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The past two days have seen some lovely blooms, including a few first flowers of the season. Today, you’ll find “FFO” pictures of Hemerocallis ‘Custard Candy’ and H. ‘Barbary Corsair’, as well as some shots of blooms you’ve already met this season. My favorite of the batch is the shot of H. ‘Lady Inara’, with the white background. It looks so nicely set up, doesn’t it? We won’t tell anyone that the nice white backdrop is just our propane tank, okay?
Did you know that if you select to view the images with PicLens, by clicking the link at the top of the thumbnail section, you’ll find a really cool way to enjoy photos online? You can also install CoolIris, a fun way to turn your image viewing into a 3D wall of pictures that you can move around, re-angle, and share with friends.
Last night brought rain. And rain, and rain, and rain. I fell asleep around one listening to it pounding the roof, and it had been coming down in sheets since early evening. I was glad to wake up and find out that today’s blooms weren’t too badly pummeled by water damage, and that the sun is shining. It’s a beautiful, warm but not oppressive, summer day.
I’m particularly glad the weather cleared, and plans to stay clear, today. New York Wildlife Rescue Center is having our Open House, and the dedication of our new Raptor Center! We’ll be open to the public from 4pm to 6pm, giving tours of the facility, and thanking our supporters for their generosity. I’ll be there, as will all of our dedicated board members and many of our volunteers. I’ve been chatting about the event here, and on Facebook, as has Wes been blogging and sharing, for weeks now. The local, and some not so local, newspapers and TV news stations have picked up the story, and we’re looking forward to a great turnout.
Education about wildlife, and animal rescue, is so important. As we humans have encroached upon the habitats of our wild neighbors, we’ve created more and more trouble for them. Animals hit by cars, killed by domestic pets, uprooted from their nests by farm machinery, construction and logging … all of these innocents need help to find their way back to the life that nature intended for them. Wildlife rehabilitators are our society’s way of saying, “I’m sorry, here … let me help.” We can never give back what has been taken from the natural world … but we can try, at least, to make things better.
One reason I blog about wildlife, as do so many other rehabbers, is to help people understand the wonderful beasts around them, and what they should, and should not … can, and sometimes can not … do to help protect nature’s balance. Every state, and I’m sure most regions in most countries, has people upon whom you can call when you find an animal in distress. It helps greatly when people understand the needs and restrictions involved, and the animal has been properly handled (and most often, not handling at all is the proper thing!) before the rehabilitator is able to take over. So often, we will receive animals which have been incorrectly handled or fed by well-meaning people who simply don’t know what’s correct, and we will be unable to save them.
Education is a big part of what NY Wildlife Rescue Center does. Today will be a very special day when we can teach hands-on, while at the same time welcoming and expressing our appreciation for the many friends who have supported the cause. The center has come such a long way. When I look back on where we were a year ago, compared to now, it’s astonishing. We could not have done it without our donors, supporters, and volunteers! We still have a long way to go to build the facility that is so greatly needed. Our Raptor Center is only finished with Phase One … the Phase Two outdoor flight aviary is still in the planning, and funding is needed and appreciated. However, it’s a great privilege, one which we are all incredibly excited about, to make today a day that we can say “Thank You” to everyone who’s been so kind.
I hope to see many of our friends there today. If you are in the upstate New York area, within driving distance of Schoharie County, hop on into the car and take a ride to Middleburgh. The Center is located on Llama Lane (though the sign says Llama Rd.), at Red Maple Farm, which sits just beyond the Middleburgh Cemetery off Huntersland Road, right behind the Middleburgh Diner. Normally, the Center is only open by appointment, but from four to six this afternoon, our arms and our gates are open!
See you there, and “watch this space” for photos and an account of a very special day!
