Carole Baskins Diary

What I Love And Don't Love About My Work I Love: Saving cats in the wild, setting rehab cats free, preserving nature and the planet, inspiring compassion, writing, poetry, painting, creative film making, inspiring new creative approaches to old problems, showing that we are all ONE, that my path is relatively my own choosing, ending abuse of cats, having purpose, drive and focus, being my own boss, living in paradise, working with those who care about saving wild cats and the planet, learning new skills, feeling accomplished, giving bobcats and other wildcats a second shot at life, helping others succeed, challenges. What I don’t love: Managing people, government bureaucracy, fundraising, begging for money, seeing cats in cages, flying, public speaking, being around people, worrying about the cats, their care, natural disasters, the media promoting false narratives for their own benefit, threats to my family, cats and others in this field, being a boss to anyone else, being tied to one location, being in front of a computer, apathetic decision makers, forgetting, feeling what I’ve done and am doing is not enough, fear of not having vets when I need them, lazy people, boredom. Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views. These are my views and opinions. If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story. The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/ I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story. My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet. You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion. Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

Scott Haller cut the grass today.

It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him on the riding mower, but seems like that’s a job he can do, so was glad to see him do it.

 

The Bobcat Rehab Recovery Hospital arrived today along with the dirt for the pad.  They are working in between rain drops, but I’m thrilled it’s finally happening.  We will need the extra recovery space.  From a distance, I see my mother orchestrating things over there.  We put stakes in the ground where it goes, so it should be obvious.  I haven’t had a chance to run by yet.

 

Today TJ Tiger and Chaos Caracal both were brought into the Windsong Memorial Hospital.  Chaos was spayed and TJ had an ingrown nail trimmed back and diagnostics.  His spondylosis is so severe that Dr. Justin thinks he’s eating pretty well for a cat with his arthritis and lack of mobility.  I’ve done one LIVE feed after another from the overhead Explore.org cams to Facebook.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

My first fatherless Father’s Day.  I miss you Dad.

“Life gets pretty precious when there’s no one between you and the grave.” My dad said that to me back when his mother died.  He was NOT in the habit of being sentimental and never discussed his feelings with me, that I can recall, other than that one statement.  That’s probably why I remember it.

 

I have to be upbeat and happy and do a Facebook LIVE session with our fans later, so I can’t cry right now.  I’ve managed to distract myself up until now by using the holiday to give away a free cookbook that LaWanna and our fans co created, called Big Cat Style BBQ and Grilling.  We’ve gotten about 600 downloads so far and built the email list by hundreds.  We did this for Mother’s Day too, and it was a hit.  Everyone knows I don’t cook, so I find it odd that anyone would download a cookbook from me, even if it is for free.

 

One of our fans made this sweet collage.

 

OK, now I’m crying, so I gotta quit.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

Spoke with Jessica Speart today about writing a thriller on the big cat crisis. Kiz introduced us by email yesterday and we started the conversation by phone today. She’s coming to FL Aug 4-11 to see, first hand, some of the nasty road side zoos, to build out her story. I created a DropBox folder for her full of the stuff I know about the industry and the unsavory characters. Jessica writes about herself: I began as an investigative journalist with a focus on wildlife law enforcement, endangered species issues, and the environment. I created my sleuth, U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent Rachel Porter, after years of investigating wildlife and drug trafficking crimes for publications such as The New York Sunday Times Magazine, National Wildlife, Travel & Leisure, Mother Jones, Audubon, Wildlife Conservation, Animals, and E Magazine. Then something strange happened. I discovered that truth really IS stranger than fiction. I learned about a 3 year undercover operation that resulted in the arrest of the world's most notorious butterfly smuggler. The story was so dark and twisted that I was fascinated by it. But I didn't stop there. I decided I had to meet the smuggler, himself. That's when my book, WINGED OBSESSION, took on a totally unexpected element. Prior to writing, I worked as an actress on everything from off-Broadway to commercials, industrials, and soap operas. Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views. If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story. The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/ I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story. My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet. You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion. Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

The maids are cleaning the house and I’m comforting Babylon and thinking about life.

Steve Jobs' last words.

