Abbey Animal Missions October 2012

If you haven't gone to my other blog to check out our latest mission please click on the link to take you there to catch up (AbbeyAnimal.blogspot.com).  We are having great fun with the Final Fixit project in St. Croix and I look forward to bringing you more news on this after we get back.  You can follow along if you click on the SPOT Location link (Abbey Animal Mission Location). I will be activating this map starting Saturday October 20 and running it through October 27. 

Abbey Animal hospital and I have donated a weeks worth of Surgery down there to help with the pet overpopulation.  This is a real problem for these islands so the idea is to develop a technique for population control on the Island of St. Croix and use it (apply it ) to help out the other islands. Since starting this project I have been witness to several peoples testimonies about witnessing heartbreaking events due to the uncontrolled pet populations…. from hit-by-cars to packs of feral dogs chasing people.  I know first hand that feral pets can wreak havoc on the indigenous wildlife populations.  We hope to get this under control. 

We are constantly looking for new missions to support so if you have an idea, please email me with the suggestion.  

Pray for our projects and thank you for your support.  Bye for now.

Robin

Tripl Tree Fly-In 2012

Flew to Triple Tree Aerodrome this past weekend with one of my flybuddies Tim.  We had a great time and decided that we would try to get our wives to join us next year.  The weather was on the wet side but the events, the meals, the unique grass runway, the great variety of planes and the friendly company of fellow pilots made up for it.  With only 5 weeks to go until take-off for the Abbey Animal Final Fixit Project in St. Croix (www.tripletreeaerodrome.com), this was a great way to test my cross country skills.  I was able to fly all the way there and back simulating IFR.

For those of you who have never been to Triple Tree (), it is an airport that is located in South Carolina near Charlotte.  It is a privately owned facility that has been used to host RC (radio controlled ) events.  There is an 8000 ft. grass runway that is smoother then most putting greens.  There are also two lakes, one of which can accommodate the float plane crowd.  The owner has a passion for aviation, especially the fabric planes and the experimental planes.  In the main hanger there is a Stearman that was the envy of the crowd.  

During the Fly-in there were many experimental aircraft on display.  The RV's were well represented and seemed to relish this environment.  I don't think that I have seen so many of them in one place at one time (of course I have not been to Oshkosh or Sun and Fun… those are in a whole other league).  But the envy of my eye was a Pitenpol experimental airplane, that looks like a great aircraft for a burgeoning builder to start with (the plans were first published in Popular Mechanics Magazine).  Tim and I (mostly Tim, but me too) are thinking of starting a project of building an all wood (metal is an optional add-on), fabric covered plane.  Tim has experience building planes and since he completed his RV-6A about 2 years ago, he is now getting the "itch" to start another plane.  I have to admit that being around so many builders and so many experimental and restored aircraft, I am also ready to take the first step and get into building.  The things I like about the Pitenpol are that its built of mostly wood, its very simple, it looks like fun to fly, and its relatively inexpensive to operate and build.  One of the premier builders put his together for about $6800… and that includes the engine!  We are trying to get about 5 partners together… that might be a tall order!  Oh well, its a journey!

One of the events included a class on working with fabric.  Jerry Stadtmiller is well known for his passion of restoring  fabric covered vintage planes.  He transplanted his operation from Florida to Andrews-Murphy Airport (KRHP) in North Carolina.  You can visit his website at (www.bipeinc.com).  

Well back to work, looking for a second cup of coffee… Pray for our projects, thanks for your support.  Robin

Two Moms in the hospital

This week has been crazy.  It all started last week when Kathy's Mum when into the hospital for being disoriented.  She has been suffering with uncontrolled Diabetes and high blood pressure for some time.  It is a wonder that she has not had more serious complications to this point.  We have had our differences (as all Mother-in-Laws are expected to have!) but I have to give her some respect for having the fortitude to turn down conventional Medicine and try to live with this disease on her terms.  She has moved and lived all over including Europe and North America (including Alaska) which is amazing for someone of her age.  I think she is used to being independent and does not like the idea of having to depend on other people to guide her life.  Unfortunately, she is at that stage in life where she will have to depend on others for help.  Please pray for us as we face difficult decisions concerning her care and recovery.  

On top of Kathy's Mum being in the hospital, Randy's Mom has also been in the (same) hospital.  She went in for surgery and has had complications with her recovery.  She has been in a lot of pain and I know that Randy is very distressed over her well being.  Last night she took an unexpected turn for the worse and we have been monitoring her very closely.  She also is a very strong willed independent person.  She has also lived all over the world and lead a very interesting life.  She has meant a great deal to her family and friends and I know there are a lot of folks that are very worried and praying for her recovery.

