Doing WDW on my own again, a February 2012 PTR

[mickeystoontown]

Yay! Yay! Yay! for Newton getting adopted! I love hearing those types of stories. Oh wait, I forgot to mention the other stuff...I was so excited to hear about the adoption.

It sounds like you had a great time with the other volunteers and workers. It certainly does sound like Christina is trying to get you and Jenn to talking about relocating and really wants you to move there. I know that you would fit right in.

The cave drawings are amazing! I have seen such drawings before in Colorado and New Mexico and I am always amazed that they lasted for so very long.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Yay! Yay! Yay! for Newton getting adopted! I love hearing those types of stories. Oh wait, I forgot to mention the other stuff...I was so excited to hear about the adoption.

It sounds like you had a great time with the other volunteers and workers. It certainly does sound like Christina is trying to get you and Jenn to talking about relocating and really wants you to move there. I know that you would fit right in.

The cave drawings are amazing! I have seen such drawings before in Colorado and New Mexico and I am always amazed that they lasted for so very long.

I was so extremely happy when I heard she was taking him home! He has lived there for years since he doesn't get along with other pets. During the 5 years she worked there she took him for occasional sleepovers to get him used to her cats and chinchilla and so when she took him home he just ignores them now.

I did have a great time with everyone. Christina actually just bought a house in Kanab in September (she lives in LA) but won't be moving there for about 3 years. For now she is renting it to a friend of hers that works in horses that will be making an appearance later in my trip. I am hoping to move there in the next 2-3 years, though who knows what will happen.

And the cave drawings are amazing to me. They are over 1500 years old according to archeologists who have looked at that site.

 

[aprilisis]

Newton is SO adorable!! That is awesome that he got adopted.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Newton is SO adorable!! That is awesome that he got adopted.

He IS so adorable! And I am thrilled Sarah was able to adopt him and he is home.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I'm going to post a mini-TR update in a minute, but first I have an update on a dog you saw earlier in this trip. I have been crying happy tears all week as my absolute favorite dog at BFAS, Theresa, has been adopted and went home today! She was adopted by a former BFAS employee who retired earlier this year but still volunteers there. She has always loved Theresa and finally decided she needed to bring her home.

For those that don't remember, here is Theresa on our sleepover:

 

[aprilisis]

I'm going to post a mini-TR update in a minute, but first I have an update on a dog you saw earlier in this trip. I have been crying happy tears all week as my absolute favorite dog at BFAS, Theresa, has been adopted and went home today! She was adopted by a former BFAS employee who retired earlier this year but still volunteers there. She has always loved Theresa and finally decided she needed to bring her home.

For those that don't remember, here is Theresa on our sleepover:

That's AWESOME!!!!!!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

DAY 9 MONDAY OCTOBER 24TH​

PIGS AND AN INTERESTING LUNCH​

So I was a bad-TRer and didn't take any pictures in the morning at all for this day. I do remember that I got up early, took a shower, ate breakfast then walked down to Piggy Paradise to volunteer for the morning. I mostly did the same things I had done on Friday morning, feeding, cleaning up after them, walking a couple of them, etc. until it was time for lunch. Lunch was interesting. I had 2 choices, to have lunch at Angel Village at BFAS with some of my friends, or in town at a restaurant called Three Bears with Christina, Connie and Amanda (who are Christina's sister and neice, respectively).

I didn't feel like eating what they had at the sanctuary that day, so I rode with Connie and Amanda to Three Bears. Connie had been volunteering with pigs with me that morning, and Amanda had been at Dogtown with Jenn B, who had dropped her off at Piggy Paradise for us. We waited there and Christina arrived very upset a few minutes after we did. Apparently the other women had been bugging her a bit, asking her for her opinion on everything they did and trying to get her to organize their every minute, instead of just doing what they wanted to do on their own. They also apparently thought I was coming up to have lunch with them (which I never said) and were bugging Christina about where I was. So she was very stressed and almost ready to just leave. We calmed her down after a couple of minutes, and Yvonne, the Piggy Paradise manager, joined us. Three Bears is basically a diner kind of place, definitely not fancy or big, but good basic food. By the end of the meal Christina was fine, after hearing all about Amanda's fun walking dogs and mine, Yvonne's and Connie's antics with the crazy pigs. After lunch Connie dropped me off at my cottage and I headed to the upper canyon for my afternoon volunteer session.

That afternoon I was volunteering at CatWorld. I was told to just go to whatever building(s) I wanted since they all needed people to socialize (ie pet) the cats. My first stop was a building I had never been to in all my trips, Mondrian's House.

It is a smaller, older buildings with only 2 rooms and no real lobby. I went right in the first room and pet a lot of the friendly cats in there. And, of course, finally took some pictures that day.

Simone-Raven and Pat

Ava

Lennon

Sandy

Heart (you can only kinda see it in this picture, but that marking on her left side is a perfectly shaped heart)

Claire (left) and Abby Lake

Fifi

Once I finished in that room I made my way to the second room.

Polly (a total sweetheart)

Pixie

Left to Right: Sir Robert, Cheech, Mustang, Louie, and Ross is in the background

Enya

After I finished petting cats in Mondrian's, I headed over to my favorite building in CatWorld, Benton's House. This picture is kinda blurry, but that cat painted on the sign is Benton, one of the very first cats at BFAS.

