... at least that is what I think it is. I'm in a funk tonight for some reason.
I know I haven't written in ages ... or at least 8 months. People might be surprised to know how busy life can be in the country during the fall and winter.
Fall is a time of cutting down trees and preparing for winter. The tractor, 6-wheeler and trike all have new trickle chargers on them, thanks to Pat. Routine maintenance was done and outside stuff was gathered up to be stored in the shed. Everything was battened down for the winter.
As for the trees, we started at Jim & Jackie's house and cut down a couple of trees that they were concerned about. Even though the trees were huge, it didn't take long at all for them to be cut, split and loaded up to take home.
Pat and I developed a good routine for cutting down the trees. He cut them down and cut off the limbs, then sectioned the tree. I hauled off the limbs and created a brush pile for the critters, then loaded the sectioned trunk into the 6-wheeler and he unloaded it all when we got back to the house. I'm not sure quite how many we cut down here on the property, but we now have a clearing where once a stand of cedar trees grew. Another stand of cedars had died and we cut them down and salvaged what we could and then we headed over to the other side of the valley to cut more. We came across a couple that had ants growing inside the trunk. Something that neither Pat or I had ever heard of ... so much for cedar repelling insects.
Cedar is not a tree native to Missouri, so neither Pat nor I felt really bad about how many we cut down. In the place where the cedars once stood, the oaks and maples will now have sunlight to start growing. We also plan to plant some thorn-less blackberries in the clearing. If we are lucky, we might even get a few that the animals don't eat.
Pat hadn't burnt cedar before, so it was a new experience for both of us. One thing we quickly discovered was how much hotter cedar burns. The woodburner keeps the house very toasty ... around 80 degrees. After waking up a couple of mornings to find the house at 90 plus degrees, I quickly learned to keep a window open, even when it was below freezing outside. I use the air conditioner in the bedroom every night in order to get a good nights sleep.
As fall started to wind down, then the winter visiting/partying began. I think we had something almost every other weekend there for a while ... heck, we still have something going on every other weekend, if not every weekend. Of course most of that time was with Jim & Jackie, but we also did some visiting with some other friends.
Snow doesn't slow us down much either. Pat and I were out at 1:00 a.m. the night we had a 4 inch snow ... plowing and shoveling the drive and walk. I guess our strange schedule had a lot to do with that. Since Pat works nights, our "days" are actually evenings and nights, instead of mornings and evenings like most people.
My days are filled with keeping the wood burner going and taking care of Pat, cooking and cleaning, and all the critters. I go out back on a regular basis with a bucket of corn for the deer. Spike is still hanging in there and I take her out almost every other hour to potty. She will be 19 in July. On warmer, sunny days, Tux entices me outside to sit in the gazebo with my morning coffee. I will often look outside, after bringing Spike back inside, to see Tux sitting on the floor mat in the gazebo, looking toward the house ... waiting for me to come and keep him company. If that doesn't work, he comes to the doors and looks for me.
The promise of Spring has me yearning to be outside more and more these days. Some of my bulbs have sent up a few shoots ... testing the air. The weatherman is promising 40 degree temperatures this weekend and I'm looking forward to it. It's hard to believe that I am looking forward to 40s! In Texas that would have meant a pot of stew, hot chocolate and staying indoors ... here it is a "get outside and enjoy the good weather" day, maybe even barbecue some steaks.
And that last bit has me wondering what has me down ... Spring is slow in coming, but it is coming. I just wish I wasn't in such a funky mood. Maybe it is due to the bleak landscape and bare trees outside my kitchen window ... I'll be glad when they have blooms and leaves on them again!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The weeks of summer are flying!
Summer is speeding by before my eyes! It is amazing how fast it is going with all our activities keeping Pat & I so busy.
Since my last blog about the heat, temperatures have cooled off considerably. Can you believe we've had 50 degree nights in July! The days have been great also. Since the heat wave in June, we've had mainly SEVENTY and 80 degree days all month ... which has been wonderful, especially since we've had so much company!
I spent the last week of June and first few days of July getting ready for our 4th of July party. It is our one big party of the year ... with food & fireworks.
Pat & I went to Big Lots to get some kind of tent or cover for the patio table. On our way we spotted a place that sold gazebos and stopped there on our way out of town. We both fell in love with one of them and he talked me into buying it. It is beautiful! I'll have to share pictures of it on the blog soon. Everyone at the 4th of July party just loved it.
I served pulled pork and chicken salad on the 4th. Several people brought other goodies ... we had more than enough food. We had a good, if smaller group this year ... 13 people. Party-goers started arriving around 4:00 p.m. and Jim & Jackie were the last to leave around 2:00 a.m. Pat's son-in-law did the fireworks again this year and did a great job. I think most, if not all, had a great time. I know that I really enjoyed it.
Pat was off the week after the party. We spent three days putting CWF on the wood of the gazebo and then putting a layer of polyurethane on the floor, railings, benches and swing. We bought some seat cushions, three hanging baskets that I planted with impatients and begonias, a couple of flags with poles, rope lights for the ceiling, two tiki torches and some tables to finish it out. It looks beautiful. Pat and I will probably put another couple of coats of poly on the floor. Then all it needs is a weather vane on the cupola and it will be complete.
The following weekend Jim & Jackie came over to see what we had done with the gazebo and for some Chinese food. This time it was I who had the "laughter headache" after they left. The guys are just so funny when they get together. Jackie swears they give her a stroke from all the laughter.
Last weekend it was a visit from the "hair-lip dogs", as Pat calls them. The two Mark's came to visit on Saturday and I got to meet them for the first time. They have been friends with Pat for years. The last time Pat saw them was last year's fishing trip ... and I stayed home to hold down the "fort." We sat in the gazebo, listening to music, while the guys drank beer, then they went out back for some target practice. It was great to meet them and I hope we can get together again soon.
Pat's daughter, son-in-law, and 3 adorable grandchildren came out for the day last Sunday. Those children are just precious. I always enjoy when they come out. It is so much fun to spend time with Pat's daughter and her family. As you can imagine, we spent almost the whole day in the gazebo while the children scampered around with all the energy that children have. I think those three were worn out by the time they left ... I know that Pat & I were, LOL.
Tomorrow Pat & I will be doing yard work and putting more poly on the floor of the gazebo. Saturday is Pat's neice's wedding and his two oldest grandchildren are in the wedding party, so we are off for St. Louis for the day. I bet those two are going to look adorable!
I hope we have a weekend soon when we can rest! Although I do enjoy spending time with friends and Pat's family, it is exhausting. Although right now I am wondering what Jim & Jackie are doing on the first ... hmmmmmm. I must be a glutton for punishment, but summer is flying so we need to make the most of it while we can. We can always rest in the winter, LOL.
