In my personal opinion, The Missing Pet Partnership is paws down the best resource on finding lost cats. (http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/) I found the web site first--I'm sure it was recommended to me by someone else--but since then, I've also had the privilege of seeing Kat (yes, her name is Kat) present at different conferences. If you do only one thing with this blog post, bookmark The Missing Pet Partnership page to have it at hand to send to friends when needed. It's easy to just post the URL in a comment on Facebook (or private message it) when you see a post that someone has lost a pet. Even strangers have been appreciative of me when I've sent it to them, because it is so helpful, and so well written.
What I did not think about was how search dogs would be taught to find cats...and the cat that might be involved in that training. You'll like this clip about Kat...and Cheeto.
Hmmm... go to (cut/paste) http://www.king5.com/on-tv/evening-magazine/Meet-Cheeto-The-Cat-who-gets-Chased-B-262046041.html to proceed. Apparently the video isn't showing as embedded on this blog any longer.
Fixed for the moment! Let's hope it works for you!
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Nothing to do with cats
But everything to do with "How could I not know this?" Seriously, if you already knew this, please let me know, because I cannot believe how often I have cursed when the Saran Wrap popped out of the box when I've been trying to use it.
Donations...can't thank you enough
My mom once said to me, very long ago when I apologized for something (I may have been 17 years old), that "You need to learn to be gracious about a compliment." Someone may have said I looked nice that day, or that I was smart for getting good grades, or that I had drawn something well---some sort of teenage thing. I probably begged off saying "Oh, but, it's nothing really." And afterward Mom said that line:
"You need to learn to be gracious about a compliment."
Some people have a brain-full of quotes from their parents. I'm not so good at that. However that line is one thing that stuck with me, because I have a very hard time saying a simple "Thank you" when people say "You've done a decent thing."
Sometimes they aren't just saying "you've done good." They are sending money. This is the ultimate thanks. For me to not say "thank-you" back, just because I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of it all, is just plain wrong.
Yet I seem to have a really hard time with it. I don't know why.
I have two adopters, in particular, who are extremely generous. Have I asked either one of them if it's OK to thank them by name? I have not. However in some ways, they keep this little rescue alive. Now and then a card arrives in the mail with a check that ranges from $150-400. Seriously, do you know what it's like when someone sends you that kind of donation? Your brain goes "OMG, paythevetpayNYSEGbuycatfoodAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" If there weren't so many ticks out here, I would roll in the grass like a happy mutt!
(More on ticks, later)
I also intermittently receive donations via PayPal. I don't push PayPal very much, maybe twice a year, because I am not a 501(c)(3) organization (more to come on that as well!). Yet now and then a donation rolls through, and I have to say, whether it is small or large, I stare at the computer screen in astonishment. I think about that person and the fact that they clicked that link to help the cats here...and it just makes me sit and think how good people are.
And you know, even people who don't have money to spare are generous and over-the-top good. There are other cat rescuers who, even when they just post information on their own blogs, I am so appreciative of. The fact that they share makes me feel like I'm--well--not alone in my craziness. They have great ideas I can use, or that I can enthuse over!
I also know all sorts of folks who don't have an extra dime to their name, but they are there working at community events, because time is gold, and time may be the only gold they have. Maybe it is the fire department. Maybe it is their community park. Maybe it is Meal On Wheels. I feel like those people are kindred spirits. They could not give a whit about cats, and I am still amazed and impressed by them.
There are also all sorts of people that I purchase things off of, who are charging far less than they should, or even just charging me "cost"--just because they are friends and neighbors.
The world is full of people who are just. plain. good. folks.
So why am I reminded of this? Because a little while ago I received a PayPal donation of $150 from Janet, in memory of Cricket and Ivan.
My eyes tear up just thinking of Cricket and Ivan. I miss them a lot. Like all of us, even when we lose a human participant in our lives, I didn't realize how special they were until they were gone. I guess what really amazes me about them is that I totally missed that Cricket was that bonded to Ivan. I wonder how much I miss about the people in my life, when I don't even see until after the fact that the lives of two cats revolve around one another, even if they aren't joined at the furry hip.
