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Newsletters - Summer '06

THANK YOU!

A massive ’Thank you’ to all of you that have been there for us.
How wonderful is that and how lucky are we and the animals that we have such a loyal band of supporters?
It’s been a hard year for us but, once again, we’ve been able to count on you and for that we can only say thanks.
The animals are thriving, we are well and we all look forward to your continuing support.
The year has gone in the blink of an eye, and with the dry weather we have needed to buy in hay to feed on a daily basis . Global warming seems to be hitting everywhere - even little old East Peckham. Maybe this is a portent of things to come. Whatever you call it it’s expensive. Please remember that the herbivores need their hay and lovely warm straw beds and that we cannot succeed without you.
So a massive hug from all the animals. We need YOU!

SPLASHING ABOUT

The terrapin pond has proven a resounding success!
Bless their little hearts, those little critters were destined to spend their days in a few inches of water, under bright lights for terrapin years (that’s a very long time) but we did some research and found out some stuff. You are probably clued up about this but I’ll risk telling you anyway. Red-eared terrapins can survive quite nicely, thank you, in our climate and Terrapin Rescue have held our hand in building a lovely pond for them so that they can have a better quality of life. A very kind soul has donated a filtration tank and all we need now is a water pump. So, if anyone has one that they no longer need that’d be suitable for a small pond then do think of us.
Obviously, given that they aren’t native, we’ve had to put a fence around the pond but it’s a great pleasure to see them come up onto the rocks and bask.
They are really rather beautiful but I wish that they weren’t in England. Rather, at home in America, where they belong.

AND ON THAT NOTE….

Billy, our green, South American parrot is still flying free round the sanctuary. This’ll be his second winter in a non-captive environment and he’s never looked better or happier!
Every day he shows up for his food, sitting on the garden fence and yelling for his grub. Currently, his beak is coated in fruit juice from the plums, blackberries and wild fruit that is all over the place. Occasionally he lands on our heads, just to remind us that we’re still mates and then flutters away.
What a stark difference to the terrified, caged bird that came into us 2yrs ago.

THE REPORTS OF MY DEATH HAVE BEEN GROSSLY EXAGGERATED!!!!!

It would appear that, sadly, I have snuffed it - well if you believe the word on the street in East Peckham!!!
I would like to take this opportunity to allay any fears about my sad demise. I am, in fact, quite well and getting on with life with vigour.
Sadly, another lady called Marion who was about my age died recently in the village and the clincher, it would seem, was that she wanted donations to be made to animal rescue. The locals put 2 and 2 together and made about 27,000.
It’s kind of weird seeing an obituary for yourself but it’s all cleared up now - well, till next time!! - MUM’S THE WORD.

Just when you think that you’re on top of nature it goes and laughs out loud at you. The other day it did it again. No, not by getting us stuck in the mud after the first rainfall following the driest summer ever. Not by turning so cold that I’m freezing in August following the hottest summer ever. No, this was a nice slap round the chops from ‘ol Ma Nature’.
We don’t allow our hens to sit on their eggs because we figure that if we’ve room for more chickens then we should be taking them in not breeding them. However, someone had other ideas and the other day when some pallet boards were moved from an unused little area out popped a mummy hen and 2 newly hatched chicks!
They are delightful. Little yellow balls of fluff that have been securely hidden from view and carefully nurtured by a very protective mother hen. It kind of makes you think how little we are in the greater scheme of things.

Since last we spoke things have come and gone, changed or stayed the same. We have loved, lost and gone on to love again. The day that Lee-Roy died I thought that my heart would break only to have someone, that same day, bring me a baby bat the size of a bumble bee. So tiny was it that I had to feed it with a feather. For 4 days it gently suckled off the feather until it could be returned to its mother and our part was done.

PS. Please, if you do have an email address then do inc it as it’s free to keep in touch, a good way of saying thanks and just a jolly way of having a chat. Do drop me an email if you’ve got a spare min. I’m always delighted to hear from all of you. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hands up who hates computers? Me, for one! This devil machine has crashed on me so many times this morning that I’m just about to go bonkers. I’ve even resorted to unplugging it from the phone socket in the hope of getting some sense out of it.

Thank you once again for helping us to help them. xx