Christmas time again!
Posted by Blue Sky on Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Wooosh!
Where did that year go?!
:)
Well folks Christmas time is upon us again and along with many people, Ive been evaluating the year gone by and sorting and organising things for 2010. Part of that has been readying things here for the expected heat and fire seasons which I am not totally convinced will be extreme here this year, but want to be prepared for anyway and partly I'm also rearranging my own priorities and making decisions about where I want to focus my energies in the coming year.
For regular readers, you will note the site has changed recently and thats because I've decided once and for all, to specialise in possums and expressivly, Brush Tail possums. I hope you like the new decal and presentation, I've tried to organise things on the site better and make things easier to read and for people new to animal care to digest by getting to the point a lot more than my usual rambling style of writing allows for.
The changes reflect my new focus and a decision to limit my rescuing/transporting experiences with other critters over the next year. As brilliant as it has been to be out there in the field and experiencing so many different animals and their needs, I do wish to focus more this year on possums and leave time for my art as much as really enjoying the animals already here, so something had to give.
And I have had the best year! What joy:) Its been an amazing time of perfect one off life experiences with so many different animals and people, the challenges of differing need sets and daily confronations with win/loss situations...its been amazing. I am still blown away every time I think about what has been accomplished this year for wildlife care just in our little area and the growth, education and healing within me as well. I often wonder how a woman like me can have such opportunities just laid at her feet and I am deeply grateful for them and for the support, the mentoring, friendships and experience of life that being a rescuer and carer has afford me.
I know too that in order to keep my own interest steady, to continue to find the willingness to fork out the time and energy, and the funds, and to continue to summon enthusiasm at times at all in animal caring given the odds and terrible and trying realities that we sometimes face, I need to really believe in what I do. On an insane intuitive gut level, and when it comes to the plight of urban possums, I do, richly so.
So that is where my efforts over the next 12 months will go. Into my education, personal research, caring and rehab technique development - my possum wrangling skills. My first animal in a foster care situation was a possum..and I fell in love with them and their presence and character then so it makes sense to me to focus, to learn as much as I can and to develop what I already know into a cohesive set of awarnesses that can be passed on.
So that is where I am at.....a goal..of sorts..and only a slight change really. Things here at Kurrara will reflect that too as I'll be increasing my skills and at the same time as we are building a decent set of temporary rehydration shelters which will be very useful and compliment the existing avairies and runs already in use.
Updates on the critters already here:
The Twins
Huge news...They will be released this weekend!!! Hows that for fantastic:) They are fully mature now and 90% foilage feeding..so a good soft release is in order and these guys get to take their box with them to help settle any nerves. Its an intuitive thing, for me anway, knowing they are ready for this next step and I believe they are ready and given they have ticked all the technical boxes it really is justa poroces from here of letting go and observing...they were so small when they came in..and I am so happy they have been able to reach maturity without incident.
Remy is only a month or so behind the twins and will be headed to a soft release center in the north of victoria. He's fesity and already self feeding foilage. I am proud of him too..he made it past some difficult hurdles and is looking very grand with his orange ears and dark brown fur...he could nearly be mistaken for a bo if I didnt know better.
Merci is doing well and in his first outdoor pen...he has months to go before rehab can start in earnest but already he is eating his way thorugh as much endives as possumly possible and I am weaning him onto some soft tips every other day. He really is big cuddle pig...loves his stone fruit...and doesnt like hanging pouches..he much refers to squirrel in in the corner under everything.
I have to run...human critters beckon...pics of the Twins' release and other critters staying here will come soon...
thanks for reading..thanks for caring
Blue
Where did that year go?!
:)
Well folks Christmas time is upon us again and along with many people, Ive been evaluating the year gone by and sorting and organising things for 2010. Part of that has been readying things here for the expected heat and fire seasons which I am not totally convinced will be extreme here this year, but want to be prepared for anyway and partly I'm also rearranging my own priorities and making decisions about where I want to focus my energies in the coming year.
For regular readers, you will note the site has changed recently and thats because I've decided once and for all, to specialise in possums and expressivly, Brush Tail possums. I hope you like the new decal and presentation, I've tried to organise things on the site better and make things easier to read and for people new to animal care to digest by getting to the point a lot more than my usual rambling style of writing allows for.
The changes reflect my new focus and a decision to limit my rescuing/transporting experiences with other critters over the next year. As brilliant as it has been to be out there in the field and experiencing so many different animals and their needs, I do wish to focus more this year on possums and leave time for my art as much as really enjoying the animals already here, so something had to give.
And I have had the best year! What joy:) Its been an amazing time of perfect one off life experiences with so many different animals and people, the challenges of differing need sets and daily confronations with win/loss situations...its been amazing. I am still blown away every time I think about what has been accomplished this year for wildlife care just in our little area and the growth, education and healing within me as well. I often wonder how a woman like me can have such opportunities just laid at her feet and I am deeply grateful for them and for the support, the mentoring, friendships and experience of life that being a rescuer and carer has afford me.
I know too that in order to keep my own interest steady, to continue to find the willingness to fork out the time and energy, and the funds, and to continue to summon enthusiasm at times at all in animal caring given the odds and terrible and trying realities that we sometimes face, I need to really believe in what I do. On an insane intuitive gut level, and when it comes to the plight of urban possums, I do, richly so.
So that is where my efforts over the next 12 months will go. Into my education, personal research, caring and rehab technique development - my possum wrangling skills. My first animal in a foster care situation was a possum..and I fell in love with them and their presence and character then so it makes sense to me to focus, to learn as much as I can and to develop what I already know into a cohesive set of awarnesses that can be passed on.
So that is where I am at.....a goal..of sorts..and only a slight change really. Things here at Kurrara will reflect that too as I'll be increasing my skills and at the same time as we are building a decent set of temporary rehydration shelters which will be very useful and compliment the existing avairies and runs already in use.
Updates on the critters already here:
The Twins
Huge news...They will be released this weekend!!! Hows that for fantastic:) They are fully mature now and 90% foilage feeding..so a good soft release is in order and these guys get to take their box with them to help settle any nerves. Its an intuitive thing, for me anway, knowing they are ready for this next step and I believe they are ready and given they have ticked all the technical boxes it really is justa poroces from here of letting go and observing...they were so small when they came in..and I am so happy they have been able to reach maturity without incident.
Remy is only a month or so behind the twins and will be headed to a soft release center in the north of victoria. He's fesity and already self feeding foilage. I am proud of him too..he made it past some difficult hurdles and is looking very grand with his orange ears and dark brown fur...he could nearly be mistaken for a bo if I didnt know better.
Merci is doing well and in his first outdoor pen...he has months to go before rehab can start in earnest but already he is eating his way thorugh as much endives as possumly possible and I am weaning him onto some soft tips every other day. He really is big cuddle pig...loves his stone fruit...and doesnt like hanging pouches..he much refers to squirrel in in the corner under everything.
I have to run...human critters beckon...pics of the Twins' release and other critters staying here will come soon...
thanks for reading..thanks for caring
Blue