Update... 3 weeks post blaze. (DUW-now with pics)

Hi all,

Just wanted to try and send a somewhat cogent post to update on our situation since the fire.

My brain is still a bit all over the place. Seems we are running all the time still and not really getting anywhere, or so it seems.

We have a sublet now, a TINY little space, 2.5 rooms. In that are two adult men, 3 snakes, and 2 rats. Almost ended up with a monitor as well, but we had to put a foot down in regards to doing any rescues till we are back home.

We get into our apartment on July 1st, a funny Quebec law, all new leases are signed for July 1st and EVERYONE moves on this one day. I know, it will NEVER make sense to me.

We have a nice 6.5 downtown. Nice quiet street, in a very vibrant neighbourhood. AKA full of addicts, and tourists. The one area we always said we would never live in but, for 450.00 less a month (and we only lose one room) it made sense, and the apartment has a really great layout. I think the snake room is a step down, but I am not going to complain.

I already explained that the haltchling rack would end up in the bedroom, so that will free up room for a second juvie rack. And I am going to rebuild... or rather build... (since we salvaged none of the racks) a few 11 tub tall adult racks to better utilize the space.

One sad part is that I will no longer raise rats. :(

I love my rats, but we are both SO allergic, and we have noticed a change almost immediately. So much so that I could not ask to take up the practice again. What we save in rent from not having that one extra room, plus the time and cost in raising them, and the cost of allergy meds (around 200.00 a month for the two of us) we can more than afford to find a supplier (fingers crossed) for those holdouts that will only take live.

We are tired and burnt out still. Not really mourning the loss of our stuff yet... or maybe we are. Not really sure where one thing starts the other stops. I think I get more frustrated with the cumulative loss for all 50 tenants that were left homeless than I do for us specifically.

It was arson.

Someone poured gas all over the neighbour`s balcony, then poured gas down the pillars that connects the balconies (ours included), left a gas can at the base, threw a match and ran.

Why?

I have no idea. :(

I can never wrap my brain around the way humans think and what motivates them. A snake bites me and I think... `you are just being a snake`... a human bites me and I think. `You know better!`

I would like to say that we are *celebrating* every day, but we aren`t. I am angry and confused as to what happened. But usually only in those quiet moments, or those moments where I am frustrated and on edge. Surprisingly enough I have not felt paralyzed at any point, but overall I am just keeping to myself.

Not phoning a lot of family and friends, as I tire of answering the same questions over and over... `yes, we lost everything`...

`so your couch?... and those paintings by maya? ...and your great grandmother`s china... and the this... and the that... and the whatever... and the watchamacallits?!`

It just gets really tiring, and those are the parts of what happened that I think we are not going to focus on as we are not seeing any point. We have to just go forward and not back. If I think of the fact that someone doused the back of my house in gasoline at 630 am on a Saturday while I was asleep then I would become paralyzed at the thought.

But as has been noted before, people have been amazing.

Our friends and families have been there and are a great support. I always joke that when I die no one will be at my funeral cause I am such a carmudgeon. But I may have to take that back.

We have become quite struck by the ways in which people have reached out to us, and not just individuals, but communities, and it has been striking for us to look up and see such amazing representations of said communities.

The herp community has been AMAZING! Fostering my critters, raising funds, sending supplies, you guys are the best. More than we can every repay.

The music community: Friends in Alberta are having a benefit concert for us in July.

The First Nations community: are holding a drumming circle to raise some funds and to raise healing energy in Red Deer later this month.

The Arts community: threw a vernissage for us the Friday after the fire. We were tricked into showing up for a belated birthday party to find out that artists we knew, had supported, and had represented had organized a silent auction in a loft for us. It was amazing.

The communities we have proud membership in have all been there for us.

When we get settled and we look around we know who we can thank for making this a smooth(er) transition, and we need you to all know how much this has meant to us.

I am still keeping it low, we are limited access to resources, the one in the most scarcity is time.

