Yesterday was a circus!!

Yesterday should have started with a call around 6am regarding the outcome of an attempted re-unite of 3 very young baby raccoons. Well I never got the call and when I woke around 8am I called them....having to leave a message and anxiously await a call back. When I heard back, the babies were still there. Long story short, instructions were not followed exactly and some were embellished upon leading to failure and some ice cold babies!

24 hours later, these tiny 100gram babies are stable and doing well, thank goodness! 

 I was scheduled to head out to Tufts to pick up the Waltham goose that had hit some power lines then flew into a truck, and to pick up 3 baby chippy's to bring to JoAnn around dinner time. Though my plan was to head out in the morning, stabilizing the baby coons took precedence...on top of working around the feedings for the other 7.

Then Laurie called me about a duckling that had been found possibly injured and we were going to arrange to bring it up to Tufts. So of course the people did not want to give it up. After a good job by one of Laurie's coworkers, Anne, convincing them if they wanted it to live they had to give it up, they finally called me to bring it over.  I finished my feedings and prepared to go to Tufts....just waiting on the duck.

Then I get a call from one of the Sgts. at work. 3 baby squirrels in Waltham. Perfect...keep them warm and secure and I'll grab them after I release the goose!

Then a call for a mangy fox..."Hello Tufts, will you take a mangy fox and a duckling too!"

Lisa handles the call, it was gone by the time she called back so not waiting for the fox.

An hour later, still waiting on the duck! I am now hours behind schedule to leave for Tufts! As I'm finally getting ready to leave, they show up.

One very adorable mallard duckling on board...we're outta here!

 Duckling appears OK...it's staying at Tufts to await some friends! Goose and 3 chippys loaded up, I'm outta there!

Drive to Waltham, perfect release for goose! He's out of the crate, hangs around by the tree long enough to realize this crew ain't his, then off he goes heading for his own home.

 Drive to station, pick up 3 very cute squirrels and add them to passengers in the truck. Heading home in rush hour traffic, not so bad....until there is an accident right at my exit of course! I knew I was screwed when all the emergency personnel went screaming by lights and sirens! Get home about the time Mary and I were planning on being at JoAnn's. I still have to take care of the outside crew, get another feeding in....Nancy pops by for fluids and supplies....Mary is at my place waiting for me. Finally we head out to JoAnn's shortly after 7pm.

En route...I'm driving along and see cars suddenly stopping up ahead....just in time to see an injured raccoon trying to cross the road! Really!! I swerve over onto the side of the road, jump out, grab the net and run over to scoop up the raccoon. Raccoon now added to the passengers in the truck, JoAnn calling...where the hell are you guys!...JoAnn you'll never believe what just happened! ( I guess we fell so far behind for a reason! 2 seconds earlier or later we would have totally missed the poor raccoon!) Mary watches her have a seizure in the carrier....for now she is isolated and comfortable at my place. She managed to climb into a hammock and then into the den box during the night so not sure the extent of her injuries/illness yet...will update on that later!

 Get to JoAnn's around 8pm and proceed to start feedings/re-hydrating etc on all the new animals and those already in our care. (Like this very cute bun JoAnn has!)

 JoAnn opens the cage with the chippy's, only to discover they are not chippy's but red squirrels! Holy crap! LOL At least JoAnn now has friends for her single red shown here!

 Some of her other babies, including the surviving little girl who fell so far from a tree in Belmont. That's her on the left and she's got new siblings and doing great!

We fed animals more than we fed ourselves! (as usual when we get together this time of year!)....finally home around midnight I think! Time to start feedings again! I went to bed around 5am hoping to get "a good night sleep" of about 4 hours. 7:45am....phone rings....almost 3hrs sleep...not bad actually this time of year!

Best wake up call of my life....my Lt. on the phone....congratulations! You're the new ACO! Oh and you start next Tuesday! And so it goes...........LOL