How lucky we have been to enjoy such a mild and multi-hued Autumn, with sunny days and bright blue skies. The sanctuary has been aglow with red and gold leaves, first on the trees and then blanketing the ground in a carpet of color. The fruit of the apple trees ripened into a burnished red and the sunsets reflected the glory of Autumn splendor in the still waters of the pond.
The geese have taken flight, heading in a southerly direction at the same time that a bear surprised us all by strolling through the property, leaving giant paw prints in the mud. Two foxes – one red and one gray – have been sighted from time to time, and not just by the humans. A silver gray fox came right up to the window of the special needs cat room and peered in, causing quite the stir among the feline denizens.
We’ve been busy building and expanding the horse barn and paddocks. We successfully finished the fourth stall of the barn and put it to use with the arrival of our senior pony Apache. We then turned our attention to the installation of a run-in shed in the second paddock for Mister Ed. And finally, we are creating a temporary stall in the wash area of the barn to ensure that all five of our horses have a warm and cozy place to sleep when the storms of winter arrive, dropping temperatures below zero.
Maintenance has also been a focus of our time these past few weeks. The heavy rains created a mud pit in the two paddocks, so we hauled in truckloads of wood chips and spread them over the high traffic areas, much to the relief of the horses and our caregivers, who risked losing their boots in the sinking river of mud!
The Autumn season has historically been a celebrated time of harvest, abundance and thanksgiving. We want to express our gratitude for all of our friends, donors, caregivers, and volunteers whose kindness and support have allowed us to provide a home for our thirty rescue animals here at the sanctuary. The cats, dogs, and horses who have found a new life at The Lily Pond are the souls that nobody wanted, often advanced in age and coming from various situations of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Despite their various challenges, they still have so much love to give. We are blessed.
