you to a Valentine event
especially for you and your best friend
.... your dog ... or your human !

You’ll have the opportunity to walk around our new 63 acre facility with your best friend.
Meet and Mingle with other Dog Lovers.
Roam the wooded areas, see the barns and outbuildings, run thru the pastures ...
lots of fun for you and your four or two footed friend ...
all before our animals move in.

Learn about Rikki’s Refuge and find out about
future volunteer opportunities,
fence fixin’, mural painting, barn mucking, and more !

Sunday, February 10th, from 1 - 3 pm,
admission is $12.50 or a case of cat food (per couple, same or mixed species)
... you heard me right ... today is going to the dogs ...
but we’ve got to feed the cats too !!

Tickets MUST be bought in advance and the number is LIMITED.

So call 540-854-0870 x3 or email mail@RikkisRefuge.org
for your tickets TODAY ... don’t delay !

Doggies must be leashed at all times and
accompanied by an owner 18 or older,
must be dog and human friendly and
must bring proof of vaccinations, including rabies.






A VISIT TO RIKKI’S REFUGE
and
HLUHLUWE IMFOLOZI

Mom’s all grown up boy, James, who’s been sailing of GGP’s boat came to visit.  He really wanted to play with all the animals and take lots of pictures.  And that was the week it rained and it rained and it rained ... and it was cold ... not freezing really ... but sure felt like it.  So on his last day .. Jan 15th .. he decided to brave the cold wet and visit the animals.

Lots of our animals don’t mind the icky cold.  But he didn’t see many kitties!  Most of us were hiding away in our warm condos. 

Pictures from Uncle James' visit ---- this be Evil, his kitty, he's staying at GGP's place here while James is traveling on the boat.

The last stop, before coming to Rikki’s Refuge was Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa where their kitties is a bit bigger than our kitties ....

Welcome to Rikki's ......

Hmmmm maybe we should add a more interactive entrance monument ....

GGM (great grandma) and Rikki (her kitty) are here --- Vincent is near by.

While getting up close and personal with some critters, like this crocodile, James contemplated when he might be moving in with GGM, Rikki and Vincent .....

bahhhhhhhdddd goats

Seem to be a universal thing ... with horned animals

Calvin the mooo cow

Sure looks friendlier than this fellow!

See Calvin's thick curly winter coat? Remember how sleek he was in the summer? Did you know cows grow longer fur in the winter to keep warm too!

These guys don’t seem to have the need to grow winter coats!

Candy the horsey !!!!

Zebuliah the Zebra !!!!

Candy ... no matter what the weather .... this was the cold rainy days right before the snow ... the big animals like to go out for fresh grass ...


This is Phil Pheasant. He was born wild. His mom had her nest in some bushes in Chicken City. She brought the young to eat with some baby chicks we had at the time. When the pheasant family grew up mom and the teens left for the woods. Phil stayed ... and fell in love with Randolph Rooster. Randolph didn't think it was so funny. When Phil would jump on him in a very "friendly" way, he'd beat Phil up ... and Randolph was lots bigger and Phil would get hurt. After three times in the hospital for injured legs, and Phil still wanted Randolph to be his buddy ..... Phil moved to Rabbit Rotunda for his protection.

This eagle was born free a continent away.

The guineas and other residents of Rabbit Rotunda.

The warthog residents of Hluhluwe Imfolozi.

Ducks ... on a wet wet day ... just the way they like it !!!

The young Warthogs like it wet too....

Cat run furniture --- the kitties don't like the wet weather so much, so they're mostly inside. Got kids outdoor play toys they've outgrown ??? Think about giving them to Rikki's for the kitties or a sanctuary or rescue local to you.

LOOK ... what’s that ?

Feline Fields !!

Feline Tree !!

Loving the wet weather

Loving the dry weather

Cat house number 1 -- not many coming out in the rain to visit !!

Wonder how many of these ....

We love our murals !!!! Thank you Rene Luther ..... lots more "canvas" just waiting .... can you paint pretty pictures ?? Have you ever tried ??? Give it a shot and then think about doing one at Rikki's !!!

... it’d take to keep one cat house clean ....

Honk honk honk ....

Scamper scamper scamper  ....

Looks like Patrick and Preston had more produce then even these two big pigs could eat .... and enough wallowing in the mud ... now nappy time .....

Bet it takes a lot to fill these guys up too.....

Jack, Peepers and Phoebe

Who’s watching who ?

Jack took a shine to James .... he's saying "come on in here cutie pie"

Everything in Africa is bigger ...

Sally and Mike

No matter where they are ... they check out roads and cars ...

Woof Woof Woof ... if we come out of our warm houses to see you ... do we get doggy treats?

Hmmmm wonder if radio tracking would be easier than keeping up with fence repair ?
 

Doggy Downs, Club House #1 with it's new roof !!! Opps old roof and mess didn't get cleaned up .... one more thing on the to-do list ... Rene Luther I think we're needing some touch up paint !!!

Moving thru the brush, these guys don’t worry about a permanent home.

Beauty and Kiki who love the snow, the rain, the mud ... if it's icky ... they wanna be out playing in it !!!!

Chomping on leaves ... rain or shine ...

Peacocks hiding from the rain under a trailer .... lots nummy bugs crawl out the ground when it rains .... with all the free ranging birds it's amazing we could have a single bug left anywhere !!!

Beautiful Blue Starling

These vultures and 4,876 of their best friends live WAY up on the water tower right by the dump ... it's not our own dump, but the county landfill where we take lots and lots of "ick" every day .... guess them vultures find nums there ..... yuck ...

Mr. Buzzard, Hluhluwe Imfolozi, South Africa


Love you bunches,
           Opie
ps: remember 2013 is the year of the purr ....
Click Vincent to hear him purr ......