Janet's donation brought to mind the donations from Mary, and the donations from Christy and Gordon, and all other folks who have sent dollars to The Owl House (and Wildrun) over the years, not expecting to get a tax write-off--just wanting to help the cats and myself. It makes me think of my neighbors who slow down in their cars to say "Hi," or who even just go by on their daily walk and talk to the cats who stare out at them from the barn windows. Of people who come by just to visit me and the cats. It also reminds me of the spark I get anytime anyone posts a "Like" on Facebook, or even a comment here on Blogger (although I know what a pain it is to comment on Blogger--seriously, I do, so don't feel bad if you can't figure it out! I run into the same thing with blogs I follow!)
If you even just read this blog I want to say "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you". I can see your visits, because I have Google Analytics on my sites. You don't even need to give a dollar to give me a huge spiritual boost. Just reading this blog means so much to me. The fact that you are reading this NOW means you care--not just for me, but for your own neighbors, and your family, and all those people in your life who have a space in your heart.
For those of you who have given dollars, I want to let you know that they do all go for the cats. It's food, it's veterinary visits, it's electric bills for heat and cooling in the cat facility. That's it. It must be an incredible leap of faith, to throw dollars out there on the internet and expect that they get used for what you are seeing on-line. I want to let you know that it does.
It does.
It does.
It does.
Please hug your cats today. Because they love you, and you love them. And that means all of the world to me, and to anyone who rescues cats. If there were a way to channel that caring to all of us, we could all just live off it. Honestly.
Please think of the people who have helped you, too, or who give you joy in your life. Maybe you could give them a call or send them a Facebook message today.
And thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
"You need to learn to be gracious about a compliment."
Some people have a brain-full of quotes from their parents. I'm not so good at that. However that line is one thing that stuck with me, because I have a very hard time saying a simple "Thank you" when people say "You've done a decent thing."
Sometimes they aren't just saying "you've done good." They are sending money. This is the ultimate thanks. For me to not say "thank-you" back, just because I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of it all, is just plain wrong.
Yet I seem to have a really hard time with it. I don't know why.
I have two adopters, in particular, who are extremely generous. Have I asked either one of them if it's OK to thank them by name? I have not. However in some ways, they keep this little rescue alive. Now and then a card arrives in the mail with a check that ranges from $150-400. Seriously, do you know what it's like when someone sends you that kind of donation? Your brain goes "OMG, paythevetpayNYSEGbuycatfoodAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" If there weren't so many ticks out here, I would roll in the grass like a happy mutt!
(More on ticks, later)
I also intermittently receive donations via PayPal. I don't push PayPal very much, maybe twice a year, because I am not a 501(c)(3) organization (more to come on that as well!). Yet now and then a donation rolls through, and I have to say, whether it is small or large, I stare at the computer screen in astonishment. I think about that person and the fact that they clicked that link to help the cats here...and it just makes me sit and think how good people are.
And you know, even people who don't have money to spare are generous and over-the-top good. There are other cat rescuers who, even when they just post information on their own blogs, I am so appreciative of. The fact that they share makes me feel like I'm--well--not alone in my craziness. They have great ideas I can use, or that I can enthuse over!
I also know all sorts of folks who don't have an extra dime to their name, but they are there working at community events, because time is gold, and time may be the only gold they have. Maybe it is the fire department. Maybe it is their community park. Maybe it is Meal On Wheels. I feel like those people are kindred spirits. They could not give a whit about cats, and I am still amazed and impressed by them.
There are also all sorts of people that I purchase things off of, who are charging far less than they should, or even just charging me "cost"--just because they are friends and neighbors.
The world is full of people who are just. plain. good. folks.
So why am I reminded of this? Because a little while ago I received a PayPal donation of $150 from Janet, in memory of Cricket and Ivan.
