you were only waiting for this moment to arise

I haven’t had a month like this for a looooooong time. And by “like this,” I mean completely awesome and exciting. On May 1, I began my wildlife rehabilitation training at the raptor center - something I’d been working toward for a year and a half. It is 100% rewarding and fulfilling and scary and important and wonderful. Each week, I look forward to Thursday so I can go train again, as well as see all the other birds who live there; especially my little sweetie Petra.

On May 10, I got my third tattoo: an owl that my friend Chrissy designed for me a year or so ago. I realized that the tattoo coincided with the beginning of my rehab training, which was not something I planned but appreciate the good timing I had in subconsciously choosing this month to get the tattoo. I posted several photos on my Flickr page  that Ryan took while I was getting inked, but here are a few teasers:

Pretending like it doesn’t hurt.

Pretending like it hurts more than it does.

Messy, inky beginning stages.

Ta da! The finished product.

I had a lot of fun getting the tat done yesterday, and had a good time chatting with my pal Reverend Matthew T. Cooper, the owner of Nemesis Tattoo, who dug up some Scooby Doo on his computer for me to watch while he worked. If you live in Iowa City and want some body art done, go see him. He’s top notch!

To add to the awesomeness of May, I will be receiving my Reiki Level 1 and 2 certification next week, on the 20th/21st.  Reiki is a Japanese healing techinique that uses universal energy - rei means “divine” and ki means “force or energy.”  The woman offering certification is the same woman who hosted the wildlife rehabilitation workshop I took a few weeks ago, and uses Reiki to supplement her rehabbing.  She thought it would be beneficial for me to learn since I’m working with raptors, and I have been interested in Reiki in general for a few years anyway.  It is beneficial to both humans and animals and the price was right so I figured, “What the hay?” 

Side note of unawesomeness: Yesterday (Sunday) morning started off much less cool than Saturday. Ryan awoke at 7am in a puddle of cat urine, so we had to strip the bed and finish sleeping on the living room floor. We’re not sure who the culprit was, but we’re kind of leaning toward Clementine. She may look sweet, but can be a brat when she wants to. Luckily (?), I’ve had my bed peed on before so I knew some tricks on how to remove the mess from the mattress. It worked, and last night’s sleep was pee-free!

I am beginning to think she is harboring some behavioral issues that might be leading to her inappropriate elimination, as she also displays “oral indiscretion” behavior (chewing on fabric) and can be quite anxious and clingy.  I’m going to get some books from the library and try to play cat psychologist.  If only I had my Reiki certification already…I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt in this situation, because the main objective of offering Reiki is to get the subject to relax.  Here’s to hoping!

Ryan and I went out to Lake Macbride today to bury Margot. I decided I didn’t want her to spend eternity buried at the dead end of Maggard Street next to the train tracks, so we were going to bury her in the trees behind where our boat is parked. There ended up being too many people milling around out there so we drove out near the raptor center - which was where I really wanted her to begin with. We found a secluded spot in the woods where we wouldn’t be seen digging (as I’m sure what we did was illegal), and laid her to rest. A young deer wandered up during our little funeral and attended the final rites, which I thought was nice. I feel good about Margot being buried someplace special. I’m happy that she’s somewhere so beautiful.

Yesterday I went outside and took some photos of the tree in our yard, which is a-bloom with pretty white blossoms. I’m not sure what kind of tree it is, but it sure is pretty.

Of course there are more shots at my Flickr page.

And finally, for a little comic relief, here is a photo of the carrot creature Ryan and I discovered while cooking dinner one night. It already had “eyes” so we added a mouth. I guess I’ll have to think twice before I say that I don’t eat food with a face (though we didn’t eat that particular carrot since it was mutated).

In other news, I am taking a Reiki certification class in a few weeks. If you are unfamiliar with Reiki, here’s the Wiki. Cynthia Claybough, who hosted the wildlife rehabilitation workshop I took a few weeks back, is a Reiki Master and is offering certification classes. I’ve been interested by and intrigued about Reiki since I worked in the furniture store, where one of my customers was a Reiki healer. I remember that just standing next to her made my entire body buzz with positive energy, and I didn’t want to leave her side. I’ve been reading about Reiki healing with animals, and feel like it would be beneficial in the future for rehabbing. I checked Google, and it looks like there are no animal Reiki practitioners in Iowa City, so I might be able to corner the market on that. Who knows…maybe it will open a door to a whole new career!

