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Our Outdoor Play Yard This is the play yard that our kids get to play in. Many of our shelter friends allow their fur kids to play in our play yard. |
The play yard was built for the kids to have a place to play without leash and harness. The wall is 30" high made of interlocking silo blocks. Each block weighs about 65 pounds. Shelter friend Deb F., her husband, son, and Shelter Mum put it up in a day. This is the same wall that Strong like Bull Trevor came to help fix before Clinic Day 2007, because it started to fall apart.
Boy Scouts Troop 43, June 4, 2017:
WOO HOO! Check it out cyber friends and shelter supporters. Some of the Boy Scouts from Troop 43 spent the day at the shelter painting our play yard getting it spiffed up for our Annual Ferret Fuzzbutt Tune-up and Picnic. The two older boys are the boy scouts earning badges, the 2 younger boys are cub scouts earning volunteer time. The adult is the committee member for the scouts and dad of the little girl.
The crew ran out of paint so the inside of the play yard will have to be done at a later date.
The scouts wanted to bring some ferrets out to the play yard before they left, Mum grabbed Jax and Penelope - they were handy to grab. Neither ferret has ever been in the play yard. Jax and Penolope thought it was really cool to get to play in the high grass and run though tubes
Miss Donna D got the grass cut after the scouts cleaned up and left for the day.
Okay, time to bounce,
Lance
Sarah & Daisy's letter, 2014:
Hey cyber friends we are sad, and we need your help in some decision making. Mum went out to her van and found our play yard has fallen apart. See pictures she took.
The play yard was getting rickety last summer and Mum and Miss Ili tried to fix it on their own. Only each one of the play yard blocks weighs 65 pounds and they interlock so it is necessary to left them high to interlock them. Not something Mum and Miss Ili were able to do.
So now our play yard is unusable broken; well as far as Mum is concerned, we fur kids would have no problem at all scooting out that open section to play in the high grass and even check out the creek way out back.
Mum is thinking of throwing up her hands and letting the play yard go, we fur kids don't want to lose our play yard and we know a lot of you out there have been here; you and your fur kids spent time in our play yard. What we are looking for at this time is feedback do we beg Mum to fix it or do we keep quiet and just let it go?
From what we can get out of her "over heard" conversations is that it is not money that we need to fix it; it is physical labor lots of people all on the same day with good strong arms and backs. Stronger than Mum's and Miss Ili's. We need Strong humans to lift, move and secure with more humans to hold as we progress around the ring locking the blocks together and getting the cables up into place and tightened.
We are looking for feedback from you if you want and are willing to help us keep our play yard for us and all of you to use.
Email us here so we can see if you are interested in helping us talk Mum into saving our play yard or letting it go.
A very sad day at the ferret farm shelter
Sarah and Daisy
Update #1:
Wow are we lucky fur kids or what?
The folks that responded to our decision making about the play yard gave us positive feedback and have offered to help, up to and including making and baking goodies for the volunteers.
Our Miss Brie set up a poll for Daisy and I to allow the folks that want to help. Please take a look at when we can do it ( in nicer weather of course) so if you will go to the link, you can pick what works best for you, then Mum and Miss Brie will tally the votes and let you know what month and day we have the most volunteers that can meet up to help fix our play yard.
Me and Daisy are so happy and excited that our cyber friends and volunteers want to keep our play yard going as much as we do. Thank you, thank you for helping us keep our play yard going!
Sarah and Daisy grateful to have such loyal shelter friends
Update #2:
Sarah and Daisy here with the news on the play yard fix dates. The votes are in, May 17th and 18th are the two dates that most people can join us to fix the play yard. Since they are the same weekend we are going to make it the 17th but a rain date on the 18th.
Mum figures if the weather is bad then we have a second date to work with. So put the 17th of May on your calendar to help us get our play yard back!
Thank you, thank you for helping us get our play yard back. 2 very grateful ferrets passing on the word to the rest of the shelter kids, Bandit and Gambit will get to see what it is like to play outside because of you!
Sarah and Daisy
Update #3:
We have 2 pictures - one Mum took of everyone after they all ate lunch, Mum wanted to get an early group picture so she could include everyone, then if anyone needed to leave before the job was done she would have them documented as being here to help get the play yard fixed.
The other picture is who was still here at the end of the day of completion, and the cheering that they got it done. That was a lot of hard, heavy, grueling work. A lot of discussion as to how to go about doing it, Miss Engineer Brie, and Mr. Bob Blair, Mr. Clair Fox, where the brains of the project, however everyone involved had a voice, idea and suggestion but they generally followed the brains of the crew.
The flooding we had on Friday was well timed because the crew needed fill to put in front and behind the blocks as they were set. They had plenty of fill right behind the play yard. Miss Janette, Miss Donna, Miss Ili and Master Reilly did most of that hauling with the wagon. Mr. Charlie and Mum got the Dry-lock out of the basement and got that mixed so they could start covering the blocks the crew was not working on. Miss Mia, Miss Mary Ellen, Master Reilly and Mum did some painting.
