never B4

16 Never B4’s Mark the End of My Never B4 Year!

Knowing my milestone year was coming to an end, I decided to do something I’d been thinking about for months, ever since I made Sahara my first blog mascot. 

I found Sahara on the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary website and sponsored her until she was adopted.  Since then, I read more and more about this special animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah and learned that it is not only the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the U.S but it was also founded by 22 friends from around the world who shared the same dream - to help homeless pets.

The story of the sanctuary intrigued me and their work impressed me.  So, as my last Never B4, I decided I wanted to visit and volunteer at Best Friends for a long weekend.  Little did I know,  this one Never B4 would lead me to 15 more. 

#2: Needed a valet to show me how to start my own car. 
Even though I had driven a Prius before, I completely forgot that you had to hold the brake down before you pushed the power button or the car wouldn’t shift into drive.  Because of this oversight, Dave and I found ourselves stuck in the crowded driveway of the MGM Grand Hotel in Vegas unable to get on the road to Utah.  Horns blared. People stared.  We squirmed in our seats.  Thankfully, a valet rescued us by showing me how to drive my own car.   It was an embarrassing start but quickly forgotten when caught a glimpse of Angel Canyon in Utah.

 #3 Slept in a cottage at the base of a gorgeous canyon
Angel Canyon is about 5 miles north of Kanab, Utah and was once home to the Anasazi Indians.  Today the Best Friends Sanctuary is protected by the canyon’s steep red walls and nourished by the gentle waters of Angel Creek  which carved the canyon thousands of years ago.  We were lucky enough to rent one of Best Friends cottages for our visit and woke every morning to the sun’s rays illuminating the canyon walls and the horses grazing in the pasture outside out door.  

#4 Walked 2 cats on leashes
Dave and I spent our first volunteer day with the cats. I always thought walking a cat sounded ridiculous but I found myself walking not only one but two cats in the desert sands behind the Kittyville.  One cat took me on a tour of all the cat buildings and the other showed me where the lizards hide below the bushes

#5 Stood guard for a cat with 2 paralyzed legs
Shelley, one of the cat caretakers, told me to watch out for Dilli because she was a tough one despite the fact that her hindquarters were completely paralyzed.   I couldn’t help but wonder if Best Friends had done the right thing in saving Dilli since she couldn’t walk like other cats.  She quickly erased my doubts though when she headed straight for the 6-foot, rug-covered cat house in the center of the room.  I stood by as she climbed, ready to catch her if she fell.   Dilli didn’t flinch.  She steadily pulled herself to the top.  Within a matter of minutes she was looking down at me with her front paws reaching out to play with any toy I threw to her.   My doubts were gone.  This cat was enjoying life as much, or more, than any other in the room.

#6 Watched my husband mop a floor with a cat on his shoulder
It’s a rare day when my husband mops a floor with a smile on his face, let alone a cat on his shoulder.  But that’s how I found him when I visited the room he had chosen to volunteer in.  Sunshine, the cat, was happily perched on his shoulder as if she was checking to make sure Dave didn’t miss a spot.

#7  Had a cat “sleepover” in our cottage
One of the volunteer opportunities at Best Friends is to take a cat (or dog) on a sleepover.  It helps socialize the animal and get it used to being alone with people.  Needless to say, it’s also great for increasing the adoption rate.  Our cat was named Al Jolson and he was the loudest purring cat we ever met.  It took incredible will power (and constant reminders that our cat back home is a prima donna) to stop us from adopting him.

#8 Helped make a group of puppy mill dogs feel at home
Best Friends is famous for rescuing dogs from puppy mills and many times they find the dogs in terrible condition.  I got the chance to meet the newest wave of puppy mill dogs and, together with another volunteer from Pennsylvania, we cleaned the puppies’ kennels to make them feel more comfortable.  Of course, we also got to pet and play with them, too.

#9  Made a dog shake with fear just by saying “hello”
This was completely unintentional and shocking.  A beautiful Shiba Inu named RC, who was recently rescued from a puppy mill, stood in the back of her kennel and shook from head to tail just because I stood outside, saying hello.  The handlers told me that many puppy mill dogs act that way when they first arrive but with some special handling, they start to trust and love people again.  I hope RC’s fears can be wiped away soon.

#10 Met my first potbelly pig
I was surprised to see how big they were.  I always thought they were small and I guess I’m not alone in the misconception.  Many people adopt these animals thinking they won’t grow to full “pig size.”  Well, they do and when people come to that realization, they often abandon them.  Despite their large size, they’re adorable animals.

#11 Saw Turkey’s roost in trees
Every night at dusk, a flock of wild Turkeys soar down from the top of the canyon to roost in the trees along the sanctuary road.  We arrived too late to see them soar but we did see these awkward birds rustling the leaves high up in the branches of a tall tree. 

#12 Saw the sun ignite the canyon walls with color
This picture says it all

 

#13 Met the most caring, giving and hardworking group of people I’ve ever met.
From the people that worked at the Best Friends welcome center to the animal caretakers in the Kittyville to the handlers in Dog Town, I’ve never met so many people who were happy, proud and fulfilled by what they do every single day.  I was also incredibly impressed and inspired by how many of them had changed their lives and moved to Kanab to do the work they were doing. 