I’m also getting a new tattoo next Saturday! My friend Chrissy designed an owl tat for me a while back and I’ve been dying to get it. I decided last week that I wanted to get it, so I made the appointment. I realized a few days later that my owl tat coincide with the beginning of my journey as a wildlife rehabilitator, and liked the symbolism. Of course there will be pictures!

Margot, my pet hedgehog, passed away today (Saturday, May 3, 2008). She was six years old.

Margot’s health had been failing for a week or two. I noticed that she hadn’t been eating, so Ryan and I got her out of her cage one night and saw that she was so weak she could barely walk. She would take a few steps and then collapse. We tried feeding her wet cat food (recommended), but all she would do is lick it. Ryan held her in his lap in a towel for a couple of hours and fed her sips of water, which she eagerly took. We tried doing this for a few more days, but she had gotten past the point where she wanted food or water.

Last night Ryan went to a movie, so I got Margot out of her cage and kept her on the couch with me all evening. I tried giving her food and water, but she wouldn’t take either. I knew she was close to the end since hedgehogs only live 5-7 years, so I knew there was nothing a vet could do. And I didn’t know what else to do besides make sure she was comfortable and loved. I had a terrible feeling that she wouldn’t make it through the night.

She was alive this morning when I checked on her, but barely. I got her out and held her for a few minutes, and when I put her back in her cage I told her that I loved her and that she had been a very good pet just in case it was the last time I had a chance to say that. Turns out, it was. I checked on her again this afternoon around 2:45 and she was gone.

I’ll miss her surly attitude and sticky kisses. She had fun in the yard a couple of weeks ago. She had a good life overall, and had a house full of good friends. In the end, I think that’s all anyone can ask for.

Margot, my elderly hedgehog, got to go outside for the first time ever the other day!  I felt bad when I realized that I’d never put her outside before, but sometimes she’s hard to keep track of.  She’s quite small, and while she may not look like it, she can run like the wind.  Well, not so much anymore (she’s a senior citizen at 5-6 years old) but in her younger, more spry days she could haul ass with the best of them.

Since Margot might not be living her twilight years to the fullest by being inside all the time, I decided to put her out in the yard and let her forage for grass, bugs, worms, and whatever else she could find. 

In the meantime, Sunshine and Oliver sat at the door and wondered why Margot got to play outside and they didn’t.  I had to sit them down and explain that they are indoor kitties.  Of course they have known this all along, but need to be reminded of it every once in a while.

I snapped some pics while shopping for gardening supplies the other day as well.  Nothing spectacular, but I figured I’d share anyway to add a little color to this icky Monday.

And last but not least, I made a special vegan cookbook for Heather for her birthday, which was April 21.  It’s actually not finished yet but it’s the thought that counts, right?  (I suck at giving gifts on time.)  Anyway, I covered a small photo album with quilt batting and fabric, then cut out the apple shape and glued that on with the letters.  Each page of the album holds one 4×6 photo, or in this case, recipe card. 

I plan on filling the book with delicious vegan recipes that Ryan and I have invtented over the last few months - and there are many of them, believe me!  I wouldn’t mind also starting a vegan recipe blog where I could post recipes and photos of the tasty and beautiful meals we create.  I love food and I like sharing it with others.  I know most people who look at this blog aren’t vegan but that doesn’t mean you can’t go meatless and/or dairy free for one meal.  Maybe I will post some photos that will tempt even the most committed carnivore.

RAPTOR CENTER UPDATE: I know I’ve said this before, but I OFFICIALLYstart my rehabilitation training at the raptor center this Thursday (May 1).  May Day seems like an appropriate day to begin.  Anyway, Jodeane, the director of the MRP, will be at the center on Thursday so I’m heading out there a little early to meet up with her and begin my flight cage training.  I’m a little nervous to handle the larger birds after the mishap with Cypress that I mentioned in my last post but practice makes perfect.  I have to expect some slight blunders before I get them birdies flying high.

