So I keep thinking of things to post about but then forgetting to actually post because we are getting done so late BUT here is a brief one! I will probably post tomorrow because it is my first day off, but for those of you wondering how my life is going, here goes. I keep forgetting to take pictures but I might do that tomorrow and then post because that is much more interesting. For now, here is a brief "day in the life" of a wildlife rehabilitator!
First let me set the scene; I am currently living in the apartment above the clinic with 2 other girls (both very nice and helpful) who are the previous interns and are training me.

My days thus far:

6:15am - rise and shine! It is still dark at this hour which is hard because it seems utterly unnatural to be up before the sun (and it is)

7am - must be down in the clinic to start work

morning, mid-day, and evening - putting out food for wild deer and birds, feeding and cleaning the cages of outdoor songbirds, hawks, squirrels, possums, raccoons, and cleaning and feeding indoor hawks, songbirds, turtle, deer, heron, and mouse (indoor animals are receiving extra care like medication or are being force-fed)

- animals are cleaned and fed/checked on 3 times a day (7am, noon, and 4 or 5pm
- birds (not including owls and hawks) are checked 4 times (7am, 11am, 2pm, and 5pm)
- hawks and vulture fed and cleaned twice a day (10am and 3pm)
- owls once a day (4pm) - hopefully before it gets dark or its freakin scary in there with all the hooting and hissing
- some animals get force fed, medicated, or bathed a few times a day
- other stuff includes answering the phone, taking in any new animals and assessing them/making up a cage for them, and chatting with the owners adorable 7 year old daughter Willow
6-7pm - take out trash, wipe down counters, sweep and mop floors, dump out wash water, put out food for wild raccoons, give all animals last check
7pm -DONE if all goes well

SO there is a day in the life basically. I think I might start doing little blurbs about the various animals in upcoming posts (more for me to remember them than for anything else, but also because there are some AWESOME animals here). Anyway, I leave with some favorites and least favorites:

Favorite things so far
- the 3 gulls and 1 duck that run around free in the clinic and "talk" to you throughout the day (I especially love the duck)
- the unfortunate baby deer who I think I have fallen in love with (more to come later on that)
- the 2 adult wild turkeys who are tame and follow you around outside causing mayhem like tipping over ANYTHING you leave you, sitting on the cars, stealing food, and pecking your butt when you aren't paying attention!

Least favorite
- force feeding the hawks (I am bad at it and they scare me...)
- handling the birds in general (they have delicate bones and I am terrified to hurt them)
- mopping (I just hate mopping)

The End! (for now)