Thank you so much for the Christmas card with the money in it! Tom and I had decided to not buy each other gifts this year so that we could really make the kids' Christmas special. So, when we got the stack of cards out of the mailbox on Christmas Day (sorry we were a little late, it had been a busy week, but I know you had been watching...) it was like our gift to each other; we split them up and each enjoyed the gifts they brought.
I noticed the North Pole postmark first, and thought it was kind of funny, and then opened up the card and out fell all of that money!!!!! I'm very sorry, Sir, but you know how banks are, and they don't believe, so when Tom went to cash it...we found out that you bought it in Centennial, and have a bank in Grand Junction....So my dear Santa, we love you dearly, whoever you are....And please know, that we still believe!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Dear Santa,
Labels: giving, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 10:14 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Sweetened Condensed Milk (Homemade!)
Labels: Food, green living, recipe, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 8:00 AM 1 comments
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Christmas Tree Debate...
Being an environmentalist really makes the Christmas Tree debate a personal one for me, especially living right in the middle of the forest and being as passionate about saving trees as I am. But I know what a HUGE carbon footprint those plastic jobbies leave when they are made and placed in your home. So where does that leave an environmental steward like me?
And then we found the most perfect compromise ever! We took a tree that already needed to be cut down! This spectacular Colorado Blue Spruce was encroaching on the power lines at The Royal Roost, our "Nest in the Woods" getaway cabin for visitors.
Labels: environment, environmentalism, green living, nature, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 8:48 AM 1 comments
Monday, December 6, 2010
What do gardeners do in the winter?
Posted by Daisy at 6:12 AM 0 comments
Monday, November 8, 2010
The mint that took over the world
I enjoy my mums. They are such tough little flowers; they keep on going into November most years.
Next: convince Chuck to help. Dig out as much mint as possible. Cover area with paper layers and cardboard. Toss a layer of gravel on top to weigh it down. Later, when there's time, I'll bring up a wheelbarrow load of compost and/or dirt to cover the paper and gravel. Next spring there may be a few sprigs of mint coming up, but I can handle those.
Posted by Daisy at 6:46 AM 0 comments
Monday, November 1, 2010
Putting the garden to bed for the winter
Labels: Daisy, Food, gardening
Posted by Daisy at 6:22 AM 2 comments
Monday, October 18, 2010
I do a lot with my small city yard. Small city, small yard, and it's just right for our needs.
Labels: Daisy, gardening, green living
Posted by Daisy at 4:57 AM 0 comments
Monday, October 11, 2010
Bringing in the herbs
He ended up having a great chat with Amigo in the equine aisle of Fleet Farm, but we didn't find the base for the basil.
Posted by Daisy at 6:48 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Animal advice from an, er, expert
Labels: animals, cats, dogs, kids, pets, Royal Ranch, wildlife
Posted by Judy Jeute at 8:39 AM 0 comments
Friday, September 24, 2010
They're not Maple leaves, but they'll do
Good morning GSO readers. Yes, it is the wrong day for me, but I had a few hiccups this week, so I am posting on the wrong day because I wanted to share fall in Colorado with all of you. I sure would love to see some pictures from the lake states... (hint, hint!) But anyway here is my post from Wednesday at my daily blog at The Royal Ranch:
So here I am being all proud of myself for just having gotten everything all connected. You know, my new Royal Ranch Facebook page, and my new Twitter account, and of course this blog, and Tuesday is the day that I post for Green Spot-On...Wow, I'm pretty hooked up. Yeah, hooked up to spread a virus like that like wild fire! Really I laugh as I write this, you all know that right?
So, to make up for my absence, and god forbid any trouble I may have caused by my huge, massive exposure and connection I will finally be posting my pics from our overnighter up to one of my favorite areas in the state; Lost Park Wilderness. You know, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I do have quite a few pics here. Ha!
