|
|
|
|
 Program Program Donation Business Partners Thank You
 Page Page
as Pets Care Ferrets
|
|
Weasels Dancing in the Park August 2009
I have made a lovely slideshow with all of the pictures I took at the event. If you want to view it and it is blocked, click on the banner at the top of the page and click "Allow Blocked Content".
If you would rather view it separately, click here.
The long-awaited Weasels Dancing in the Park fundraiser took place on August 1st. Even though the previous week had temperatures well into the hundreds, the day of the event proved to be cooler. We also had shade from the trees, shade from the canopies, and some cooling items for the ferrets (swimming pools!). We also had a misting system that turned out to not be suited to the park (hose too short, James!). But everything turned out ok -- the ferrets were happy, nobody got heat stroke, and there was much merriment.
The Rice Dig
Well, it turns out that some of the ferrets need a little inspiration to start digging. Usually, my ferrets need for there to be a very expensive houseplant inside the planter, along with the sounds of me screaming at them to stop, to really get into digging.
However, this year, Snoball (pictured here with James) surprised everyone by taking first place. Who knew? I guess making that rice box at home for practice really paid off.
As an aside: You should know that many ferrets love to dig and would benefit from having a rice box to play in. They look like little otters as they swim and snorkle in the mix. All you need is a box and rice (the sides should be a little high to prevent the rice from showering over the sides as they dig -- I use a Rubbermaid wrapping paper storage box). Some people use those edible packing peanuts instead; some people use actual soil that has been sterilized.
Bag Bust Out
The Bag Bust Out is always a lot of fun. It's a basic intelligence test: How long does it take your ferret to ... ummm.. ferret its way out of a paper bag?
Each contestant is given a bag. The top is folded over twice, and then the bag is placed on the ground. Then you measure how long it takes for the trapped ferret to free themself. First one out wins. The winner is announced in a "Bingo" format: You shout out your name after your ferret makes its way COMPLETELY out of the bag. No tails left behind!
The final winner was my ferret Tekkie, pictured here. She is a grand escapee and very intelligent. Fortunately, she usually uses her powers for good. Usually...
Longest/Shortest Tail Event
This year, Lisa Harris' Kasper won the longest tail with a full 6-inch tail on display. This big white boy is best known for wanting to be upside-down all the time. Now he has TWO claims to fame!
For the second year in a row, Millie won the Shortest Tail title, with a tail that measured only 3/8ths of an inch long. Millie happens to be my ferret, one of my favorites. She had to have her tail amputated after she grew a tumor near the base of her tail, almost on the spine. She does have some trouble balancing on occasion, especially during a big sneeze, but generally, she functions well. I call her my "Little Polar Bear" since she resembles one so closely.
Some people accused me of having a "Ringer". But what else do you do with a tailless ferret? Besides love them dearly, of course.
The Tube Race
Always a crowd favorite, the Tube Race was fraught with excitement and anticipation. Who would be the fastest? Who would be the first? And, most importantly, who would actually exit the tube instead of turning around and becoming a fuzzy pipe clog? Many a fast and feisty ferret was thwarted from grabbing the prize due to unexpected shyness and a basic misunderstanding of how the game was supposed to go.
The ultimate winner was Mylo, a feisty new fert (only 3 months old!) whose only problem was STOPPING the game instead of going up and down the tube over and over again! Poor Kevin, caught here in mid-grasp. The glory of winning is tempered by the annoyance of catching.
The Pop Can Tip
The Pop Can Tip was also quite the crowd pleaser this year. The object of the game is for the ferret to knock over as many empty pop cans as possible in the time allotted. However, as usual, the ferrets often had different ideas of how the game was supposed to go. Some thought the object was to delicately make their way through the cans. Some thought it was to sit on the red spot until time was called. All seemed to be pretty happy with the game.
The ultimate winner was, again, big fuzzy Mylo (pictured), the new guy. After a slow start, he tipped over eight cans, which was a great showing.
Snacks Snacks Snacks!
After doing a lot of research, shelter cleaning, and preparation, Stephanie decided to put together her own table for the event. She personally solicited donations from New Seasons Happy Valley for brownies and cookies, and she put together cards depicting our shelter ferrets to give away with each sale. She also sold drinks (which became a very popular item, considering the 90 degree heat). She was also there to answer questions about ferrets for the general public.
In addition, Stephanie graciously helped my ferret, Tekkie, enter the Tube Race, which was Tekkie's favorite event. Since I was taking pictures, I thought that I would not be able to participate, and thus my ferret's heart would be broken. But Steph stepped in and took my place as Tube End Guardian. YAY!
As a result of her volunteering, her research, and her dedication to the shelter and its mission, Steph has now earned the title of True Shelter Ferret Wrangler, along with all the benefits and responsibilities that entails.
The Final Score
Here are the results for each event.
Dirt Dig Off:
Bag Bust Out:
Longest Tail:
Shortest Tail:
Pop Can Tip:
Tube Race:
The Final FINAL Score
All in all, we had about 200 attendees and made about $2600 for the Oregon Ferret Shelter. We all had a great time sharing our stories and showing off our companions while helping a good cause. We also had a great time at the auction, where we got to learn about all of the new things available in the ferret world (and about businesses that are ferret-friendly and deserve our patronage).
Because the economy has been so bad, we did not get as many donations as we usually do. Even some longtime contributors found themselves unable to give us donations. That is why it was so wonderful that we were able to make new friends and find help from places we didn't even know to ask. For example, the portrait artist Kellee Beaudry donated a free custom portrait sitting for our auction. I got to meet her, and she is just as wonderful a person as I imagined she would be. Her donation pulled in $140 for the shelter. To see her website, and maybe line up a portrait sitting for your own weasel, click here.
To see the list of other businesses who came through and were able to help us with our event, click here. Make sure and tell them how much we appreciate them!
But the fun wasn't just for us. Many people who were unfamiliar with ferrets had a good chance to learn about and appreciate our fuzzies, which is what these fundraisers and other outreaches are all about. I hope that we can continue to have these events that help bring ferrets and people together in a fun and loving way.
OREGON FERRET SHELTER E-mail The Oregon Ferret Shelter Here
LOGO OF SHELTER MASCOT JIMMY O DRAWN BY TRACY GORDON © 2010 OREGON FERRET SHELTER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR LEGAL
RESTRICTIONS USE OF THIS WEBSITE SIGNIFIES YOUR AGREEMENT
TO THE TERMS OF USE. SITE HOSTED BY: |
|||
|
|
Since anyone who has ever left a house plant within reach of a ferret has discovered that ferrets LOVE to dig, we thought that this would be a great way to use those skills in a healthy way. The object of the game was for the ferret, upon entering the planter full of rice, to dig out as much as he or she could, hopefully flinging it into the air and over the edge, where it would be caught on a tarp and weighed. The one with the most rice by weight would win. 
The rules of this contest are simple: Who has the longest tail? Who has the shortest tail? It's a lot of fun for people to compare their fuzzies' tails to other ferrets and see what is average for a weasel. Or not average! And Totally Ferret provided us with free tail-measuring devices (rulers that we could take home).
This year, we had a special volunteer to help us out. A very intelligent and compassionate student, Stephanie Stromberg, chose to do her Senior Project with us. We were very lucky and honored to have her.