Since my last blog about the heat, temperatures have cooled off considerably. Can you believe we've had 50 degree nights in July! The days have been great also. Since the heat wave in June, we've had mainly SEVENTY and 80 degree days all month ... which has been wonderful, especially since we've had so much company!
I spent the last week of June and first few days of July getting ready for our 4th of July party. It is our one big party of the year ... with food & fireworks.
Pat & I went to Big Lots to get some kind of tent or cover for the patio table. On our way we spotted a place that sold gazebos and stopped there on our way out of town. We both fell in love with one of them and he talked me into buying it. It is beautiful! I'll have to share pictures of it on the blog soon. Everyone at the 4th of July party just loved it.
I served pulled pork and chicken salad on the 4th. Several people brought other goodies ... we had more than enough food. We had a good, if smaller group this year ... 13 people. Party-goers started arriving around 4:00 p.m. and Jim & Jackie were the last to leave around 2:00 a.m. Pat's son-in-law did the fireworks again this year and did a great job. I think most, if not all, had a great time. I know that I really enjoyed it.
Pat was off the week after the party. We spent three days putting CWF on the wood of the gazebo and then putting a layer of polyurethane on the floor, railings, benches and swing. We bought some seat cushions, three hanging baskets that I planted with impatients and begonias, a couple of flags with poles, rope lights for the ceiling, two tiki torches and some tables to finish it out. It looks beautiful. Pat and I will probably put another couple of coats of poly on the floor. Then all it needs is a weather vane on the cupola and it will be complete.
The following weekend Jim & Jackie came over to see what we had done with the gazebo and for some Chinese food. This time it was I who had the "laughter headache" after they left. The guys are just so funny when they get together. Jackie swears they give her a stroke from all the laughter.
Last weekend it was a visit from the "hair-lip dogs", as Pat calls them. The two Mark's came to visit on Saturday and I got to meet them for the first time. They have been friends with Pat for years. The last time Pat saw them was last year's fishing trip ... and I stayed home to hold down the "fort." We sat in the gazebo, listening to music, while the guys drank beer, then they went out back for some target practice. It was great to meet them and I hope we can get together again soon.
Pat's daughter, son-in-law, and 3 adorable grandchildren came out for the day last Sunday. Those children are just precious. I always enjoy when they come out. It is so much fun to spend time with Pat's daughter and her family. As you can imagine, we spent almost the whole day in the gazebo while the children scampered around with all the energy that children have. I think those three were worn out by the time they left ... I know that Pat & I were, LOL.
Tomorrow Pat & I will be doing yard work and putting more poly on the floor of the gazebo. Saturday is Pat's neice's wedding and his two oldest grandchildren are in the wedding party, so we are off for St. Louis for the day. I bet those two are going to look adorable!
I hope we have a weekend soon when we can rest! Although I do enjoy spending time with friends and Pat's family, it is exhausting. Although right now I am wondering what Jim & Jackie are doing on the first ... hmmmmmm. I must be a glutton for punishment, but summer is flying so we need to make the most of it while we can. We can always rest in the winter, LOL.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
It is hot!
Summer is upon us with a vengeance. I cooked outside yesterday to keep the heat out of the house ... thick pork chops on the barbecue grill. The butter that I used to sauté my broccoli, mushroom and onion dish melted before I turned the heat on the burner on the grill.
I also did some planting outside yesterday ... I know it's late, but the plants were on sale for 50 cents for a four pack. I came in drenched like I had taken a plunge in the creek! I don't think it would be so bad if it wasn't for the humidity. It was like a sauna outside ... even at 9:00 p.m.!
It is 93 outside right now with a heat index of 110. I'm staying inside where it is cool!
The view outside my kitchen window has changed so much over the past couple of months ... now all I see is a sea of life ... green, growing plants (some in bloom) and a wide variety of birds in all shapes and sizes at our feeders including our hummingbirds. Sometimes in the evenings, a frog or rabbit will hop across my field of vision.
As I look out the window, much of my view of the yard is obscured by the Bradford Pears. They have grown so much in the past year. Now they almost canopy the steps. I only catch glimpses of the yard through the leaves, but there is enough open area where I can see the waterfall, although it is slowly being blocked by the hollyhock I planted last year. I can also see the end of the garden where the corn is growing tall. While I wash dishes, I can see the bounty of my labors as hummingbirds flit across the porch and land on the feeders. Every now and then I will catch a glimpse of a goldfinch or indigo bunting as it flies over to get the thistle in the feeder near the new beds. Redbirds visit that area too to get a taste of my homemade no-melt suet that hangs under the thistle feeder.
I have been busy during the spring. As I mentioned earlier, I cleared off part of our hillside and Pat & I threw out flower and wildflower seeds. So far it is full of what looks like weeds, but a few flowers are peeking through. Next year it should be beautiful. Just like the cliff behind the house ... the seeds we threw out last year have put on some pretty beautiful blooms this year.
The former brick grill in the corner of the property is now full of ferns and hostas, as is two left over chunks of concrete (many years ago the property was a gas station). I've only had a couple of problems with the brick grill ... a chipmunk thought it would be a great place to build it's burrow ... until it dug down and hit the rock I hand lined the bottom with for drainage purposes. It didn't give up but tried a second time ... or some other chipmunk tried. I've now planted that poor hosta twice since it was originally planted.
Pat still talks about our trip to Bayer's Nursery that I mentioned earlier. He had promised me this trip last year and then didn't take me until I begged. I only insisted because I really wanted herbs, a weigela bush and a butterfly bush for the yard. I found out why only after the trip.
Pat & I were in Bayer's huge greenhouse. I was looking at herbs for the new herb garden that I had put in and he wandered off to look at the banana trees. When I went to find him, he was gone. A friendly employee asked if he could help me, but unfortunately had not a clue where my errant fiancée had gone. I went outside and looked around but did not spot him until I looked toward the truck where he and two other employees were filling the truck bed with ONE HUGE banana tree. We have now built a new planter to house a banana tree next to my two new flower beds. Pat has repeatedly said in the past couple of months ... "I told you not to go to Bayers".
As I mentioned earlier, I put in two new flower beds. I lined the front of one of the beds with rock from the cliff in the back ... which was a chore in itself.
I also discovered a couple of things putting in that flower bed. One was that a total of 40 bags with 40 pounds each of top soil, manure mix, peat & bark mulch will fill the bed of the truck to the point where I had to get the tires filled to get home. The second light bulb moment came just as I finished the last flower bed and I thought to myself "What was I thinking?!?! Now I have two more areas to weed!” The final realizations came the next day after I had unloaded the truck and then moved all the bags to where I wanted them in my our new flower bed (Pat was at work and I wanted to surprise him the next day) ... I'm not as young as I once was and I wished we hadn't already drained the hot tub!