Labels: blogging, environment, nature, Royal Ranch, vacation, wildlife
Posted by Judy Jeute at 10:22 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Trying something new while keepin' it real
And by the way, I was so excited about my idea to record my post I forgot one of the main reasons I was videoing. That is to ask all of you to do the same. Get your cameras and video recorders ready to record your goals for the Rebels and send them to me. You can either send me a link to a YouTube video or e-mail me a picture to judy at royalranch dot net; this way we can all share in one anothers goals and successes.
Labels: blogging, education, environment, flowers, nature, pets, Royal Ranch, wildlife
Posted by Judy Jeute at 10:13 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Tweeting Twoubles
Labels: blogging, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 8:31 AM 0 comments
Monday, September 6, 2010
Tomatoes? Make soup!
I usually post a recipe every Tuesday on Compost Happens. I'm making this one today. It's a combination of two recipes, made in the slow cooker. Typical of my kitchen, I'll add in a few fresh herbs and vegetables, but if it's not ripe now, I'll leave it out.
1 quart fresh tomatoes
1 medium to small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 cup fresh beans
1/2 cup grated zucchini
2-3 oz. fresh spinach
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4-6 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
(optional): 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, 1 teaspoon dill
salt and pepper to taste
Wash tomatoes. Core them, but you don't have to peel them. Yippee! Place tomatoes in crockpot and tomato guts in the compost. Did you think I'd let that go? Not a chance.
Add onion, peppers, carrot, beans, zucchini, spinach, garlic, basil, and broth to crockpot. Let simmer on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
Close to serving time, blend with an immersion blender (or remove portions from pot and blend in regular blender, but the other way is easier). Use a slotted spoon to remove any skins that are still solid.
Use your favorite thickener. Add slowly and stir. I like a tablespoon or two of cornstarch mixed with a small amount of water or broth, then turn the pot to high for 30 minutes to an hour.
In the meantime, prepare your sides. Salad, fresh bread, even a PBJ will taste good beside this soup. Oh, yes, don't forget the goldfish crackers!
Adapted by combining Joanne's tomato soup found on Zorba Paster's site and Stephanie's tomato soup recipe on A Year of Crockpotting and adding a few random goodies that were ripe in my garden the day I filled the crockpot. Ah, a vegetable garden is a wonderful thing.
Labels: Daisy, Food, gardening
Posted by Daisy at 9:14 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Heritage Breeds/Varieties
Broody chickens go into a zen, almost comatose state and will not leave their nest, and with my chicken it has meant even to the detriment of herself. When I would try to put her back in with the other hens, they would pick on her terribly, so I just decided to let her stay in her nest. The point that I am trying to make is that these chickens have a strong instinct that is almost impossible to override, and I got to thinking, why would I want to?
I have a huge demand for my organic eggs, absolutely adore having my chickens, and have the facilities to raise the chicks safely until they can live in with the rest of my chickens. So, with a little research, and a couple of days of collecting just the right eggs, we have placed the eggs under our wonderful broody hen. But with that research, I have learned some very interesting things about heritage breeds.
First and foremost, heritage breeds are very hearty and intelligent breeds, just like my broody girl. One of my new favorite sites is the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, and according to them: "The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy protects genetic diversity in livestock and poultry species through the conservation and promotion of endangered breeds. These rare breeds are part of our national heritage and represent a unique piece of the earth's bio-diversity. The loss of these breeds would impoverish agriculture and diminish the human spirit. We have inherited a rich variety of livestock breeds. For the sake of future generations we must work together to safeguard these treasures."
The site also has a great list of all heritage breeds, whether it be poultry, goats, sheep (which I have), cows or horses. So if you are at all interested in raising livestock, look into heritage varieties, you won't be sorry. It takes much less work as they tend to do part of the work for you. And not only that, you will be keeping a part of our history alive!
Labels: animals, conservation, endangered species, farming, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 11:21 PM 0 comments
Monday, August 30, 2010
Volunteer - oregano?