#14 Felt sun, heat, rain, cold and hail on my skin all within 5 minutes
 Bryce Canyon is just over an hour north of the Sanctuary so we couldn’t resist visiting.  The views were awe-inspiring but so was the weather.  Snow was about the only weather sensation we missed.

 

#15 Saw at least 30 Model T cars in a one-horse town

Driving into Kanab Utah feels a bit like driving back in time, even when there isn’t a Model T gathering in town.  We took a double take when we saw our first Model T putter down the road but within a few hours they seemed as natural a sight as the canyon walls around us. 

#16 Read the most inspiring book about how a group of friends changed the world 
After only 4 days at this sanctuary, I could easily envision myself spending years there.  That drove me to buy the book that told the story of how 22 friends that came from cities all over the world pursues their dream to save the lives of unwanted pets.  It’s an inspiring book and it will make you feel good, especially knowing that since they came together in 1984, that group of friends has helped reduce the number of  pets killed each year from 17 million to 5 million (that's in the US alone).

The incredible beauty of the landscape, the peaceful nature the canyon, the innocence of the animals and the compassionate work being done by so many caring people, made this a life-changing weekend for me.  I left Angel Canyon more driven than ever to do my part to ensure that the staggering number of 5 million pets killed each year is dramatically reduced in the years ahead.

To that end, I will shift my writing energies to focus on that goal. More to come on that soon. In the meantime, click here to enjoy more pics of our visit to Best Friends and Bryce Canyon.

Mascot Moffit Becomes a Mariner

It’s about time I give you all an update on my longest running mascot, Mr. Moffit. 

I’m happy to say the news is good but not 100% perfect - yet.   To get the full story, I took a Never B4 outing to Sayville P.A.W.S  to hear Mr. Moffit’s story straight from the lips of his rescuer, Donna Weber. 

I’ve wanted to visit P.A.W.S for more than a year, since my mom told me  it was a local all-volunteer group that regularly rescues abandoned, injured and feral cats in and around my hometown of Sayville.  Until this past weekend, I had to settle for visiting their website, which wasn’t too bad because I found Mr. Moffit that way. But now that I’ve visited in person I’m more impressed than ever.

I was excited to meet Donna Weber of P.A.W.S, not only because she was integral in getting Mr. Moffit off the streets where his previous owners dumped him, but also because she’s followed her passion for animals and in turn has become a force of change in her community.  P.A.W.S has rescued over 3,000 animals in the Sayville area since 1992 and was recently asked to partner with the Old Navy Clothing Store to raise awareness for the humane treatment of animals.

Donna took time out of her busy animal care schedule to talk with me about the work she has been doing with P.A.W.S and the Never B4 adventure Mr. Moffit was embarking on.

With a pen full of kittens at her feet and 2 adult cats roaming in and out of her living room, Donna told me how Mr. Moffit was launching (literally) a new life this month.  It just so happens that the man that has been fostering him is the captain of a luxury yacht.  Until just a few weeks ago,  his plan was to return Mr. M to P.A.W.S when he set sail this summer.  However, Mr. M worked his cat charms and the captain got permission from the yacht owner to bring Mr. M along on the boat. 

So man and cat are setting sail this month and if all goes well, Mr. M will be officially adopted very soon.  Keep your fingers crossed, knock wood and say a little prayer that Mr. M’s four little legs turn out to be four steady sea legs.   If they are, his captain will keep him forever.

In the meantime, Mr. Moffit is handing the mascot torch to Barney.  As the the new mascot, I'll be sponsoring Barney until he finds a permanent home.

Like Mr. M, Barney was abandoned by his owners and is now being sheltered by P.A.W.S.  He’s a big beautiful cat with a fluffy tail and he clearly loves people.   I met him on Donna’s porch and within seconds he was purring and letting me scratch his chin.  If you or anyone you know would like to adopt Barney,  please email me (cboyle.now@gmail.com) or post a comment here.

 

A Never B4 Adventure to an Exotic Cat Santuary

An article in the March issue of More Magazine motivated 2 women, who never met before, to take action.  I was one of those women and Christine Hennessey from Pittsburgh was the other. 

The article profiled the founder of Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary who rescues abused tigers, cougars, lions and many other animals. After reading the story, Christine and I both sent off emails to the sanctuary hoping to learn even more.  Our emails led to fascinating phone conversations with the founder, but that's where my similarity to Christine ends and her Never B4 adventure begins.

One week after the call, Christine jumped on a plane to Mississippi to visit her first wild cat sanctuary and meet Kay McElroy, the founder of Cedarhill.  I had the opportunity to interview Christine recently and learned how this Never B4 visit fueled her passion to incorporate the well being of animals into her growing business.

CB: What was your biggest expectation about this Never B4 visit to the sanctuary and how did your visit live up to that expectation?

Christine: My biggest expectation was of the facilities themselves.  I imagined the staff and physical layout and animal “homes” would be top-notch. Both exceeded my expectations.

CB: Did you have hesitations or doubts about reaching out to Kay or visiting a sanctuary like Cedarhill for the first time? 

Christine: Around the time I read the More Magazine piece about Kay & Cedarhill, I had also decided to begin pursing work that appealed to things I am passionate about. The article touched a few of my passions – the proper care of animals, opportunities for women as independent business/non-profit owners and the satisfaction that can come from following your interests in life.   What followed was an email introduction I sent to Kay offering her pro bono PR assistance. I thought there might be a 20-30% chance she’d reply. I was pleasantly surprised when she did. Shortly after receiving her reply, we spoke by phone. About 20 minutes into the call, I committed to traveling to Mississippi the next week to meet her and see the sanctuary.  It was only after the call and making travel reservations that I paused about my decision. I recognized that it was a bit impulsive after only a brief introduction. However, my strong intuition was telling me this was a good thing. Over the years, I’ve learned to trust my intuition because it rarely fails me.