Oh well, with the hostas, sweet william, banana tree and elephant ears in the beds are already beautiful. The magnolia tree, which is in bloom, offers the hostas plenty of shade. The sweet citrusy fragrance of the blooms are an added bonus when I walk between the beds. The seeds that I threw out are growing too. The only problem is my "old-timers" disease has kicked in and, other than the cosmos, sunflowers and salvia, I can't quite remember what I threw in there. I just hope I didn't pull up anything I planted while I was pulling up those weeds!
The garden is starting to put on vegetables. The strawberries put on a couple of handfuls ... some eaten straight off the vine ... and are beginning to bloom again. I've already picked some banana peppers and we've eaten more than our share of radishes in the past few weeks. I've also added some lettuce from the garden to our salads each week.
My cantaloupes are blooming and the watermelon are spreading their wings and starting to vine out in the garden. Snow peas are grasping at the trellis and starting to climb to the top. Small yellow squash are growing with their blooms hanging onto the ends for dear life. Finger-sized cucumbers are on the vine and I spotted one nice sized cucumber for a salad this weekend. The dill is really growing and should be ready shortly for the dill pickles that I plan to make.
It looks like a pan of fried green tomatoes may only be about a week away. Numerous small green tomatoes and yellow blooms are loading up our vines. I've already been searching through my magazines for recipe ideas on what to do with our overabundant crop ... salsa, tomato relish, spaghetti sauce, and, of course, cans of stewed tomatoes for next winter's meals.
Although the corn is only up to waist and knee high now, I can hardly wait to bite into the sweet corn it will produce. I tried to buy some the other day, but our local fruit & vegetable market isn't carrying any ... to high at $1.00 per ear.
One fly in the ointment is the amount of weeds I need to pull at the corn end of the garden. I pretty much have the rest of it under partial control. This year I have laid a plastic garden cloth between the rows to help a bit, however there is still a lot of weeding to do and it is just so darn hot! I really need to get them pulled so I can plant my pumpkin seeds.
If all the above is not enough, we've also added a weeping cherry tree (it is about three foot high, but growing) that I found for a great price on ebay. Pat also bought some honeysuckle bushes which turned out to be not as great a deal as we first thought, but some of them have survived and are putting on branches. I have surrounded all the trees with hollyhock seeds, some of which have started to grow. They will be really beautiful next year ... like the ones I planted last year.
In all the hours of outside labor, Tux has been my constant companion and "supervisor". He always seems to know when I need a break and comes over to sit in my lap for a pet, then wanders off a few feet to lay down. He then turns to look at me as if to say "get back to work" ... LOL.
As you can see, there has been good reason to be so neglectful of my poor blog ... hours and hours of outside chores have consumed my days. There has been very few hours to leisure to go "chasing butterflies", but I still managed to catch a few pictures which I have shared with you below ... along with other pictures of my labors.
All of the above leaves the hours after dark for getting my other chores done ... such as cleaning house which I should be doing right now, but I'm procrastinating, as usual. Maybe now that the heat is keeping me inside later and later in the afternoon, I can play a bit of catch-up with other things.
I also did some planting outside yesterday ... I know it's late, but the plants were on sale for 50 cents for a four pack. I came in drenched like I had taken a plunge in the creek! I don't think it would be so bad if it wasn't for the humidity. It was like a sauna outside ... even at 9:00 p.m.!
It is 93 outside right now with a heat index of 110. I'm staying inside where it is cool!
The view outside my kitchen window has changed so much over the past couple of months ... now all I see is a sea of life ... green, growing plants (some in bloom) and a wide variety of birds in all shapes and sizes at our feeders including our hummingbirds. Sometimes in the evenings, a frog or rabbit will hop across my field of vision.
As I look out the window, much of my view of the yard is obscured by the Bradford Pears. They have grown so much in the past year. Now they almost canopy the steps. I only catch glimpses of the yard through the leaves, but there is enough open area where I can see the waterfall, although it is slowly being blocked by the hollyhock I planted last year. I can also see the end of the garden where the corn is growing tall. While I wash dishes, I can see the bounty of my labors as hummingbirds flit across the porch and land on the feeders. Every now and then I will catch a glimpse of a goldfinch or indigo bunting as it flies over to get the thistle in the feeder near the new beds. Redbirds visit that area too to get a taste of my homemade no-melt suet that hangs under the thistle feeder.
I have been busy during the spring. As I mentioned earlier, I cleared off part of our hillside and Pat & I threw out flower and wildflower seeds. So far it is full of what looks like weeds, but a few flowers are peeking through. Next year it should be beautiful. Just like the cliff behind the house ... the seeds we threw out last year have put on some pretty beautiful blooms this year.
The former brick grill in the corner of the property is now full of ferns and hostas, as is two left over chunks of concrete (many years ago the property was a gas station). I've only had a couple of problems with the brick grill ... a chipmunk thought it would be a great place to build it's burrow ... until it dug down and hit the rock I hand lined the bottom with for drainage purposes. It didn't give up but tried a second time ... or some other chipmunk tried. I've now planted that poor hosta twice since it was originally planted.
Pat still talks about our trip to Bayer's Nursery that I mentioned earlier. He had promised me this trip last year and then didn't take me until I begged. I only insisted because I really wanted herbs, a weigela bush and a butterfly bush for the yard. I found out why only after the trip.
Pat & I were in Bayer's huge greenhouse. I was looking at herbs for the new herb garden that I had put in and he wandered off to look at the banana trees. When I went to find him, he was gone. A friendly employee asked if he could help me, but unfortunately had not a clue where my errant fiancée had gone. I went outside and looked around but did not spot him until I looked toward the truck where he and two other employees were filling the truck bed with ONE HUGE banana tree. We have now built a new planter to house a banana tree next to my two new flower beds. Pat has repeatedly said in the past couple of months ... "I told you not to go to Bayers".
As I mentioned earlier, I put in two new flower beds. I lined the front of one of the beds with rock from the cliff in the back ... which was a chore in itself.
I also discovered a couple of things putting in that flower bed. One was that a total of 40 bags with 40 pounds each of top soil, manure mix, peat & bark mulch will fill the bed of the truck to the point where I had to get the tires filled to get home. The second light bulb moment came just as I finished the last flower bed and I thought to myself "What was I thinking?!?! Now I have two more areas to weed!” The final realizations came the next day after I had unloaded the truck and then moved all the bags to where I wanted them in my our new flower bed (Pat was at work and I wanted to surprise him the next day) ... I'm not as young as I once was and I wished we hadn't already drained the hot tub!
Oh well, with the hostas, sweet william, banana tree and elephant ears in the beds are already beautiful. The magnolia tree, which is in bloom, offers the hostas plenty of shade. The sweet citrusy fragrance of the blooms are an added bonus when I walk between the beds. The seeds that I threw out are growing too. The only problem is my "old-timers" disease has kicked in and, other than the cosmos, sunflowers and salvia, I can't quite remember what I threw in there. I just hope I didn't pull up anything I planted while I was pulling up those weeds!