Posted by Daisy at 6:29 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
I knew I liked his name...
more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees, but less sense
more knowledge, but less judgment
more experts, but more problems
more medicines, but less healthiness.
We've been all the way to the moon and back
but have trouble crossing the street to meet the neighbor.
We built more computers to hold more information
to produce more copies than ever...
but have less communication.
We have become long on quantity but short on quality.
These are fast times of fast foods but slow digestion.
Tall man but short character.
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It is a time where there is much in the window
but nothing in the room."
~the Dalai Lama
Labels: environment, giving, green living, health, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 8:12 AM 0 comments
Monday, August 23, 2010
Gardening keeps me humble.
Nature does humble a person. No matter how much research I do, online or in books, no matter how many experts I ask, the weather will take its own course. No matter how healthy I am or vice versa, the plants and weeds will keep on growing. They'll fall over before the wind, and I'll pick up what I can, but the storms will arrive when they will. When it's super hot, I'll drain the rain barrels to water the plants. When it's rainy, I'll squash mosquitoes. If I'm lucky, we'll get just enough rain to refill the barrels and all will be well with the backyard gardening world.
Posted by Daisy at 6:12 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Making every last minute count
Labels: education, environment, giving, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 11:14 PM 1 comments
Monday, August 16, 2010
Water, water everywhere - cutting consumption
I had mixed feelings the day my rain barrels ran dry. We were in a heat wave, the tomatoes needed water to bear fruit and ripen, and the rain barrels were empty. I turned to Chuck and said, "This will be the first time all summer that I've needed to water plants with water from the house." Impressive, really. My two rain barrels, regular rainfall, and no treated water from the house was wasted on watering the gardens.
Labels: Daisy
Posted by Daisy at 6:14 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Recycled Roof
Labels: animals, environmentalism, green living, recycling, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 6:52 PM 0 comments
Monday, August 9, 2010
Next year's garden
I just started picking tomatoes. The first zucchini are still potential on the vine, and the rhubarb has weathered its transplant beautifully. So why am I talking about next year?
Labels: Daisy, education, gardening
Posted by Daisy at 6:25 AM 0 comments
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Kalamazoo River Oil Spill - Press Release for Circle D Wildlife Refuge
CIRCLE D ANIMAL REFUGE | 13500 E U Ave |
Vicksburg, MI 49097 |
Press Release
Contact: Damon Talbot; PR | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Phone: (231) 903-2629 | 9 A.M. EDT, July 29, 2010 |
CIRCLE D WILDLIFE REFUGE PREPARES FOR LONG TERM RECOVERY
VICKSBURG, MI, JULY 29TH, 2010: With the ongoing animal rescue effort being coordinated by the State of Michigan and Enbridge Oil, Circle D Wildlife Refuge is transitioning to act as a rehabilitation center for animals who have been cleaned, but may have long term health risks.
The staff of Circle D Wildlife Refuge were some of the first to respond and help contaminated animals in Calhoun County. During the first few hours they were able to rescue several ducks, geese, and a muskrat.
As the situation progresses there will be a need for volunteers, and donations to help with this response. Circle D Wildlife Refuge has worked with many types of animals in the past and is ready to meet this challenge.
For further information, to schedule an interview, or for media visits to the facility please contact email us at: circledvolunteers@gmail.com
Labels: Authors, disaster, environment, Khrys, Oil Spill, wildlife
Posted by Khrys at 9:50 PM 2 comments
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
HELP SAVE MICHIGAN WILDLIFE - Updated 7-28-2010 at 2:15pm
As I have said in the past, these rehabbers work on their personal time and are not paid and the supplies that we get, these are out-of-pocket expenses or by donations. For more information you can look below for Circle D Wildlife Refuge's information or check with Kalamazoo River Oil Spill Animal/Wildlife Rescue facebook page.
