Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Old horses+ Longer days= Lots of hair -- by Rachel
Shedding season has officially kicked off at the ranch. I wandered through the old horse pasture the other day with a shedding tool. I don't know if there is an exact way to quantify horse hair, but if there was I am pretty sure the measuring unit would be 'gobs'. After about 20 minutes of strolling around, the entire pasture looked like a Tribble stampede. From now until around May, it will be shedding all day, every day. The senior horses especially make lots of padding for bird nests with all the winter wool they are downsizing. For those of you who haven't experienced this, you haven't really ever groomed a horse until your car upholstery is fuzzy afterwards, your shirt itches, and you're picking hair off your tongue because you were concentrating so hard you started breathing through your mouth. Man, I love horses.....
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Spring brings new and exciting changes to the ranch…. By Rachel
Hello all! One of the things I love most about being at the sanctuary are all the different hats I get to wear. Most of you who have met me, have done so while I am crawling around with tools under a horse, covered in hair and mud. I had the opportunity this Second Saturday open house to crawl out from under the horses and meet some of the fabulous community members who came for a tour. Spending time with the families who came to visit was a blast, and I am definitely going make it a more regular occurrence!
This new activity has gotten me excited about the many other new and exciting changes in the hopper for this year. I will just mention a few…
First and foremost, we have a few new residents to welcome!
Charlotte is a 16 year old potbelly pig. She is …um…… opinionated, and quite vocal. She is a hoot to watch. Upon arrival she immediately staked out her territory with the cats on the porch. She also enjoys lounging in her own personal dog house.
Quincy is a darling senior quarter horse, who long time sanctuary friend Heather Olson rescued and maintained until we were able to take him. He has a bevy of physical needs, which we will be diligently working towards sorting out this spring.
From the dog world, Casey and Kringle have joined our ranks (WHAT!?! Two non- Boston Terriers in a row!). Not to worry though—we have not lost our Boston touch. Izzy, an almost year old Boston puppy, who was born without an anus, also now calls the sanctuary home. Although this girl has been through a lot (surgery, continued incontinence, etc.), and will probably require surgery in the future to improve her bowel and bladder control, she is a little ball of happiness. Much to the relief of the older dogs, she and Joy are now playmates, and keep each other entertained.
We are also welcoming two unusual new residents. Chrissy, the angora goat, came to us with a severe leg injury that ultimately required amputation. During a pre-surgical x ray the vet detected something unusual in her abdominal cavity--- a skull. Much to our surprise she was pregnant when she came to us, and gave birth to Valentine, an adorable fawn colored doe, on February 10. Mama and baby are happy and healthy. Chrissy is moving around well on her three remaining legs, and Valentine is enjoying the advantage of unobstructed udder access.(Photo by the enormously talented Ann Ranlett, who joined us this weekend for the open house and brought her camera along).
Next, we need to extend a huge welcome to Lydia Patubo, who has agreed to accept a part time position as our Marketing Director! Lydia has shown her passion and dedication as a sanctuary volunteer for the last year, and we are so excited to see her in this new position.
Last year was a HUGE learning experience, as we launched our first official push for recruiting volunteers. We are taking all the knowledge we gained and revamping our volunteer program for this year in order to better meet the needs of the animals. Stay tuned for more information….
We are also improving quite a few elements of our community outreach. Keep checking in as we improve our website, schedule more events, and get ready to launch a new resident sponsorship program!
Sincere thanks again to all amazing people who assist us in continuing our work. As spring brings new grass, lots of sunshine, and TONS of shedding winter coats, we will keep you updated on all the new and exciting goings on!
Rachel
This new activity has gotten me excited about the many other new and exciting changes in the hopper for this year. I will just mention a few…
First and foremost, we have a few new residents to welcome!
Charlotte is a 16 year old potbelly pig. She is …um…… opinionated, and quite vocal. She is a hoot to watch. Upon arrival she immediately staked out her territory with the cats on the porch. She also enjoys lounging in her own personal dog house.
Quincy is a darling senior quarter horse, who long time sanctuary friend Heather Olson rescued and maintained until we were able to take him. He has a bevy of physical needs, which we will be diligently working towards sorting out this spring.
From the dog world, Casey and Kringle have joined our ranks (WHAT!?! Two non- Boston Terriers in a row!). Not to worry though—we have not lost our Boston touch. Izzy, an almost year old Boston puppy, who was born without an anus, also now calls the sanctuary home. Although this girl has been through a lot (surgery, continued incontinence, etc.), and will probably require surgery in the future to improve her bowel and bladder control, she is a little ball of happiness. Much to the relief of the older dogs, she and Joy are now playmates, and keep each other entertained.