CB: How would you characterize your visit to the sanctuary?  By this I mean, was it a zoo-like tour, a behind-the-scenes tour or something completely different? 

Christine: It was a behind-the-scenes tour with a big dose of Southern hospitality, charm and rich conversation. 

CB: One of the policies Cedarhill Sanctuary has in place is to only allow donors and invited guests to tour the sanctuary and visit the animals.  Did you get the impression that this policy impacts the sanctuary or the animals in any way? 

Christine: The Cedarhill policy reflects Kay McElroy’s desire to not put the animals on display. At its core, Cedarhill’s mission is to provide a place where abused and abandoned domestic and exotic animals come to live out their lives in care, comfort and peace.  I believe the policy minimizes disruption for the animals—many of whom have come from extreme, abusive situations and have a limited trust of humans.  Kay and her staff have worked to gain the animals’ trust through loving, expert care and an almost sacred presence…a sacred co-existence with one another.  The policy underscores the respect Kay and the Cedarhill staff  have for the animals. 

CB: I imagine it's common for visitors to an animal rescue sanctuary to leave with the urge to do something to help.  Can you tell me a bit about what you're doing to help the Sanctuary and how you went about proposing your unique "donation"?

Christine:  I launched my own business, Hennessey Consulting, in October 2008. It is my first entrepreneurial effort after spending nearly 20 years in corporate America.  In life and business, I take inspiration from many places.  With the freedom of being my own boss and having full control of my schedule and time, I am jumping at the chance to follow my passions and hope it leads me to new things in life and business.  The More Magazine article did a great job at illuminating Kay’s strong life/career story. After meeting her, I realized there is even more to her story that is very rich, deep, varied and inspirational.  She runs Cedarhill as efficiently and successfully as any CEO would run a successful business. Everything she does for the sanctuary, her staff, her donors and her animals is well-planned and executed with the best care money can buy. In my heart and in my experienced PR mind, I am certain I can help attract more media attention to Cedarhill and help achieve its goal of creating an endowment for a sustaining future.

Now that you're home and are hundreds of miles away from Cedarhill, is there one moment or mental image that stays with you stronger than others?  

Christine: Kay graciously invited me to stay in a guest cottage on the Cedarhill grounds.  It’s a lovely little red cottage decorated in a safari theme. The interior walls and floors are wooden—giving the rooms a rustic feel like a cabin in the woods. When it came time for Kay and I to discuss PR, we spent a few hours each day at the desk in the cottage.

Behind where I sat was a glass-paneled door leading to a porch that overlooked one of the tiger’s pen and two other pens for four of Cedarhill’s pooches.  There with mid-day sun shining through the door, Kay told me about her life. A life that took her from Oklahoma, to Carmel, Calif., to inner city Los Angeles, back to Oklahoma and then Mississippi and through college, teaching, painting, a psychology PhD program, a consulting career and now a sanctuary founder and director.   Her openness not only led to additional ideas for the PR plan but it helped me fully understand her passion and dedication. She has lived a very full life. I’m honored that she shared her story with me.  I’ve earned her trust and she has earned mine—an imperative part of any successful venture. 

Christine Hennessey is a spirited, 41-year-old Chicago ex-pat now living in western Pennsylvania.  In the summer of 2007, she adopted an eight-week old yellow Labrador retriever whom she named Citizen Sugar Cane. Sugar, as he is most commonly known, has opened her heart to the joy and magic of animals.  Through her love and understanding of this mischievous canine, she is becoming an advocate for the proper care of animals. Click here for more photos of her visit to Cedarhill, all of which were graciously provided by Christine.  To contact Christine, email her at christine@hennesseyconsulting.com.

Would you follow your instincts like Christine did and sponteneously pursue something that feels right?  Post a comment to share your thoughts.

Kids And Their Beer Bottles

Yesterday I had the Never B4 pleasure of feeding newborn Nubian Goats – out of beer bottles!  I think it’s safe to safe that all parties involved, kids and humans alike, loved the experience.

Thanks goes to Dave for suggesting this Never B4 idea (and for taking the pics & video you'll see here).  Actually, his suggestion was to visit Olde Oak Farms to watch them make their delicious mozzarella cheese (which we happened to be eating the night he thought of the Never B4 idea).  Unfortunately, as Jen Maeverde, the co-owner of the Olde Oaks Farm quickly pointed out, it wasn’t the right time to make the cheese.  The goats were in kidding season so the heavy cheese-making period was still a few weeks off.

When Jen heard about my search for a Never B4 experience, she kindly offered up a selection of other things she thought I may not have done B4 – cleaning a barn, bailing hay or hand-feeding feeding Nubian kids from beer bottles.

Jen was right.  They would ALL be Never B4s for me and I went to the farm with Dave with an open mind to try any one of them, or all of them.  I won’t lie though, when we got to the farm and Jen paired me up with her apprentice Arlene to feed the newborn kids, I was relieved and thrilled at the same time.