Contact information for Circle D Wildlife refuge:
Circle D Wildlife Refuge
13500 East U Ave.
Vicksburg, MI 49097
Phone #: Pam Decuypere at (269) 365-5349 Please Do Not call the phone number unless you have wildlife that needs help, they need their only phone line free to field calls about animals. They would prefer you to contact them by e-mail if you can.
E-mail: CircleDVolunteers@gmail.com
A message on the Kalamazoo River Oil Spill Animal/Wildlife Rescue facebook page stated: "If you are willing to answer phones on a regular basis, clean birds, or care for other animals, please send me your contact information at CircleDVolunteers@gmail.com. While I will begin calling folks from the spreadsheet list, this is in no way connected to the large scale cleanup efforts that require training. This is only to help out the small, animal refuge to prepare for the influx of animals, volunteers, media, etc. that will be coming in droves soon. I will contact you soon to get more information on how you can help".
I'll find out if there is a website or donation page for them ASAP!
Items needed by Circle D Wildlife Refuge:
- Rags or towels
- Dawn dish soap
- Rubber aprons
- Rubber gloves
- Buckets
- Vegetable oil
- Respirators
- Cash donations so they can feed the animals they are getting along with getting other supplies!
They were also looking for volunteers! It may take a while for them to get back to you by phone as they are very busy right now!
Remember, the best way people can help is by donating at this time.
Focus Wildlife is currently responding to the "Marshall Leak Incident." To sign up with wildlife officials or to report oil-covered wildlife, call 800-306-6837. Focus Wildlife Website: http://www.focuswildlife.net/
"Senator Nofs has helped to facilitate a donation collection center to help the wildlife. Donations are being accepted at Crossroads Church and Ministries. Details are available here on specific times and what items are needed: http://www.facebook.com/l/b483dN83QzU4UbadfDdJTjlTCcQ;https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=18Ff3QTwOUBuz7Sro6nlS4Z37F6hWIlhvtd15dgZBaco&hl=en
Please do not hesitate to call me with any questions, 269-274-3220.
More information on volunteer training will be forthcoming. A volunteer seminar will take place sometime in the afternoon on Friday with authorities.
Steve Sachs
Office of Senator Mike Nofs"
WHAT: Community Animal/Wildlife Rescue Donation Drop Off Site
WHERE: CROSSROADS CHURCH AND MINISTRIES PARKING LOT
LARGE COLLETION TENT LOCATED IN NE CORNER OF PARKING LOT . 717 US Highway 27, Marshall, MI 49068 (1/2 mile S of I-94, exit 110, on west side of road)
WHEN: Today (12:00p.m.-9:00p.m.), then open daily from 9:00a.m.-9:00p.m. until further notice.
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- LINENS: non-elastic, non-fitted
- Sheets and Large Towels
- Pillow Cases
- Cardboard Boxes (Medium-Large)
- Small Whiteboards
- Duct Tape
- Firewood (Small-Medium)
Items will be transported by officials to the secure animal care center. For more information, please contact Steve Sachs at 269-274-3220.
More information to come!
Labels: animals, Authors, disaster, environment, JRouse, Oil Spill, Pollution, Rehabbing, rehabilitation, wildlife
Posted by JRouse at 9:37 AM 0 comments
Oil Disaster in Michigan
Dear GreenSpot-On Readers,
I wanted to talk to you about something very important. As some of you in Michigan or even in the nation may have heard, on late Sunday, July 25, 2010 a pipeline malfunctioned (which is being investigated by the EPA and the National Transportation Safety Board) near the border of Marshall and Fredonia townships in Calhoun County, Michigan. The oil then leaked into Talmadge Creek, which flows northwest into the Kalamazoo River.
According to the Battle Creek Enquirer: "After the oil leak was detected, the pipeline pumps were shut down and the valves upstream and downstream from the leak were closed, according to a press release from Houston-based Enbridge and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management."