We are also welcoming two unusual new residents. Chrissy, the angora goat, came to us with a severe leg injury that ultimately required amputation. During a pre-surgical x ray the vet detected something unusual in her abdominal cavity--- a skull. Much to our surprise she was pregnant when she came to us, and gave birth to Valentine, an adorable fawn colored doe, on February 10. Mama and baby are happy and healthy. Chrissy is moving around well on her three remaining legs, and Valentine is enjoying the advantage of unobstructed udder access.(Photo by the enormously talented Ann Ranlett, who joined us this weekend for the open house and brought her camera along).
Next, we need to extend a huge welcome to Lydia Patubo, who has agreed to accept a part time position as our Marketing Director! Lydia has shown her passion and dedication as a sanctuary volunteer for the last year, and we are so excited to see her in this new position.
Last year was a HUGE learning experience, as we launched our first official push for recruiting volunteers. We are taking all the knowledge we gained and revamping our volunteer program for this year in order to better meet the needs of the animals. Stay tuned for more information….
We are also improving quite a few elements of our community outreach. Keep checking in as we improve our website, schedule more events, and get ready to launch a new resident sponsorship program!
Sincere thanks again to all amazing people who assist us in continuing our work. As spring brings new grass, lots of sunshine, and TONS of shedding winter coats, we will keep you updated on all the new and exciting goings on!
Rachel
Friday, January 29, 2010
WOW! T-Shirts!
On Tuesday, January 26th 2010 Easter Seals Superior California Help To Recovery Program made a trip to A Chance For Bliss in Penryn California. The trip there was fun. Jeremiah and Rik reminisced about having lived in Placer County. Jeremiah even commented that his daughter was born there.
When we got to the sanctuary Al our cashier presented Deanna and Woody a check for one thousand five hundred fifty two dollars and ten cents. This was a record amount that we earned from our Holiday Shoppe.
Later Steven, Jeremiah, Tom, and Rik helped Deanna and Woody to clean feed buckets. It was quite a sight to see; they were in the shower and bathtub washing and drying buckets. Anthony and John cleaned brushes. Marcellos, Susan, Les, and Hector worked in the kitchen.
The highlight of our day was hearing Maxi the dog bark. When she barked she sounded like she was saying merp merp, you see, Merp is the name some of us affectionately call the rehab aide named Prem.
The following day Steven, Marcellos, Anthony, Les, and Hector received shirts from
A Chance For Bliss, all you could hear in the classroom were the choruses of Wow T –Shirts and thank-you.
Remember, take a tip from the dogs do not pre-judge us by our speech impediments judge us by what we say, not how we say it.
Hector
Easter Seals Superior California
Help To Recovery Program
Mt. Kilimanjaro - Final Note from Paulie
I'm writing this ten days after reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It has given me a little time to reflect on this incredible experience, as well as to heal my body and mind after the punishing exertion of the climb itself. First and foremost, I wish to give a heartfelt thanks to my loving wife, Vikki, who diligently kept a blog of my progress, even after we lost radio contact just two days out. This meant that Vikki had to do research to determine where I might be in the climb and estimate my progress. It all culminated with a phone call to her from the summit of the mountain letting her know I had succeeded and that I was OK. The truth was, I was far from OK and I still had to descend over 9,000 feet just to get to the lower camp, followed by another 5,000 foot descent the following day. I'm sure she continued to worry and wasn't fully relieved until I called her from my hotel in Arusha telling her that I was safe. She also kept in touch with family and friends the whole time. This is in addition to working full time, commuting 200 miles per day to work and caring for our beloved dogs at home. Just remarkable!
The expedition spanned nearly seven days in the most beautiful works of nature I had ever seen. We travelled through five distinct climate zones, not found anywhere else on Earth. It was a privilege to be there. I was pushed to my limits physically and mentally and then went beyond that which I thought I was capable. There were many times that I truly believed I would not reach the summit. That's when I would have to focus on one step at a time. Breathing became difficult and it was important to climb slowly, but continuously. It is amazing what the human body and spirit can endure when there is a powerful desire to reach a goal. Through perseverance, as well as the tremendous support from my mountain guide, Herment, I was rewarded with the greatest experience a mountain climber can achieve. Standing on the summit of the highest mountain in Africa. It was the greatest adventure of my life, so far.