The garden is starting to put on vegetables. The strawberries put on a couple of handfuls ... some eaten straight off the vine ... and are beginning to bloom again. I've already picked some banana peppers and we've eaten more than our share of radishes in the past few weeks. I've also added some lettuce from the garden to our salads each week.
My cantaloupes are blooming and the watermelon are spreading their wings and starting to vine out in the garden. Snow peas are grasping at the trellis and starting to climb to the top. Small yellow squash are growing with their blooms hanging onto the ends for dear life. Finger-sized cucumbers are on the vine and I spotted one nice sized cucumber for a salad this weekend. The dill is really growing and should be ready shortly for the dill pickles that I plan to make.
It looks like a pan of fried green tomatoes may only be about a week away. Numerous small green tomatoes and yellow blooms are loading up our vines. I've already been searching through my magazines for recipe ideas on what to do with our overabundant crop ... salsa, tomato relish, spaghetti sauce, and, of course, cans of stewed tomatoes for next winter's meals.
Although the corn is only up to waist and knee high now, I can hardly wait to bite into the sweet corn it will produce. I tried to buy some the other day, but our local fruit & vegetable market isn't carrying any ... to high at $1.00 per ear.
One fly in the ointment is the amount of weeds I need to pull at the corn end of the garden. I pretty much have the rest of it under partial control. This year I have laid a plastic garden cloth between the rows to help a bit, however there is still a lot of weeding to do and it is just so darn hot! I really need to get them pulled so I can plant my pumpkin seeds.
If all the above is not enough, we've also added a weeping cherry tree (it is about three foot high, but growing) that I found for a great price on ebay. Pat also bought some honeysuckle bushes which turned out to be not as great a deal as we first thought, but some of them have survived and are putting on branches. I have surrounded all the trees with hollyhock seeds, some of which have started to grow. They will be really beautiful next year ... like the ones I planted last year.
In all the hours of outside labor, Tux has been my constant companion and "supervisor". He always seems to know when I need a break and comes over to sit in my lap for a pet, then wanders off a few feet to lay down. He then turns to look at me as if to say "get back to work" ... LOL.
As you can see, there has been good reason to be so neglectful of my poor blog ... hours and hours of outside chores have consumed my days. There has been very few hours to leisure to go "chasing butterflies", but I still managed to catch a few pictures which I have shared with you below ... along with other pictures of my labors.
All of the above leaves the hours after dark for getting my other chores done ... such as cleaning house which I should be doing right now, but I'm procrastinating, as usual. Maybe now that the heat is keeping me inside later and later in the afternoon, I can play a bit of catch-up with other things.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Moaning and Groaning.
I'm moaning and groaning a bit tonight ... feeling every one of my years and every one of my muscles in my back ... although the hot tub helped. I've been working on the hillside that goes from the front of the property toward the back of the house. I started on it about a month ago, but still had over three hours of work to finish it ... which I did tonight. I still have a bit of cleanup, which I plan to do in the morning.
I'll have to get pictures of it later, although it's behind these forsythia and the blooming pear tree in this picture. You can see it is pretty much a mess ... or was. The State Park is on the other side of our property line and there are a lot of brush and downed trees on their side too. It is a mess ... overgrown with small trees and grape vines. I wanted to clean up our side, so it would get more sunlight. Pat and I threw out some wildflowers seeds on our side of the hill this weekend, but it still needed several hours of work to be cleared.
One of the trees we cut down was a thorn tree. I'm not sure what it was. Pat cut it down weeks ago, but I had to chop it up to get it out of there. I hauled it to the brush pile in the back using the 6-wheeler. That tree ate me up ... I have all sorts of punctures from it's long thorns, but I'll get the pleasure of seeing it burn.
Tux came home calling for me while I was still hard at work. He couldn't figure out where I was, since I wasn't in my "usual" area of the yard. He usually has found me out front where I put in a herb bed last week. He and I have already gone a couple of rounds about THAT bed, since he thought it would make a great litter box.
Tonight, after I finished hauling the last batch of stuff to the brush pile and put my tools and the 6-wheeler away, Tux and I once again enjoyed some time sitting together in the rocking chair on the porch and "talking" as I relaxed after a hard day's work. It's so wonderful to once again feel that peace as he purrs in my lap and we "talk".
Pat has even taken to Tux. He doesn't fuss when I pick him up any more and even reached down to pet him this past weekend. He thinks Tux is "ok". High praise from a man who hates cats.
Tux's leg is pretty well mended, although he walks with a limp and always will. His tail is another matter. It hangs limp with a bunch of hair gone. I never did manage to get him to the vet. Still, he manages to climb the stairs to the porch and can get up the hill behind the house ... something that I can't do, with good legs. He walks up the cliff at an angle until he gets to the cedar tree at the right of the picture, than scrambles up the rest of the way.
Of course, I'm not moving all the swift tonight anyway. I'm sore from all the work I did today. Hopefully my long soak in the hot tub and the Ibuprofin that I took will help me be able to sleep tonight. I know you aren't supposed to stay in the hot tub for very long, but I like heat (maybe because of my south Texas heritage). I turned the hot tub up to 101 and stayed in for a half hour.
I'm not sure what project I'll start on tomorrow, once the hillside is cleared a bit more. I have so many projects in the yard that I want to get done before it gets too hot.
Pat and I went to Bayer's Nursery this past weekend and I bought a couple of bushes ... a butterfly bush and a varigated weigela. Pat is going to put the auger on the tractor this weekend for us to plant them. We're also going to head back to Bayers for more bushes to plant along the wood fence at the front of the property ... which means I might dig up the rose bushes we have there and move them to the beds in the front.
I also want to fix our walkway to the driveway and wood burner. It's a mess from the Spring rains. While I'm at it, I want to turn the area between the walkway and the house into a cottage-type flower garden.
Then there is the area in front of the "wall". Pat bought a HUGE banana tree. That tree is over 8 feet tall. Right now it's in the garage, but Pat is going to build a planter for it next to the concrete patio area. I plan to make a bed in the same area by bricking in a portion and filling it with fresh dirt and mulch. I'll plant some bushes and perennials in the new bed. In front of that I'm going to put in some type of area for us to sit, either using flat rocks or pavers ... I haven't decided which or when ... and a waterfall. I may wait on that last two project for a while.
If those aren't enough chores, I also want to shovel up some of the debris from the cliff in the back. A bunch of the rock has fallen down and I want to shovel it into some of the area that is low and holding water, that is if I don't just dig up the area that is holding water and make it into a pond.
Sigh ... Just thinking about all the things I have planned is making me tired, LOL. I guess it's time for bed. I'll rest a bit before Pat gets home a little after 3:00 a.m.