The spill has already went past booms set up by workers in Marshall township and is now flowing into the Kalamazoo River in Kalamazoo County. So far it is estimated that about 877,000 gallons (Or according to other news reports around 20,000 barrels) of oil had spilled into the creek leading to the Kalamazoo River according to estimates from Enbridge Energy Partners. A meterologist speaking with the news agency WZZM 13 from the National Weather Service has also said that the spill could reach Lake Michigan by Sunday, depending on a few variables having to do with the flow rate.
There have been warnings and advisories set against swimming and fishing in the area and there is a worry about Benzine being in the air. There are also families that have been evacuated (Last I heard it was at least 20 homes) due to the potential health hazard. According to other sources, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) have told hopeful volunteers to stay away from the area as they are trying to get respirators for workers near the spill. As for wildlife rescues I had heard from another source that the DNR are looking into having trained and licensed wildlife rescuers help with the wildlife and that it is too dangerous for an untrained and unlicensed person to handle distressed wildlife. There have alrady been injuries to reported at Wood TV8 in West Michigan by these distressed animals to humans who had hoped to do some good. Please let the trained professionals and licensed wildlife rescuers do the work, if you want to help ask the Michigan DNRE what you can do. To sign up with wildlife officials or to report oil-covered wildlife, call 800-306-6837.
I promise that as soon as I find a reputable place that is taking donations I will let you know. Already, I have talked with a couple licensed rescuers (Including GreenSpot-On's very own JRouse) who are possibly going to be allowed to volunteer for clean-up, so if I hear any news on how people can assist them or the effort I will let you all know! Though I did find this today:
"BATTLE CREEK (The Enquirer) -- The Circle D Wildlife Refuge has rescued 12 geese, a muskrat and a swan from the Kalamazoo River, said refuge spokeswoman Pam Decuypere. The Vicksburg group is working to help capture and clean wildlife hurt by the oil spill, she said. The refuge is looking for volunteers today to help clean the birds, monetary donations, and donations of buckets, vegetable oil, dish soap and rags, Decuypere said. If you want to help, show up at 13500 East U Ave. in Vicksburg, or call Decuypere at (269) 365-5349"
Meanwhile I am looking for a couple of photo's to post of this disaster in my home state to show you before and after photo's and what it is doing to the environment and the wildlife. If anyone from this area has new photo's and will give permission to post them please contact me!
Please see the links and video below for more information and the sources for my information.
MI DNRE Website: Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment
Huffington Post: Michigan Oil spill among the Largest in Midwest History: Kalamazoo Spill Soaks Wildlife
The latest story from the Battle Creek Enquirer: Granholm criticizes company as oil heads west
Battle Creek Enquirer story: Eager Volunteers told to Wait
The Battle Creek Enquirer has posted a Map showing the spill.
WZZM 13: Oil Spill could reach Lake Michigan by Sunday
Wood TV8 Latest story: Oil Spill Spreading toward Battle Creek
Wood TV 8 video: DNRE: Leave animal cleaning to pros
Thanks for thinking of the families, wildlife, environment and our state as we deal with this disaster.
Sincerely,
Khrysania @ GreenSpot-On
Labels: disaster, environment, EPA, Khrys, Oil Spill, Rehabbing, rehabilitation, wildlife
Posted by Khrys at 2:19 AM 4 comments
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
A work day poem
Labels: animals, camping, environment, Royal Ranch, wildlife
Posted by Judy Jeute at 11:40 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Have I lost my mind?
Labels: green living, recycling, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 9:29 AM 0 comments
Monday, July 19, 2010
Garden Pizza
There's a certain pleasure in picking ingredients from a kitchen garden, no matter how small. It feels so satisfying to go outside and find basil and oregano, maybe onion, and (some seasons) even spinach. This year I didn't get much spinach; something small and furry found its way into the greens and ate it. I bought my spinach from the Farmers' Market instead. My tomatoes aren't ready yet, so this particular pizza had sauce from a jar.