My eyes tear up just thinking of Cricket and Ivan. I miss them a lot. Like all of us, even when we lose a human participant in our lives, I didn't realize how special they were until they were gone. I guess what really amazes me about them is that I totally missed that Cricket was that bonded to Ivan. I wonder how much I miss about the people in my life, when I don't even see until after the fact that the lives of two cats revolve around one another, even if they aren't joined at the furry hip.
Janet's donation brought to mind the donations from Mary, and the donations from Christy and Gordon, and all other folks who have sent dollars to The Owl House (and Wildrun) over the years, not expecting to get a tax write-off--just wanting to help the cats and myself. It makes me think of my neighbors who slow down in their cars to say "Hi," or who even just go by on their daily walk and talk to the cats who stare out at them from the barn windows. Of people who come by just to visit me and the cats. It also reminds me of the spark I get anytime anyone posts a "Like" on Facebook, or even a comment here on Blogger (although I know what a pain it is to comment on Blogger--seriously, I do, so don't feel bad if you can't figure it out! I run into the same thing with blogs I follow!)
If you even just read this blog I want to say "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you". I can see your visits, because I have Google Analytics on my sites. You don't even need to give a dollar to give me a huge spiritual boost. Just reading this blog means so much to me. The fact that you are reading this NOW means you care--not just for me, but for your own neighbors, and your family, and all those people in your life who have a space in your heart.
For those of you who have given dollars, I want to let you know that they do all go for the cats. It's food, it's veterinary visits, it's electric bills for heat and cooling in the cat facility. That's it. It must be an incredible leap of faith, to throw dollars out there on the internet and expect that they get used for what you are seeing on-line. I want to let you know that it does.
It does.
It does.
It does.
Please hug your cats today. Because they love you, and you love them. And that means all of the world to me, and to anyone who rescues cats. If there were a way to channel that caring to all of us, we could all just live off it. Honestly.
Please think of the people who have helped you, too, or who give you joy in your life. Maybe you could give them a call or send them a Facebook message today.
And thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Off-site events
Spring brings invitations to off-site "adoption" events. Most recently this was Purina Days at the Ithaca Tractor Supply. I considered taking Grayson, who actually used to live around their store on the Rt 13 corridor (the "Fast Food Ferals") but I was concerned he would be too shy, and he still gives men the hairy eyeball sometimes. So Corky was off to his second event, because he loves kids and loves to be petted.
Packing up is always the hardest part especially for the first event of the year. ("Where the #$@!!! did I put that!!!!") After the first event I usually pack everything up neatly for the next one. This time around, I had a donated cage with some rust spots that I wanted to paint a metallic brown (it came out nice!) but out of three cans of brown spray paint I had, two decided not to spray after the first ten seconds. Swear words! Many swear words! Luckily the third can was enough to do the entire cage.
I actually was able to find my leashes and halters that are used only for these events to keep the cats from getting loose when someone wants to hold them. The only one that fit Corky was pink but luckily everyone still seemed to "get" that he was a male cat.
Everything fit into two big Kong bags. I also brought a trap, and a set-up for coffee. Happily, Gary at Tractor Supply was providing two tables, so I didn't have to haul mine along.
Corky meowed in the car, and then squalled the entire way into the store. He also announced his presence periodically while in his cage if I wandered too far away. Luckily he was a relaxed ambassador until the last half-hour or so when he showed that he was ready to go home by not being as eager to meet people at the front of the cage. Four hours is enough to ask of any cat.
We were near the pet food aisle, but Tractor Supply seems to be a big place for people to buy bird food. People came and went with cartloads of the stuff. Also interesting: none of them seemed to be anti-cat, as some bird groups would like to have us believe. I stopped a few people in transit ("Looks like the birds eat well at your place!") so I wasn't just speaking to bird people who happened to stop and say "hi"--which would have indicated a bias toward cat lovers. There were a few people who out-and-out avoided me, but hey, I do that as well when I don't have time or want to make time to engage with people as well.
