Yesterday was my first day volunteering at Oaken Acres Wildlife Center.  It specializes in rescuing and rehabilitating wild animals to send them back TO the wild.

I fed raccoons.  Shoveled gravel.  Fed raccoons.  Mopped and swept the floors. Fed raccoons. Washed the dishes.  Fed raccoons.  Broke down and washed out cages.  Fed raccoons.  Shoveled and raked and carted more gravel to expand the driveway.  Fed raccoons. Fed a tiny Eastern bluebird... or grackle... we're not certain, really.  With an eyedropper. Every fifteen minutes.  Fed raccoons.  Fed possums.  Fed raccoons.  Fed bunnies.  Fed possums. Fed raccoons. Fed baby squirrels.  Fed raccoons.

Side note: feeding raccoons involves first holding them up and rubbing their bellies with tissue while they scramble and scratch until they churr and purr and go to the bathroom, because otherwise they will not.  Normally it is their mother's job to make sure they do, you see.  Then you take syringes full of mixture, which varies from milky paste to a chunky blend depending on their age and size, and try to convince them to suck it down instead of wearing and sharing it.  All while they are trying to climb you every way they can.  They had probably around twenty, twenty-five raccoons and I was there for two-three feedings, depending on which batch.  So when I keep saying I fed raccoons, I FED RACCOONS.

I also met Vinnie the Turkey Vulture and introduced him to several groups of visitors bringing in injured or orphaned animals.  And Zorro, our only raccoon that can be outside right now.  They don't normally do lots of tours, since they don't want to get the animals worked up, but it's early in the baby season and pretty slow yet.

Saw their snowy owl and great horned owlet and screech owl, a baby cardinal and young robin.  Vinnine, Snowy, and the screech are all permanent residents due to various injuries.

Kept a watch on a pair of goslings placed in side-by-side runs outside; they hate each other, and it is hoped they'll eventually get over that.  Brought them inside later to tuck away.  Helped with the intake of an injured rabbit, and a box of orphaned ones, and an orphaned squirrel, and a couple of ducklings, one injured.

Another aside: the possums were rescued when a motorist stopped, walked over to a dead possum on the side of the road, reached in and checked her pouch.  Twelve live babies, all now at Oaken Acres.

My muscles ache.  My arms and hands are massives of scratches and blisters.  I zonked out completely upon getting home, after barely having the coordination left to get undressed.  Totally worth it.  Going back next Friday for eight to eleven more hours.