Also  a friend of Abbey Animal Hospital passed away this week.  Memphis was a senior Pit Bull who had Leukemia and developed complications from the drug therapy.  She had been so full of life that we couldn't believe that she was gone.  Please pray for our hospital as we mourn her passing.

Its times like this that we all have to step back and appreciate our lives and relationships.  Life is a precious gift and needs to be respected.  God does not want us to waste our lives so lets all remember to get out there and live life to the fullest.  As it is said in Psalm 90:12 "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who are in need of comfort and healing.  Bye for now, Robin.

Randy's fish and Alli onboard!

Went fishing with Randy and Brad out on the bay.  It was a perfect day and we were having fun.  They say fishing time does not count against you and this day was no exception.  We were using live minnows and a flounder rig out at the first island in the Chesapeake Bay.  The news was out and there was a parking lot out there.  Lots of great fishing.  At the end of the day we decided that we would either leave in 15 minutes or the next fish.  Just at that time Randy hooked a big one… a great end to our outing.  Got back to the dock and in the process of filleting the fish, I filleted my thumb.  Not too bad but considering my profession, it was a little embarrassing… I am supposed to be more aware of sharp objects.  Oh well, live and learn.

The Fixit project for St. Croix continues to move along.  If you want to see more, click on the link to AbbeyAnimal.blogspot.com.  Another  person committed to coming along on the trip to help out.  Alli is not only a member of my cracker-jack management teem but my daughter as well and will be a great help.  I know she is excited to be on board for this mission.  For those of you who see her at the front desk, be sure to give her your support.  Ok it's back to work and some more coffee… Thanks for all of your support.  Bye for now, Robin.

Human-Animal Bond

The Human-Animal Bond is alive and well.  Anyone that doesn't know about this has never owned a pet.  There have been countless studies proving the benefits to pet ownership.  From the stress release and decrease in heart attacks to the benefits of less asthma for children being raised with dogs and cats.  I had a visit from a father who had moved from Colorado a couple of years ago and had acquired several pet rats for his kids to soften the disruption of moving.  He brought me one of the patients Alice, who was struggling to live and needed to be eased out of her pain.  I could tell that this furry friend had been an important part of his families life and that this decision was not an easy one.  He had promised his children that he would stay with Alice to comfort her during her transition.  True to his word this father stayed with his charge to the end.  We talked about Alice's life and what she had meant to the children… "It's amazing how much these little creatures capture your heart and become a part of the family".  Through the years I have noticed that the people who own rats get very attached to them and this was no exception.  Thank you Alice. 

We are going to St. Croix in October for our Final Fix Project.  Please check out my other blog site at (abbeyanimal.blogspot.com).  This project is not only to help the pet population of St. Croix but to help the human population live more comfortably with the animals of this island (dog packs can be dangerous).  Their animal shelter is over run and they have a very high kill rate (up to %60) to keep them under control.  We are trying to control the existing population so there are not so many unwanted feral pets to be euthanized.  There are cultural differences that have to be overcome but we are making some progress.

Yikes!

Had another example of why we are going to St. Croix right here in the hospital.  This morning when we opened the doors there was a box by the front door.  One of our clients noticed it and said "what's in the box" to which Cortney replied, "what box?"  Low and behold there in a cardboard box was a bunny inside with a note on the outside.  Someone had left it out there in the hopes it would be rescued.  This bunny seemed very sweet and in need of a bath and a good home.  This one was probably an Easter Gift.  We will try to adopt her out to a good owner.  This is an example of what happens when people take on pets but can't (or won't) take care of them.  Bunnies are great pets but have been traditionally kept in a cage (Hutch) and outside.  They can be litter box trained and can be allowed to run around in the house.  They can be trained to respond to their names.  The oldest bunny I worked on was 16 years old and named Rosco... the owner said he liked to watch TV and eat Raisin Bran (with his owner!).  We had a rabbit called Pietry who would come when called.  One thing that a house rabbit needs, is to be supervised to prevent the chewing of electric cords.  For some reason they love to chew on cords, so those of you with bunnies need to make sure to take precautions.

Another Bunny to Save!

Well back to work, I have a broken K-9 tooth to repair… I think Alli is going to post that on our website.  Pray for our missions and thanks for the support.  Bye for now, Robin.

Meeting Phil

Continuing on with my quest for missions please visit my other blog to see how the Final Fix Mission is going at (Abbeyanimal.blogspot.com ).  The last couple of days have been very interesting.  Met an amazing person named Phil Bracco.  He is the author of a book called Living for Game Day (Livingforgameday.com )He is a three time (at least) cancer survivor.  His story was very inspirational and I recommend it for anyone about to go through some hard times… that would be all of us at one point or another.  