The farm was alive with the bleating of goats, the does in the back barn, the bucks in a separate barn of their own to the right of the ladies and in a smaller barn near the front of the farm were the kids.  Six of the long-eared cuties were huddled under a heat lamp in a small hay covered pen, bleating madly for some food.

Arlene quickly took me to a work-station in a small wooden building to prepare the milk for feeding.  All the kids were very young, the oldest were 4 days old and the youngest were 4 hours old.  Their mom’s colostrum (the mother’s first milk) would be their steady diet because they needed all the nutrients they could get.  

Because the goats will be milked later to make the farm's amazing cheeses, it was important to keep the bacteria levels low.  That was the primary reason why the babies were hand fed.  Feeding off their mother’s teats, I learned, introduced the babies to bacteria that they may not be able to fight.  Also, hand feeding allowed the goats to bond with the humans which would help the milking process in the future.

The reason for the beer bottles was because they were healthier than plastic, they were recyclable, they could be heated in a double boiler and they were plentiful, as the staff liked to enjoy a good beer after a long day of working the farm.

When the milk was heated to 104 degrees, we carried the bottles over to the bleating babies, climbed into the pen with them and they took over from there.  Arlene focused on the two youngest ones and I fed any  that came to me. 

They certainly weren’t shy, that’s for sure.  As soon as we were in the pen, they were literally climbing on us to get to the bottle’s nipple.  It was every kid for him/herself. 

Before I could get settled on the pen floor, the hungriest of them was climbing up my thighs to get to the bottle.  Once they latched on they were peaceful little angels and I could sneak a pet of their droopy ears. 

If they let go for a minute though, another kid was right there at the nipple to take the place. 

Did I say adorable, yet?

Dave and I were so enamored with the kids we forgot to snap any pics of the mom’s, but if you can find plenty of photos of Nubian goats here.

I'd like to thank Jen, Arlene and Dave for so warmly welcoming us to the Farm.  For more information on Olde Oaks Farm, their lovely Nubian goats or their products, click here.

What do you think of these droopy-eared kids?  Post a comment with your thoughts or post a suggestion for future Never B4’s.  And, if you’ve done a recent Never B4 of your own, let me know because I'd love to interview about it. 

 

Never B4 Interview with Robert Stave: "Photographing Wolves In New York"

From time to time, I will post interviews with adventurous people who have recently done something they had Never done B4.  With over a year of Never B4 adventures under my belt, I've learned that my biggest motivator for seeking out new experiences comes from hearing the exciting adventures of others. 

I've known Robert Stave for many years, as a friend, a scuba diver, a boater, but one of his greatest passions is photography.  His interest in photography started at an early age when he came across his parent's old Bell & Howell camera and began snapping wild action shots of his pets and brother.  In college he took a a few photography classes to increase his technical knowledge but he's primarily self taught.  Today he's focused on developing his own style and with that in his mind, and his camera in his hand, he sought out a Never b4 photo shoot with wolves at the Wolf Conservation Center in Salem, New York.

Rob shared his experience and his photos with me and now I'd like to share them with you.

CB: You've taken pictures of many different places, people, animals and things so what made you seek out this Never B4 photo shoot and these particular subjects?

RS: The secret to impactful photography is to have a compelling subject.  Wolves are an apex predator that are still misunderstood and feared by man.  Yet these deeply intelligent creatures have no malice toward us.  I’ve loved wolves since I was a small child and was also greatly influenced by Jim Dutcher's  documentaries for the Discovery Channel in the 1990’s.  When I look at a wolf, I feel no fear.  I feel a direct connection to nature and the world we both share.

CB: How did you go about setting up the shoot?  Can anyone do it or do you need special credentials/experience?

RS: Anyone can do this.  It is not strenuous and doesn’t involve a long journey into the wild.  All it really requires is your interest in wolves.  You are right next to the enclosure that houses four wolves.  There are special platforms and holes cut in the fencing that allow unobstructed photography.  Any camera will do, but to get beyond a snapshot level, you need at least a 35mm camera that allows the use of interchangeable lenses.  I found my 70-200mm zoom lens to be a good option, although there were times I wished for a longer lens to get a tighter composition. You should also plan to reserve your spot a month or two in advance.  Photo sessions require a $100 donation and run from October through March.  These events are quite popular.

 

CB: How close were you able to get to the wolves and how did they react to your presence?

RS: You can be literally “nose-to-nose” with them!  Only the enclosure fence separates you, and they tend to be curious.  You are cautioned not to put your hand or camera through the viewing ports during these moments.  No sense in risking a misunderstanding in pack hierarchy with body parts or expensive equipment, right!

 I experienced several magical Never B4 moments.  I was alone in a corner of the fence area with two of the wolves, Lukas and Apache.  Each was going about his business, yet my desire to interact with them was overwhelming.  I called Lukas’ name as if he were my dog.  Each time I called him; he would stop and look at me inquisitively.  I spoke to him softly and got some beautiful photos of this encounter before he moved off into the underbrush.

The second moment happened in the same spot, but this time with Apache.  He is the alpha male of the pack, yet is so unassuming in this role given his one bent ear.  He sometimes looks like your friendly neighborhood dog.  Apache is the talker of the bunch, so I overcame my foolish feelings and began to howl to him.  It took less than 10 seconds and he responded right back, arching his head into the air and letting out that wonderful sound.  Pretty soon, all four wolves got going in a pack howl and everyone else came running to take pictures.  It is a cherished experience I’ll never forget.