It is going to take a while till I am back online fully and capable of participating, but I hope to be more active in the next few weeks. I have missed on SO much since this happened. And this IS the most important time of the year for us...

HATCHLING SEASON!!! :)

So if I am around and not active, it just means I am checking out pics and breeding posts to see who did what and what the odds were.

I will post pics soon enough (on a mac and I do not know how to work ANYTHING on it).

Bruce

/ :lurk:

:grouphug: :salute:

:lurk:

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...ticons/Hug.gif Just a cyber hug for the rest you already know ;)

I will not be able to thank everyone individually, but a few specifics I missed in the previous post...

Deb for the heat mats... if not for those I would have had to foster my last 3 snakes, and having those girls with me right now is a GOD SEND. I would expect no less from Deb, but she had those in the mail I think before the fire was even out... seriously, I think she did.

And Raul (West Coast Jungle) sent merch! I got to work and was all cranky and nasty after wearing 9 days worth of donated ill-fitting clothes and opened a package to find 4 fresh clean WCJ shirts. New shirts, clean shirts, shirts that fit and shirts with SNAKES on them! :)

And of course Judy and her MANY elves for all the time and organization. If I ever make it out that way I will see none of the south as all my time will be spent on my knees scrubbing JLC`s floors!

I know most of the rest of you and am still learning what people have done. Again, thanks to everyone.

Bruce

Glad to hear it hasnt gotten the best of you.

I praise you for focusing on the kindnest of others instead of the cruelty of one ignoranus.:gj:

After 9/11 I realized there are alot more people who would run into a burning unstable buliding to save the lives of strangers then there are lost souls who would commit such an act. The only problem with our society is the latter gets all the headlines and attention when it should be the other way around.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, yours and the critters:)

You have got to stop making me cry. :) I hope things start to settle down once you get settled into your new place. Can't wait to see you bouncing around here again! Good luck with that mac!

Scrub my floors?!? Perish the thought! Dude, you make it down here and we'll ALL be at the beach! I haven't done anything except funnel donations. (Well, I sent a box, too...but you don't know that yet. :P )

Keep hanging in there, hon. :hug: It's a long road, but you'll make it. You've got so much love and many, many prayers holding you both up!

Bruce,

Its great to hear from you, I'm glad you're pushing foward and rolling with the punches like a champ. You will be all the stronger at the end of this journey despite any bumps in the road you may encounter.

Thank you for the update, Bruce. I'd been thinking about you and wondering how things were moving along. Hopefully all will work out for the best. -hugs-

Sending you and your family Reiki for health and well being.

Bruce - THIS is what this community is all about - and it really focuses on the positive side that I am so proud of. The way that this community came together for you makes me so proud to be a part of it. I remember when you posted on FB about your West Coast Jungle shirt, and it was no surprise at all that Raul would do that. Deb - doesn't surprise me in the bit - she may be a mean frenchie, but she is a fierce and loyal friend.

And BP.net - wow - the outpouring of love was humbling to me, and makes me so proud to serve here!

I am so happy that things are progressing positively for you and Jerome, or as positively as can be expected, given the circumstances. :hug:

Happy to know you are slowly getting back on your feet again. Take it easy since you still have a long road ahead of you. But I think you have a lot of good people to keep you company along the way :)

I'm glad to hear that things are starting to look up a bit for you and Jerome. Not a day has gone by that I don't wonder how you guys are makin out. I'm planning on making my way up north for a few days in August btw:)

Glad to see this update, Bruce, and so happy to see you're doing well! I just wanted to let you know that Hubert, Danika and Victor are all doing well. :) Hubert (or Huey as I call him :rolleyes:) shed and of course all in one piece. Danika is a bit of a picky eater it seems, but she's doing alright. And Victor is a prick, lol. Good thing I own a snake hook! But he's pretty. I guess he's a bit of a diva. :P

I'm sorry you have to give up the rats, but it sounds like it's for the best...

Your positivity is inspiring! Possibly too inspiring... Because of you - yeah, I'm g'na blame you - I have my first ball python. :O

Hope to hear more of these good updates from you in the future, Bruce. Take care!

