Frost on the Pumpkins

     Frost is on the pumpkins and fall is in the air. I know a lot of people love fall, I don't.  The leaves are turning colors and then dying. The ticks on our animals have been horrible, can anyone say Lymes Disease?   I know what is coming and I dislike winter even more. It seems like when I was a kid winter was 6 weeks long, at my age now, I feel like it is 6 months long (which it basically is). I can't wait 'till spring and summer. Fall starts with the NY Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Conference which was held in Syracuse this year. It was a lot of fun and I learned several new tricks on "hard to save" wildlife orphans such as wood ducklings and merganzers. I look forward to spring to try out these new techniques.  While I was at the conference, my students from my Scoharie County History Class (at school) were volunteering at the Old Stone Fort History Fair in Schoharie.  Unfortunately I was unable to attend with the Barn Owls this year to do my Dutch Barn program since I was at the conference. Our facility manager Mike Ennis, BOD memebers Linda and Erik Brown, Kelly Martin and Derrick and Alicia Bouck attended the conference as well. Mike got his course work done to be licensed to rehab RVS species such as Coons, Skunks and Bats.  That will be great help during "orphan season" this spring as well.
      Fall also means soccer games. My son Jacob has been playing on the MCS soccer team and our Harris Hawks "Bonnie and Clyde" and I have been going to his games. It is called multi tasking. I get to the games and I get to spend the required time every week with the hawks that will be part of our Wildlife Alive shows in 2013. Last friday, my 'Scary Co. History Students and I worked on cleaning up the Middleburgh Negro Cemetery. It looks great! A special thanks goes out to Ms. Bunnie Bates and Matt Coltrain of the Middleburgh Historical Society for lunch. Hubies pizzas were great as always. I also want to "Thank"  Barbers as well. Besides for the donations for this fridays Sadie Hawkins Dance at school, most people dont know that Barbers donate all of the unsold veggies from the roadstand to our animals. This cuts down on our food expenses for the summer and fall months dramatically and we have appreciated their support over the last several years.
      Our shows, tours and events have slowed down for the year. We are already booking lots of Wildlife Alive shows for 2013. Speaking of shows, I still havn't seen "our episode" on Nat Geo Wild's Animal Intervention. I heard that it was good. Ive had fun watching Josh and Brent (Fab Beekman Boys) on the Amazing Race.  Hopefully they will win and will remember one of their favorite not for profit charities with a donation when they finish. This morning on FLY 92, I heard that Liberty Ridge Pumpkin Patch refused to allow a same sex marriage to be held at their facility. I got thinking about it (yes, I know that is dangerous) and I thought that it must be nice to have so much business that you can turn away customers. I think that our facility is going to open a new fundraising option in the future.....weddings. If you have ever been to our facility, we have one of the best views of the Schoharie Valley.  My brother rents tents.....We have encouraged business retreats, tours and meetings in the past for a small donation. I was secretly hoping that one of our children would be the first to be married at our picnic pavillion  up on the mountain but I am thinking that it could be a great fundraising opportunity for NY Wildlife Rescue Center. I will be brain storming this winter and it wont take much to get the area ready to do beautiful wedding venues.  Since our facilities and the building of animal enclosures are one of our biggest expenses, why not make our facilities work for us? We wont discriminate against anyone with a donation regardless of their sexual preference, religion, color, age or sex.  All we ask is that you love and respect what we do at our facility for animals..... 
      On friday night, October 26th I will once again be doing my Haunted Historical Tour of the Middleburgh Cemetery by lantern light. Tickets are limited to the first 100 sold at the Public Library for $5- a ticket. Tickets are also available that night. Park on Llama Lane (up by our farm) and the tour will start at dusk in the Negro Cemetery section of the upper cemetery. Please do NOT park in the cemetery.  Dress for the weather and bring a lantern or a good flash light. Last time I did this tour, over 300 people showed up. It was crazy and I only agreed to do it again if it were a fundraiser for the local history room of the Public Library and the tour was smaller. We will do it in any weather and the tour will be approximately 2 hours start to finish. There will be no theatrics,this will be a respectful tour....just walking around at night in the Cemetery will be creepy enough.  Get your tickets early because I hope to sell out prior to the tour. The Library will be having festivities all weekend as well.
        DONATIONS, or lack of them. This time of year is always hard financially at our facility. We are buying hay again since the pastures are dying off and donations have a tendency to slow up over the holidays.   We still have two good months to get your TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations sent in. Our dog boarding kennel and dog grooming room have slowed down for the season. I currently do not have any tours booked or community groups that want a program for their meetings. I know that times are tough for everyone but times are especially tough for not for profit groups right now. We are still actively looking for a corporate sponsor, an enclosed trailer for doing shows and someone to take charge of getting a raptor flight enclosure and a bear cub enclosure built.....we need help in a lot of different ways. Till next time, tell EVERYONE about us and our blog. How can we have almost 2000 facebook friends, yet I only have 29 followers of our blogs.....Thanks Gayle for cross posting on facebook....All my best, WES