We got three new people on our email list, $15 in donations, and a mom and two kids who would like to come visit the cats (whoo-hoo! The cats always need kid-time!) and would also like to foster once they get moved. Two people thought they had friends who might be interested in Corky and took cards.
Four hours is good. I started at 10 and broke down at 2. Even though it does eat up most of the day, I still get things done in the morning, and I got some mowing done in the evening. There is no "doing errands" in town when you have animals in the car and the temperature is over 70, so the Fast Food Ferals got fed, but not much else. Since it was "Purina Days" after all, I picked up a big bag of Purina Cat Chow with the donation money, for the Fast Food Ferals.
The Ithaca Festival was the same day, so I'm sure traffic was quite a bit slower than it otherwise would have been. It's always great to get "people time" though, and get out of my little 58 acre box in the country.
Packing up is always the hardest part especially for the first event of the year. ("Where the #$@!!! did I put that!!!!") After the first event I usually pack everything up neatly for the next one. This time around, I had a donated cage with some rust spots that I wanted to paint a metallic brown (it came out nice!) but out of three cans of brown spray paint I had, two decided not to spray after the first ten seconds. Swear words! Many swear words! Luckily the third can was enough to do the entire cage.
I actually was able to find my leashes and halters that are used only for these events to keep the cats from getting loose when someone wants to hold them. The only one that fit Corky was pink but luckily everyone still seemed to "get" that he was a male cat.
Everything fit into two big Kong bags. I also brought a trap, and a set-up for coffee. Happily, Gary at Tractor Supply was providing two tables, so I didn't have to haul mine along.
Corky meowed in the car, and then squalled the entire way into the store. He also announced his presence periodically while in his cage if I wandered too far away. Luckily he was a relaxed ambassador until the last half-hour or so when he showed that he was ready to go home by not being as eager to meet people at the front of the cage. Four hours is enough to ask of any cat.
We were near the pet food aisle, but Tractor Supply seems to be a big place for people to buy bird food. People came and went with cartloads of the stuff. Also interesting: none of them seemed to be anti-cat, as some bird groups would like to have us believe. I stopped a few people in transit ("Looks like the birds eat well at your place!") so I wasn't just speaking to bird people who happened to stop and say "hi"--which would have indicated a bias toward cat lovers. There were a few people who out-and-out avoided me, but hey, I do that as well when I don't have time or want to make time to engage with people as well.
We got three new people on our email list, $15 in donations, and a mom and two kids who would like to come visit the cats (whoo-hoo! The cats always need kid-time!) and would also like to foster once they get moved. Two people thought they had friends who might be interested in Corky and took cards.
Four hours is good. I started at 10 and broke down at 2. Even though it does eat up most of the day, I still get things done in the morning, and I got some mowing done in the evening. There is no "doing errands" in town when you have animals in the car and the temperature is over 70, so the Fast Food Ferals got fed, but not much else. Since it was "Purina Days" after all, I picked up a big bag of Purina Cat Chow with the donation money, for the Fast Food Ferals.
The Ithaca Festival was the same day, so I'm sure traffic was quite a bit slower than it otherwise would have been. It's always great to get "people time" though, and get out of my little 58 acre box in the country.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
We will be at Purina Days this Saturday.
The Owl House will be at the Purina Days Event at Tractor Supply in Ithaca on Saturday. Come by and say "hi!" I'll probably bring little Lucy, and perhaps Grayson depending on how he seems to feel about public appearances.
A very gentle child feeding his kitten milk
You know how cats are the most affectionate when you are helplessly wrapped in blankets on your bed, or stuck sitting in the bathroom on the toilet? All I could think was this cat had learned that kids are safe when stuck in their highchair. ;)
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Continuing Education - Protozoal Parasites
Here is a great page on the Maddies Fund site where you can easily access presentations and articles on the most common (and insidious) protozoa creepy-crawlies that can make animal rescue so difficult: coccidia, giardia, and toxoplasmosis. Interesting stuff!
http://www.maddiesfund.org/Maddies_Institute/Learning_Tracks/Protozoal_Parasitology.html
http://www.maddiesfund.org/Maddies_Institute/Learning_Tracks/Protozoal_Parasitology.html
Have a cat tattoo?
