March 04, 2021 Thursday at Rikki’s Refuge

all in a day’s work …. photos by those caring for the animals
(you can help support those animals at www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate)

4 am under a full moon – time to start the day


Do you HAVE to start in here, hooman? I could use a little more sleep.

I’m ready for breakfast !!! Thank you for coming so early, hooman.

An hour later, the cats are fed, their beds in the wash, litter boxes changed, floors scrubbed, and we’re ready to head outside to work


The sun is on the way


Looks like it will be another beautiful day !

Since merging Emu Estates and Piggy Paradise, at the insistence of the emus, their breakfast must be high out of reach of the tallest pig. Emus eat much slower than pigs. If the pigs could reach, there’d be nothing left for the emus. Some animals eat till they are comfortably full. Others must eat everything they can get to their mouths !!! Now you know why that term is used for hoomans with the same habits !!!

Wez can have breakfatz now, pleaz?

Hooman? Hey Hooman?

Pay attention to me!!!

I’ve picked out what we’d like for breakfaz. You open now, ok?

Yes, Hooman, this will do fine, thank you. Waldo

Hauling the hay to the big ‘uns … one bale at a time !

Uncle Paul bought this tractor for us !!!! Our old tractor wasn’t big enough to pick up a bale of hay. Hay can weigh up to 1,500 pounds a bale. And a pallet of food weighs about 1,000 pounds. And our little tractor would tilt forward with the wheels off the ground. Uncle Paul’s big tractor has a bush hog that is TEN FEET across …. our little tractor’s is only 4 feet. That means when we’re mowing big areas, it goes 2 1/2 times faster. And since there is never enough time to do everything we’d like o every day at Rikki’s Refuge, that means a lot.

Thank you so much Uncle Paul. I hope you know how much this tractor has meant to us over the years !!!! You’re an awesome Uncle to all the animals !!!

Once the hay is in place and the big guys and gals are distracted munching away, we can take their grain out to them and distribute it to every body. If they see their grain coming first, they’ll charge you and rip the bags from your hands. And us little hoomans don’t have much chance playing tug of war with 1,000 and 1,500 pound animals !!!!!

Next come the cracked corn for the birds and a few of the others. Anybody who needs fattening up get some corn.

Once everybody is fed and happy, the serious cleaning begins. With over 100 giant litter boxes to dump, clean and refill …. it takes a LOT of litter !!!!

On such a beautiful, sunny, cool day, everyone spends the afternoon snoozing and playing in the sun. Well all the animals.



King of the Mountain


STOP workin and scratch my belly !!!

ME too !!!!!

And part of the job is taking time to hand out love and pats and scratches and shoulder rides.



The purrfect mis of mud and sunshine …… total bliss


Mr Peacock isn’t playing fair, when I try to claim the mountain, he flaps his wings in my face and screams !!!! Shadow

Meanwhile the hoomans have a lot of work to do.
Every couple days trips to the store to bring in feed are necessary

and litter

They have to go to the dump, they have to wash litter boxes, they have to do the dishes, and it’s a LOT of dishes for all these animals !!! They have mountains of laundry to keep clean. They have to fence and gate maintenance, they have roofs to fix and plumbing problems, and diesel to get for the tractor, and inventory to check to make sure there’s enough food for tomorrow, but also bleach and laundry detergent and dish washing detergent and fabulosso to mop the floors with and everything else they’ll need, like paper towels, and maybe even toilet paper for the primates who use the porta potty !!!

5 o’clock comes and go and with the longer days, nobody even notices, the work goes on.

If the work isn’t done by the time the sun has gone down, the headlamps come out !!

YOU support makes this all possible !!!!

www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate
Rikki’s Refuge, 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan VA 22733 (shipping address for food, etc)
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960 (secure box for checks, etc)

With out YOU these animals would have no home !

Thank YOU !!!