Monthly Archives: April 2016

Another amazing day! It is always amazing when we are on vacation to be able to get up early and have a good physical workout to start the day. So that is “AMAZING #1”. AMAZING #2 was the surprise of going to: “MCCARTHY’S WILDLIFE SANCTUARY”. This is a Non-Profit Sanctuary “…dedicated to the preservation and protection of native and exotic animals of all types.” It is astounding to realize there is so much need , and may be in other areas as well, to rescue so many exotic animals. Many people buy them as pets when they are babies, only to discover that they are not equipped to care for the animal’s needs when the animal reaches maturity.

This Sanctuary is somewhat similar to the Busch Sanctuary, which we visited several days ago, in as much as both facilities provide rehabilitation for abandoned, abused, or injured animals of many species. The difference is that the McCarthy’s facility is actually housed in the yard of Mark McCarthy who opened the sanctuary many years ago. It has grown to house many animals, has a full time staff that works with the animals to help them rehabilitate and be returned to the wild when possible. Quite a few of the animals are permanent residents. I have never been so close to such wild animals. The only barrier was a draped rope surrounding a cyclone fence enclosue. Some of the enclosures actually have chain linked ceilings as wells. The posts of the fence and the chain link are 6 feet deep and the posts are embedded in cement. This is not your run of the mill chain link fence that surrounds residential homes.

The Lion stands to over 11 feet high when fully stretched upward on hind legs. The tour guide would be on the outside of the fenced area and would offer the lion a morsel of meat from a long prong so they it would display its highest reach.

We walked around the rehabilitation center in a group of about twenty or twenty five people following the tour guide. The tour guide stopped at each cage and enclosure that was open to the public and explained why the animal was at the center, how long it has been there, and what the center is doing to rehabilitate it. Not all animals can be returned to the wild. It was fascinating. The owner, Mark McCarthy, was not there today because he was presenting one of the animals at a teaching seminar out of town. One part of the Sanctuary’s endeavor is to save animals and educate the public about the animals. They do not breed the animals, nor do they neuter the animals. Many are endangered species and should they need to be bred the animals will be “fully equipped”.

There was also an extensive collection of exotic and dangerous snakes. Some were purchased for teaching purposes and many were those rescued from having been abandoned by owners who no longer wanted to care for them. Florida’s Eco system is in great stress due to all the pythons that have been let loose in the Everglades. As the tour guide told us, “When you damage one area of the Eco system, all the areas of the Eco system become damaged. They find this especially true with species that are not native to this habitat and therefore have no predator available to keep them in control. When the pythons are abandoned they produce prolifically and as a result there are many species of large cats and other animals that are now near extinction. I will include some brochure info and pictures about the Wildlife Sanctuary. The visit to the animal sanctuary was well worth our time! I recommend that you consider the Sanctuary if you re in the Palm Beach area.

Rebecca is working this evening. She has taken so much time off with us being here. It has been great to have her with us so much but I suspect it is difficult for her work place to be without her.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Florida as we plan to travel north on Sunday. We’ll be staying at an Airbnb Sunday night in Charleston, South Carolina. On Monday we will then travel to North Carolina to visit our friends Sandra and Scott for two nights.

Our visit to the West Palm Beach area has been an awesome experience. One thing that makes it great, besides the company of our daughter, son-in-law, and grand-dogs, is the fact that we have a car with us since we did not travel by air. When Rebecca and Neil are working we are able to take off and GO…GO…GO… And that is just what we did! I know my blogs may seem long at times, but believe me, I leave way more information out than that which I write about.

THE HIGHWAY OF LIFE

By Kathleen Martens

April 8, 2016

To be rid of all our baggage

That seems to tie us down

Seems like it would be so awesome,

Footloose and no longer bound.

All the stuff we collect

Someday will mean but naught,

All becomes obsolete

And no longer will it be sought.

As we age ideas change.

The importance of what we own

No longer ranks above our freedom.

All I need is a car and a phone.

To go where the wind blows

That’s really what life is about.

To experience life in the now.

From the rooftops I want to shout.

Set me free on the highway of life

To explore, discover, and yearn,

Not for all the luxuries of life,

But from experience in which to learn.

This poem was inspired by words which Neil (my-son-law) said to me a short while ago. We were talking about the Sanctuary excursion we experienced today, and he said it so beautifully when he commented that life and all the things we’ve collected in life just become obsolete. He said life is lived through experiencing it, not staying home to take care of all we have accumulated. Neil and Rebecca are world travelers. For Rebecca it began when she went to Japan for almost a year as a foreign exchange student in 1992 and 1993. When Rebecca returned, she was all grown up. She had tasted the world and the world has beckoned her since that time. We perceived a noticeable change in her because of her unique experiences.

Rebecca does not like clutter or disorder of any kind, chooses to live in a small efficient home, and takes off when the opportunity presents itself. She and her husband have sky-dived, snorkeled, sailed, lived on a ship for several years, traveled through many countries on several different occasions, and even comes to see us up in Wisconsin once in a while when work allows. They are both interesting to talk to and know so much more in their short lives by living their experiences, rather than staying home to “take care of their stuff”. They live a life rich in experience, work hard, and enjoy learning about the world on a firsthand basis. Well, it took a lot of years for opportunity to present itself to Dave and me. I do believe I am ready to take hold of it. Rebecca has probably taught me so much more than I have ever taught her. I LOVE YOU DARLING DAUGHTER! I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO BE YOUR MOTHER!

Thank You God for all the opportunities of life you place before us.

Thank You Lord for seeing the handiwork and magnificence of your creation up close today.

Thank You Lord that there are those in the world who care about the amazing animals you have created.

Thank You for the lessons children teach their parents.

Thank You for the sanctuary of our daughter’s home.

Thank You for providing a sanctuary for Your animals as well.

And God…thank You for peanut butter!

HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE DAY AND GOD BLESS YOU!

P.S. Be certain to scroll down through “OLDER POSTS” to see all the photos I logged on today.

Posted in Travel Log

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