Believe it or not, there is a web site dedicated just to cat tattoos, or "cattoos" as they call them on this particular site. CattooDesign.com
Monday, May 26, 2014
Celebrate Memorial Day
And the service men and women, past and present, who allow us the freedom to do so. (Give it time to load)
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Cat saves boy from dog attack
Warning: this child gets bitten only once by the dog, but it is a surprisingly aggressive bite on the leg, and will make it clear to you how children can be killed by a dog. It surprised me, so it will surprise you. But the cat is the immediate hero and the child suffers just the one bite.
Many cats are very protective. A long while ago (1986), my young female cat Bramble got a plastic shopping bag caught over her head and went zooming around my then-apartment, making a horrendous racket with her hissing and the bag rattling behind her. I finally cornered her and was getting the bag off her neck (she was squalling and hissing the entire time, but not biting me) and Rastus, my very first cat, who had never shown an aggressive cell in his body, leaped on my head with claws a-blazing, not realizing I was helping Bramble. From all the signs Bramble was giving, I was killing her.
I learned that day that Rastus was going to protect any creature he felt was in danger...even if the woman he appeared to love deeply was the one causing the damage.
I freed Bramble, but suffered a deep gash in my scalp and across my nose and eyebrow--the day before my job interview with Ithaca College Campus Safety. I actually scored points in the interview. The interviewers assumed these were scars from my current job with the SPCA. I got the job.
Interestingly enough, the majority of people who saw the damage on my face expected me to have Rastus put down...not realizing that if someone broke into my house and I was the one screaming, Rastus would likely come to my defense as well. People did not see the incident as a "cat protecting someone who was being hurt" but as "a cat who DARED to attack a human."
It's a good thing that the cat in this video didn't stick to her "stereotype" by avoiding attacking a dog. She reacted to defend a creature in danger. Perhaps if that young boy had been beating the dog, she would have reacted as well...against the boy. Who knows? The fact is, cats are furry little bundles of thought,emotion, and bravery.
Not the vermin some people would like to say they are.
I'm sure the dog has a story as well. He was apparently owned by the neighbor. Clearly the dog initially saw the movement of the child from the other side of the car (you can see him go on the alert--he could not have seen the whole child from his viewpoint under the car), and attacked basically on instinct. This story is not only about a brave cat defending a child, but a dog who was wandering where he should never have been. In a better life, this might have been a story about this very same dog protecting his owner against a robber or another dog.
The cat's story is about her. The dog's story is about us.
Many cats are very protective. A long while ago (1986), my young female cat Bramble got a plastic shopping bag caught over her head and went zooming around my then-apartment, making a horrendous racket with her hissing and the bag rattling behind her. I finally cornered her and was getting the bag off her neck (she was squalling and hissing the entire time, but not biting me) and Rastus, my very first cat, who had never shown an aggressive cell in his body, leaped on my head with claws a-blazing, not realizing I was helping Bramble. From all the signs Bramble was giving, I was killing her.
I learned that day that Rastus was going to protect any creature he felt was in danger...even if the woman he appeared to love deeply was the one causing the damage.
I freed Bramble, but suffered a deep gash in my scalp and across my nose and eyebrow--the day before my job interview with Ithaca College Campus Safety. I actually scored points in the interview. The interviewers assumed these were scars from my current job with the SPCA. I got the job.
Interestingly enough, the majority of people who saw the damage on my face expected me to have Rastus put down...not realizing that if someone broke into my house and I was the one screaming, Rastus would likely come to my defense as well. People did not see the incident as a "cat protecting someone who was being hurt" but as "a cat who DARED to attack a human."
It's a good thing that the cat in this video didn't stick to her "stereotype" by avoiding attacking a dog. She reacted to defend a creature in danger. Perhaps if that young boy had been beating the dog, she would have reacted as well...against the boy. Who knows? The fact is, cats are furry little bundles of thought,emotion, and bravery.