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I'll have to get pictures of it later, although it's behind these forsythia and the blooming pear tree in this picture. You can see it is pretty much a mess ... or was. The State Park is on the other side of our property line and there are a lot of brush and downed trees on their side too. It is a mess ... overgrown with small trees and grape vines. I wanted to clean up our side, so it would get more sunlight. Pat and I threw out some wildflowers seeds on our side of the hill this weekend, but it still needed several hours of work to be cleared.
One of the trees we cut down was a thorn tree. I'm not sure what it was. Pat cut it down weeks ago, but I had to chop it up to get it out of there. I hauled it to the brush pile in the back using the 6-wheeler. That tree ate me up ... I have all sorts of punctures from it's long thorns, but I'll get the pleasure of seeing it burn.
Tux came home calling for me while I was still hard at work. He couldn't figure out where I was, since I wasn't in my "usual" area of the yard. He usually has found me out front where I put in a herb bed last week. He and I have already gone a couple of rounds about THAT bed, since he thought it would make a great litter box.
Tonight, after I finished hauling the last batch of stuff to the brush pile and put my tools and the 6-wheeler away, Tux and I once again enjoyed some time sitting together in the rocking chair on the porch and "talking" as I relaxed after a hard day's work. It's so wonderful to once again feel that peace as he purrs in my lap and we "talk".
Pat has even taken to Tux. He doesn't fuss when I pick him up any more and even reached down to pet him this past weekend. He thinks Tux is "ok". High praise from a man who hates cats.
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Tux's leg is pretty well mended, although he walks with a limp and always will. His tail is another matter. It hangs limp with a bunch of hair gone. I never did manage to get him to the vet. Still, he manages to climb the stairs to the porch and can get up the hill behind the house ... something that I can't do, with good legs. He walks up the cliff at an angle until he gets to the cedar tree at the right of the picture, than scrambles up the rest of the way.
Of course, I'm not moving all the swift tonight anyway. I'm sore from all the work I did today. Hopefully my long soak in the hot tub and the Ibuprofin that I took will help me be able to sleep tonight. I know you aren't supposed to stay in the hot tub for very long, but I like heat (maybe because of my south Texas heritage). I turned the hot tub up to 101 and stayed in for a half hour.
I'm not sure what project I'll start on tomorrow, once the hillside is cleared a bit more. I have so many projects in the yard that I want to get done before it gets too hot.
Pat and I went to Bayer's Nursery this past weekend and I bought a couple of bushes ... a butterfly bush and a varigated weigela. Pat is going to put the auger on the tractor this weekend for us to plant them. We're also going to head back to Bayers for more bushes to plant along the wood fence at the front of the property ... which means I might dig up the rose bushes we have there and move them to the beds in the front.
I also want to fix our walkway to the driveway and wood burner. It's a mess from the Spring rains. While I'm at it, I want to turn the area between the walkway and the house into a cottage-type flower garden.
Then there is the area in front of the "wall". Pat bought a HUGE banana tree. That tree is over 8 feet tall. Right now it's in the garage, but Pat is going to build a planter for it next to the concrete patio area. I plan to make a bed in the same area by bricking in a portion and filling it with fresh dirt and mulch. I'll plant some bushes and perennials in the new bed. In front of that I'm going to put in some type of area for us to sit, either using flat rocks or pavers ... I haven't decided which or when ... and a waterfall. I may wait on that last two project for a while.
If those aren't enough chores, I also want to shovel up some of the debris from the cliff in the back. A bunch of the rock has fallen down and I want to shovel it into some of the area that is low and holding water, that is if I don't just dig up the area that is holding water and make it into a pond.
Sigh ... Just thinking about all the things I have planned is making me tired, LOL. I guess it's time for bed. I'll rest a bit before Pat gets home a little after 3:00 a.m.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Happy Birthday to me!
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Jim & Jackie came over Saturday afternoon and stayed until midnight. Just their presence was enough to make it a great birthday party, but they also brought a beautiful decorated birthday cake and wonderful gifts! Jackie has this special knack of picking out just the right gifts! She always seems to know just what I like.
It was a beautiful day outside, if somewhat windy. Pat got the music going in the garage and I barbecued some porterhouse steaks, baked some potatoes and made a salad. Pat & Jim listened to the music in the garage to get the full effect of the pulsing music, while Jackie and I sat on the back porch swing and talked while I barbecued the steaks. When they were done we headed inside to sit around the table and enjoy our meal ... and each other.
We had a wonderful time (as usual), filled with a lot of laughter. The guys are just so funny! Jackie says that Jim & Pat remind her of the movie "Grumpy Old Men". She also says that Pat is a lot like comedian Ron White ... and I agree. Jackie and my stomachs always hurt at the end of an evening from laughing so much at those two.
One of the best parts of my birthday celebration came as we were finishing up our meal. An uninvited, but very much missed, guest appeared coming down the driveway ... TUX!
Pat was the first one who spotted him. He said "there's Tux" and, as I got up to welcome Tux home, he said "Happy Birthday" ... and it WAS a very happy birthday present for me. I admit I had tears in my eyes as I rushed outside.
Tux came limping up to me as I went out to the driveway to greet him. As I picked him up, he started "talking" and telling me all about his adventures. I admit that I half-heartedly scolded him for worrying me for 8 very long days. I am still worried because he has lost so much weight. Poor Tux was starving and ate three bowls of food before settling down in his cat house to take a much needed nap.
Our evening continued after Tux's homecoming and all of us took turns going out to check on him. I think Jim & Jackie agree that Tux is a special cat. I know that Pat does because he said at one point in the evening that "Tux is ok." High praise from a man who claims to hate cats, LOL.
One thing happened Saturday night that brought home to me just how lucky Tux was to be alive. Pat went out on the back porch late in the evening and was surprised by the howl of a coyote just up the hill a few yards from the house. Pat came in and got his shotgun and he and Jim went back outside. Of course by that time, the coyote was gone, but Pat fired off a couple of rounds to make sure that the coyote kept traveling away from the house.
I still have not been able to get Tux to a vet. He shows up in the evenings and goes missing during the days. His leg is definitely broken and his tail. I doubt the vet will be able to do much, other than amputate ... yes, the breaks are that bad. His paw and the last half of his tail hang limp. How he manages to get around so well is beyond me and he doesn't show any signs of pain. He has even mastered the trick of getting up and down on the front porch, by way of the narrow brick ledge that runs around the house.
As I said in my earlier post, Tux has heart. Right now he is outside in his cat house, which is now layered with two thick bath towels and well insulated with a blanket and one of Pat's old jackets, snoozing after eating some cat food and left-over porterhouse steak from my birthday celebration. I think I've checked on him about a half-dozen times tonight. The last time I checked on him, he poked his head out for me to pet him and purred for all he was worth. Is it any wonder he has stolen my heart?