 

STEVE JOBS (founder of Apple) Last Words before he died, that inspire me everyday, and oddly not really relayed by medias.

 

“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world.

 

In others’ eyes, my life is an epitome of success.

 

However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to.

 

At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death.

 

In the darkness, I look at the green lights from the life supporting machines and hear the humming mechanical sounds, I can feel the breath of God and of death drawing closer…

 

Now I know, when we have accumulated sufficient wealth to last our lifetime, we should pursue other matters that are unrelated to wealth…

 

Should be something that is more important:

 

Perhaps relationships, perhaps art, perhaps a dream from younger days …

 

Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me.

God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth.

 

The wealth I have won in my life I cannot bring with me.

 

What I can bring is only the memories precipitated by love.

 

That’s the true riches which will follow you, accompany you, giving you strength and light to go on.

 

Love can travel a thousand miles. Life has no limit. Go where you want to go. Reach the height you want to reach. It is all in your heart and in your hands.

 

What is the most expensive bed in the world? – “Sick bed” …

 

You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear the sickness for you.

 

Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – “Life”.

 

When a person goes into the operating room, he will realize that there is one book that he has yet to finish reading – “Book of Healthy Life”.

 

Whichever stage in life we are at right now, with time, we will face the day when the curtain comes down.

 

Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends…

 

Treat yourself well. Cherish others.”

 

Shared by Anantha Krishnan

 

I was always kind of amazed that such a brilliant man did so little for charity.  I guess clarity came late for him.

 

I’ve been wrestling with what to do about Scott Haller.  He’s my age and has been working with us for the past 5 years or more as our handyman.  He was one of the few people my dad would work with, and I was grateful to have Scott watching over him as his health failed.  The problem is that Scott’s health was failing fast too.  For the past couple of years he’s been un able to do any sort of heavy lifting or work.

 

For the past year he’s been considering a lung transplant but the last time he was in the hospital for tests they collapsed a lung and he’s been in considerable pain since then.  He’s not pulling his weight any more and I can’t justify keeping him on the payroll, but am having a hard time firing him too.

 

So many mornings we wake up this way.

This time my phone was laying where I could get a photo of Babylon without disturbing him.  The slightest stirring in the morning is his signal to hop off the bed and seize the day.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misco

Maya Cougar Arrived Today

This was the alert we sent out the day before:

 

A Forever Home for the Holidays

 

We are excited to share with you that a team of Big Cat Rescuers is right now driving from Ohio back to our sanctuary in Tampa with a female cougar named Mya!

 

She is 18 years old (which equates to about 100 in human years) and was voluntarily surrendered by her owner to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

 

Not many elderly captive big cats ever have the opportunity for a second chance and a brand new life at an accredited sanctuary. Mya is scheduled to arrive at Big Cat Rescue this week, so she will be home for the holidays.

 

We plan to spoil her and give her the best veterinary care and nutrition possible. She’s going to live in a big enclosure next to Reise, another elderly female cougar. Big Cat Rescue volunteers are already preparing new toys and a platform in her enclosure.

 

Will you help us welcome Mya to her forever home and donate to her care?

 

Photo L-R Kathryn Stapleton, Lauren Buckingham and Jamie Veronica.

 

I can breathe again

 

After transferring my home Mac Air Laptop computer to an iMac, I had to reinstall all of my apps and this journal app alerted me that it would no longer sync to Dropbox after September 2017.  That began the frantic scurrying to try and find all of the missing days between September and now.  As I searched, the most recent I found was Dec. 2016.

 

Deep breath.  Now I have them.

 

Now I have four copies of different versions I don’t need, but the good news is that it appears nothing is lost.

 

Jamie just left the Ohio Department of Ag with Maya the 18 year old cougar who was surrendered by her owner at 9AM.  I am anxiously awaiting the first photo of her so I can send out an alert for fundraising.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  These are my views and opinions. If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

I just spent $10,000 to make the house look bigger.

I just can’t stand the clutter in our home and have taken the opportunity, while Howie’s away for two weeks, to clean out the mess and devote at least two rooms of the house to my comfort.  My office is one 10 x 10 room where I don’t have to look at piles of books, newspapers, legal briefs, tissue boxes, salt shakers, head phones, exercise equipment, cat toys, pill boxes or the thousands of little porcelain things his mother left to him.