As tremendous an experience that this was, there were amazing human connections which resulted from our journey. We were made aware of 'A Chance For Bliss Animal Sanctuary' through our friend, Christina, and that is how the climb became a fund raiser and awareness event. We feel blessed to have met Woody and Deanna, owners of the sanctuary and to have seen first hand the loving care that their animal companions receive in the autumn of their lives. Then we were introduced to Lary Bucher and his fifth grade class, the Brainiacs, who created the most beautiful banner which I was fortunate enough to carry with me half way around the world and unfurl at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. In addition, on the personal side of things, Vikki and I have made a closer connection to family and friends throughout this whole process which we hope to carry on into the future.
Many thanks to all of you for your support, kind words and especially for letting us be a part of your lives. We are proud to be new friends of 'A Chance for Bliss".
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Paul is Coming Home
I have not spoken to Paul since the evening he called me from the summit…..he did not get back to the hotel until his Tuesday morning, our Monday evening. Hopefully he can call me today. Right now it is 8:30PM his time so I will probably not hear from him until this evening. I tried calling but my call would not go through. He leaves this Wednesday evening (10:30PM) after having a guided tour of the city Arusha. He will be home on Thursday at 1:30PM.
I just want to thank all of you who have supported Paulie and I during his climb. It was wonderful to get so many comments and emails full of love, prayers and support. This is my last blog entry. I am sure Paulie will want to make a final entry to let all of you know how the climb went. Take care.
I just want to thank all of you who have supported Paulie and I during his climb. It was wonderful to get so many comments and emails full of love, prayers and support. This is my last blog entry. I am sure Paulie will want to make a final entry to let all of you know how the climb went. Take care.
Monday, January 18, 2010
What is Happening? ~ By Woody and Dee
The BIGGEST thing that has happened is Paul Castello reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro while holding the vision of our little sanctuary in his consciousness. We stand in awe of his fortitude and humanity. Paul and Vikki are bright lights and we are deeply moved by their presence in our lives.
We acknowledge and apologize that we are long overdue getting an update out. There are a myriad of reasons for the delay, but each is simply an excuse. Instead of blaming, we take full responsibility and would ask for your forgiveness while at the same time thanking you for your patience and continued support.
The Primary Financial Goal
In regards to the property status, we did, in fact, meet our goal of raising $65,000 in an effort to save the sanctuary. That sum represents the amount of past-due payments combined with penalties and it has been placed into a separate bank account while we work with the lender to modify and/or re-structure the current loan. All of the required documents were sent to the lender again on 12/30/2009, and yesterday a letter was received acknowledging the fact that the package is complete and is being reviewed, quoting a 30-45 day time line.
In conversations with the lender (HSBC), we have been informed that while the Notice of Default has expired (i.e. 90 days since it was recorded on the property), there has been no sale date established for the possible sale or auction of the property. We assume this to be the case since we have in fact submitted all of the necessary paperwork once more.
Our hope is that they would offer to re-work the loan, reducing the payment such that the monthly obligation becomes more affordable, thus supporting the sanctuary's longevity. The truth of the matter is that we do not know what they may or may not come back with. We have not disclosed to the lender that the sanctuary raised $65,000 because we do not want to give them all that money and have them do nothing, thus putting us back in the very same position. The fact that we have that money simply puts us in a much stronger position to be able to respond and perform to any sort of new loan terms, so we take it a day at a time and pray that they consider the entirety of the circumstance when they review our package and respond with something favorable and workable.
Is the Sanctuary "Safe?"
If they still do not work with us, what would we then do? The first option would be to contact some senior level person at the lender, and make a direct appeal to them (i.e. someone higher up the "chain of command" who has some authority). We would possibly follow that up with some additional publicity as a way of encouraging them to do the right thing, and with the prospect of the lender getting some much needed good press. If that failed, our next option would be to try and sell the property to some known person or entity, and ask that as a condition of the sale they agreed to a long term lease that would allow us to remain. If that, too, failed, the last option we have at this time would be to find another property to lease and thus re-locate the sanctuary. We are also looking at and for other ideas or options to have as many at our disposal as possible.
Obviously, our great desire is to remain at this location, and we want to for many reasons, not the least of which is the community and neighborhood support we have (i.e. use of other land free of charge and the world's best and kindest people living all around us). In addition, the layout of the home, the close proximity of freeway and major living areas, climate, etc... all make this an ideal location to care for animals at the end of their lives.