Each time Mum got in the middle of things she was told to go find something to do...(nicely) So Mum primarily did the grunt work fetching the things the crew needed when they needed it.
To say we fur kids are blessed to have such an awesome work crew, and many supporters to be sure everyone was fed, hydrated and protected with proper equipment is an understatement. We hope you enjoy the pictures we have included. Miss Loana and Mum took a lot of pictures so when Mum gets them sorted she will share with Miss Tori so she can get them on our web site for all to see. She got a short video too she will share if she can.
Thank you everyone for your part in getting our play yard fixed and ready for us to use this summer! We love each and everyone of you!
Sara and Daisy
Possum's original letter, 2010:
Suzie, did you know our play yard is falling apart? Mum was told we need to get the blocks covered with waterproof stuff or our play yard is going to be all gone soon. Mum and Miss Sue B. put a campaign together, with our assistance of course, to help us save our play yard. The stuff Mum has to buy is called Dry-Lok and it costs lots of money for a gallon of it so we are going to need help getting enough to fix our play yard. Mr. Harry put the pictures and explanation here.
Dry-Lok needs to cover each of the blocks to stop it from crumbling and falling apart. It costs $27 per gallon. There are 127 blocks that need to be covered.
If you wanted to help save one block of our play yard, the donation would be $1.50, and if you wanted to come to paint the stuff on YOUR block you can write your name or draw a pretty picture on that block!
For more information and pictures, click here.
So what do you say? Can you please help save our play yard? PLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAASE!
Possum and Suzie Q
The Topsy Turvy Ferrets in Alaska (especially Odie-1-Kanodie), respond:
The PLAY yard? THE play yard? One of our favorite spots in the world? What do you mean it is falling apart? Oh, no! THAT can NEVER be allowed to happen!
For those of you who don't know, Odie was delivered to Brenda by the people who surrendered him. Without her help, he may have been allowed to remain the escapee he became the night before he was scheduled to be delivered to her. The humans didn't want him and delayed meeting me by about a month before I requested that he be left at Brenda's. The night before he was delivered he escaped. The humans found him under a car in the parking lot. I strongly believe that had they not had someone waiting for him that Odie would have been allowed to remain "missing."
Brenda lives in New York and has a HUGE yard. It is a favorite stop of ours as we traveled from points west to return to Connecticut and Massachusetts, while I was living in New England. There were many days that we would pull in and the ferrets would bound out of the car and into the play yard. It was always a great break for both ferrets and humans alike. Refreshing, invigorating, fun. And of course Odie, the escape artist, was able to leap out without missing a beat by using the turtle sand box as a springboard. Nobody else has done that, I understand. And, we moved the sandbox closer to the center of the play yard! lol
Now it appears this haven is in need of repair. The Topsy Turvies (Odie, Skitch, Isadora & Duncan) will be contributing to the repair, remembering all the fun times we have had there. Several others from the Poop-in-the-Corner-Gang and the Too-Few Crew will be dooking and playing in the play yard at Rainbow Bridge. So, Possum & Suzy Q, get ready for work. Let's get the play yard repaired!
-- Renee Downs
Our play yard angel, Sheilla, contacts the Shelter on September 29, 2010:
Hello, I came across your site looking at nearby shelters for ferrets (I have one; he is with my parents in Florida, in the meantime). What is the state of the play yard? What help is needed? Best, Sheilla
Sheter Mum's response:
Good morning Sheilla, it is nice to hear from you. Actually we need to get more Dry-Loc to cover some of the blocks that have peeled. It just has not been in the budget this summer. Thanks for checking in with us. I gather you are not in Florida at the moment? If you are in upstate NY we would love for you to stop in to play with some fur kids. Brenda
Sheilla's Response:
Hi Brenda, I spoke with Ace Hardware and the rep, Bob, informed me that Ace Hardware only delivers to their stores. Let me know. I know that winter is coming up and the sooner the better to get these up to you.
Regards, Sheilla
Sheter Mum's response:
How about this Sheilla... Wilcox Lumber here in Naples, they carry it, and they know me. If you talk to Ed I would bet he could help you get this done. If you do not mind calling our local hardware that would work better for me. Let me know what you want to do, I will do what you wish to do. - Brenda
Sheilla’s Response, September 30, 2010:
Brenda, I'll call Ed today and speak to him. Thanks for your help.
Sheilla
Sheter Mum's response:
You are a blessing Sheilla!
Sheter Mum's second response:
Sheilla - I found a message from our hardware last night when I got in from work that the Dry-Loc had been purchased. I went down this morning to pick up the Dry-Loc. You are such a blessing to me and the kids! Shirley said it was a pleasure to speak with you and help you get this done for us. Thank you so much for helping us preserve our play yard! - Brenda