Labels: Daisy, gardening, green living
Posted by Daisy at 6:31 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A Milestone at Royal Ranch
One year, could it really be? One year ago today was The Beginning of Royal Ranch Green from the "Bottom" Up, aptly named, I suppose. It really is quite fitting that it happened to be on a Tuesday, and let alone the 13th. I had to look it up, but I knew the anniversary was coming up and was pleasantly surprised about those two facts. Tuesday because it would fall on a day where I do double duty and write for Green Spot-On too; and the 13th because that was Grandma's favorite number. Her birthday was August 13th so I'm assuming she was a little partial to it.
What to do on such a milestone? I mean, it's not like my birthday or something. I don't see any gifts coming my way... damn! But I do feel like celebrating. This really has been a blast for me, getting to know my readers, but better yet, getting to know how my blog affects my readers. Not only do I share funny stories about things that happen on this crazy piece of heaven on earth, but I have tried to share some things that hopefully make a difference in a persons life.
Maybe in just a little teensy way, admit it. Okay I admit it, blogging reminds me constantly to stay true to the course that I have chosen, you know the environmentally friendly one. Recently a friend of ours was making these huge bear traps (don't worry, they are only for decoration) and I encouraged him to use recycled material. He came roaring in the driveway the other day to tell us that his product is now 85% recycled (thanks to me, he added) and he has already sold one!
Or maybe I have helped you deal with a health issue, because Lord knows, I've had my share. Hopefully I help you deal with them with dignity and humor, because sometimes that's the only way to go. But above everything else, I hope mostly I brought a smile to your lips each and every time you saw that there was a post. I also hope you have learned by now that I am a total rebel at heart, as a matter of fact, many times my own rebellion is my worst enemy, so I thought it quite appropriate that I close this milestone post with a hillbilly "Rebel Girl" song from Miranda Lambert:
Labels: environment, green living, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 8:35 AM 0 comments
Monday, July 12, 2010
Bringing the outside in
Posted by Daisy at 5:53 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Green living through dentistry?
Now, what does all of this have to do with green living? A lot. I have found that this is a great way for me to do community service, save money and that the school is on the cutting edge of technology which includes green practices. When I say community service, I really feel as if I am helping these kids when I go in there. I have the attitude that I am forming the minds of the future dentists of the world and what better way than to be totally open and honest and give them feedback and to help them learn?
It was really interesting this last Wednesday when I was in there, the student had the instructor come over, and the teacher asked why my hygiene area was still blank. My student said she had felt awkward about asking that, so that is one of the things her and I have been e-mailing back and forth about. Brainstorming ways of finding out true tests of ones personal hygiene without embarrassing them. I said maybe she could ask the patient to grade themselves and then she could ask why they gave themselves that grade.
My neighbor, Mr. P. has even gone after asking me about it, and calls and updates me each time. He is so proud of all of the work that he has gotten done there, it is almost funny. Most of his dental work was done many years ago in Germany and is now needing to be replaced. He is proud to tell me that for the thousands of dollars that his regular dentist was going to charge him, his total is at about $330!
Now, as I said in my first post about the dental school, it has to be a proper fit. Meaning you must be able to devote quite a bit of time to your student. I don't think I've ever gotten out of there in under three hours. Mind you, I have gotten a lot done in three hours, but when you include a 1.5 hour drive each way, you're talking all day for each appointment. But for me, it is worth it.
Labels: education, green living, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 8:29 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Here, kitty kitty kitty
Spaying and neutering is something I have firmly believed in since the first time I heard Bob Barker remind his viewers on the Price is Right how important it was. And believe me, that has been a long time!!! I recently have had many examples of why I so firmly believe in this literally dropped on my doorstep, okay maybe not dropped on my doorstep, but living and breathing and affecting the health (and food bill) of my ranch, so that counts too.
Meet Pimienta and Nocola, Royal Ranch's newest addition's. Pimienta means pepper in Spanish and Nocola means no tail, I guess you'll be able to figure out who is who. Not quite a year ago our renters got two cats, brother and sister from a breeder of Bengal Bobcats. They got them for free because they are solid black instead of the typical Bengal markings. Now, as a Landlord, I really try to mind my own business, but when I saw that the cats had had kittens I got a little concerned, let alone that the kittens were outdoors.
