February 2012
Dear Elephants, Birds and even Humans who can read,
What a trip! We just came back from St. Maarten. We were there for a week, staying with my cousin who has a place there. It is so beautiful, gorgeous beaches and beautiful resorts and lots and lots and lots of stray dogs. That put a big bummer on the quality of the trip for me. So many, so hungry and so many more coming. I believe that 3rd world countries all have mega populations of stray dogs. The people can't feed and take care of themselves so one can hardly expect them to take care of other life forms that are not necessary to their survival. St. Maarten is a picture of paradoxes, poverty and amazing wealth, side by side, each living in their own world. The poverty didn't seem quite as intense as what we witnessed in India, but it was there and thriving...... Anyway, I bought a very large bag of dry dog food which I fed to every stray I saw. We left the unused portion in strategic places, where I had seen stray dogs, on the day we left. Jackie and I had made up a plan that if we had found a pup that would come to us (all the dogs ran away when you approached them) we would take it to a local vet, get it shots and a health certificate and then take it home with us, but that did not happen.
We went to a zoo on St. Maarten that had a very large population of macaws. There were blue and golds, scarlets and green wings. There were also some Amazon parrots and some had incorrect labels on their enclosures. I pointed this out to the people who were working there. They were very interested in what I told them and said they would inform the zoo owner. Oh well, the birds seemed to be well care for and Jackie took lots of pictures of them that I am sure she will share if you ask her nicely.
On the home front, Emma seemed very happy with the people who stayed here and took care of my animals. Aristophanes was not happy at all and truly seemed relieved when we came home. Simon, my cat, was not happy either and went through many behavior changes when we got home. He was all over us, even waking us up during the first night home. He stayed hidden most of the time we were gone. Wally, my tough rooster that Debbie Napolitano doesn't like to take of, jumped the guy who stayed here. He picked Wally up and carried him around, like I showed him to do and everything went well after that.
We had a good vacation, but I am very glad to be home. I am not comfortable going away and leaving my animals. I go, however, because it makes Jackie happy. I need a vacation from my brain, but I have not found out how to do that.
We have a wonderful program tonight. Dr. Lonnie Kasman, Avian vet extraordinaire, is here to do a program on the birds he saw flying free (the way they should be ) in Costa Rica. Next month we have Renee Davis, of Audubon fame, doing our program. April brings back Ellen Kalish and her owls and hawks and Gene Weinstein will entertain and educate us in May with a photography program on bald eagles. I am still looking for something exciting, and preferably on parrots, for June. Ideas are very welcome and anyone who would like to take it upon themselves to find such a program would be even more welcome than that.
We are still looking for the best venue for our bird show, next October, help in that direction is so very welcome. Try to help people, please try.
Take care of yourselves and your birds and be kind to all animals..........
Oh, February 13th is my birthday.....I am growing up (chronologically anyway) Say "Happy Birthday" when you pass me by...........
Love,
Richie
What a trip! We just came back from St. Maarten. We were there for a week, staying with my cousin who has a place there. It is so beautiful, gorgeous beaches and beautiful resorts and lots and lots and lots of stray dogs. That put a big bummer on the quality of the trip for me. So many, so hungry and so many more coming. I believe that 3rd world countries all have mega populations of stray dogs. The people can't feed and take care of themselves so one can hardly expect them to take care of other life forms that are not necessary to their survival. St. Maarten is a picture of paradoxes, poverty and amazing wealth, side by side, each living in their own world. The poverty didn't seem quite as intense as what we witnessed in India, but it was there and thriving...... Anyway, I bought a very large bag of dry dog food which I fed to every stray I saw. We left the unused portion in strategic places, where I had seen stray dogs, on the day we left. Jackie and I had made up a plan that if we had found a pup that would come to us (all the dogs ran away when you approached them) we would take it to a local vet, get it shots and a health certificate and then take it home with us, but that did not happen.
We went to a zoo on St. Maarten that had a very large population of macaws. There were blue and golds, scarlets and green wings. There were also some Amazon parrots and some had incorrect labels on their enclosures. I pointed this out to the people who were working there. They were very interested in what I told them and said they would inform the zoo owner. Oh well, the birds seemed to be well care for and Jackie took lots of pictures of them that I am sure she will share if you ask her nicely.
On the home front, Emma seemed very happy with the people who stayed here and took care of my animals. Aristophanes was not happy at all and truly seemed relieved when we came home. Simon, my cat, was not happy either and went through many behavior changes when we got home. He was all over us, even waking us up during the first night home. He stayed hidden most of the time we were gone. Wally, my tough rooster that Debbie Napolitano doesn't like to take of, jumped the guy who stayed here. He picked Wally up and carried him around, like I showed him to do and everything went well after that.
We had a good vacation, but I am very glad to be home. I am not comfortable going away and leaving my animals. I go, however, because it makes Jackie happy. I need a vacation from my brain, but I have not found out how to do that.
We have a wonderful program tonight. Dr. Lonnie Kasman, Avian vet extraordinaire, is here to do a program on the birds he saw flying free (the way they should be ) in Costa Rica. Next month we have Renee Davis, of Audubon fame, doing our program. April brings back Ellen Kalish and her owls and hawks and Gene Weinstein will entertain and educate us in May with a photography program on bald eagles. I am still looking for something exciting, and preferably on parrots, for June. Ideas are very welcome and anyone who would like to take it upon themselves to find such a program would be even more welcome than that.
We are still looking for the best venue for our bird show, next October, help in that direction is so very welcome. Try to help people, please try.
Take care of yourselves and your birds and be kind to all animals..........
Oh, February 13th is my birthday.....I am growing up (chronologically anyway) Say "Happy Birthday" when you pass me by...........
Love,
Richie