 
CB: Was there anything particularly challenging or surprising about your experience photographing the wolves?

RS: I found two things challenging.  Unfortunately, both are critical to making outstanding photographs; light and composition!  Light is the most pleasing at sunrise and sunset.  The warm temperature of light at these times of day can make an average photograph extraordinary.  And while this was a “sunset” photo session, the sun didn’t cooperate as best it could.  A haze in the sky muted a good deal of the warmth.  Composition is also extremely important.  Yet with wolves, there is very little staged and you have to always be ready to push the shutter button when the moment happens.  But, that’s what makes it challenging and all the more rewarding when you finally get that special shot.

I have to say, digital photography has really changed the way you do things.  You have instant feedback on the choices you make, and the best part is that you have the option to try again if it wasn’t what you had intended.  However, a solid understanding of photographic principles is still key.  More of your shots will turn out right the first time.  So, on this day, I dealt with the light I was given as best I could, and tried to let the wolves’ personalities make up the difference.  I think they did.

CB: In some cultures, people believe photographs capture the soul.  Is there any one picture you took that you feel captures (in a proverbial sense) the soul of any one wolf?

RS: For me it’s their eyes!  Wolves’ eyes are alive with communication.  You feel as if they are looking into your soul and asking themselves if you are worthy of their consideration.  It can be exhilarating and a little eerie at the same time.  It’s as if there is no secret you can hide from them.  I felt that Lukas gave me a glimpse at his soul during our solo encounter.  But, just a fleeting one.

CB: I've read that some photographers take notes on the various exposure settings and shutter speeds they're using as they take pics so that they can learn what works best.  Do you have any tips or tricks that you use to better your skills?

 RS: I find that if you are shooting a static image like a landscape, it is feasible to keep notes.  And this definitely helps as you move on to other projects.  But, light is something that constantly changes.  In fact, shooting at sunrise is probably the most dynamic time.  The light changes by the minute, and so do the various exposure settings you will use.  So capturing that special moment may be fleeting and you will not likely have time for detailed notes.  However, with today’s digital formats, all that information is captured as part of the image file so you can review it later at your leisure.  I try to have an idea of what settings I expect to use in regard to white balance, depth of field, aperture and shutter speed ahead of time.  It gets you into the ballpark and then you can spend more time on composition of the subject and fine tuning the correct exposure which is critical.

I typically try to find the middle-gray in the scene and meter for that.  If you get this correct, all the other highlights and shadows tend to work out pretty well.  But, again, I think the beauty of digital technology is that you can now play around with these various settings to get just the right combination without sending the film to a lab and waiting for the results.  And as you gain more experience, you find that you will start nailing the exposure settings more quickly and you can get down to shooting.  But, you know what, I’m still learning this just like every photographer.  Photography closely follows the saying “you learn something new every day”.  That’s what keeps it interesting.

CB: Is a photo shoot the only way for people to get to meet these wolves or are there other ways?

RS: No.  Photo sessions are just one of the programs offered by the Wolf Conservation Center.  They also hold educational talks throughout the year on weekend days in which they provide a full history of the wolf and their struggle as an endangered species.  And of course, these talks culminate in a visit with the wolf ambassadors at the enclosure.  Remember, you must make a reservation to participate in any of the programs.  Group sizes are small and the classroom is intimate.  I highly recommend it.  They can be reached at http://www.nywolf.org.

Click here to enjoy more of Rob's photos and please leave a comment on your reactions to his work.  Or, if you or someone you know would like to be interviewed about a Never B4 experience, mention it in your comment or email me at cboyle.now@gmail.com

Turned the Switch from OFF to ON

In 2000, all 50 statesrecognized Martin Luther King day as a national holiday. That same millennial year marked the election of George W. Bush as the 43rd President.

Yesterday, as I looked back over the years since the turn of the century, it scared me to realize that I had something in common with former President George W. Bush. I hadn't used these years to better my country, my state, my neighborhoods or the families, co-workers or even the pets within them. Moreover, I never used MLK Day as a national day of community service as it was intended. Instead I coveted it as a personal luxury, a wonderful Monday holiday that afforded me time to escape Manhattan's wintry weather and tireless bustle.

This year was different. For the first time, a President of the United States motivated me to turn my precious January "day off" into a "day ON" instead; a day to serve the community around me instead of sleeping late and lounging in front of the TV.

With a flight planned for the late afternoon on this year's MLK Day, I knew I didn't have a lot of time to give and I knew I had to seek out something I'd never done before. These 2 parameters limited my choices but they didn't eliminate them. I settled on acts I'd never done before, in a place I had never helped before. I delivered food to two shelters in Bangor Maine.

Unfortunately, the bad luck I experienced with my last Never B4 started to rub off on this one. After digging my way out of 18 inches of new snow, I arrived at the Ecumenical Food Cupboard only to discover they were closed for the holiday! Determined to do my part, I headed to Hannaford's Grocery Store to pick up supplies for my next shelter delivery -- big bags of cat food and litter to bring to the Bangor Humane Society.

To my surprise, Hannaford's had set up a food collection bin for ALL the local food cupboards in the Bangor area so I was able to make my food drop off after all. Then, I quickly loaded up the back of my car with my kitty supplies and made my delivery to all the purring pets at the animal shelter.

Like many, I have been impressed by the words of our new President:

"We are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America's history."

"Given the crisis that we're in and the hardships that so many people are going through, we can't allow any idle hands. Everybody's got to be involved; everybody's going to have to pitch in."

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

Neither of my deliveries can be described as difficult tasks. Yet, they were extremely satisfying, they uplifted my spirits on a cold snowy Monday and they were easy enough to repeat -- which I hope to do throughout the coming year.  This has been a Never B4 that I'd definitely like to do again.

If you're looking for ideas on how you can get involved in your community, USAService.org will display your options if you simply enter your zip code.

Have a comment or a Never B4 suggestion?  As as always, I'd love to hear from you so click on the headline above, scroll down and add your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

An Anticipated Wolf Adventure Turns Into An Embarrassing NB4 Failure

Late Saturday night I discovered there was one open spot left in the winter wolves program at the Wolf Conservancy Center in Salem, NY.  I  signed up right away because I've been wanting to try this this Never B4 adventure for months, ever since my good friends Rob and Adele recommended it.  I also needed to run a mundane errand in Westchester on Sunday morning so planning a wolf adventure allowed me to turn a tedious task into a fun outing.  Little did I know, that this little endeavor would turn into a total embarrassment.

 

Sunday morning turned out to be an icy mess.   I saw at least 3 cars in ditches on the side of the road on my way to Salem so I called ahead to the Conservancy to say I'd be late.  The fact that no one answered didn't surprise me.  I just figured they were out running the wolves or something so I left a message.  What did surprise me was the site of only one other car parked at the Conservancy gate when I finally pulled up their steep snowy road (20 minutes after the program was due to start).  

 

I parked along side the lone car but from the thick layer of snow that covered it, it was clear the car had been there for several days.   It appeared as if I was the only visitor.  The gate was wide open though so I wondered if maybe the group had been asked to drive to a second location, maybe some place where the neighbor's houses weren't so close.  (As an aside, the Conservancy is situated up on a hill with neighboring houses all around.)

I walked up the steep driveway, icy snow crunching under my feet, to find someone who could explain where the group had gone.  To my left, down the hill, I could see a large fenced enclosure that I guessed was where the wolves roamed free.  I didn't see any of them at the moment but I had nagging feeling that they were there and that they could easily see me. 

 

"Hello!"  I yelled meekly when I got to the top of the driveway but when no answer echoed back, I yelled it again with more volume.  Again, there was no answer but thankfully there was no howling either. 

 

I wandered around the grounds, to the cabin where the wolf classes were supposed to be held but it was locked up tight.  Then I started towards what looked like a caretaker's house and that's when I noticed there were no footprints anywhere on the grounds and that the snow on the walkway to the front door had not yet been shoveled.   Before I let myself believe that I could be a trespassing on a federally protected wildlife sanctuary and that there may be a few guard wolves lurking around somewhere, I snapped a few pics and then slipped my way back down the steep driveway to the car.

After only a few slips and thankfully no falls, I got back to the car to call the Conservancy again.  Before dialing them up again, I used the browser on my phone to look again at the events calender where I had signed up for the event the night before.  That's when I discovered the program I had signed up for had been scheduled for Saturday morning NOT Sunday morning! 

 

I was a day late so no wonder there was no one around.  Why the website let me register and pay for the event that had already taken place...why I thought the calendar said Sunday when it clearly said Saturday...and why the conservancy gate was wide open, I still don't know.  I do know that I had actually been a trespasser on a federally protected lands.  That truly was a first!  

 

To cover my tracks and just in case they had surveillance cameras, I called the Conservancy one last time and left a long rambling message about my mistake and the fact that I wasn't really trespassing.  I feared I protested too much and that a federal marshal would show up at my door in NY but instead, I got a call back and an invitation to use the registration fee I paid for any future visit. So this NB4 is "to be continued" and hopefully sometime very soon.

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A second NB4 for this week is that I bought my first MAC laptop!  I'm writing on it at this very  moment and loving every minute of it!  Go MAC!

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Have a comment or a Never B4 suggestion?  As as always, I'd love to hear from you so click on the headline above, scroll down and add your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

Big News x 2!

BN #1

We have a winner of the first-ever Paltry Poultry Prize!  Our independent judge has declared the winner to be...

Karen Perrin of Rhode Island!  Congratulations to Karen for her prize-winning caption of..."Wow, I really have to poop - is this a Girl Toi, or a Boy Toi?"

Karen also qualified for the $25 cash bonus and will receive both prizes on Thanksgiving Day! 

Thanks to all who entered and forwarded on news of this blog.  I enjoyed your captions, was impressed by your creativity and look forward to hearing more from you.

BN #2

My mascot Sahara has been adopted!  A loving couple from Arizona recently flew out to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, fell in love with Sahara and took her home with them. 

Although I will miss Sahara as my mascot, I am thrilled she experienced the best Never B4 event of finding a home. Congrats Sahara!

I will be searching for a new mascot over the next week so if anyone has any ideas, please add a comment. 

 

The Paltry Poultry Prize Is Yours To Win!

You know you want to win this coveted piece of wooden poultry!  If not for its sheer good looks, than simply because it's a prize you've never won b4. 

If that's not motivating enough, there's also $25 in cold-hard cash that you could win as a bonus -- enough for a half tank of gas, 2 movie tickets plus a few kernels of popcorn, or a decent bottle of wine.

