Sunday, April 21, 2019

Happy Happy EASTER!

Good morning!!  It's another gorgeous day in sunny California.  Really, the weather has been spectacular.  That makes it perfect for dressing up in your Sunday best and going to church.

When I was little, I got one new outfit a year.  It was an Easter dress my mom made, usually something too big.  I even made sure it had a matching purse so I could show off in Sunday school, along with my newly painted shoes.  New shoes were NOT in the budget.  A little paint worked wonders.
Sometime during the night, someone hid all the eggs we colored on Saturday.  With a broken crayon, we drew crosses on the eggs, then dunked them in the boiling water bath.  It was the best time ever since activities (other than Easter) were never a part of our growing up.
I don't remember eating many, since eggs were not on my list of approved edibles.  There was always one small bag of chocolate candy spread throughout our little baskets with fake green fluffy grass from five years prior that smelled like our musty attic.  Oh how I wanted a chocolate bunny.  One year my wish actually came true.  I ate the whole thing and got sick as a dog.  Oh the memories!
Back to the present day, this is our lovely little zoo.  Not much to look at.  In fact, if you didn't already know it was here, you would never guess.  One of these days I'll take some pictures for you.  After all, not everyone has seen the extremely rare billy goat.
Meet Josh.  He's the interim Zookeeper, since the last one broke her foot and hasn't been seen in ages.  I picked up a box of Costco ice cream bars for the volunteers, hoping he eats most of them.  He could use a little more padding.  I'm pretty sure he weighs less than me!!!

Such a nice kid, and VERY appreciative of the stuff I donated.  He especially liked the blender.  It no longer takes two people to hold it together while blending.  He was actually pretty shocked I was there.  That's my plan ... because maybe down the road he will remember and do the same for someone else.
Then he insisted he take MY picture.  I finally relented.  While shopping at Costco, it dawned on me that I needed to be careful what I bought.  If they don't show all their expenses for stuff like this, the City is likely to lower their budget even more.  We can't have that, so I asked him to write down things they could use that are not every day stuff.  Maybe a cat tree, or toys for the critters.  The monkeys love puzzle feeders .... figuring out how to get to the food inside.  
Later on today, I'll hit a couple of pet shops and see what I can find.  If anyone has ideas from things they've seen at other zoos, let me know.  Maybe we could use it here.  I'm not really sure what can enrich a goats life, but there must be something.  

The two bears love kids swimming pools, which someone just donated, and empty paper towel rolls for stuffing with tasty treats.   It's just all about giving them a good life because no one else wants them.

I actually spent all yesterday morning washing the rig.  I wish I had not done that.  I definitely need to do more exercise, since now I'm fairly stiff and sore from too much couch sitting.  Actually, I can hardly move, and I know tomorrow will be worse, because the second day is ALWAYS worse.  

I'll be on the couch ...... after I take a handful of Advil.






10 comments:

  1. So nice that you got all that stuff for the zoo . I am sure it is really appreciated especially the ice cream bars!

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    1. I do think they were most happy about the ice cream.

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  2. You're such a jewel 😇I hope the rabbit 🐇leave you a Easter egg 🐣

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    1. Awww thank you! No Easter egg, but it brings me lots of happiness to help the critters.

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  3. at the Elks why not have a pet supply night for the zoo donate pet food items
    The next time you go to Costco check with the regional manager and tell them what you're doing they may donate as well
    That would go for the local grocery store/ pet stores as well as long as you take pictures and document it's a great charitable cause
    Or maybe you could figure out how to start an adoption program . Whereby someone or store organization could adopt a zoo pet

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    1. EXCELLENT idea!! I'll work on that. I have to be careful though, not to buy too much food for the critters or the City will cut their budget more and more.

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  4. Nice that you were able to help the Zoo and Volunteers like that.
    The Best way to work out the Kinks is to do it all over again.
    Be Safe and Enjoy your Easter with your family.

    It's about time.

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    1. Oh Rick .... you mean wash the rig again to work out the soreness? Okay .... maybe in a month or two! LOL

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  5. It is a SHAME that the city would lower their budget if they bring in more money themselves. Reminds me of the California Lotto...to help education...yes, lotto money went to education, but education funds were cut by the democratic legislators accordingly. Lotto brings in $3, legislators take $2.50 from the education budget to use for something else...and it WASN'T to help fix the roads or bridges, that's for sure. (ok, off my soapbox again). Speaking of 'new dresses', I think my mom, who was #9 of 11 kids, with two older sisters, ALWAYS got hand-me-downs. Marcia said that she always got her cousin's clothes. I always got my three older brothers clothes, but I did get new clothes too. Today, the kids want new...and then they cut holes into the legs of jeans...and they complain that 'we' older folks are a 'wasteful bunch' polluting their future. (there is that soapbox again)

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    1. I've certainly heard those stories. And that's exactly what they do here in California. Add a tax, up their wages, then use the tax to fill in the holes instead of what it was supposed to be used for. Thus the extra tax on vehicle licenses that was swapped for the State's Welfare contribution.

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