March 10, 2021 Wednesday 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)

How are YOU today? We are having a lovely spring. I hope YOU are too, where ever in the world you are.

This is a Woolly Caterpillar.

We see a lot of them in the fall. We’re told that how long their “fur” is and how much black they have is an indication of how cold the winter will be. I can’t say I’ve studied it enough over the years to know if it’s right or not.

I do know I’ve never noticed them in the spring before. But they’re all over this year. So I googled it. They hibernate over the winter and then come out for a few days before spinning a cocoon to sleep in for month or so. When they wake up, they’re Isabella Tiger Moths. I always thought they’d cocooned over winter. But they wake up and eat for a few days to store up energy for their transformation.

I do wonder if they have a clue what’s going to happen? Do they know they’ll be different when they wake up? And when they do, do they have a memory of being a caterpillar? Can YOU imagine going to sleep one night, and forgetting to set your alarm, and waking up a month later to be a totally different creature? The world would suddenly be so different. Just imagine that !

I think that’s what the turkeys are talking about this morning too.

The birds are probably our most active animals. They love to strut all around. March to their own drummers. They’re always on the move. Well not always! They do stop and rest at times. Especially on hot days, they’ll rest in the shade in the middle of the day. But they never miss investigating every inch of their territory at least once every day. They’d be so miserable is held captive in small areas.

Pigs, on the other hand, are probably our most sedentary creatures. Moving only for food, or to a sunny sleeping spot, or a nice muddy hole, or …..

Contemplating the plight of woolly caterpillars.

Getting a nice cool drink.

Time for musical sleeping spots …

Do book early for your Spa Day appointment at Piggy Paradise this summer !!!!
We offer full body mud baths.

And good Virginia red clay facials !

AND you get all the popcorn you can eat while during your Spa Day appointment. We’ll try to send you out looking as beautiful as our pigs !!!

Some of our dogs have earned the privilege of being Free Rangers. To earn that status, you must promise not to run off the property, and to never hurt another resident. This is the rule no matter your species. When you learn to volunteer here, we’ll let you have Free Range when you’ve learned all about how to be safe around everyone, and how to keep them safe around you !!!

Very few of our dogs will promise to obey the rules. Well that’s not exactly true. Many promise, but few keep that promise. It’s just so hard for most dogs to see cats and ducks and geese and to refrain from the chase, or to resist herding the goats or sheep, or worse, trying taste somebody !

Did you know the pictures you see each day were taken that day !!! The folks working at Rikki’s snap pictures as they have time and see something they want to capture. You’ll see a lot of favorites over and over. And you’ll see different areas of the Refuge each day depending on who got the best pictures that day !!! But what you see, is always what’s happening that very day !!

I know a lot seems same ol same ol each and every day. And it is !!! Our residents don’t often change. Every year a few reach the end of their natural life span, and then a few more come to live with us. But the population stays pretty stable. Except for the times we’ve been able to build new areas. But that takes extra funds, and the volunteer power to build.

The farm critters are certainly the largest group of eaters on the Refuge. Especially if we include the birds in that. This truck of sweet feed, will only last a few days. They’ll also need a second truck of cracked corn to go round.





It seriously takes a village to feed all the animals at Rikki’s Refuge !!

If you can help, you can call and order for Rikki’s Refuge directly from:
Deep Roots Home and Garden Center
28284 Constitution Hwy, Rhoadesville, VA 22542
540-854-5093
Order Wrangler All Stock (sweet feed) and/or Cracked Corn, each $11.59 per bag
Just tell them it’s for Rikki’s Refuge.
They’ll contact us to come and get it !!!
Every bag is a HUGE help !!!
Their hours are Tuesday – Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 3 pm, closed Sunday and Monday.

And you know who else eats – and poops – us out of house and home on a very regular basis !!

This is a pallet of litter coming in.
Keeping our kitties in fresh litter takes a pallet, 2,000 pounds, of wood pellets.
We use 50 bags a week. Really, not that bad for over 500 cats !!!
If you can help, you can call and order for Rikki’s Refuge directly from:
Deep Roots Home and Garden Center
28284 Constitution Hwy, Rhoadesville, VA 22542
540-854-5093
Order Hardwood Heat Pellet Fuel (cheapest when they have it in) or Pelletized Horse Bedding (a few cents more per bag) for ~$5.99 (market price fluctuates about 50¢ a bag week to week
Just tell them it’s for Rikki’s Refuge.
They’ll contact us to come and get it !!!
Their hours are Tuesday – Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 3 pm, closed Sunday and Monday.

Riley says not only will she poop on the floor, but she’ll bite you if her litterbox is not immaculately clean !!!

Go on Panda … you can do it ….

What an amazing jumper !!

Thank YOU for giving us chance to LIVE at Rikki’s Refuge.

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)

YOU have saved our lives !!