Not the vermin some people would like to say they are.
I'm sure the dog has a story as well. He was apparently owned by the neighbor. Clearly the dog initially saw the movement of the child from the other side of the car (you can see him go on the alert--he could not have seen the whole child from his viewpoint under the car), and attacked basically on instinct. This story is not only about a brave cat defending a child, but a dog who was wandering where he should never have been. In a better life, this might have been a story about this very same dog protecting his owner against a robber or another dog.
The cat's story is about her. The dog's story is about us.
Monday, May 12, 2014
It's mail time!
I hope people who don't have Facebook can view this. I haven't tried this before. I'm a YouTube kind of girl.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Kiddo needs a new home
I posted awhile back about an indoor/outdoor tom cat we assisted. Kiddo's post is here at this link.
Kiddo's mom is in the hospital and may have to stay where she cannot have cats, so Kiddo needs either a foster home (until we know for sure) or a new home where he can go in and out. I'll try to get a photo of him. He's a great big handsome sweet male orange cat, who would need to be kept indoors for awhile until his homing sense realigns with his new place.
Remember...don't always assume your kids will want your cats when you can no longer care for them. In this case the owner did not get a cat on her own. She reached out to help a stray. But now when she should just be taking care of herself, she is worried for her cat.
Photo to come!
Kiddo's mom is in the hospital and may have to stay where she cannot have cats, so Kiddo needs either a foster home (until we know for sure) or a new home where he can go in and out. I'll try to get a photo of him. He's a great big handsome sweet male orange cat, who would need to be kept indoors for awhile until his homing sense realigns with his new place.
Remember...don't always assume your kids will want your cats when you can no longer care for them. In this case the owner did not get a cat on her own. She reached out to help a stray. But now when she should just be taking care of herself, she is worried for her cat.
Photo to come!
Saturday, May 3, 2014
The cats enjoyed the screened porch again. The best thing I ever did was screen that in.
The cold spring has been good to the daffodils. I have more than enough to enjoy outside, and pick for inside.
The side yard is mostly cleaned up. All the old wood is in one pile, the sticks are picked up, the firepit is cleaned, and I keep picking away at the spring weeds in the memory garden.
The cold spring has been good to the daffodils. I have more than enough to enjoy outside, and pick for inside.
The side yard is mostly cleaned up. All the old wood is in one pile, the sticks are picked up, the firepit is cleaned, and I keep picking away at the spring weeds in the memory garden.
Patter ventures onto the enclosed porch and more spring things
I'm trying to get new photos and video of the cats and kittens. Pitter and Patter ventured out onto the porch today with the rest of the house clan.
Well, I guess the other spring things will go in another post, because Blogger won't let me add photos to this one. Sigh.
Well, I guess the other spring things will go in another post, because Blogger won't let me add photos to this one. Sigh.
Our Amazon Wish List
Sometimes people ask us what we need. There is a PayPal donate button at the right, but we also have an Amazon Wish List, which I just realized is not on the blog. I've added it to the right rail above the photo of Cricket and the mandolin. These are the things we need all the time! Many of them are cheaper if you have Amazon Prime. Otherwise they may be cheaper at local stores.
If any crazy people are feeling especially generous, we are definitely in need of cat vaccines, which we purchase for Revival Animal Health, here at this link. Syringes and needles are not needed for this vaccine (so pay no attention to the "do you have needles?" question on that page. However it does have to be shipped to our home address (Not the PO Box 415, Spencer NY 14883 address), and arrives with ice and a cooler. The intranasal vaccine is "modified live", so it provides immunity faster than "killed" vaccine, and is also easier to administer to small kittens. We can also get intranasal at Tractor Supply but they are often out, and it is far more expensive by the individual dose.
I just stepped into the house from working in the cat facility and the yard, for a quick tick-checking break. And yes, I did find one. If you are trekking around outside, be sure to protect yourself from the little buggers, and throw your clothing in the dryer for ten minutes when you come back in!
