Ok so i had some complaints that people didn’t like that they had to scroll all the way down to get the new updates that they shcould be put first. This will be the first post i try it the new way but unfortunately i am the one who does the website and i haven’t figured out how to move it around without having to retype it all again so until i do it will not be in order prior to this post. Sorry!
It looks like i failed again at keeping up withe regular updates. It has been a very busy and trying year.One of these days i hope to get it done in a timely fashion. To pickup where i left off Logan the lynx has completely healed and finally after 12 weeks he and Sienna are in their big enclosure at the preserve.They are getting huge and are a wonderful addition to the preserve. We are still working with Boo the white fox and it is a slow process from where he came from. He has put on weight and is a happy little guy.That cold weather only got worse and after a severe ice storm, we were closed with no income for over 6 weeks. It was a challenge just getting to the preserve let alone animal care on ice and below zero temps. the animals winter coats kept them warm and they handled it well.
In the spring after the melt we had some major clean up days in the enclosures and although Jay and i took down a lot of dead trees we had to hire a tree service to help with the more difficult ones. In April we had a historic event at the preserve. Our old man Teeko turned 17ys old, the oldest we have ever had and he is still going strong today.We had a birthday party for him, he got a cake and all the others got cupcakes that day. Everyday he gets his glucosemine, vitamins and Rymadil in his favorite treat liver worst. He also gets a hard boiled egg every day. He is so excited to get his treats.
With all her problems in the beginning of her life, it turns out little Sassa’s toes don’t turn down far enough to wear down her nails so every 6 months she has to visit the Dr to get a pedicure, while there she gets a full check up and is doing great!
It was a very wet spring and time flew by until we were hit with one of the worst days in my life. We lost one of the most important people in my life and our biggest supporter, my mom Abigail. She was 82 yrs old and fell down her stairs and never recovered. To this day it is still extremely difficult! I sent her off with some wolf fur and her buttons of the wolves she proudly wore to promote the preserve and brag about her son. It was a sad time we were struggling to get through when just 2 weeks later we were hit again. Mother nature decided to throw a few tornadoes at us and we spent a few crazy days and nights at the preserve waiting out the storms checking fencing. There was no major damage to the preserve but one morning after a night of tornado winds we couldn’t find our wolf Tamron, she wasn’t coming to the fence like the others. After searching the 4 acre enclosure we found her with an injury to both her sides. We rushed her to the vet to find out she had been impaled by a stick (we later found it). She must have been startled by something in the dark with the high winds and run into it, it went all the way through her. She had 3 hours of emergency surgery to repair her bowels and remove part of her intestines. She pulled through and we brought her home.The Dr said with the amount of internal damage he was concerned about infection and blood clots.Becky and i took turns sleeping with her so she wouldn’t be alone and she seemed to be doing fine. After about 8 hours she closed her eyes and didn’t wake up. Drs think it was a blood clot. She passed knowing she was loved and our hearts were broken again in just a few short weeks.
As fate would have it, or my mom helping out, just a few days later we got a call from another wolf preserve stating they had a large litter born and could not keep all the babies. they were looking for a home for them and had heard good things about our place. They made a trip to see us and we instantly made new Friends in Will and Pam from Wolf Mountain Nature Center. They treat their animals just like we do, like family! Our daughter Emily made the 6 hour round trip with Becky and i to pick up to beautiful little girls. They are black phase tundra wolves. Like all new additions they stayed at our house for quarantine time, inoculations and bonding. Emily picked the name ” ianna” meaning blossoming flower and the other i named Abby after my mom Abigail. Tikaani and Kayla were very depressed after loosing their sister Tamron but were turned around at the sigh of their 2 new pack members. They love the girls and they love them. Tikaani is such a good alpha and loves to play with them. They have brightened the moral at the preserve and with us.
The rain finally stopped and the summer flew by as it was a very busy with visitors.The pups were growing like weeds and enjoying exploring their enclosure and frog hunting in their pond. The cats doubled in size and would race and play in their enclosure entertaining the visitors.
September came round and our beautiful wolf Keesha started getting a little lethargic, stiff in the front legs, a little cough and not so interested in eating. We took her to the Dr and had blood work done and she tested positive for lymes disease, which would cause all these symptoms, so we were happy it could be treated.She was put on meds and Becky worked hard at getting her to take them since she didn’t have an appetite. Unfortunately there was not any improvement so we brought her back to the dr and had more testing done. We were shocked to find that she had a cancerous tumor in her shoulder that had gone into her lungs causing her stiffness and coughing. At this point there was no treatment and it was clear how much discomfort she was in.So we made that decision no one like to make while she was already sedated we helped ease her pain. So we were knocked back down by another loss. She was 12yrs old and her boys Teton and River clearly miss her as do we.
We struggled through the fall, had some wonderful group photo shoots with the Tamron lens company.The pups had their first pumpkin day at the preserve and loved playing with and eating their pumpkins. We are preparing for the winter and as i write this today it is mid November 11/13 and it is only11degrees outdoors. I hope this is not an indicator of how it is going to be the next few months until spring!!
Thank you all for your love and support and sponsorship. We would not be here today without you!!