1.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:10 pm edit
Welcome Metal Tribe members!!! I managed to transfer over our intros to each Tribe forum ..WHEW!!! If you haven't left your intro yet, just hit REPLY to leave yours..THANKS!!
I would like to encourage all of you to make introductions here for the time being. Thank you all so much for participating….Sandra
2. Kris Schnuckle Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:15 am edit
Looks like I’m the first one . . . here goes! Scott and I live in Eagan, MN and got to know Sandy through my search for a friendly chow almost 11 years ago. We ended up with two — Sienna from Diana and Ivy from Sandy. They are still with us and are in great shape. Scott and I love nature and animals, work hard to protect the environment and have three children who we are hoping will grow up to do the same. I also am a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator and do volunteer work for the Wildlife Rehabilitation center of Minnesota. So glad we can participate in this adoption!! Thanks, Sandy!
3. Sandra Miller Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:45 am edit
Hello Kris!! Well see…I’m so glad I asked for intros because I had no idea you worked in wildlife rehab!!!!! Very cool girlfriend!!!! Thanks so much for leaving your intro today and kisses to Ivy, Sienna and the rest of your beautiful family!!!
4. Catherine Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:57 pm edit
Hello Metal Tribe!! I am so excited to share in this adoption! I live in Iowa with my husband Ryan. We have a 2 year old daughter Ava, a firey redhead. We also love and show Chow Chows, we currently have 3. We love animals and nature also. I make jewelry for a few Galleries and Boutiques in Iowa. I would love to visit China some day. Great to meet you all!
5. Sandra Miller Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:14 pm edit
Hellooooo Cathy!!! Kris, you and Cathy are actually related!!! well at least through the dogs. Cathy and Kris you both have dogs from mine and Diana’s lines (Diana is in the Water tribe for those who would live to know)
This is so much fun you guys! Thanks Cathy for leaving a few word about yourself. Hugs to Ava and the chowdren and of course Ryan
6. Diana Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:47 pm edit
Hi Kris & Cathy—I know I’m not in your tribe, but had to comment anyway. Kris, I had no idea you were in Wildlife Rehab either!!! Amazing, when I worked at the Animal Rescue League we worked closely with the DNR. I had raised all types of babies for release back into the wild. Several of the squirrels that are in my yard were babies that I handraised a few years ago after a terrible storm felled numerous trees in the city I worked in. Clients brought tiny squirrels to our clinic…and we do our best!Cathy, isn’t this going to be fun??? Can you believe that Kris has the same lines of chows that you have???Woo Hoo!!! I’ll see you soon, I hopeDiana
7. Catherine Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:21 pm edit
That’s great about the chows! Diana did a great job with those squirrels, I saw it first hand. Diana- it seems you really have sent a lot of chows to Minnesota!
8. elise Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:13 pm edit
Hi Metal Tribe. I am honored to be a part of this wonderful adoption, thank you Sandra. I can’t wait to meet our new cubbie and be a part of his or her life and care. I am a DC native and work as an Audiologist. I have owned my own business for 20yrs. I am a HUGE animal lover, esp pandas and elephants and dogs. Would love to visit Wolong and Chengdu one day as well as the Galapagos.
9. Kris Schnuckle Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:23 pm edit
Hi, Diana!!! And nice to meet you, Catherine and Elise. This is so cool, Sandra. You are an amazing woman with such incredible passion. I LOVE it! Nice to hear your story about squirrels, Diana. I have lots of “my” squirrels in my yard, too! Elise, let me know if you ever need a travel partner!
10. Chet Says:
May 24th, 2008 at 8:37 am edit
Hello, I’m Chet and I’m from Malaysia. I adopted panda cub born in Wolong in 2006 and visited her in September 2007 when I also volunteered for 4 days in Wolong, assisting two panda keepers to care for their pandas. My duties included helping to clean panda enclosures, carrying fresh bamboo in carts and scooping panda poop. Not in the duty list, but probably more fun - having my picture taken with Feng Yi, my adopted panda. She’s now in Beijing, as one of 8 Wolong pandas chosen to be in Beijing during the Olympics. Her event? High Speed ‘Boo Eating Competition.
11. Chet Says:
May 24th, 2008 at 8:38 am edit
Oh, forgot to mention …
Thanks, Sandra, for initiating this awesome project!!!
12. Judy Dolan Says:
May 24th, 2008 at 11:42 am edit
Hi everyone! I’m a retired microbiologist from NY. My obsession with pandas began with Tai Shan! Last September I fulfilled a dream when I visited the panda bases in Chengdu and Wolong. I have since adopted 2 Wolong cubs from the 2006 group…Qian Qian, a female and Huan Huan, a male. My experience in Wolong is one I will never forget and hope to return someday. Playing with Qian and Huan, and being photographed with them, is a dream come true!Thank you Sandra for organizing this incredible project!
13. Susie Says:
May 24th, 2008 at 12:33 pm edit
Hello my fellow Metal buddies! Chet and Judy gave me the bestest, most thoughtful graduation gift - the gift of being a panda mommie! I will have my PhD in Curriculum Studies before summer’s end and still cannot find a job in academia.
