Tigers and True Friends

For once, I am having a tough time finding the words that I want to write. March 23-25, 2021, was such a perfect weekend that words, at least my words, cannot possibly convey how amazing it was. These ladies right here ("Da Moms") are the best friends anyone could hope for, and I don't have to hope because their friendship is solid fact. They took a weekend out of their busy lives to come with me to a place that meant so much to Dave, Jadyn, and me--Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, AR. I knew I could not go back there the first time by myself without Dave, especially when I found out that the staff at TCWR placed a brick in memory of David in Bam Bam's courtyard. I couldn't face that alone. I mentioned it to these awesome women, and they ALL said yes, they would come. Now, if you know these ladies, getting all of them together at the same place at the same time is like herding cats (pun very much intended). But they did it, for me, and hopefully had a lot of fun and made a lot of memories while doing so.

I look pretty rough in the photo above. Truth is, I was fighting back tears. We had just finished our awesome tour and had found Dave's brick.

These friends/sisters were right there with me, giving me the space I needed but being close enough to support me in every way. They were silent when I needed; they spoke words of love and encouragement when I needed. They hugged me plenty. They laughed and teased a lot. Again, just what I needed. And they literally picked me up after one picture when my foot slipped on the damp sidewalk while I was getting up and down on the bricks I went. I definitely was much loved.

In case you're wondering what the teasing was about, look at the brick below Dave's. "Forever loved Momma Kitty." I immediately said, "By the way, I am NOT Momma Kitty." From that moment on, I was known as "Comma Momma Kitty." This bright bunch must get the punctuation correct. LOL!

We had a wonderful time in downtown Eureka Springs. We ate, shopped, walked, and laughed. These two pics pretty much sums up our merry little band. We literally took one pic, turned about face, and took the other one.

(In case you're wondering, check out the signs.)

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my! These are just a few animals we were able to see on our tour of TCWR. Chief, the lion, was rescued in September 2020 from a facility in Indiana that had been shut down after a federal court ordered the removal of the animals. According to TCWR's Annual Report, when they rescued Chief, he was "barely clinging to life" but look at him now! When we were on our tour, he had that red ball and was walking back and forth by the fence just as happy as could be. And he often leads the caroling every night. What a wonderful sound! Chief is just one of MANY success stories TCWR can boast. They also are the only ones that we know of to have treated a tiger with chemotherapy. Last year during a routine wellness exam, BB King was found to have a rare cancerous growth on his tongue. They took the chance, treated him, and he is doing great. What an amazing place!

Meet Emily McCormack, Animal Curator of TCWR. She came up to the lodges on Saturday night to talk with our group about the mission of TCWR, various rescues they have done, and answer all of the questions we had. Of course, we had food and drink. They call it a charcuterie board; I call it adult lunchables. We had a blast! Emily stayed for over 3 hours, and by that time we were telling all sorts of stories that had nothing to do with animals. She asked if we wanted a "behind the scenes" tour the next morning, and we jumped at the chance. She took us to their hospital and to Rescue Ridge where the retired animals get to live out their lives on more level ground than on the tour loop. When we got back, she opened the gate for us to walk down the bear tunnel. This has been closed to visitors since the pandemic. As always, it was fabulous. Emily is a great guide! If you ever get to go to TCWR and they are able to provide the private tours again, Coffee with the Curator is well worth the price. That's what Dave, Jadyn, and I did the first time we went and what made us all fall in love with the place.

Yes, Emily, you are an honorary member of Da Moms. Your animals count.

The sunset was beautiful. The weather was perfect. The companionship was incredible.

God, I absolutely love these women and thank you for putting them in my life!