I don't remember the last time in my life I had a birthday party. I know it had to have been years ago, maybe in my 20s. However, I do know it could not possibly have been as great as this one ... wonderful friends, lots of laughter, the man that I love ... and Tux! What a fantastic 52nd birthday!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Spring has Sprung
Old man winter is being pushed out, kicking and screaming by Springtime. We had snow this past weekend, but the Spring sunshine didn't let it last long. Everything is beginning to bloom and I'm spending more and more time outside these days ... working and playing ... which just means I have less time to spend at the computer.
These days if it is above 50 degress, I'm outside!
I have taken a few photos of the beauty of Spring at our country home .... here are a few:
These days if it is above 50 degress, I'm outside!
I have taken a few photos of the beauty of Spring at our country home .... here are a few:
Tux is gone.
Friday night Pat and I went out to the garage and got a receiver going so we could play music when we are outside. All the while Tux wandered around the garage and I kept an eye on him like a mother hen, afraid he would get hurt among all the stuff. About 20 minutes before we went back inside, I saw him wander on out the garage door. Just in case, I called to him before we closed the garage door and he didn’t answer.
About an hour later, around midnight, I took Spike out to do her business and found Tux lying on the walkway with an injured foot. Somehow he had answered my earlier call, even though he could barely walk. His back leg was bleeding and possibly broken. Since it was so late, the only thing I could do was gently pick him up and put him in his bed by the front door, with food and water. Worried about him, I didn’t sleep well that night and checked on him several times during the night and in the early morning. He was still there at 6:30 a.m. When I looked out he looked up to me, with a pain in his eyes that broke my heart. When I went out again at 9:00, he was gone.
Perhaps I should have put him in a carrier for a ride to the vet on Saturday, but I didn’t. It is a fact I have come to regret. I didn’t think he could go far with his injury and I just couldn’t bring myself to put him in a cage, even for his own good. Now I will have to live with “what ifs” and feelings that I somehow let him down.
It is amazing how Tux had become such a big part of my life in such a short time. Perhaps it was because he reminded me so much of Loverboy, who I was blessed to have for 22 years before old age claimed him. Tux was another of those rare animals that could worm his way into your heart almost instantly with more heart and personality than you will find in most people. He knew how to love and show that love and I was very blessed to have him in my life, even for such a short time. The people who “threw him away” did not realize what a treasure they had.
In only a month, Tux and I had already established a morning and evening ritual. He would always come running when I called … no matter where he was on the property. I’d hear his cry first, and then there he would be dashing out from under the groundcover surrounding the property, coming down the hill behind the house or walking a tightrope on the bricks surrounding the house as he made his way to the front porch. Although a lot of the time he would show up on his own, especially when he was hungry. If I went back inside after I put food out, he’d cry and go from door to door to try to coax me back out so we could “talk”.
As spring has taken more of a hold in the past few weeks, I would often go outside to wander the yard, with Tux as my shadow, as we looked at the tulips, daffodils, crocus and the blooming of the pear trees. Whenever I barbecued, he was there on the back porch, sunning himself and hoping for a "taste". If I was working outside, he’d follow me around the yard until my chores were done, often playfully rolling on the concrete to get my attention. Then I’d pick him up, climb the steps and sit down in the rocking chair on the porch with Tux in my lap. He would give me kisses by rubbing his cheek into mine and spend time purring in my lap while I petted him, rocked, and enjoyed the Spring beauty that was coming to life before our eyes. Those were some of the most peaceful, soul-satisfying times of my day. Now they are gone.
As I started photographing the signs of spring, Tux has had more pictures taken of him than I have ever taken of now 21 year old Brat. I have a whole folder of Tux at his best … lying on the porch, napping in his cat bed by the door, surveying his domain, rolling in the dirt, stalking his prey and more.
Still, even though my head knows he is gone, my heart refuses to let hope die. The memory of an old movie from childhood, “The Three Lives of Thomasina” has been much on my mind the past few days. I live in hope that Tux has not used up all of his nine lives and is out there … somewhere … alive.
Whatever the reason, each morning and evening, I go out and call for him … “kitty, kitty, Tux!” Over and over I call, each time pausing to listen for his faint cry, a sign that he’s heard and is on his way home … a cry that I heard daily for a month and now long for each and every day. I listen closely ... past the tinkling sound of the wind chimes and the croaking of the frogs in the creek. I listen past the sound of the wind in the trees and the songs of the birds and I hear … silence … a silence that cuts into my heart like a knife.
I wander the property. Looking for a flash of black anywhere among the trees. There are times when I am outside that I even think I hear a faint echo of his cry. When that happens, I have to stop as my heart leaps, only to have the breath snatched from my body and big fat tears roll down my cheeks when I realize it was only a trick of the wind.
It doesn’t seem quite fair that I should have two beautiful springs in a row that are so bittersweet. Somehow this one seems worse than the last. At least Loverboy died in my arms surrounded by my love. My biggest fear and greatest pain is that if Tux is truly gone, and, if he is, that he probably died cold, alone, hungry and in pain. What a bitter irony that the very predators that I predicted would take some of the feral cats could possibly be the fate of Tux.
About an hour later, around midnight, I took Spike out to do her business and found Tux lying on the walkway with an injured foot. Somehow he had answered my earlier call, even though he could barely walk. His back leg was bleeding and possibly broken. Since it was so late, the only thing I could do was gently pick him up and put him in his bed by the front door, with food and water. Worried about him, I didn’t sleep well that night and checked on him several times during the night and in the early morning. He was still there at 6:30 a.m. When I looked out he looked up to me, with a pain in his eyes that broke my heart. When I went out again at 9:00, he was gone.
Perhaps I should have put him in a carrier for a ride to the vet on Saturday, but I didn’t. It is a fact I have come to regret. I didn’t think he could go far with his injury and I just couldn’t bring myself to put him in a cage, even for his own good. Now I will have to live with “what ifs” and feelings that I somehow let him down.
It is amazing how Tux had become such a big part of my life in such a short time. Perhaps it was because he reminded me so much of Loverboy, who I was blessed to have for 22 years before old age claimed him. Tux was another of those rare animals that could worm his way into your heart almost instantly with more heart and personality than you will find in most people. He knew how to love and show that love and I was very blessed to have him in my life, even for such a short time. The people who “threw him away” did not realize what a treasure they had.
In only a month, Tux and I had already established a morning and evening ritual. He would always come running when I called … no matter where he was on the property. I’d hear his cry first, and then there he would be dashing out from under the groundcover surrounding the property, coming down the hill behind the house or walking a tightrope on the bricks surrounding the house as he made his way to the front porch. Although a lot of the time he would show up on his own, especially when he was hungry. If I went back inside after I put food out, he’d cry and go from door to door to try to coax me back out so we could “talk”.
