Spring 2020

The Times They Are a Changin’!

Mother’s Day is coming and we are busy planning! Amberations will be hosting a fun Mother’s Day celebration again this year! We have been busy creatively adapting our event to conform to any safe distancing considerations. We are proud of what we have come up with. We have not just retained all of the Fun, we have added even more.

Let’s start with the Duck Race! Our 100 yellow rubber ducks were bathed, groomed and shipped off to the photo studio. You are able to view the selection and choose your very own contestant on our website right now, and right up until Mother’s Day. The race will take place on Mother’s Day, May 10th, where it always has - in the small stream in front of our barn. We will have a camera crew on hand and plan to live stream the event for enjoyment from near or far. In keeping with tradition, the first three ducks to go over the falls win prizes. If our virtual platform brings in more support than usual, we will stage more races. The first race will be at noon and we already have some great prizes in the works. E-certificates and gift cards will be among them so even distant friends and relatives can join in the fun.

Local musicians Harvey Nusbaum and Alex Coursen will be staging alive performance of their lovely new duet called AaH, pronounced “Ahhhh.” Their unique material is mostly from the traditional Irish tradition with added pop and even classical. With Harvey’s sense of rhythm, some of the borderline classical and Irish pieces take on a very unique folksy style of their own. This performance is one you will not want to miss. We believe it to be a perfect complement to any Mother’s Day celebration. We will live stream AaH on our Facebook page at 6pm and plan to offer a unique avenue for audience feedback.

Additionally, we hope to inspire everyone to get outside and participate in our first ever photo contest. While we enthusiastically invite you to choose Amberations for your photo shoots, we will welcome submissions from anywhere to be sure we support any safe distancing concerns. It will be fun to include friends and family from other places in this event so please share the news. There is a nature theme and you can start right now. Step out into nature, look around and connect with the abundance of calm and beauty surrounding you. Snap a picture with your phone or camera and share it with the world at my.360photocontest.com/amberations. Take‘a minute to vote for your favorites, This platform will be live until 6pm on Mother’s Day, May 10th-so be sure to check back often. Oh, and there will be prizes!

Animal Update

We are sad to report that we lost three family members this winter. Our white pygmy goat Boo, our very first goat, succumbed to old age. After numerous trips to the vet and various medications we also lost Luna, our bunny. Shadow, our calico kitty, passed away as well. Shadow had been with us almost fifteen years. We are thankful for the long lives they each enjoyed and the fond memories so many of us are left with. We have two new kitties at the barn, Amber and Midnight. Amber is an orange boy with lots of personality. Midnight, as you might suspect, is all black. A little shy at first, Midnight is a total sweetie pie. Our guinea hen, Survivor, has bonded with them both. Survivor chirps up a storm whenever she perceives a threat to her new kitties so be prepared when you visit
if Survivor doesn’t know you, her volume can be quite startling.

Big Joe is doing well as is his flock of goats; Maree, Matty, Uncle Louie and Jam Jam. They stayed snug and warm this winter with some new freezer flaps on their back door. It took them awhile to build up the courage to pass through, but they certainly don’t mind now.

We have some wonderful new animal feeders and are in the midst of training more. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kim at 315-251-4294. Kim has joined forces with Jim in overseeing animal care. We can always use more help.

Amberations’ Usage Policy

Along with planning for the future, Amberations is working on a usage policy. If you want to use our grounds for a special event - whether it be a birthday party, yoga workshop, campout, wedding or any other gathering, please contact us. Presently we are taking requests on a case by case basis.

Our upper field area is open for hiking and we like to consider it a dog friendly area. Please make sure to pick up after your pet and do what you can to maintain the trails. If you would like to go above and beyond, please contact us, there are endless volunteering opportunities. We are happy to see so many people enjoying our grounds, and we'd love it if you'd join us in keeping this good thing going.

The barn area is a favorite for many visitors, surely because of our animal friends. Please be respectful of the animal’s diets. Too much food and even just a little of the wrong kinds of food can wreak havoc with their systems. If you want to bring some apples or carrots for the goats and the donkey, that is fine. The challenge is to get a fair amount to Matty and Maree. If you want to pick leaves or grass from around the barn to feed them—that is okay. Just don’t give them too much. Especially in the spring too many greens can make them sick. Please do not give the animals any hay or grain. They are fed twice a day and they get plenty, any more than that is not good for them. Little cat treats for the kitties are okay, but please make sure they are cat treats.

Our sandlot and willow kitchen are there for everyone’s enjoyment. Please make sure to leave it at least as nice as you found it. This is a great opportunity to teach children about stewardship. As always, children should be very closely monitored around any water.

Lots of Planning...Positive Changes

Amberations is proactively exploring avenues for continued sustainability and future development. We would like to hear from you. If you have ideas that you would like to see incorporated at our site, please let us know. Up on our Facebook page and website are links to a quick 5-minute survey that you can take right now to help us consider future programming. You can use the form below or slip a suggestion into one of our donation boxes. Our contact information is on the bottom of the previous page, under the Mother’s Day poster.

Barn Site Improvements

Amberations is hoping to upgrade the fencing around the pasture at the barn area as well as address drainage issues. This will be a big undertaking. Please be patient as we make these improvements, especially with the muddy season upon us. Our composting toilet at the barn may receive an upgrade too. Please consider supporting us in bringing these upgrades to fruition. Amberations is supported 100% by volunteers and donations.

Open For Business: Nature Never Closes

The Coronavirus outbreak has brought about constant changes as to what constitutes appropriate interactions. It is difficult to know if what we state today will still be accurate by the time you read it. Our animals are still here, our trails are still open, and we appreciate your visits and support now just as much as ever. As long as you can Visit without violating any imposed mandates, we would love to have you.

Fortunately, our grounds are so spread out that staying far apart is rarely a challenge. Nature is soothing and a much-needed respite. Whether here or somewhere else, take the time to put your phone down and turn off your computer. Then go look at the sky, listen to the birds or just admire nature. It will do you good and that is what Amberations is all about...cherishing nature.