It is a beautiful sunny day here in North wales which is great for us, the animals and of course the thousands of people who have travelled to the area for the Bank Holiday weekend. In Llandudno it is the annual Victorian extravanganza which features a parade and other entertainment with many dressed in Victorian costumes.It means a big influx of tourists and usually that means our charity shop will do well so fingers crossed.Our new manageress Jan has really turned things round there and providing we can get the stock in(still a problem) it makes a regular profit. I think we need to start selling furniture if we can, the purchase of a van for this is necessary and of course at the moment we are not in a position to incur extra expense but that is most definitely the path we need to take to bring in the funds we need .
We have two new rabbits at the shelter, father and son who get on brilliantly together, and there is also a female rabbit currently in temporary residence at our Porthmadog shop- until we can transport her here.Father and son pictured here.Not a great photo, they refused to pose for me and kept hiding away in their hutch. Dont blame them , I hate photos of myself too.
Great news about the 4 collies (including Robin who had the embedded coillar) they are doing so well that they are now allowed outside their pen to play and have come on in leaps and bounds under the care of my friend Sally. She believes they are not far off being ready to rehome which is wonderful to hear. Its amazing how one to one attention and kindness can turn almost feral dogs into the happy youngsters they should have always been. Thank goodness he handed them over when he did, another year and they would have been far more introverted and difficult to work with. I hope that the other six wherever they are, are also enjoying life now.
Fluffy mum with kittens is doing better nowadays,she was very very nervous and highly strung when she was admitted but she has calmed down considerably now she feels safe with her babies. A couple are reserved but as happens every year- when we finally start to get kittens admitted the telephone calls for them dry up.Nobody has rung for a kitten for a while.Pictured are mum and her tabby babies and two abandoned black kittens posing prettily.
It has been a very quiet weekend,just one couple arrived to look for a cat that was dog and child friendly.They chose Wendy a litle black cat who has been at the shelter for 18 months, a choice which made everybody happy. We have homed so many long term cats this year already which is a cause for celebration.It is not nice seeing these overlooked cats here month after month and when there are not any in the cattery it prevents me releasing more to live here. Speaking of which , the last released cat Old Jimmy Ginger has made himself very much at home in the conservatory though he is not a dog lover and William has to be wary of him. Eventually he should realise that William does not pose a threat and like others before him will live in peace with him.
Just after I wrote we were having a quiet time some morevisitors turned up, this time to see Tilly the 8 years old collie from the same home as the other neglected 4. Actually I think this collie may be their mother.Tilly was handed over by the owner several weeks ago to a friend of mine who said she wanted a collie, she then brought her to me.Good thinking! It got her away from that terrible home.As mentioned previously Rosie has been fostering her.Anyhow this family had a teenage daughter who was absolutely terrified of dogs so I was dubious about the success of this prospective home. As expected the daughter was too scared to come out the car but when I put Bonnie foxhound back in her pen she seemed happy to walk with Tilly and her parents. They are going to let me know the outcome of their visit, certainly Tilly is an ideal dog for anyone nervous, she is so calm and docile though I do not want her to go out and then be returned a few days later. It would not be fair on her.
A second Friends of Freshfields fundraising group was set up today by two of the volunteers at the shelter and Cariad who works part time with the horses. Our Welsh fundraisers will be called Ffrindau Freshfields, Caernarfon area. and if anyone would like to help them raise some funds for the animals here please get in touch.
There are loads of wheatears in our fields, scavenging for insects on the ground, they are quite brave little birds, not as brave as the resident robins but they allow me fairly close when I am walking the dogs though I have yet to get a good photo of one. I did, however manage to get a shot of a bright little chaffinch sitting on the fence by my bird tree.Not in focus though Im afraid. I was waiting patiently for a goldfinch to alight on the nyger seeds but had no luck today. Mei spotted me standing motionless with camera at the ready, she thinks I am totally out of my mind! I tell her she too will become like me when she is older.I remember my mother feeding the birds and worrying if she was late arriving home from the shops, she was insistent they knew her and the time she fed them. I am sure she is right though at the time I reacted with typical teenage scorn. I often wonder if the people who bought her house when she died bother to feed the birds but as they concreted over the front garden, cut down the aging holly tree and ripped out mums beloved rose bushes,I somehow doubt they are at one with nature.Best not to think about it.
The best time for catching the goldfinches feeding is early morning, sometimes there are as many as six goldfinches on the feeders and they stay in the tree whilst I replenish their containers so I am hopeful I will manage a photo soon and preferably in focus next time. I dont care what anyone says they definitely recognise me as the "dinner lady". Mum would be proud of me.
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