The Bottom Line
While we reached our primary financial goal, the fact remains that we need to continue to raise much needed funds to support day to day operations. On the one hand we now have the financial ability to house the residents for a substantial period of time, and even though we can't say yet exactly where that will be, it is a huge relief knowing we have the ability. On the other hand it costs more than $4,000 per month just to provide feed and basic care for the sanctuary residents, and therefore we need to shift efforts back to raising money to cover those expenses, as well as enlisting strong and able bodies to assist with the enormous physical workload.
We are taking it a day and moment at a time, focusing on caring for our flock, raising much needed funds to feed and care for each, and slowing down long enough to lavish love and attention on each and everyone of the residents.
Comings and Goings
Given what we do, regardless of money and other silly details that the residents have no care or concern for, real Life moves on and for us, that often means both tearful goodbyes and joyous hellos. Since our last update, we have had four beloved residents pass away; Hanauma, our 31 year old Rocky Mountain Horse, died in the first week of December; Walter, our 17 year old Italian Greyhound passed away two weeks later; Otis, our amazing blind Pug died this past Monday, followed immediately by Sunshine the very next day, Woody's birthday.
Sunshine had been with us four and a half years, Walter two years, Hanauma nine months, and Otis eight months. People often ask how we deal with the volume of loss and the answer is it is very, very hard. In fact, we would say that it is both the hardest thing we do, yet it is the most important thing we do... helping them pass away/transition with grace and dignity knowing they are both loved and adored.
Those goodbyes were sprinkled with hellos. Each passing provides an opening for a new resident, and the requests on behalf of animals in need have increased greatly with the recent media attention. While we can take some, we can't take them all, and saying no is very difficult. This is why our greatest vision is not to only survive, but GROW and EXPAND as it is clear that our work is needed and appreciated. There is a nearby lot for sale, but we'll address that later.
The wonderful beings who have been welcomed into the fold as a result of the aforementioned losses are: Atlas, our very first miniature horse, from Lake County where he was found wandering the roads and highways. He is small in size but HUGE in attitude. Kringle, named so since he was found lost and alone on Christmas, from Wonderdog Rescue in San Francisco in mid December along with his rescue-mate, Izzy. While Kringle is a very senior mixed breed who is simple and easy, Izzy is an 11-month old Boston Terrier ball-of-fire who was born with urinary disorder and without an anus. She is therefore a very active special needs pup who has us thinking of new ways each day to manage her condition, but also realizing daily that she is worth every bit of time and effort as she is nothing short of angelic.
Discharge Management Attempts
If you're so moved, please take a moment to leave a comment here for our dear and wonderful friend, Paul Castello, as he descends from the peak of the tallest point in Africa. His support of the sanctuary leaves us again in awe of the love and loyalty that comes the way of the sanctuary residents.
We are dancing as best we can amidst the rapid changes and flow of Life and promise keep everyone posted as things unfold. We end with one more heartfelt thank you for the continued love and support.
Blessings and love to all...
We acknowledge and apologize that we are long overdue getting an update out. There are a myriad of reasons for the delay, but each is simply an excuse. Instead of blaming, we take full responsibility and would ask for your forgiveness while at the same time thanking you for your patience and continued support.
The Primary Financial Goal
In regards to the property status, we did, in fact, meet our goal of raising $65,000 in an effort to save the sanctuary. That sum represents the amount of past-due payments combined with penalties and it has been placed into a separate bank account while we work with the lender to modify and/or re-structure the current loan. All of the required documents were sent to the lender again on 12/30/2009, and yesterday a letter was received acknowledging the fact that the package is complete and is being reviewed, quoting a 30-45 day time line.
In conversations with the lender (HSBC), we have been informed that while the Notice of Default has expired (i.e. 90 days since it was recorded on the property), there has been no sale date established for the possible sale or auction of the property. We assume this to be the case since we have in fact submitted all of the necessary paperwork once more.
Our hope is that they would offer to re-work the loan, reducing the payment such that the monthly obligation becomes more affordable, thus supporting the sanctuary's longevity. The truth of the matter is that we do not know what they may or may not come back with. We have not disclosed to the lender that the sanctuary raised $65,000 because we do not want to give them all that money and have them do nothing, thus putting us back in the very same position. The fact that we have that money simply puts us in a much stronger position to be able to respond and perform to any sort of new loan terms, so we take it a day at a time and pray that they consider the entirety of the circumstance when they review our package and respond with something favorable and workable.
Is the Sanctuary "Safe?"