Wow; I have been gone lately.. read up on your situation. I definately wish you's all of the best in this. I am very glad that you're on you way to a new home and have such a positive outlook on things.

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Originally Posted by Mettle

Your positivity is inspiring! Possibly too inspiring... Because of you - yeah, I'm g'na blame you - I have my first ball python. :O

Hope to hear more of these good updates from you in the future, Bruce. Take care!

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Haha!! another one won over to the dark side (here have a cookie :)) Congrats Stephan on your first BP!

Bruce, what can I say my friend. I've seen the pictures, I've spoken to you by phone, I'm just humbled and in awe of your ability to move through what one horrible jerk did to you and all those other folks. If I ever get back up home I'm coming to visit you and we can eat poutine and guzzle wine till we puke (you know this must be why Mike married me....I was such a fun date LOL).

They say you can judge a man by the calibre of the friends he keeps. You are one helluva man if that is the standard by which you are judged. This site and it's membership, how they stepped up for you and Jer just makes me so very, very proud. We miss you Bruce and can't wait until you are settled in your new home and back with us again. Personally I miss your incredibly funny and very dry sense of humour (look I still spell it "right"....eh). :)

Bruce, dude, glad to hear that things are straightening out and you two found a new place!

I SOO wanted to send some herp supplies, but we've been going through some really tough times financially that only now are being sorted out.

I do send all the good wishes, karma, and healing energies I have to spare! :D Keep it going and things will turn out just fine in the end.

Here are some pics that Jerome took a few days later...

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0040.jpg

This was the dining room... and the door next to the red cabinet leads to the snake room, and yet the snake room was fine if you can believe that.

And here is the snake room...

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0047.jpg

God does love snakes it seems. :D

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0068.jpg

Jer took these pics... but... here is the rat room. I think he took them in the dark at night so they are just *sweeps*... but as you can see the rat room was the best room in the house.

Did not even lose a pinkie mouse. :confused:

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0069.jpg

This is standing in front of the rat room looking down to the dining room...

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0044.jpg

This is a shot from the dining room looking towards the rat room... you can see where the fireball hit and the smoke damaged half up the wall. That was the point we left (we were watching from the street), when we could see the black smoke pouring out the living room window (to the left of the rat room).

And this is the kitchen...

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0049.jpg

Living room... you can see the smoke damage and water damage... nothing came out of that room. :(

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0062.jpg

And lastly the bedroom... where I was asleep when it started.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0053.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0051.jpg

I actually went back last night and grabbed few incidentals... I figured this sucks, but I do want a bit of history at my new place... I want a coffee mug, and my wine glasses (ulimate heavy glassed 70's flea market finds). :)

Bruce

And thanks for the update Stefan! I love Hubert, he really is a good little snake. :)

And congrats on the BP... but you do realize if this season does not end up completely sucking you will have at least one more. :)

OMG! Those pics made me cry. That is horrible. And it is incredible that everyone (incl snakes & rodents) made it out ok. I guess you really are lucky. But it is still a very sad situation.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0038.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...m/100_0036.jpg

The actual night of my 40th, 2 days after the fire... do I look shell shocked enough? :)

The bald boxer guy (he used to be a boxer actually) is our friend Robert. Nicest guy in the world. He did a tryptich of *prints painted* of our place burning down to give me for my 40th.

Amazing work.

The brunette sitting is our friend Coll, where we went with Stanley when the fire was still going. And where Zoe picked up the snakes from.

The brunette standing, is our friend Wendy, we lived at her house for the first 7 days after the fire.

All 3 of them, Coll, Wendy, and Robert were the ones that put the fund raiser art show vernissage together for us the Friday following.

Really good friends and amazing people in general.

Bruce

Last of the pics for now... this has taken me an embarassingly long time to accomplish. :)

Some pics the day that Zoe, Thierry, and Stephan came to pick up the snakes...

