A year ago, I got a funny idea to build an actual shelter for Coastal Pet Rescue. Well, turns out, those are pretty expensive to build, so I settled for buying an acre of land and putting up temporary kennels. The kennels allow us to save litters at a time from euthanasia at animal control when we don't have foster homes available. So far, they have helped us save 30 pets since December 31.
While this is a great idea, I underestimated the amount of time and care it would require of me, since I live alone and don't always have help available. I learned a routine that takes about an hour and a half in the morning, an hour in the mid to late afternoon, and another hour and a half before I go to bed. Some days it goes slower, others faster, but always reminds me that I am where I am supposed to be.
Lately, I've been getting a little worn down. I had a minor MCL tear which put me on crutches, however, I couldn't get around the property as well as I needed to or get things done in a timely fashion, not to mention Hannah thought they were a big chew toy and tried to take them from me... while I was using them! So after a week and a half, I had to put them down and just bear through the pain. I feel it every night but I'm sure there are worse things in life.
It was getting to be time to do some major repairs and cleanup work on the kennels. So, I decided I would tackle one of the four kennels each weekend in April so I would be finished by May. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, and I made a punch list for myself so as not to be overwhelmed or surprised. I had made a request for help on the volunteer message board, but the interest was not there. I shrugged it off and started to go forward, setting up my schedule of what tasks would be completed and when. I was already pricing delivery options from Lowe's when I got a message from our secretary from someone in Maryland that wanted to volunteer. I called the young lady and was astonished - she had ten volunteers arriving to Savannah the second weekend in April and they wanted to know if I had anything they could do to help. You can never begin to imagine my joy at their offer.
I started my day yesterday just a little before seven, rising to let the house dogs out to go potty, then throwing on shoes to go let out four dogs I'm pup sitting for another foster home. I returned back and began the routine of feeding everyone and picking up poo, always a fun way to kick off the weekend. By 8:30, I was wide awake, and with my Jimmy Buffett music blaring from the speakers I had just put up on Friday, I decided to get a head start on the kennels, filling holes and patching chainlink with chicken wire sections and aluminum ties.
The group arrived right on time, in a big white van, but it may as well have been on white horses to me. They were eager, wanting to know where to start and if it was ok to play with the dogs, too. I had set up task sheets on each kennel listing all the items that needed to be done: scooping up all the old mulch, filling holes, putting down new mulch bleach cleaning and scrubbing each dog house then placing it on a platform, and scrubbing all the dishes. Two of the volunteers took on yard duty, picking up poo and dead toys and removing brush from the fence line. I took on dog house duty in one kennel, scrubbing away and answering questions from the various volunteers about CPR and how we started, what we do, the dogs, etc. Right about noon, all the kennels were finished. It was amazing; it all looked so beautiful, I wanted to cry.
Another CPR volunteer, Betty, drove from Wilimington Island to bring lunch for the group. They were so incredibly thankful. Betty always takes such good care of me, coming out to the ranch every other week to help out, so I was not surprised at her generosity for these volunteers. As they sat eating, they asked about what else they could do while they were here. I was stunned. I thought for sure they would be "thanks for the grub, we're out," but it was just the opposite. One of the guys asked if I had a lawnmower so he could cut the yard for me. It hasn't been cut since I started growing grass, and it really needed it, but I felt bad that these young folks were doing so much for me. But by the time we walked back with the lawnmower, the other volunteers had already cleaned up all the stuff from lunch, put it back in the house, and were out in the yard playing with all the puppies. They looked so happy, and it felt wonderful for me. But they still wanted to do more. So, we went to the back of the property and loaded a trailer full of junk that I had been pulling out of the woods and dirt for the last eight months. It went so quickly having so many people to help, I actually teared up. But still, they wanted to do more...
Three of the young ladies came up to me in the house and asked if they could please bathe the puppies. I asked them if they were sure about that as they would probably get a good bit wet and dirty. I told them if they really wanted to, then sure. They were so thrilled about it, just big grins across their face. Then they said, "don't tell the others; we want to do this ourselves," but one of the guys had walked by and heard and he wanted to bathe the puppies, too. I couldn't believe all these young adults were fighting over who was going to bathe the puppies. Knowing everything was under control, I got a glass of water and retreated to my lounge chair that I hadn't had time to sit in since I built my "Isla de Lisa" retreat. When I went in to get a refill a short while later, I found six volunteers crowded into my bathroom bathing, drying, rotating puppies. I just shook my head and laughed, knowing that is how excited I get every time I go to animal control to bring someone home.
The AmeriCorps angels left around 4:30, and told me they would call me tomorrow (today) to see if I need any help with the six new puppies I'm bringing home from animal control. I told them to enjoy their day on the boat (I made arrangements for my parents to take them out on a dolphin tour as a thank you) and if they got really bored, that they were welcome to come back and play with puppies.
It just goes to show that we are never faced in life with challenges we can't overcome... and when we really need help, it, too, will find us.
Oh, and let me know forget to mention my other blessed angel, Gary from Daniel Kitchen and Bath who came and did the front lawn and driveway.
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