I have also started making notes and plans for a book I plan to write about the raptor center.  I’m not entirely sure what direction it will take yet, but I’m going to let my research, interviews with other volunteers, and my general thoughts and feelings lead me wherever I’m supposed to go.  I rarely steer myself wrong.

Whew.  That got kind of wordy.  So, until next time…

Yesterday (April 19) was the annual spring clean-up day at the raptor center. I was out there from about 9am until 4:30pm helping to beautify the MRP now that spring is here. I cleaned a few bird cages, which entails raking all the leaves, sticks, guts, and debris that has accumulated over the fall and winter months out of the gravel in the cage, scraping down the poo-covered walls, and then power-washing the whole thing. My cleaning partner and I found some interesting things in some of the cages - in Spirit, the bald eagle’s, cage, we found a pig’s foot and a pig or rat tail, and in Aura, the turkey vulture’s, cage, we found a rat’s skull and jaw bone. There were various guts and pellets thrown in there as well - it was a filthy disgusting good time. After that I spent most of the day raking and spreading mulch. It started raining sometime before lunch, so I was wet, cold, and covered in mud for most of the day. It was satisfying, though, and the raptor center looks lovely. I must say, though, that I hope to not see a rake and a steaming pile of mulch for a LONG time. I still kind of think my arms are going to fall off.

After lunch, one of the red-tailed hawks in the flight cage was released. I made a video and took lots of pictures of the hawk. Visit my Flickr page for more pics of the hawk.

BUT…the coolest part of the entire day - and possibly of my entire life - was that I not only got to see Petra, my favorite owl at the raptor center, after about 5 months of her staying at the MRP clinic in Cedar Rapids…but I got to HOLD her and PUT HER BACK IN HER CAGE!!! Yes, I was that excited that it warranted all caps. The first time I get to see her after all that time, and she was sitting on my hand, looking at me curiously with her big golden eyes. Petra (a Northern Saw-whet Owl) was so good and sat so nicely on my hand; so nicely, in fact, that once I got her into her cage she wouldn’t get off my hand! I tried to get her to hop onto her feeding platform which had two mice waiting for her, but she wouldn’t get off. I took her over to the perch on the other side of her cage, and she hopped off then. I was hoping she would never get off so I’d have to take her home. Getting to hold her after not seeing her for 5 months made all the hard work, mud, rain, and body aches worth it.

Here’s Petra! Remember, she’s about the size of my hand - less than 6 inches tall.

I also got to put Windhover, the American Kestrel, back into her cage, as well as Cypress, the barred owl. Barred owls are “normal” sized owls, so she was much larger than Petra. Jodeane, the director of the raptor center, helped me get Cypress back but it didn’t go very smoothly. Cypress kept trying to jump off my hand, but she was in jesses and tethered to my glove so she couldn’t go anywhere. She would end up hanging upside down off my hand, so I had to untangle her jesses and get her back upright. It was kind of nervewracking because I was afraid I would inadvertently hurt her, but I got her back safe and sound. I’ve never handled a bird like that before, and have never worked with a bird wearing jesses. I felt bad for things not going well, but I’m sure Jodeane knows I’ve never done that before.

Here’s Cypress!

I was supposed to start my flight cage training yesterday, but everybody was so exhausted and wet and cold that we decided to do it later in the week. After handling Cypress yesterday, though, I’m a little nervous about handling larger birds in the future. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

Today I took a wildlife rehabilitation workshop through the Wapsi River Wildlife Project, located near Anamosa, IA. It was my first real foray into rehabbing - I got some very valuable information and got to meet Ruby, a 2 1/2 week old raccoon that rehabber Gayla is working with. The woman who found Ruby had been feeding her goat’s milk by mistake, so Gayla took to bottle-feeding her a formula that she hoped would flush out the goat’s milk and get Ruby on the road to a healthy adolescence. Two of Ruby’s siblings had already passed away from the goat’s milk, so hopefully Ruby will recover and get healthy enough to be released back into the wild someday. Now, however, at just 2 1/2 weeks, her little eyes aren’t even open yet. Of course I snapped some photos!