 

Now, I have reclaimed the bedroom/ dining room/ living room.  It’s 23 x 25 and all one open space.  I tore all of that awful wallpaper that Alan Schreier chose back in the 90s and replaced it with mirrors. I even mirrored the glass panels on the china cabinet full of his mother’s “lovelies” as she called them (Howie said) so that I don’t have to look at piles upon piles of tiny tea cup sets.

 

I take a deep breath of gratitude even now, for the ability to afford ways to cohabitate with the man I love, without going crazy.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

Email to LaWanna Mitchell:  I may talk about this tonight on a LIVE FB feed.  If I do, here is text you can include with it if you want.

 

I credit it for the recent sale of two vacant lots in Polk Co.  After reading E squared and E cubed, I put out to the Universe that I wanted to see unexpected gifts; an amount so remarkable that I couldn't blow it off.

 

I've had the Northview lots for sale since 1993 and in all this time have had only one contract on them, which fell through in Feb of this year.  In that contract I would have netted 10k. They were side by side lots, on a creek, (so there were set back issues) that were pie shaped and in a subdivision where there was not access to sewer, so the only option for building on them would be a very expensive septic and lift station.  I've been up front about that to buyers, and that's what scared them off.  This buyer didn't care.

 

I ordered the audio books, E squared and E cubed on Apr. 23, at the recommendation of Pat O'Shea who I introduced to The Secret in 2006.  It took me a week or so to listen to the books and I put my expectation out to the Universe.

 

On May 4 I signed a contract on those two lots and closed yesterday, netting over $10,000.00 at closing.  I didn't make any money on it, after hold them and paying taxes on them (for 24 YEARS!!!) but it was a huge gift of relief to me to get rid of them given the fact that I'd failed to unload them for so long. I pretty much broke even.

 

On May 13 I'd received so many little unexpected gifts, including the rather expensive Coach handbag that I did a thank you video to the people who had sent them.  I know The Secret works and it's reminders like this that keep me strong in the belief of the power of our thoughts.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

Rebuilding the Cat Walk in Tiger Lake

 

Every few years we have had to patch and re-patch the fencing at the water line of Tiger Lake.  The Cat Walk had become so rickety that we quit taking large groups out on it for fear it would collapse into the tiger cages.  We finally had the money to do it right: tear down and rebuild the cat walk and replace all of the wire with stainless steel that we would never have to replace.  It came at a good time too because we’ve been in a drought and the lake was lower than I ever recall it being.

 

I decided to dike the big lake from the little lake and pump almost all of the water out of the little one into the big one.  I couldn’t pump it all out because the spring is on this side and that would have created a huge fish kill, but we got it down low enough that we could stand on the bottom in waders and have our heads above water. 

 

I wanted all hands on deck to get this done because once the rains start there would be no holding back all of the flooding from nearby development. 

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

Sometimes I think my heart just can't take it.  A couple days ago, as I was leaving for the day, I walked past Vacation Rotation where the three Texas Tigers were.  The sun was setting, and I was enjoying the sunset and straining against the light to see if I could catch a glimpse of one of the tigers before I left.  Way in the distance I could see the prone position, with head upraised, glorious golden fur ruffling in the wind, AND IT WAS OUTSIDE THE CAGE!!!

 

I stopped dead in my tracks, squinting to make it out better (like "is that Amanda, or one of the boys?") Either way, this is going to be bad.

 

I blinked a few more times against the sun, and moved to a better angle, to get a better look.  I was guessing that at least one of the tigers was still in the Vacation Rotation enclosure, because otherwise this one would have left the area and not be laying just outside the barricade.  My heart had stopped seconds ago and I was just running on adrenalin.  What seemed a very long time passed, as I stared at the barely moving form, but it was probably only fractions of a second.  And then my mind wrapped itself around what I was really seeing;  an intern laying on her stomach in the grass, reading a book.  Her hair was blowing in the wind.  If she noticed me at that distance, she didn't let on.  I'm sure she has no idea that she had just been mistaken for an escaped tiger.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk