Endangered Noms

One of the first things I do when I get into the rescue center every week is feed the turtles and the seals.  People tend to think that its just dropping some food into the tanks but its a bit more involved.

First thing is to get the meds tray.  All of the seals and turtles are on vitamins, some are on medications for one illness or another.  Each bottle belongs to a different seal or turtle.

Second feed is vitamin time

Next step is to set up the feed area.  Each "patient" in rehab has a feed chart.  On it lists what they can eat, how much, how often and what meds or vitamins are included with the feed.  The day of this feed the turtles were getting clams.  In the wild they eat a wide variety of things so other days they will get squid or lettuce.    To round out the supplies I grab scissors to cut up the food into turtle sized pieces and trays to carry the food to the little monsters.

Setup for a vitamin feed

I weigh out the clams based on each turtles chart and then check that the pills in their bottle match their charts.  

Clams and squid and vitamins, NOM!

The pills get stuffed inside the food so they take them with little interaction from us.  Once that's done we head to the tank.  The med food gets dropped in first then once they eat that the rest goes in.  I'll go back to the kitchen and note their eating habits (eating well, not eating, etc) then its rinse and repeat for 4 more turtle tanks and for the moment 5 seal tanks.  

Seal Feed

The turtles eat once a day while the seals eat four times a day.  Our seals eat herring usually, but now and again they get mackerel.  After the feed is off to do a large list of chores that one day I'll post.  But for now I have to get ready to head out and feed the turtles!

Say Ahh

 I'd like to introduce Angelina.

Now that may not be her actual name in two weeks but its what we were calling her this week.  She's a cute little gray seal pup who came in with a high white blood count, a fever and a repsiriatory infection.  Because of everything going on she was being hand fed for almost two weeks.

Lucky me I get to feed her when she's just starting to eat on her own.  So its time for the last feed of the day and I get to the back of her tank and there she is sitting on the ledge as pretty as can be.  I toss her medicine fish into the water  and as the fish is flying she opens her mouth a bit then shuts it as the fish disappears under the water.  Then she looks at me.  I looked down at the water a few times, hoping she'd understand that's where her fish was.  After a minute of staring at me like I was mentally unwell she stuck her face into the water.  Then she looked at me again.

I figure okay she's a little confused let me try tossing one more fish closer to her ledge.  This time she opens her mouth wide.  Fish is no where near her and hits the water sinking in her tank.  Now I'm forced to explain to her that she and I are not a circus act and I will not throw the fish into her mouth.  She looks underwater a few more times and then just stares at me.

I'm not wasting more fish until she proves she's going to eat so I just stand there watching her watch me.  Finally after the longest 2 minutes in the history of man and seals she sighs, not a little sigh either, a full blown "god I am so discussing this with her manager" sigh and dives in to eat.

Adding fun to the seal feeding day, the seal 2 tanks down from her thought it'd be fun to spit at me.  Good thing he has an eye infection because he missed me by a wide margin.  This seal was my very first time as a secondary restrainer and it was an amazing learning experience.

This was my first time handling a wild animal (not countting 12lb turtles) and he schooled me but good.    He was really not having the whole concept of an intake physical.  People can tell you these seals are really strong but I felt woefully unprepared for just how strong he was.  Its been two weeks and parts of me are still sore from his exam.  It was an amazing experience and now I'm going to work on making sure I'm in better shape for the next one.  Excuse me while I morn the loss of Oreo cookies from my "diet"

Welcoming the Light

So today is Groundhog Day and whatshisface Phil saw his shadow and ran back into his little groundhog house to wait out 6 more weeks of winter. 

Do you know the precursor to the groundhog story?  Today is the day that the Cailleach was said to go out and gather firewood for the rest of the winter.  Legend has it that if she intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on Imbolc is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood. Therefore, people are generally relieved if Imbolc is a day of foul weather, as it means the Cailleach is asleep and winter is almost over.  Apparently we felt it was more important to torture small rodents then go with the whole witch that controls winter concept. 
 
Today is Imbolc, the Feast of Brigid, Candlemas a time to celebrate the first little stirrings of spring and the return of light and warmth.  Its a time to shake off those winter blues and prepare for the year ahead.   This is the time to set goals for the year, to come out of winter hibernation and greet the returning sun.

Imbolc is a Celtic holiday associated with the goddess Brigid.  Brigid is a busy goddess being the patroness of healing, smithcraft and the arts.  She brings fertility and inspiration, poetry and fire.  Seems to me this holiday is a far better time for "resolutions" then the dark cold New Years Eve. 

So tonight I'll take a nice quiet shower (in my house quiet is relative) to relax then sit down and put my goals of the year down on paper and probably make a focus board.   A little meditation and some hard work and by this time next year I'll be a better version of me!

I wish upon the stars above
And on the moonlight's gleam
I ask the gods to send their love
And help fulfill my dream
Hard I've worked to get here
This magic time and space
I know my dreams are drawing near
At Fate's own measured pace
Bring to blossom dreaming's fruit
I ask from heart and soul
As flowers spring from planted root
Let me achieve me goal