July nearly done already?

Another month has passed and I still was unable to make weekly blog entries.  Sorry all, but we have been pretty busy.  More frequent posts will eventually happen, but for now, please enjoy (or suffer thru) the updates on a more monthly basis..

This month has been a huge month for us both good and bad.   First the bad  It is always best to get the bad part over with then get to the good stuff, so you are left with good being your most recent memory.  

Bad stuff:

- We had  quite a few calls and rescues, and none of them seemed to be within a 20 mile range of us.   We have been averaging $20 a day in gas use.  Some days none, which brings the other days up.  We got a call in Garner, went out and picked up a bird, about 22 miles each way.  4 hours later, we got a call from the same street!  just  4 houses away.      

- Our Great Horned Owl  "Hisss" has cancer.  He has had an operation, but this kind of cancer can, and did come back.   it si not a matter if if he will die from it, but when , and how far we should let it go before we  euthanize him.   Hisss has been with us since 2002.

- Our Eagle Beanca had to have foot surgery.   She was out the entire month of July.

- Our rescue van needs a new radiator.  New part costs Dealer price - $700 /or/  Discount house price $500 + Labor (About $125) =($600-900)  budget ouch!

- Our free food source  has totally dried up, so we are paying for all the feed animals we get.  We are getting some discounts though, but the food cost compared to 2010 has increased tremendously. Rats we used to get free  are now $2.25 - $3.00 each.  We have 4 birds who eat rats and want one each and every day.  That is a  3200.00- $4200 per year difference on those 4 birds alone!

Good Stuff:

-We have been able to release several birds this month. including some who have the press following them.  

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-In spite of the high cost, we ARE getting to rescues and back and we have helped many birds.   The average rescue volume over the past  month or so is 2 calls per day (Some days as many as 5 some  Zero)

- The Wake Tech Raptor Rehab class had enough register for it to run this month.     we are almost half way thru the class.  We have had 2 classes and 3 labs.  We have 8 great  students)  we've helped a lot of animals

- We had a very positive article in the Wilson newspaper written about us.  After a show at the library, we had several photos and a half page article!

-We rescued 2 birds that are on the popular "Raleigh Raptors"  page  ( http://opienc.wordpress.com/ ).  There were many photos taken of us, and we may well be included in the next "Raleigh Raptors" book ( http://www.amazon.com/Raleigh-Raptors-Volume-Jordan-Paw/dp/1469993899/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343080231&sr=8-1&keywords=raleigh+raptors ) by Jordan Paw.

- Cary Living magazine is doing an article on local wildlife educators, and we are supposed to be one of 3 featured groups in the area in their August issue.

There is , of course, more bad and good stuff; but that is enough for one blog post.  We are doing plenty of rescues and education shows, and we are  continuing on step by step and rescue by rescue...