As spring has taken more of a hold in the past few weeks, I would often go outside to wander the yard, with Tux as my shadow, as we looked at the tulips, daffodils, crocus and the blooming of the pear trees. Whenever I barbecued, he was there on the back porch, sunning himself and hoping for a "taste". If I was working outside, he’d follow me around the yard until my chores were done, often playfully rolling on the concrete to get my attention. Then I’d pick him up, climb the steps and sit down in the rocking chair on the porch with Tux in my lap. He would give me kisses by rubbing his cheek into mine and spend time purring in my lap while I petted him, rocked, and enjoyed the Spring beauty that was coming to life before our eyes. Those were some of the most peaceful, soul-satisfying times of my day. Now they are gone.
As I started photographing the signs of spring, Tux has had more pictures taken of him than I have ever taken of now 21 year old Brat. I have a whole folder of Tux at his best … lying on the porch, napping in his cat bed by the door, surveying his domain, rolling in the dirt, stalking his prey and more.
Still, even though my head knows he is gone, my heart refuses to let hope die. The memory of an old movie from childhood, “The Three Lives of Thomasina” has been much on my mind the past few days. I live in hope that Tux has not used up all of his nine lives and is out there … somewhere … alive.
Whatever the reason, each morning and evening, I go out and call for him … “kitty, kitty, Tux!” Over and over I call, each time pausing to listen for his faint cry, a sign that he’s heard and is on his way home … a cry that I heard daily for a month and now long for each and every day. I listen closely ... past the tinkling sound of the wind chimes and the croaking of the frogs in the creek. I listen past the sound of the wind in the trees and the songs of the birds and I hear … silence … a silence that cuts into my heart like a knife.
I wander the property. Looking for a flash of black anywhere among the trees. There are times when I am outside that I even think I hear a faint echo of his cry. When that happens, I have to stop as my heart leaps, only to have the breath snatched from my body and big fat tears roll down my cheeks when I realize it was only a trick of the wind.
It doesn’t seem quite fair that I should have two beautiful springs in a row that are so bittersweet. Somehow this one seems worse than the last. At least Loverboy died in my arms surrounded by my love. My biggest fear and greatest pain is that if Tux is truly gone, and, if he is, that he probably died cold, alone, hungry and in pain. What a bitter irony that the very predators that I predicted would take some of the feral cats could possibly be the fate of Tux.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
It was a busy ... and fun ... weekend
Which is amazing when you consider we went to a kind of wake on Saturday with Jim & Jackie. A friend of Jim, Jackie & Pat's died several weeks ago of cancer. Jim & Jackie were neighbors of Jeanine for many years and Pat has known Jeanine for over 30 years and even worked with her at one point. Jeanine's family had a "celebration of her life" at noon on Saturday in St. Louis. Jim & Jackie picked us up just after 10:30 for the drive to St. Louis.
When I go, that's what I want ... a party just like Jeanine's. There was barbecue, desserts, drinks and beer. A lot of pictures and remembering times with Jeanine ... and a lot of laughter and no tears. I know Jeanine was looking down lifting a glass of beer going "yeah!"
Afterwards the four of us drove back here to visit with Jeanine's family for a bit, then we headed for the bar to celebrate Jackie's birthday, which was last week. Jackie and I don't drink, but the guys enjoyed a few beers, well maybe more than a few.
I even "played" a game of darts with Pat as my partner. Although "playing" might be too generous of a word for what I was doing. Pat kept telling me that we needed a 16 or 19 or whatever number. I don't think I ever managed to get through to him that I was doing good to get my darts to stick in the center of the target ... anywhere in the center of the target. It was only the third time I have ever thrown darts in my life. Nevertheless, due to Pat's champion dart throwing, we actually did win at least one game.
After darts Jackie and I played pool ... while the guys caught up on their beer and shared some "conversation". Now pool is right down my alley. However, I'm horribly rusty. I haven't played in over 15 years. It's hard to believe that I once owned my own cue stick (lost in one of my moves) and used to play pool on an almost daily basis in my 20s and early 30s. I used to be quite good at one time ... something I'm not right now, at least not on a bar pool table (I used to play regulation tables and there is a difference).
As always, the day spent with our friends was full of laughter, although the biggest laugh came when we arrived home after midnight. In matter of fact, Jackie called today and we shared a laugh as we remembered what happened. Jackie and I helped Pat out of Bob (their affectionate name for their vehicle) at the end of the evening. Suddenly Pat started going backwards and Jackie and I grabbed for his each of his arms. At one point Pat was leaning at about a 45 degree angle before Jackie and I managed to get him upright. He called out to Jim that he had been floating and two angels lifted him, LOL.
With that kind of day on Saturday, Sunday was a bit slower. Even though I didn't drink, I was still moving a bit slow after such an eventful Saturday. Pat and I did do some work out in the yard ... getting ready for Spring planting.
Monday was my usual hectic day full of errands and chores. I fell into an exhausted sleep much earlier than usual ... which is where I'm headed right now.
When I go, that's what I want ... a party just like Jeanine's. There was barbecue, desserts, drinks and beer. A lot of pictures and remembering times with Jeanine ... and a lot of laughter and no tears. I know Jeanine was looking down lifting a glass of beer going "yeah!"
Afterwards the four of us drove back here to visit with Jeanine's family for a bit, then we headed for the bar to celebrate Jackie's birthday, which was last week. Jackie and I don't drink, but the guys enjoyed a few beers, well maybe more than a few.
I even "played" a game of darts with Pat as my partner. Although "playing" might be too generous of a word for what I was doing. Pat kept telling me that we needed a 16 or 19 or whatever number. I don't think I ever managed to get through to him that I was doing good to get my darts to stick in the center of the target ... anywhere in the center of the target. It was only the third time I have ever thrown darts in my life. Nevertheless, due to Pat's champion dart throwing, we actually did win at least one game.
After darts Jackie and I played pool ... while the guys caught up on their beer and shared some "conversation". Now pool is right down my alley. However, I'm horribly rusty. I haven't played in over 15 years. It's hard to believe that I once owned my own cue stick (lost in one of my moves) and used to play pool on an almost daily basis in my 20s and early 30s. I used to be quite good at one time ... something I'm not right now, at least not on a bar pool table (I used to play regulation tables and there is a difference).
As always, the day spent with our friends was full of laughter, although the biggest laugh came when we arrived home after midnight. In matter of fact, Jackie called today and we shared a laugh as we remembered what happened. Jackie and I helped Pat out of Bob (their affectionate name for their vehicle) at the end of the evening. Suddenly Pat started going backwards and Jackie and I grabbed for his each of his arms. At one point Pat was leaning at about a 45 degree angle before Jackie and I managed to get him upright. He called out to Jim that he had been floating and two angels lifted him, LOL.
With that kind of day on Saturday, Sunday was a bit slower. Even though I didn't drink, I was still moving a bit slow after such an eventful Saturday. Pat and I did do some work out in the yard ... getting ready for Spring planting.
Monday was my usual hectic day full of errands and chores. I fell into an exhausted sleep much earlier than usual ... which is where I'm headed right now.