If any crazy people are feeling especially generous, we are definitely in need of cat vaccines, which we purchase for Revival Animal Health, here at this link. Syringes and needles are not needed for this vaccine (so pay no attention to the "do you have needles?" question on that page. However it does have to be shipped to our home address (Not the PO Box 415, Spencer NY 14883 address), and arrives with ice and a cooler. The intranasal vaccine is "modified live", so it provides immunity faster than "killed" vaccine, and is also easier to administer to small kittens. We can also get intranasal at Tractor Supply but they are often out, and it is far more expensive by the individual dose.
I just stepped into the house from working in the cat facility and the yard, for a quick tick-checking break. And yes, I did find one. If you are trekking around outside, be sure to protect yourself from the little buggers, and throw your clothing in the dryer for ten minutes when you come back in!
Friday, May 2, 2014
It looks like this dog has had plenty of practice nabbing gloves!
The score at the end is cute. Kudos to the woman near the end who is obviously afraid of the dog but immediately overcomes it to get the glove back!
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Getting the grounds cleaned up
In anticipation of kitten-visitors and Coffee and Kitten Sundays this year, I've gotten as early a start as possible on cleaning up the grounds. First off is the cat memorial garden alongside the house. The garden itself has stayed pretty under-control after the work of dedicated volunteers a few years back (Wow, wait, was that really way back in 2007?). But grass and weeds grow, so thing periodically need a heavy-handed clean up, like the small sun-patio near the firepit:
I've got a wedge-shaped sledgehammer to beat the heck out of the old rotted pallets to get them in the dumpster. I want to put an arch through the middle of the woodpile that will lead into the memorial cat garden.
Speaking of which...
The ground was finally warm enough to lay Ivan and Cricket to rest. I don't think I blogged that Cricket, who was older than Ivan, passed away after she stopped eating. Unlike Ivan, she refused to be force-fed. So now they are together in the cat garden. It's hard to have them gone. My remaining personal pets are three sweet cats, Bear, Rose, and Nellie, who are total clowns (in a good way). I need a scholar's cat. So when I'm done with work travel, Fluffy and Storm will come in the house from the sanctuary. They are seniors as well, but they are grand cats, just like Ivan and Cricket, and are also bonded to one another.
But first...homes for these young cats!
I dug out all the bricks, the mill stone, and flagstones, turfed out the grass, shoveled up roadside gravel after the town's road brush went through tossing all the winter gravel to the shoulder, and got it all put back together.
Then the firepit had to have the ashes dug out of it. So it's ready for its first fire, once the open burning restriction is off in late May.
I moved what was left of the woodpile up on the porch. Let's hope we don't have too many cold nights, because I'm out of fuel...oil, almost all my wood, and NYSEG keeps sending those nasty envelopes reminding me about the electric bill that I'm catching up on. I can rest easy that I'm not the only person in that position--I've talked to lots of people who are mulling over filling up their almost empty oil tank for a heating season that could be a week longer...or a month longer.
That leaves this mess that I'm cleaning up so that I can lay down new pallets and start accumulating next years' wood:
I've got a wedge-shaped sledgehammer to beat the heck out of the old rotted pallets to get them in the dumpster. I want to put an arch through the middle of the woodpile that will lead into the memorial cat garden.
Speaking of which...
The ground was finally warm enough to lay Ivan and Cricket to rest. I don't think I blogged that Cricket, who was older than Ivan, passed away after she stopped eating. Unlike Ivan, she refused to be force-fed. So now they are together in the cat garden. It's hard to have them gone. My remaining personal pets are three sweet cats, Bear, Rose, and Nellie, who are total clowns (in a good way). I need a scholar's cat. So when I'm done with work travel, Fluffy and Storm will come in the house from the sanctuary. They are seniors as well, but they are grand cats, just like Ivan and Cricket, and are also bonded to one another.
But first...homes for these young cats!
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