15. Chet Says:
May 24th, 2008 at 6:42 pm edit
Suggestion for our cub’s name:
tieh xin
It means Iron Heart.
LOL!!!
16. Sandra Miller Says:
May 24th, 2008 at 6:50 pm edit
Oh my…I have been gone for the day and look at all the wonderful intros! You guys totally rock!!! I mean REALLY!!! This kind of participation and sharing so soon in the adoptions mean the world to me and all of us!!!
Hello my dearest buddy and Diana and Elise, Chet, Judy and Susie who all have a panda heart of gold who I met through Panda’s Unlimited.
Susie..that is of the sweetest gifts ever and you are so blessed to have such thougtful friends!!! One of our jr. members in the Wood Tribe also was gifted (but doesn’t know yet) for graduation from high school by his aunt Karen Tracy (I met Karen via the Chows)
I’ll write more later but wanted to say hello to everyone and thank you for stopping in to leave your intros!!!
17. Sandra Miller Says:
May 24th, 2008 at 6:52 pm edit
great name Chet!! I’m starting a name list for voting on this week. I was going to suggest each tribe’s element be considered when choosing name ideas. You read my mind!!! Great name.!!!
18. Chet Says:
May 24th, 2008 at 10:10 pm edit
Sandra - I got the idea from Linda Wroth of the Water Tribe who told me she was considering having the water character in her cub’s name.
19. Linda Wroth Says:
May 24th, 2008 at 10:47 pm edit
Eek, Chet! Not my cub, but our cub. I just wanted to suggest a name I heard on NPR, Still Deep Water, but I couldn’t understand the Chinese. I’ll see if I can get someone to tell me what it is.
20. Sandy Blust Says:
May 27th, 2008 at 4:48 pm edit
Belated hellos to everyone! I’m very excited to be part of this amazing group. I live in Chicago, am a proud and doting ‘chowmom’ and an all around animal lover. The coverage on NPR of the panda refuge in Chengdu have been so touching. Thanks so much Sandy for having the initiative and inspiration to do this!
21. Karen Ross Says:
May 27th, 2008 at 6:10 pm edit
Hi, I’m Karen, Devin’s mom. Devin and I have talked about adopting a panda for a long time. I could think of no better gift to Devin than to let him be a part of this wonderful project.
22. Sandra Miller Says:
May 27th, 2008 at 6:42 pm edit
A HEARTY WELCOME KAREN AND SANDY!!! I loved the NPR stories too and posted the link on today’s blog entry Here it is again. Thanks for the heads up
http://www.npr.org/blogs/chengdu/2008/05/pandas_water_aerobics.html
23. Sandy Blust Says:
May 28th, 2008 at 3:17 pm edit
Just ordered my Metal Tribe mugs woohoo! Can’t wait to see them - ordered the jumbo size cuz I need lots of coffee in the am!
24. Susie Says:
May 28th, 2008 at 7:12 pm edit
Sandy, I too live in Chicago! Please email me at susan.j.berger@gmail.com. We MUST meet up! I’m in the Uptown area, Montrose and Clark
25. Chet Says:
May 28th, 2008 at 9:21 pm edit
*sob*
And I’m in Malaysia, with no one to meet up with.
*cries*
26. Sandra Miller Says:
May 28th, 2008 at 9:32 pm edit
BSandy..thank you for purchasing mugs from the store!! I got mine and they turned out so adorable!!!!! Let me know how you like them!
Susie we get to Chicago a couple of times a year when I come to the midwest to visit my family. I would love to meet up!!
Chet…not to worry…I have a feeling we will be coming to Malaysia before too long. We have been wanting to come for long time. Oh the trouble we would be together..lol!
Be prepared..I brake for beads whether in Chicago or Malaysia.. just ask Diana!
27. FrancesD Says:
May 29th, 2008 at 11:39 am edit
Hi all:
You’ve all heard the tale of getting hold of the tiger’s tail. Well here I am, holding up the Panda’s Tale in introducing myself. So… I an retired, formerly in corporate communications, live in Ridgewood NJ (18 miles NW of NYC) adjacent to Paramus, AKA the land of many malls to inveterate shoppers (of which I am not one).
I fell hopelessly in love with pandas upon the birth of one Butterstick, more recently known as Tai Shan of the national zoo. My cub (daughter Elisa) fell in love with Butterstick when he was about the size of her very favorite stuffy Camilla and has remained faithful to him and his kin ever after.
Thank you Sandra from deep in my heart for initiating this project, injecting it with so much love and devotion and for shepherding it on to open completion with such joy. Thank you all, dear fellow tribespeople, for jumping in with such enthusiasm. I think of my metal tribe as golden for that’s what you are in every way. I am proud and honored to be one of you. Talk to you all soon.
Cheer up, Chet, even if you can’t meet up with any of us (yet), you are still the nearest one geographically to “our” panda.
ADD YOUR INTRO BY HITTING THE REPLY BUTTON!! THANKS!