Before you get caught up in the fantasy of winning, let me first tell you what it takes to enter this once-in-a-lifetime contest.  All you have to do is come up with a clever caption for the following, oh-so-flattering, photo of me in Budapest, Hungary. 

TO WIN: COME UP WITH THE BEST CAPTION FOR THIS PHOTO

To enter a caption, simply type your idea in the comments section at the bottom of this post (or click here).  Make sure you enter your name and a valid email address too so that I can contact you if you win and even more importantly -- arrange for the deliver of your Paltry Poultry Prize.

To qualify for the $25 cash bonus on top, all you need to do is invite a friend of yours to visit this blog.  Simply copy me (cboyle.now@gmail.com) on the email you send to that friend and if you win, I'll make sure your chicken is delivered with the $25 tucked under its  wing.

By now, I'm sure several questions have popped into your mind, so let me try to answer those in advance....

Q. Have I completely lost my mind?
A. Almost.

Q. Why A Contest? 
A. For those of you who know me, you know I've dabbled in corporate sweepstakes but today I realized that I've never run one of my own.  Thus, this contest is a Never b4.  Also, I entered a Twitter Haiku contest (another Never B4) today that was offered by Copyblogger and it motivated me to organize a contest of my own.  Lastly, I'm always looking for new readers for this blog so I'm hoping you will help me spread the Never B4 word.

Q. How will this contest will be judged?
A.  Rest assured, I will not be evaluating the entries.  I've recruited an independent judge to pick the one caption he/she feels is the most clever and brings out an interesting aspect of the picture.

Q. Are there any special rules?
A. There are only 2 rules:

1. You must enter your caption idea as a comment to this post by 12 noon (EST) on Wednesday November 19th.
2. To qualify for the $25 cash bonus you need to email the URL for this blog to one other person and copy me on that email.

This is your moment to win (who cares if it's only a Paltry Poultry Prize) so seize the day and send me a caption before Nov 19th!

Good luck!

 

Early Morning Ponies & Police

Owning a car in Manhattan means living with persnickety street parking rules or expensive parking garages.  These days, I generally opt for the street which on Tuesday meant I needed to get up extra early to move my car out of its spot or face a $100+ parking ticket. 

Two options occurred to me as I climbed behind the wheel and the sun began to rise: get a head start on the pressures of the day by going to work 2 hours early, or find a Never b4 breakfast activity instead.  Option #1 was the wise thing to do but Option #2 had challenge appeal. Where could I drive at a ridiculously early hour that was safe, interesting, new to me and was either around NYC (home) or on the way to Westchester (work) .

Drive to Rockefeller Center to see the Today Show?                          

Energizing but also headache inducing, plus parking is even harder to find and pricier in that neighborhood. Scratched that idea.

The Cloisters in the far north of Manhattan island?  

Would love to have seen the 4-acre spread overlooking the Hudson River and the medieval building, but their website said they weren't open until 9:30am.  Too late. Next?

The Prayer Booth at the Roosevelt Island Tram? 

Definitely had the bizarre appeal but I bailed on this idea too because parking presented a problem - again.

Yonkers Raceway to watch the ponies practice.    Yes!

My route to work has always taken me by Yonkers Raceway and yesterday morning I pulled in for the first time to watch a lonesome horse and rider run their paces around the track. 

 

Cars raced along the highway by behind me as I leaned on the fence and watched horse and buggy glide around the track.  They seemed like a peaceful mirage in the midst of the swelling rush hour at my back; ghosts from a time when cars didn't matter.

Ironic, I thought, that the burden of my car led me to the exact mode of transportion it replaced more than a 100 years ago.  (Can you imagine the hard time people must have had parking horses back then?)

There I was lost in thought, munching on a breakfast bar and snapping pictures and little did I know, I was being watched too.  Not long after I arrived and way before I finished snapping enough pics, the police pulled in and shoed me away. They said the owner of Empire City Gaming, the slot machine casino that now looms over the track and owns Yonkers Raceway, wasn't comfortable with me on the property while the track was closed.  No one else was in sight so I could only assume this mystery owner watched me from a spy camera somewhere.

It felt a little too Sopranos for me so I wasn't about to fight.  My magical moment was over and even though this was one of my shortest Never b4's, it certainly was one of the most peaceful...and surprising.  I only wish I could go back for more but somehow I think that Tony Soprano might remember me.

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If you have a few minutes on your hands, check out Travel & Places for other great things to see and places to visit.

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As as always, I'd love to hear your comments so click on the headline above, scroll down and add your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

Found Me a Mascot and a Cause!

Sports teams, clubs, political parties and even TV shows have mascots.  The Colbert Report has Stephen Jr. a baby bald eagle, the democrats have the donkey, republicans have the elephant, the stock market has a bull or a bear depending on the day.  So, this week I challenged myself to find a Never B4 mascot and here she is:

Sahara is the perfect mascot for this Never B4 space because...

A. She's damn cute! 

B. She's experienced many Never B4's in her 6-year life: 
        NB4 #1: she was abadoned by her family and left at a garbage dump
        NB4 #2: she was rescued by a stranger and brought to shelter
        NB4 #3: that shelter sedated her and nearly euthanized her
        NB4 #4: the stranger from NB4 #2 swooped in to rescue her again and took her to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary where she is now waiting for her ultimate NB4 - to be adopted.

