COLD DARK ROOM

[Cowboy_Ken]

Oh Wow. So very impressive. Thank you for sharing with us. I wonder how you find the time to be on here.

And she reads at the least one book a day as well!

 

[CarolM]

Walks in CDR [emoji102] around and sees a girl who turned 49 today.

Aahhh I see now. A very Happy Birthday Kathy.

 

[CarolM]

Some years back at my old place I woke to this wonderful scene frozen fog buildup View attachment 259152
And the fun build up on my close in trees. View attachment 259153View attachment 259155and all that beauty begins with this ;View attachment 259156

Wow

 

[CarolM]

Good night all.

 

[CarolM]

And she reads at the least one book a day as well!

[emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23]

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Nagh...the “ouch” is for the “glowing” remark from @Kristoff

Okay, from now in we'll leave the glowing to the jellyfish!

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Very kool pix

hoarfrost

noun

1. a deposit of needle-like ice crystals formed on the ground by direct condensation at temperatures below freezing point Also called: white frost

I have to say, hoarfrost looks like something the wool spider might make, if she were freezing up in the rafters...or wherever she is, if she exists.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I have to say, hoarfrost looks like something the wool spider might make, if she were freezing up in the rafters...or wherever she is, if she exists.

I found her home!!! She does exist!!!

 

[Pastel Tortie]

I found her home!!! She does exist!!!View attachment 259171

Wow........ That's gorgeous! Do you think that's her native habitat? Or maybe she was on vacation at the time?

 

[Cheryl Hills]

You're a good person, Cheryl. Can we see a picture of the tortoise?


If I were starting over, I for sure would go through the rigamarole of applying for non-profit status. When I first started, I contacted our state's Fish and Wildlife folks and received an M.O.U. from them allowing me to handle the state's endangered/threatened turtle/tortoise species. I also sent a flier around to all law enforcement offices, many vet's offices, the local S.P.C.A. and the zoo letting them know I was taking in unwanted turtles and tortoises.

But before you even consider starting your project, you have to make sure you have enough room to set up quarantined animals so they are one off. I have several permanent quarantine pens, but I also have much scrap lumber (1x12's) and wooden stakes, for making more temporary pens when I get an overload. It's hard to take in the large sulcatas unless you have a large, well-fenced yard for them. And you have to try to find homes for those guys quickly unless you have more than one large yard for them. I put my large rescues in my back yard, and there's a heated shelter off the yard for bad weather. But if a call comes in for a large sulcata and I already have one occupying my back yard, I have to turn them away.

Since you're in Ohio, your problems with taking in animals are different from mine. I get my rescues mostly in good weather, so I can set them all up outside. But you're going to have to make sure you have enough space to set up cold weather places for rescues too. My property was set up to have a car port behind my house. I have since rearranged the yard so no cars can drive back to that car port, so I've built cinder block pens on the car port. I have six areas on the car port with pig blankets and lights/heat where I can house rescues in winter.

Plan on keeping "found" animals for at least two weeks before adopting them out. This gives the owners plenty of time to read craigslist and classified ads trying to find their animal. Place a 'found' ad as soon as you take in the animal to get it before the reading public as quickly as possible.

Keep good records. I have an EXCEL spreadsheet that tells when the animals came in, who brought it in and why, what it is and any info known about it, and its eventual disposition.

Remember, you're a rescue, not a refuge. This means you don't keep the animals you are given, but rather, you find good homes for them and adopt them out. "Refuge" is a whole other ball game.

Will and I sell turtles and tortoises, but anything that comes to me as a rescue is NEVER sold. They are adopted out for free. I don't make money off rescues.

Good luck with your endeavor. It is very satisfying, but quite a bit of work.

Thanks. It is still going to be a little bit, but, I want to get all my ducks in order to try and do this.

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Back when I worked for an emergency management agency, one of my positions dealt with planning and exercises at nuclear plants. Three Mile Island is probably still the most famous (infamous) in the U.S., even though the incident in all honesty and fairness wasn't a big deal.

