Busy summer days

Ranch dog Roxy likes to hitch a ride on the golf cart on these hot summer days!

     SO much has been happening this summer! Since I last posted, we have been dealing with the unrelenting heat, which is still continuing into September - a first since I moved to Montana 23 years ago. With the heat comes the flies, and we were really pretty lucky this year as the flies didn't get really bad until about three weeks ago. Now the smoky air is making it even harder. My most important tasks at the ranch are now keeping water troughs full, keeping our landscaping plants alive and fly spraying the horses and donkeys.

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     Of course, not every equine want to be caught and sprayed, so the challenge is to get close enough to get the job done. Most all of the horses and donkeys have fly masks on but we still have to spray their noses and their bodies to give them some relief. Sometimes the flies get to be too much and I have to spray myself! Cooler weather is on the way, though, and we're all looking forward to fall.

     We had a lot of fun the third weekend in August at the Celtic Games & Gathering at the Daly Mansion! We took a total of five horses and donkeys on the 20th and 21st, and as usual we got a kick out of watching people of all ages interacting with the horses. It gave us a chance to talk up the Wings Programs, sell some art and t-shirts, sign up potential volunteers and get some donations to help the horses and donkeys.

     We're pretty full up with equines right now but we still made room for a blind pony and a mule with an eye infection. You can read about them on our home page. All of this wouldn't be possible without help from our volunteers. We've got a wonderful small crew of regulars and several who drop in when they can to help out. Our next volunteer orientation is Sept. 24 at 11:00, so if you're interested in helping out please visit our Volunteer page and fill out an application.

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   An exciting happening this month is our Faces of Rescue online art auction. To view these fine art paintings of our rescues by local artist Tracy Moyers, visit https://www.32auctions.com/wingsfacesofrescue2022. This is a painting of my buddy Spike who passed away in March of this year, and I couldn't help myself...I bought it.
    
    
     We are also having a Kids Fest fundraiser on Sept. 17, 10am-2pm, at the Ravalli Fun Center, 300 Skeels Ave in Hamilton, right behind Tire Rama. Bring the kids, who will enjoy a unicorn bouncy house (I might get in there too!), face painting, balloon animals, decorating a mini-horse and a yummy food truck. For Mom and Dad we'll have a Wings information booth with a silent art auction, pictures and stories about our rescues, volunteer sign-ups and Wings t-shirts for sale. Like I said - busy summer!

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