This blog is dedicated to my Rhino family: Momma, D, Trace and Saralicious...oh yeah and Turd Ferguson too...
Some inquiring minds want to know....some don't...so here you go....
First I get the truck keys and a radio. Then I go to the kitchen to get treats and bananas. (Sometimes the rhinos need an extra banana for my breakfast so I get that too...) Then I go to the Station and shift the boys (Forrest and Kayin) down. Then I put the tools in the back of the truck and pull the truck onto the habitat. Then I clean. I like to sweep the pad. I hate the poop hole...it hurts my back. I like to rake. I do NOT like to clean the water trough. I put the hay and grain out and then I lock up and shift the boys back to their breakfast. Then we pull the truck around to Chai's side and shift him in the barn (hopefully it isn't a barn day because I HATE cleaning the barn!). Then we pull the truck in there and drive around to all of the poop piles which are incredibly annoying. Then we clean them up along with the hay and I rake WAY TOO MUCH just to annoy everyone and because I am anal. If Tracy tries to clean the water trough I get annoyed because it takes FOREVER. But I love when she rakes anally with me! If Kristin drives the truck away before I'm done raking I yell at her. If Derek throws the poop on his pitchfork over his shouder instead of in the truck, it makes me want throw him in the mud hole. If Sara hoses something, I might scream. And god forbid we see any damn spiders!!!!! Ok, onward. Feed the whiny rhino and then we're out of here. To compost with the poop!!!! Moving right along to Rhino Rally. Pull in the electric gate that squeaks way too loud and needs oil. DON'T FORGET TO WASH THE STUPID TIRES!!!! Then get out and give someone hay through the cables and load the truck OR pick a stall and start opening the gates...your choice. Shift the rhino (Tim or Jethro) in. Get the tools. Drive the truck on hab. Maybe help 412 herd the three impala in. Clean. Feed. Drive out. Pull around. Shift the OTHER rhino back out. Clean the messy stalls. Make sure all of the gates are locked. Drive around and clean the tires. Go to compost and dump the truck. Go to Wild Whites (Tambo, Kisiri, Malaika, Mlelani and Sidd or Dakini or Dakarai or whatever the HELL her name is!!). Maybe bleed them first, maybe not. Depends on what day it is and who's there. Watch me, I will get blood EVERYTIME though! GET THE WHEELBARROW or momma might get mad ;-), call 499 and tell them those rhinos are going out on the North Veldt and then shift them out! Then we drive to Black Rhinos. Shift the girls into their respective barns. Get the tools on the truck. Drive the truck on hab (without scratching the side of the damn truck on the fence like I did!) and clean. Sara will hose the pad or Tracy or Sara will scrub the water hole. Tracy will ALWAYS fill the mud hole...she rocks that. After we clean the hay we clean the poop, then some more poop, then some more hay, then the barn(s). Then we put the rhinos where they go and then we leave. Guess where we go? THE DUMP AGAIN! After that it damn well better be close to lunch time because we are ALL STARVING BY NOW. If it isn't lunch time, we might go do a hay run. After lunch its all up in the air. Do what needs to be done. (Tours, browse cutting, fix broken stuff, mow or weed eat, fill mud holes, weigh or bleed rhinos, seps, RELATE SESSIONS, enrichment, etc.) Sometimes all that needs to be done is a little team bonding over some homemade TOO SWEET but delicious Gatorade in the Station Office. This is very important.
Some important things to know about how I do my job though...if I complain about something like being hot or having to clean a barn, it doesn't mean I am having a bad day or that I like my job any less. It just means, I need to say it out loud so you know and then I am done and happy to go and do said thing I am not bouncing off of the walls about. I don't need to be reminded that it could be worse. I am well aware of the fact that I have one of the most amazing jobs in the world thank you very much. Also, if there is not music on in the background of WHATEVER I am doing, preferably MY music, but any music will usually do just fine, then I WILL be crabby and it WILL NOT be "a good day" Oh yes, and 3:00PM will come at the same time no matter what. Thank you. That is all.
P.S. We are a family and we stab each other in the front NOT THE BACK! :-)