This is Olive saying goodbye in her SWALLOW YOUR SOUL(!!!) manner. I miss that girl more than I care to say.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...ruceolive1.jpg

These are a few pics of a few of the girls before they got bagged up...

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...nesisgirl2.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...enesisgirl.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...bum/pastel.jpg

And this is one of saddest and happiest days I have had... seeing all my babes head out the door to go to foster care. This was most of them after being sorted and split into the homes they would go to.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p.../snakebags.jpg

Bruce

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Originally Posted by Bruce Whitehead

This is Olive saying goodbye in her SWALLOW YOUR SOUL(!!!) manner. I miss that girl more than I care to say.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...ruceolive1.jpg

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Now that is what I call a snake hug!:D

Usually she curls around 3 times and then lays her head on my shoulder and *flicks* and *dabs* my cheek.

Which is fun until I realize I have a 3.5 kg scarf on and that my neck hurts. :O

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

I praise you for focusing on the kindnest of others instead of the cruelty of one ignoranus.:gj:

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I have been nothing but inspired since this happened to us... :snake:

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Originally Posted by stratus_020202

You have got to stop making me cry. :)

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I have had so few days of tears that were not tears of happiness, that I do need to make someone cry. Not that I have not shed a few out of anger and sadness, but overall it has been uphill. :)

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Originally Posted by JLC

...we'll ALL be at the beach! I haven't done anything except funnel donations. (Well, I sent a box, too...but you don't know that yet. :P )

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My furry butter belly at the beach?!?! :O

Well they have drink stands at the beach right? And YES!!! I got the box today.

BP net merch shirts. I may never have looked so good in blue. I will wear them with immense pride. :salute:

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

You will be all the stronger at the end of this journey despite any bumps in the road you may encounter.

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Thanks Rich. I feel it already. :)

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Originally Posted by Shadera

Sending you and your family Reiki for health and well being.

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Thanks. :) I can feel it in my back mostly... careful where you put those hands at a distance Missy! :colbert:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

The way that this community came together for you makes me so proud to be a part of it.

And BP.net - wow - the outpouring of love was humbling to me, and makes me so proud to serve here!

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So many of my friends have made me recount the BP net story to others, and to talk of how Zoe and her crew came to foster the snakes, and what has occurred.

Everytime they tell the interoper... *AND THESE ARE STRANGERS!!! But they LOVE snakes!!!* :D

I am very proud of this forum I make no apologies about defending us. We have great people and great staff, and this site is home to many of us.

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Originally Posted by MuzeBallPythons

I think you have a lot of good people to keep you company along the way :)

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The best, the absolute best!

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Originally Posted by waltah!

I'm planning on making my way up north for a few days in August btw:)

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Did I mention you are gonna miss Tulip Season? Supposedly it is a big deal in the Big O. Try to contain your disappointment. :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mettle

I just wanted to let you know that Hubert, Danika and Victor are all doing well. :) Hubert (or Huey as I call him :rolleyes:) shed and of course all in one piece. Danika is a bit of a picky eater it seems, but she's doing alright. And Victor is a prick, lol. Good thing I own a snake hook! But he's pretty. I guess he's a bit of a diva. :P

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Awwwww... my little pink man is all grown up and biting the hand that feeds. I guess I shouldn`t have been dressing him all in pink all this time.

He IS a gorgeous snake and YES he is a Diva! If he was Miss Ross he would have helicoptered out (after throwing a drink and butting his cig on the rug) long ago. :)

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

They say you can judge a man by the calibre of the friends he keeps. You are one helluva man if that is the standard by which you are judged. This site and it's membership, how they stepped up for you and Jer just makes me so very, very proud.

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I hear ya Jo! I have felt honored beyond what words could ever express. I know that people went deep and went wide for us and we truly know what that means. :salute:

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Originally Posted by Argentra

I do send all the good wishes, karma, and healing energies I have to spare! :D Keep it going and things will turn out just fine in the end.

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We can ALWAYS use more of that, it is never something that goes to waste, as we use it all. :)