Benton's house is home to special needs cats mostly. They all have medical issues, ranging from neurological to physical handicaps to chronic medical conditions. First up was the lobby. As this was a week before Halloween they were decorating the lobby and some of the cats

Buddy the Pirate

Koda the Pink Fairy

Tumbles. He has a neurological condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. Basically it means the part of the brain that controls balance and movement doesn't form completely, so they twitch, shake and have trouble with balance, but are not in any pain and can still live long, healthy lives. He is modelling his house that a volunteer built for him to keep him secure. He can leave it whenever he wants, but he loves to sleep and relax in it.

Madge, a distinguished old lady.

Forrest. He was born with some sort of brain damage, they never figured out just what. He was blind and had trouble relating to real life. He almost had something equivilant to autism in people. Sadly, he passed away a week after I visited with him. He was only a year and a half.

Snuffles, who was adopted along with her best buddy a couple weeks ago

And the lobby of Benton's, only halfway done!

UP NEXT: MY FAVORITE KITTY, AND MORE!

 

[aprilisis]

I love all of the cats!!! Simone-Raven & Pat are my favorites out of the bunch. Though, I would fall in love with ALL of the cats- especially at Benton's house!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

DAY 9 MONDAY OCTOBER 24TH, PART 2​

MY FAVORITE KITTY, AND MORE!
​

I forgot one daytime-only resident of Benton's house lobby, Molly.

A funny looking cat, dontcha think? Molly actually belongs to one of the caregivers and comes to work with her Mom 5 days a week and stays in the lobby. She is extremely low-key, low-energy and gets along great with cats. She has been used to test cats on their dog-friendliness for years, and just started coming to stay in the lobby during the day last year. She helps the cats get used to dogs so they are easier to adopt out. And I love that her Halloween costume was Sylvester!

After the lobby I went into the first room, home of my favorite cat. But first, some of the other kitties.

Jewel

Miss Dot (who is blind but that doesn't slow her down!)

Dennis

Lexy

Rocky (his left eye is non-functional)

Isis (don't let her beauty fool you, she is a rascal!)

Bean. Funny story with him. In there with me was a woman who was also there volunteering with no intentions of adopting another cat. She had been to Benton's a few days earlier and fell for Bean and fought it for a day before putting in an adopting application on him that was approved earlier that day. He went home with her a couple weeks later.

Then my favorite kitty, Dilly the Diva! She is paralyzed in her hind end, missing one of her back legs, and is the boss of all the other cats! She does not know she is handicapped of different and gets around get fine with her front legs only.

After playing with Dilly for a while I moved onto the next room of kitties in Benton's.

Puma

Bob, who has the distinction of the first cat approved for leash walks on a harness. Many cats can now, but Bob was the first one allowed.

Matrix

Felicity

Hermoine

Friday

Then I made it to the last room.

Billie, looking cute

Billie, trying to climb up my leg for attention

Zevon

Stormy, who is the Queen of her room.

And Aly, Stormy's right hand man

By that time it was time to go. I went back to my cottage to change then headed to Christina's house before we all went to dinner. On the way I got a picture of the caves in the canyon wall of BFAS.

We had dinner at Nedra's, an authentic Mexican restaurant in town. I had the Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce for dinner, and Fried Ice Cream with Caramel for dessert. So Yummy!

UP NEXT TIME: ZION NATIONAL PARK!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Since I probably won't be able to post again before this weekend, I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season!

I was going to try to make a card tonight of these pics, but just don't have time, so I will just post the pictures.



Phoenix

Jag

Turk (with a Hidden Mickey behind him)

Jynx

Sweetie

As I am sure you can tell, Phoenix was the only one that really liked the hat.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

[aprilisis]

I love your pet holiday photos!!! They are all so adorable!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I love your pet holiday photos!!! They are all so adorable!

Thanks! Phoenix is used to it I guess, but none of the cats were happy about it. Jag laid there with it long enough for the pic, but then ran off, Turk hated it but after chasing him around a while he finally gave up. Jynx is naturally skittish so that was the best pic I could get of her, and Sweetie had no idea why I put that hat next to her and was not going to touch it!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Just a very quick Disney update. I (finally!) paid off my upcoming trip today. I've been meaning to do it for weeks, but kept forgetting. Since the final payment was due in 6 days, I just did it while I was thinking about it. So, my room and tickets are all paid for now.

Hope everyone has a great holiday!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

​

 

[mickeystoontown]

merry christmas!

 

[aprilisis]

Merry Christmas to you, too!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

merry christmas!

Merry Christmas to you, too!

Thanks! I had a very good Christmas. I got 3 Disney shirts, a castle photo frame, a Mickey photo album for pictures for this coming trip, a Disney gift card and a Mickey hoodie. Think my family knows I love Disney?

 

[aprilisis]

I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year- Have a great weekend!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year- Have a great weekend!

Happy New Year to you too! Thanks

 

[Merida]

!! So many cat pictures! How much fun to be able to work with them. I wish we could foster adult cats as well, but our one Siamese is super possessive and is only comfortable with kittens. I think the best retirement idea ever is the man who created the whole cat village (in Florida somewhere?). It just seems like it would be so much fun to have that many animals around you!

Congrats on paying everything off! I love that feeling of everything being ready and waiting for departure day.