A couple of pups we delivered, doing great!

I met Phil at the gym where I go to try and recapture some of my youth.  It sounds crazy but at 54 the tide has turned on me and its all I can do to swim against it.  I read another great book called Younger Next Year.  In this book the authors talk about youth being like the ocean tide.  When you are young the tide is flowing in and you are able to float along with it to remain fairly functional.  As you age the tide becomes slack and you might have to swim a little to make any gains.  As the tide starts to go out it is very important to start your swim against the tide to keep your quality of life.  They talk about this time of life being the "last third".  I don't know if I like the thought, but being a Christian I think of it as only closer to the start of a better life!  I do think that God calls on us to remain active so we can accomplish more things while here on Earth.  I think that part of it is living a healthy life style… I can't say that I am always successful at following my own advice but I like the idea.  By the way the two authors that are writing this book include a senior citizen of 77 and his Doctor.  Both of them give sound reasons for why its important to keep moving.  I hope some of you will find the same inspiration in this book that I did.  I see the benefits of regular exercise every day!  Another book that fits well with this book is called the TNT Diet.  It talks about how to rearrange your body, and how diet is very important.  They provide some sound advice on how to loose fat and gain muscle.  Being in the medical profession, I know that the body becomes accustomed to a certain weight and will fight to maintain that weight so it is much easier to rearrange weight then to loose it.  I like the book because it shows you how to eat with the foods at your local grocery store.  The diet is surprisingly easy (not at first but then most things worth doing take some effort!) and effective.  It also lays out an exercise program that will help you achieve your goals.

Ok, well on with the next adventure!  I look forward to talking to Phil more and tapping in on his Zest for Life!  Pray for our missions and stay Active!  Bye for now, Robin.

My BFR with Daniel

In Case you are joining this blog for the first time, you can read more bout it in previous posts.  One main purpose is to follow our progress towards the various missions we are preparing to do.  Currently we are preparing for The Fix St. Croix mission of pet population control in October.  Please check out my other blog at AbbeyAnimal.blogspot.com for more information on this mission.

Daniel

Here it is June of 2012 and time for my BFR (biannual flight review).  For those of you who do not fly, this is a "tune up" that every pilot is required by the FAA to do every 24 months.  This review is a great chance to get together with a Certified Flight Instructor and have them review your piloting skills.  It helps check your ability to fly the plane controlled in tricky configurations.  These configurations occur when setting up to land and when taking off.  These areas of operation are well practiced in the pilot population… so, while they are the most demanding of the areas of operation, they are also the most familiar to pilots.  After all, its really important to have a safe take off to start your flight and a safe landing after having a beautiful (or any) flight.

To accomplish my BFR I had to find a flight instructor… not very hard to do at an airport.  That's when I met Daniel Williams.  He is a young energetic instructor out at Eads Flight School at Hampton Roads Executive Airport (named after Mr. Eads a legend at the airfield).  Tom Stevens (who helps keep me flying) taught him to fly so I know I can trust him.  After introductions we headed out to the Cherokee Six to get started.  After the pre-flight check of the plane, we were taking off and heading to the practice area for some slow flight and steep turns.  This type of flying is not normal but is always a lot of fun for me.  I suspect that if you were not comfortable with flying, one might not enjoy the slightly odd attitudes that the plane is put in (but I find it quit exhilarating).  We practiced some slow flight at 3000 feet (where recovery is easy) and experienced the "buffeting" of the lift when the plane is about to stall.  This is called a "power-off stall".  It is very important to get this sensation so you can correct the plane if you feel this while flying at 200 feet (not as much time to recover).  The next maneuver we practiced was a "power-on stall"… you guessed it, this is a maneuver that simulates take off conditions.  This type of stall is a little more exciting as you slow the plane down to take off speeds and put full throttle on while pulling the yoke back until you stall.  This can take some time and the nose of the plane is usually very high.  It feels like you are going to fall over backwards.  The buffeting started and I was able to recover quickly (without loosing altitude).  OK now we moved on to the  next airport to practice the soft and short field landings (that's a story for another time).  Then it was back to Hampton Roads for a simulated power outage landing and then some ground schooling.  We discussed the effects of Lift and Drag and all the different types of Air Space.  All in all I feel more confident in my piloting skills thanks to Daniel's instructions.  Ok, am good to go for another 2 years!

Well have had some delicious coffee this morning and even though it's Saturday I am off to work at the Hospital.  Lots of my furry friends need to be seen!  Pray for our projects and thanks for your support.  Bye for now, Robin.