So, for several years now, when someone in conversation mentions too much personal information, my response has often been, "TMI doesn't always stand for Three Mile Island." It's also a good reminder to people who tend to speak in acronyms that they should define those acronyms in conversation, as well as in writing.

I will let you know. Thanks

 

[EllieMay]

It's a foggy day schedule, so I fed everyone in their sheds and had to leave their doors closed.

The desert tortoise babies have eaten, now they're piled up under what they think is the sun:

View attachment 259103
The leopard babies have eaten and they've all headed for the hills:
View attachment 259104
This is inside their cave. You can barely see Leonard in there:
View attachment 259105
The food tub and baby bowl:
View attachment 259106
The painted turtle with the abscess that has to live indoors until I fix his abscess:
View attachment 259107
Several box turtles that have to be in for various reasons:
View attachment 259108
When I open my back door to go outside, this is my view directly opposite the door. Tony the Tiger, a feral tom cat that is vicious. I'm pretty much afraid of him, but I feel safe offering him food through the lattice barrier:
View attachment 259109
Charlie getting his morning treat:
View attachment 259110
The car port that is no longer a 'car' port, but rather, a tort port:
View attachment 259111
Baby desert tortoises on the tort port, various ages from two years to one year:
View attachment 259112
This is where my russian group is brumating. The plastic is because the tort port roof leaks:
View attachment 259113
Moving past the greenhouse, going to the leopards, I stop to turn off the heater;
View attachment 259114
Little orange tree in the leopard yard. They still have a bit of green on them, but they'll be ready soon:
View attachment 259115
Inside the SA leopard shed are two tort tables on the walls:
View attachment 259116
This is Lil' Kim, a rescue from Kim in So Cal. She rescued him from poor conditions a couple years ago:
View attachment 259117
A stunted SA leopard from SoCal is in the other tort table:
View attachment 259118
Spencer, waiting patiently for her morning snack outside the Manouria shed:
View attachment 259119
In the tort table on a wall in the Manouria shed are two yearling Manouria:
View attachment 259120
The YFs can't go outside because it's too cold, so I have to feed them in their shed:
View attachment 259121

View attachment 259122
The babcocks also have to stay indoors until the sun comes out. The little male on the left is in tort jail because he's too randy to be with the others. But he goes outside when the sun shines:
View attachment 259123
I had a bit of food left over, so Dudley gets a snack. He says it's never too cold or too foggy for him:
View attachment 259124
And now, the bane of my existence - LEAVES!!!
View attachment 259125
Misty thinks piles of leaves is great fun. You can't tell from the picture, but she was running around like a crazy person, then she'd pounce on a pile of leaves with her two front feet and take off running again:
View attachment 259126
All piled up and ready to distribute:
View attachment 259127
I pick them up and take them to the box turtle yard:
View attachment 259128
From left to right, the Floridas, the luteolas and the three toes:
View attachment 259129
The easterns (I see the sun is starting to peek out a bit, so in a half hour or so I'll open all the shed doors:
View attachment 259130

What a great tour!!! You must have more energy than people half your age!!! [emoji16]

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Walks in CDR [emoji102] around and sees a girl who turned 49 today.

Well, Happy Birthday!

 

[EllieMay]

Walks in CDR [emoji102] around and sees a girl who turned 49 today.

Happy birthday to whom ever that may be!!! [emoji23]

 

[EllieMay]

Time to install a floating dock?

Past time i believe [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Well, here she is! 4lb 2.2oz, 8 1/2 long and 6 1/2 wide. Her name is Shorty Torty. We kept the name that was given to her.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Such a lucky girl for you to be watching over her! What did you think of the conditions she was kept in before? Can we hope for a happy reunion down the road?

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Thanks. It is still going to be a little bit, but, I want to get all my ducks in order to try and do this.

I completely agree with Yvonne about pursuing nonprofit status. I'd also recommend looking into your state's regulations for fundraising too. Sometimes you have to register as a charitable organization just to be able to accept donations.

 

[Momof4]

Thank you for the birthday wishes!!

I had a great day Christmas shopping, watched daughter’s first basketball game and had a last minute dinner at a friends.

 

[CarolM]

I found her home!!! She does exist!!!View attachment 259171

Wow. !!!!