If they still do not work with us, what would we then do? The first option would be to contact some senior level person at the lender, and make a direct appeal to them (i.e. someone higher up the "chain of command" who has some authority). We would possibly follow that up with some additional publicity as a way of encouraging them to do the right thing, and with the prospect of the lender getting some much needed good press. If that failed, our next option would be to try and sell the property to some known person or entity, and ask that as a condition of the sale they agreed to a long term lease that would allow us to remain. If that, too, failed, the last option we have at this time would be to find another property to lease and thus re-locate the sanctuary. We are also looking at and for other ideas or options to have as many at our disposal as possible.
Obviously, our great desire is to remain at this location, and we want to for many reasons, not the least of which is the community and neighborhood support we have (i.e. use of other land free of charge and the world's best and kindest people living all around us). In addition, the layout of the home, the close proximity of freeway and major living areas, climate, etc... all make this an ideal location to care for animals at the end of their lives.
The Bottom Line
While we reached our primary financial goal, the fact remains that we need to continue to raise much needed funds to support day to day operations. On the one hand we now have the financial ability to house the residents for a substantial period of time, and even though we can't say yet exactly where that will be, it is a huge relief knowing we have the ability. On the other hand it costs more than $4,000 per month just to provide feed and basic care for the sanctuary residents, and therefore we need to shift efforts back to raising money to cover those expenses, as well as enlisting strong and able bodies to assist with the enormous physical workload.
We are taking it a day and moment at a time, focusing on caring for our flock, raising much needed funds to feed and care for each, and slowing down long enough to lavish love and attention on each and everyone of the residents.
Comings and Goings
Given what we do, regardless of money and other silly details that the residents have no care or concern for, real Life moves on and for us, that often means both tearful goodbyes and joyous hellos. Since our last update, we have had four beloved residents pass away; Hanauma, our 31 year old Rocky Mountain Horse, died in the first week of December; Walter, our 17 year old Italian Greyhound passed away two weeks later; Otis, our amazing blind Pug died this past Monday, followed immediately by Sunshine the very next day, Woody's birthday.
Sunshine had been with us four and a half years, Walter two years, Hanauma nine months, and Otis eight months. People often ask how we deal with the volume of loss and the answer is it is very, very hard. In fact, we would say that it is both the hardest thing we do, yet it is the most important thing we do... helping them pass away/transition with grace and dignity knowing they are both loved and adored.
Those goodbyes were sprinkled with hellos. Each passing provides an opening for a new resident, and the requests on behalf of animals in need have increased greatly with the recent media attention. While we can take some, we can't take them all, and saying no is very difficult. This is why our greatest vision is not to only survive, but GROW and EXPAND as it is clear that our work is needed and appreciated. There is a nearby lot for sale, but we'll address that later.
The wonderful beings who have been welcomed into the fold as a result of the aforementioned losses are: Atlas, our very first miniature horse, from Lake County where he was found wandering the roads and highways. He is small in size but HUGE in attitude. Kringle, named so since he was found lost and alone on Christmas, from Wonderdog Rescue in San Francisco in mid December along with his rescue-mate, Izzy. While Kringle is a very senior mixed breed who is simple and easy, Izzy is an 11-month old Boston Terrier ball-of-fire who was born with urinary disorder and without an anus. She is therefore a very active special needs pup who has us thinking of new ways each day to manage her condition, but also realizing daily that she is worth every bit of time and effort as she is nothing short of angelic.
If you're so moved, please take a moment to leave a comment here for our dear and wonderful friend, Paul Castello, as he descends from the peak of the tallest point in Africa. His support of the sanctuary leaves us again in awe of the love and loyalty that comes the way of the sanctuary residents.
We are dancing as best we can amidst the rapid changes and flow of Life and promise keep everyone posted as things unfold. We end with one more heartfelt thank you for the continued love and support.
Blessings and love to all...
Sunday, January 17, 2010
He Made It!
Paulie just called me! He made it to the top! He sounded wonderful and so overwhelmed by the experience. We only spoke a few minutes and the call was very broken up. I am not even sure what phone he was using as it was a unknown number that came through to my phone.
I am so fortunate to be married to such a wonderful man. I knew he was an adventurer and risk taker, but I never thought I would be so involved. Paulie has done so much and gone through so much in his life, and he is so grateful and thankful for all of it.
He will call me tomorrow when we can talk longer.
Good night!
I am so fortunate to be married to such a wonderful man. I knew he was an adventurer and risk taker, but I never thought I would be so involved. Paulie has done so much and gone through so much in his life, and he is so grateful and thankful for all of it.
He will call me tomorrow when we can talk longer.
Good night!
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