C. She gives me some of the joy of having a dog in my life again (which my travel schedule, city-sized apartment and my cat have prevented until now).

D. She's also raised my awareness of the overwhelming number of pets being left behind in foreclosed homes.  Their families leave them when they're forced to move out, just like they leave old furniture or bags of garbage.  They are alone with no food and no way out. 

It's hard to believe but it's happening more and more frequently as the economy continues to turn south and foreclosures rise across the country. Owners are abandoning pets at alarming rates.  Shelters are over-flowing and animals are being euthanized more and more frequently due to limited space and money at the shelter.

Knowing there's not a lot I can do to turn the economy around, I decided to take a step to help some of the forgotten victims of our foreclosure and unemployment crises -- the pets people can no longer afford to own.  I'm sponsoring Sahara as my Never B4 mascot to help her have a better life, to help the Best Friend Animal Sanctuary that took her in and will never euthanize her and also to spread the word that these animals and shelters need all the help they can get. 

I'll be sponsoring Sahara until her ultimate Never B4 dream of being adopted comes true.  In the coming weeks, I'll post more pics of her and if anyone out there knows a family who would love to adopt her, please email me at cboyle.now@gmail.com. 

For anyone in the same situation I am (meaning: can't bring a new pet home right now) think about sponsoring one as a mascot for your family, your book club, your kid's school, your company or just for yourself. There are cats, dogs, birds, bunnies and barnyard pets like horses and even pigs. You can a sponsor a pet with a one-time $25 donation and/or you can sponsor them more frequently.  A little goes a long way.

If you or someone you know is facing the painful reality of needing to give up a pet due to economic hardships, click here to read an article from the Human Society that may make the painful process more smooth for both pet and owner. 

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I'd also like to thank all of you that followed me last week as I wrote my first real-time, 4-day novel on Twitter.  It was a real challenge but a lot of fun. 

What do you think of Sahara?  Click on the headline above, scroll down to the bottom of the page and add your thoughts in the comments section.

The Barbados Snake vs. the Barbados Monkey

The Barbados Threadsnake made headline news this week when it was declared the world's smallest snake, measuring less than 4 inches long and being thinner than a piece of spaghetti.  Ok, that's interesting but does that alone make them more deserving of positive press than the island's green monkeys?

Sure, the slithering snake can curl up on the face of a quarter but the baby monkeys curl up on their mommy's bellies (which aren't too big either).  Isn't that more of an physical feat and just WAY more cute than a snake on currency? 

Since the monkeys seem to get only bad press by pissing off farmers and being the cause of an island-wide blackout in 2006 (and since I had never seen one in the wild before), I'm writing this post to give them a bit of positive press.   After all, they make tourists  like me happy, when they bounce around our picnic tables with
nearly balled babies clinging to their bellies. Now that is something to write home about or post on You Tube. 

Oh and did I say, they're just SO damn cute?  I hope they bring a smile to your face like they did for me. 

If not and you want to see more pics of the snake, click here.

So, which do you prefer -- the monkey or the snake?  Leave me a comment and let me know.  Just click on the headline above, scroll down and leave a comment at the bottom of the page.

Where Woodcocks Fail, Porcupines Prevail

A Woodcock, how could I resist the temptation to see one of those? 

I had no idea what a Woodcock was but having read an Audubon invite to see one, I guessed it was some kind of bird.  Trying to find one fit my Never B4 bill so off I went last night in 30-degree temps to join my first-ever Audubon walk in pursuit of this phallic bird. 

As a result, I now know the basso beet...beet...beet...that I hear at dusk in the fields of Maine is that of the hungry Woodcock.  But could I point one out to you in a bird line-up?  Absolutely not. The Woodcock eluded the 15 pairs of eyes that searched the grassy field.  Sadly, the Woodcock failed to perform.

Thankfully though, a porcupine was perched nearby to please us all.  Yes, perched.  Who knew that porcupines climb high into the trees to eat bark? I certainly never knew that and I certainly never saw one in a tree until yesterday.  In the dark that had taken over the field, the porcupine could have easily been mistaken for a big bird's nest tucked in the branches overhead.  Yet under the scrutiny of our flashlights, it became clear there was a porcupine up there in the tree, looking cute but also a bit dangerous as he wobbled on the thin branch directly over our heads. 

The guides didn't let our flashlights linger too long in an effort to prevent Mr. Porcupine from falling to his  death and to save us from donning quill hats.  So, we left Mr. Porcupine to enjoy his bark and we discovered a blue-spotted salamander! 

Honestly, I'll take a prickly porcupine over a slimy salamander any day.

 

In fact, I was so enamored with Mr. Porcupine that I got up 2 hours early this morning to see if I could snap a few pics of him in the morning light.  I lucked
out and found him high in a neighboring tree, not too far from where he was the night before.  He was a lot bigger than he appeared 10 hours earlier and in the daylight, he seemed even more out of place on the budding branches. 

Yet as I write this now, I realize that as I stood in that field at dawn trying to keep my digital camera steady in my shivering hands, it was me that was completely out of place among the flittering birds, the sleeping salamander and my precarious friend, Mr. Porcupine.  Being "out of place" in that way though, was the best place for me to start my day.

For anyone that has the chance to experience a little nature today, do it.  The kind of "out of place" feeling it gives you, is worth whatever effort it takes.   Click here if you want to see more porcupine pics.