March 2011
Dear Elephants, Birds and Humans who can read,
What a morning! We woke up to a flooded basement, no heat or hot water and my trip to visit Fritha was cancelled again! I am, at this moment, pumping the water out of the cellar and waiting for the plumber to get the boiler started. It is getting cold and my big concern is my birds, especially the little guy. Zeke, though being a cockatiel, he should be ok. They are not tropical and my big ones, Emma and Aristophanes, I hope can hack the cold in the house. It has been cold before and they were fine. I just keep telling that to myself.
Our program for tonight is a good one, but is the result of a last minute change and a very nice and cooperative presenter. We will be enjoying visiting with raptors, a big change from the usual parrots. Our original program for March was the Eagle Institute, but the presenter had a family emergency and had to fly out to California. I called Ellen Kalish, from the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center, who was supposed to be at our club in May and she immediately agreed to change her presentation to March; what a good soul. The Eagle Institute will be here in May. Ellen does wildlife rehabilitation and has been here before. She specializes in birds and so I am so anxious to meet the raptors she is bringing with her. These birds have permanent injuries and can no longer be released back into the wild.
Our presenter next month, Steve Gottlieb, is an attorney in Kingston and will be presenting a program on the legal rights and responsibilities of animal ownership. Also, he will be talking about the recent changes in the law that effect what and how you can leave money to care for your pets in your will. Don't miss that, it should be a great meeting. Steve is also a very old and dear friend of mine and I know you will enjoy his talk.
Good news, little Matthew B. has finally been able to get our bird club to become a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and that means that your dues and donations to our club are tax exempt and we can legally apply for grants. Matt can explain it more fully. Think about our big show this year, people, we need it to be bigger and better than ever, especially because we did not have it last year......Hound Matt with good ideas and volunteer your services.
I think most of the water is gone from the cellar now and I pressed the re-set button on the boiler and it started again. It smoked a little bit and that was, of course, a bit scary.......I know nothing about plumbing, building or anything else that involves knowing how to do things..........I only know about animals.
Pat Bennett had a good idea about forming an adoption committee........Let's do it. Let me know if you are interested in being part of it. There is much involved and right now I do it all by myself with the informal help of a few humans.......... Lots of birds who need homes and lots of people who really need to be carefully checked before we place a bird in their homes..... These adoptions are, hopefully, permanent and they should always be in the best interests of the bird....... I NEVER, knowingly, adopt out a bird to put into a breeding program and I never, knowingly, adopt out a parrot that lives 24/7 in a cage. We can't stop people from lying about what they will do, but we can be careful and there is more strength in numbers.
I have been given a couple of ideas for presenters for our 25th anniversary this July. I am still open for more. If you know anyone who would make for a great program, please let me know........PLEASE!
Anyway, be well....be very kind to all birds and all other animals, especially elephants because they are the most wonderful life form on earth..........
With Love,
Richie
What a morning! We woke up to a flooded basement, no heat or hot water and my trip to visit Fritha was cancelled again! I am, at this moment, pumping the water out of the cellar and waiting for the plumber to get the boiler started. It is getting cold and my big concern is my birds, especially the little guy. Zeke, though being a cockatiel, he should be ok. They are not tropical and my big ones, Emma and Aristophanes, I hope can hack the cold in the house. It has been cold before and they were fine. I just keep telling that to myself.
Our program for tonight is a good one, but is the result of a last minute change and a very nice and cooperative presenter. We will be enjoying visiting with raptors, a big change from the usual parrots. Our original program for March was the Eagle Institute, but the presenter had a family emergency and had to fly out to California. I called Ellen Kalish, from the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center, who was supposed to be at our club in May and she immediately agreed to change her presentation to March; what a good soul. The Eagle Institute will be here in May. Ellen does wildlife rehabilitation and has been here before. She specializes in birds and so I am so anxious to meet the raptors she is bringing with her. These birds have permanent injuries and can no longer be released back into the wild.
Our presenter next month, Steve Gottlieb, is an attorney in Kingston and will be presenting a program on the legal rights and responsibilities of animal ownership. Also, he will be talking about the recent changes in the law that effect what and how you can leave money to care for your pets in your will. Don't miss that, it should be a great meeting. Steve is also a very old and dear friend of mine and I know you will enjoy his talk.
Good news, little Matthew B. has finally been able to get our bird club to become a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and that means that your dues and donations to our club are tax exempt and we can legally apply for grants. Matt can explain it more fully. Think about our big show this year, people, we need it to be bigger and better than ever, especially because we did not have it last year......Hound Matt with good ideas and volunteer your services.
I think most of the water is gone from the cellar now and I pressed the re-set button on the boiler and it started again. It smoked a little bit and that was, of course, a bit scary.......I know nothing about plumbing, building or anything else that involves knowing how to do things..........I only know about animals.
Pat Bennett had a good idea about forming an adoption committee........Let's do it. Let me know if you are interested in being part of it. There is much involved and right now I do it all by myself with the informal help of a few humans.......... Lots of birds who need homes and lots of people who really need to be carefully checked before we place a bird in their homes..... These adoptions are, hopefully, permanent and they should always be in the best interests of the bird....... I NEVER, knowingly, adopt out a bird to put into a breeding program and I never, knowingly, adopt out a parrot that lives 24/7 in a cage. We can't stop people from lying about what they will do, but we can be careful and there is more strength in numbers.
I have been given a couple of ideas for presenters for our 25th anniversary this July. I am still open for more. If you know anyone who would make for a great program, please let me know........PLEASE!
Anyway, be well....be very kind to all birds and all other animals, especially elephants because they are the most wonderful life form on earth..........
With Love,
Richie