During this time, some changes in that very same rental happened and we took back over half of the duplex that the cats use, so Isabella and I became very familiar with the cats and what was going on with them. That was when I realized that the Mama kitty was pregnant again! As a matter of fact, Daddy kitty was trying to breed Pimi as well, which is what finally got me to leave a (not so friendly) letter on the door of the renter. Well, one thing led to another, and thank goodness I have friends in the rescue business, and now fast forward a couple months and here we are...
So, it has taken me multiple trips down the mountain to Spay Today to get all of the adult cats spayed and neutered. I took Daddy, Pimienta and Nocola, who at the time all still belonged to the renter down right away. Mama was busy having just had these cute little things. I then waited until two weeks ago and got Mama spayed, another trip down the hill we go. Last weekend we got to take her to a vet up here to get her tested for Feline Leukemia so that my friends over at Evergreen Animal Protective League can have these adorable babies without spreading that horrific disease. Today we will deliver the babies, yup, all three of those precious babies are going to new homes through EAPL over in Evergreen.
Now, I mentioned that none of these cats were to be ours, and that was the original plan; until the renter mentioned that he might sell the middle generation at a pet store. Since they are Bobcat Bengals, and since he is having a hard time financially and since they are always looking for kittens, etc. Well, I'm probably going to offend someone here, but over my dead body! I have heard waaay to many horror stories for these cats that Isabella and I have been working very hard to tame and take care of to end up in some filthy pet store! So, that is how Pimi and Nocola became Royal Ranch cats, and you know the funny thing was that the very same day that we "claimed" Nocola, she started calming down. It was just as if she needed to know she had a place to stay forever.
Okay, so I have bragged about my friends in high places, but you do not need friends in high places if you don't get yourself in this pickle of needing multiple surgeries done at once. There are lots and lots of resources out there people. If you can't afford to spay or neuter your pet, call your local shelter and they will help you get it done, I guarantee it. Also, help your neighbor, they may be too embarrassed to admit that they have a problem. We have a sad story going on right now here in Colorado, an 80something woman got kicked out of her house due to it being overrun with cats. I know how it happened, I have seen it.
As a matter of fact, last summer, the very same thing happened to us. A gal had been coming to us to buy her hay, and when she broke her leg, we offered to help take care of her horse. Well, it led to much more than that, her place was taken over by cats and could have been condemned at any moment. So we cleaned it up and got the animals fixed. It was amazing, I found a group that brought a motorhome to her place, and in one day we trapped, spayed, and neutered 22 cats! If we had not done that, the cats would be doubled by this year, think of that! People just don't realize how quickly it gets out of hand.
Now, off of the "soap box" as my Dad would say, but I do have some interesting points about these Bobcat Bengals. They really are some amazing cats. Boy, can they climb! The ones with no tails have extra toes to help them with their balance, which kind of looks weird, but again, makes for some amazingly agile cats. Genetically, this has been an odd bunch. Mom and Dad are both solid black as are Pimi and Nocola, and then here comes the third generation that has all of the Bobcat Bengal traits, like the toes and tails, but are Siamese in color, very odd.
I'm not sure where I stand on the breeding down the Bobcats and Bengal tigers thing. Before I met these cats I would have said I was against it, for sure. And I'm not too impressed that the breeder did not make sure that my renter get the cats fixed if she removed them from the breeding program. But some of the websites I have visited are pretty cool, and talk about saving a piece of wildlife and endangered species, and the "good examples" of the breed are amazingly "tiger" like. I thought GSO would be a great place to get some feedback on such a discussion, so come on people, let's hear what you have to say!
Labels: animals, cats, endangered species, pets, Royal Ranch
Posted by Judy Jeute at 9:14 AM 0 comments