The coolest part about today is that the hosts of the workshop, Cynthia and Tane, set me up with the paperwork I need to get my wildlife rehabilitator license through the Iowa DNR. I will do a two-year apprenticeship with a licensed rehabber before I can be fully on my own, but hey…I’m finally on my way.

Next weekend, I will start my rehabber training at the raptor center — so that will be yet another wild adventure. Stay tuned!

Last weekend, my family had a get-together at my grandparents’ house in Davenport. Attendees included myself, Ryan, my sister Jenn and her husband Eric, my parents, my grandparents, and my aunt Judy and her partner, Steph. Judy brought her Rottweilers, Scooter and Cooper, and Cooper was nice enough to pose for some portraits.

Visit my Flickr page for more!

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I have been slacking on my Exposure project and posting blogs in general. This is because I’ve decided to scrap the one-photo-a-day project and just post whenever I am inspired. A lot of the photos I took weren’t spectacular, but some of them I really liked. So, I am being true to my slacker nature by changing things up and doing something new.

Today Ryan and I went to the Iowa City Salvage Barn and ogled old windows and doors that might work for an upcoming gardening project. I want to build a box and plant things in it, and top it with an old window. This will let sunlight in and trap heat - sort of a homemade hot house. Until it’s warm enough to grow vegetables in the open air, we thought the box would be a good idea. We didn’t get anything today, but found lots of cool items.

We came home, and Ryan began construction on a wood floor for his van.

Ryan’s inspiration inspired me, so i got to work planting the cat grass I bought at Paul’s Discount last week. I didn’t take any photos of this. It’s hard to take photos with your hands in the dirt.

I got a bird feeder the same day I got the cat grass seeds, and put it in the tree just outside the living room windows. Several little birds have visited to partake, and I’ve taken to leaving my bird field guide out by the window so I can identify our visitors. I snapped these photos today out the window, and am quite happy with them.

Finally, Clementine was basking in the sun by the open door, and looked adorable (as always). She started gnawing on the wrist cord of my camera, and managed to look quite fierce. For those of you who have met Clementine, you know that “fierce” is not a word that would normally to use to describe her.

Hopefully changing up the content and format of my blog will inspire me to post more often, and not be intimidated and pressured by a regimented daily photo/weekly post format. I’ve never done well with restrictions, anyway. I should have known better!

…and we’re back to normal.  Having conquered my flu, laziness, and general ennui, I am good as new!  Now, behold week 10, which features ice, birds, and Clem’s freckle nose.  

Sunshine also made friends with her Aunt Jenn!  It was truly a glorious occasion.

Make sure you visit my Flickr page for full descriptions of all the photos I’ve posted here.  If you want, I mean.  You don’t have to.  I’m just saying…

I’m back!  After recovering from an ugly bout of flu and general laziness, I am making my triumphant return to Exposure to share with you photos from the couple weeks.  I’m just going to throw stuff up and be as organized as I can, although there were a few days where I missed taking a picture (mostly due to illness).   I should have foreseen my slackerness. 

Now, without further adieu:

Week 8: February 18 - February 24.

 Monday 2.18.08 (ice)

 Tuesday 2.19.08 (neighbor’s dogs)

 Wednesday 2.20.08 (total lunar eclipse)

 Thursday 2.21.08 (three hungry deer)

Friday - missed 

 Saturday 2.23.08 (new hair cut)

Sunday - missed

Week 9: February 25 - March 2. (this is the week I was sick)

 Monday 2.25.08 (foggy window message)

Tuesday 2.26.08 - missed (sick)

Wednesday 2.27.08 - missed (sick)

Thursday 2.28.08 - missed (sick)

 Friday 2.29.08 (fragile package)

 Saturday 3.1.08 (snow frisbee-golf)

 Sunday 3.2.08 (pancake flower [w/ boysenberry syrup!])

Phew.  Now I’m caught up and can blog as usual.