Half Way!!

Can you believe it?!!! 

I can't believe it! 

I am half way through my internship! I feel like I only started yesterday, but I also feel as If I have been here forever! It's weird to think that in two and a half months I will be done...this experience will be over......

....but I'm not done yet!

The last few weeks have been immaculate! Who knew one could love a fifteen hour shift so much??? It sure beats a seventeen hour shift, let me tell you! This place is actually slowing down a bit, which I honestly thought would never happen. It is so much more enjoyable now, because I can actually slow down and appreciate the experience. Before I was always trying to frantically organize what needed to be done in my head. Here are some of the animals I have had the pleasure of working with the last few days!

We have three swans right now! Before I came here I had never handled a swan, and rarely ever saw one! (They're not native where I come from in Ontario) I actually thought the swans would be a little tricky to carry, but its kind of like carrying an over sized football (that bites!).

We also have some young turkey vultures right now! I never knew that turkey vultures imprinted easily on humans. They just didn't seem like that kind of bird to me. Anyhow, because they do, we have to wear sheets so they don't think we are human. It might be a little hard to move in the thing, but it is definitely worth wearing to watch the little vultures gobble down their meat!

 We also have a porcupine  right now, who is the cutest little bugger ever! I haven't been quilled by her yet, so we are still at good terms with each other!

And last but not least the opossums! I didn't know they existed in Canada, but apparently they do! They are also way bigger then I had imagined! I thought they would be the size of a muskrat, but they are more like the size of a young raccoon!

And boy do they stink!

They smell so bad, almost as bad as skunks! However, despite the smell, I have the pleasure to say I have handled an opossum! (How many Canadians can say that?)

Looking after the animals isn't the only part of the intern experience though! I introduced Lucinda to the Terry Fox run this past week. I thought Terry Fox was common knowledge, but I guess not in other parts of the world. Anyhow, we had a lot of fun walking 5km together in support of cancer research!

During the summer Sue took some of the other interns and I to Melon lake! It is absolutely beautiful and I had a lot of fun this summer exploring the landscape around it!

And last night Sue took us to a local barn dance that was raising funds for Sandy Pines! I am quite used to the country atmosphere, so the dance wasn't strange to me, but the other girls were truly having an experience! I was glad that they had the chance to hear some traditional Canadian fiddle music, and get a good taste of the country culture! I think we all had a fabulous time, and I wouldn't trade these girls, (or Sue) for the world!

And last, but not least, I love every second with Sue's horses! Over the summer I have formed a bond with them. They may not listen to me all the time, or be polite, but we trust each other now! They have become more like friends then anything, and sometimes I wish there was an extra hour during the work day where I could work with them too!

Cookie is quite the chore to clean, and to make it worse she rolls in the dirt right after! However, you can't help but love the little bugger!

Saffy and I happy to be out for another ride! (well...at least I am!)

Summer is over and fall is here! More of the animals will be leaving soon, and I am really looking forward to the cooler weather!

This summer was far too hot!

The Intern Life

The intern life is definitely different from that of everyday normal individuals. This past weekend I went home to visit my family and I realised how much this experience has changed the way I see things and how people see me! I was only home for about a day and I got a message from my neighbour saying he needed advice about bats in his attic! Mom says I'm known in town for having experience with wildlife! I guess that means I'll be expecting quite a few more phone calls in the future!

I've also realised that I no longer care a whole lot about parasites, or bugs. I was petting my cat back home and my sister exclaimed, "He has fleas Jay, you might not want to pet him!"

" I don't care!" I replied, "Considering half the animals we get are flea infested, I probably have fleas myself!"

I was doing the meal worms the other day, and was amazed that I wasn't cringing! When I first came here, I couldn't stand the site of them. Now they don't even phase me! Heck, I even had one in my hair once! I can't say I particularly enjoyed that, but I feel my stomach is a little more hardy now!

I also wake up at 6am every morning, even on my days off! It's just a habit! I also woke up my first night back at home at around 3am, and I was convinced I had a squirrel night feed until I clued in that I was at home...

 and there were no squirrels to feed!

A few weeks ago we were buying corn and discussing how much the raccoons would love It! A lady near by gave us the queerest look ever, then walked away. I laughed! We must sound crazy sometimes!

Here are a few other things that make me feel us interns are different from typical individuals.

• We wake up at 3am to feed squirrels
• We discuss animal feces at the dinner table
• We might shower every 3-4 days
• We eat a lot of pasta!

We are such a great group though, and we all get along! It was one of my worries that we wouldn't, but when you work as hard as we do, and struggle together I believe it helps form positive relationships! We are all very different, yes! But we all use are differences to get things done and keep the animals happy and alive!

The new intern, Alex, and I chilling at the riverside park in Napanee after biking for awhile!

Lucinda and I ready to learn!

Releasing turtles

Chilling at the drive in theatre

Working together is fun even after 10pm!

We are a cool bunch!

Hello and Goodbye

Hard to believe, but another month is almost over! It really doesn't feel like I've been here that long! I can hardly believe summer is over already....

and with that comes a lot of goodbyes and hellos.

Goodbyes

Unfortunately it was time for...

 not one...

 not two...

 but THREE of our interns to head on home! So absolutely terrible!!! All three were a terrific part of the team, and things just won't be the same without them here. It's weird at the dinner table now. We aren't crammed together like sardines anymore. It's also a lot more quiet!

Some happier goodbye's have been the releases! So far we've released the following animals

Fox

Killdeer

Skunks

Bats

Raccoons

Hello's

Out with the old and in with the new! So there have been a few things to say hello to as well! Number one our second wave of squirrels!

Secondly, we've been saying hello to all the turtle hatching's! Over half the totes are hatched and there have been successful hatches for pretty much every species of turtles we have here!

Musk turtle

I've also been saying hello to hellish hours thanks to the lack of interns, and the influx of baby squirrels! My bed is now my best friend!

I've also migrated to the bedroom upstairs, so I've said hello to a much more comfortable bed! Before I was sleeping in a bottom bunk, and was constantly hitting my head off of things! Now I have avoided a constant headache each morning! Plus I share the room with the fabulous Lucinda! It's just the two of us right now, but not for long!

We get a new intern this week!

There is always something to anticipate at Sandy Pines!