Friday, March 13, 2009
This and That ... otherwise know as the ramblings of a tired woman.
My cooking disasters continued today, although not as bad. The hamburger I got out wasn't thawed. Oh well, I'll use it to make chalupas tomorrow night. I grabbed some packaged chicken fried rice and a can of sweet and sour chicken for our lunch. It is rare for me to cook pre-packaged stuff. I prefer to cook from scratch. It turned out pretty good. At least I had it on the table at a more reasonable time.
I made it through another Thursday (cleaning day). Cleaning is not one of my favorite things to do. I mentioned earlier that my grandmother took care of the cooking for my parents. She also kept house for them. When she died when I was 8, the cleaning also fell to me. At 8, I did the laundry, made beds, mopped, vacuumed and all the rest of the cleaning chores that comes with a large house. I distinctly remembering wishing I was outside wandering in the woods then too, LOL.
Tux had me a bit worried tonight. Most of the time he shows up right after Pat leaves for work, but he didn't show up until around 10:30 tonight. He was extra affectionate after he ate. I think he just wanted me to hold him and warm him up a bit. It's freezing outside!
When I took the trash out tonight, I noticed that the lilacs are starting to put on leaves. I hope they don't get frost bit. The tulips are really coming up and filling out. One or two look like they will start putting on blooms, maybe next week when it warms up a bit. I can hardly wait. Hurry spring!
I'm looking forward to the weekend. We will be spending some time with friends of ours, Jim & Jackie, on Saturday, which is always fun. It never fails that time spent with them is full of laughter. I can't count the times that I have laughed until tears filled my eyes when we have been together ... usually over the antics of Jim & Pat. Those two guys are so funny when they get together.
Pat should be home from work in about an hour. Since it's getting a bit chilly in here, I think I'd better go check the woodburner one more time before he gets home.
I made it through another Thursday (cleaning day). Cleaning is not one of my favorite things to do. I mentioned earlier that my grandmother took care of the cooking for my parents. She also kept house for them. When she died when I was 8, the cleaning also fell to me. At 8, I did the laundry, made beds, mopped, vacuumed and all the rest of the cleaning chores that comes with a large house. I distinctly remembering wishing I was outside wandering in the woods then too, LOL.
Tux had me a bit worried tonight. Most of the time he shows up right after Pat leaves for work, but he didn't show up until around 10:30 tonight. He was extra affectionate after he ate. I think he just wanted me to hold him and warm him up a bit. It's freezing outside!
When I took the trash out tonight, I noticed that the lilacs are starting to put on leaves. I hope they don't get frost bit. The tulips are really coming up and filling out. One or two look like they will start putting on blooms, maybe next week when it warms up a bit. I can hardly wait. Hurry spring!
I'm looking forward to the weekend. We will be spending some time with friends of ours, Jim & Jackie, on Saturday, which is always fun. It never fails that time spent with them is full of laughter. I can't count the times that I have laughed until tears filled my eyes when we have been together ... usually over the antics of Jim & Pat. Those two guys are so funny when they get together.
Pat should be home from work in about an hour. Since it's getting a bit chilly in here, I think I'd better go check the woodburner one more time before he gets home.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Homeless Animals ... a sign of the poor economy.
I'm sure you have seen it in cartoons. At least I did when I was a kid. Some cartoon character drives his faithful dog out and dumps him in the country. More often than not, in the cartoon, by the time he gets home the dog has beat him there.
Unfortunately, in these economic times, it happens too frequently these days and it is heartbreaking instead of funny. These past few months, Pat & I are seeing more and more animals, cats and dogs, roaming around the area of our home and the park. People with no way to care for their animals and no place to take them are dumping them in the country and they are turning wild.
Right now we have any number of wild cats around the property. Every time I see one hanging out in front of the bird feeders, I'm running it off. All I have to do is step outside and the cat is off like a shot. They are totally feral.
I know what Pat wants to do, but it breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. I love animals so much that it hurts me to even consider killing one. However, there isn't any animal control out here and these animals are not pet material. If I could tame some and find them homes, I would do so, but I don't think it is possible with these cats. They are just too wild. If I trapped them and hauled them deeper into the park, I'm sure the park rangers would destroy them. There just isn't any good solution that I can see.
I know that if left to their own devices, we will soon see the cats become diseased and full of fleas and ticks. I'm sure the coyotes and other preditors will get some of them, but there will still be too many and it will soon effect the wildlife in the area ... birds, squirrels, mice ... and the balance of nature will be thrown off.
I've always loved cats. While Pat proclaims to hate them, he was wonderful when my sweet Loverboy who at the ripe old age of 22 had to be put to sleep a year ago ... before I moved here. Pat had a cross made for Loverboy's grave and Loverboy now rests by the fence where I see his grave every day.
Loverboy was unique ... almost like a dog. He would follow me around and was one of the most affectionate cats that I ever owned. He was always by my side wherever I was and always quick to pat me on the shoulder or my knee (whatever he could reach) when I was ignoring him. I'd pick him up and give him a belly rub (something most cats won't tolerate) and he would "kiss" my nose in thanks.
Over the past year, Pat has also learned to tolerate Loverboy's cousin, Brat, if not care a little for the spoiled feline. Brat doesn't show his 21 years of age at all. He still tears around the house like a crazy cat and I find his toys in all sorts of places. One of Brat's favorite pastimes seems to be tormenting Spike who doesn't like cats either, lol. At least Brat is making sure that Spike is getting exercise when she has to get up and chase Brat out of the living room (HER area of the house).
Amidst my turmoil over the wild cat situation, one thing has emerged to cheer me. About 10 days ago, I spotted a black cat near Loverboy's grave. The next day when I was throwing scraps into the compost pile, it came right up to me. He looked a bit beaten up, probably from fighting other cats, so I didn't try to pet him at the time, thinking he was just another wild cat. However, the next day he came right up to me and let me pet him.
Over the past week Tux (as in tuxedo) is a frequent visitor and has claimed the front porch as his own. Saturday when I went for my walk, Tux followed me as far as the first waterfall in the clearing and sat down on the big rock as if to say, I'm not going any farther. He is at the door in the morning and evening looking for a handout. I've been feeding Tux scraps from our dinner (he is eating some of the pork steak that wasn't good enough to go into our meal in the picture ... can't you just imagine what Spike's thinking in the picture ... "If I could only get to that cat", ha ha ha). In return for the food he's giving me a lot of love and affection.
Despite his somewhat beat up exterior, Tux has also turned out to be one of the most loveable cats that I've seen. He is so much like my Loverboy in that he enjoys belly rubs and has licked my nose. When I pick him up, he purrs for all he's worth and rubs his head under my chin. I admit it, I've fallen in love with him, but then it would be hard not to fall in love with such a sweet cat.
However, Pat is not in the least enamored of Tux, which means that I'll have to see if I can find someone to adopt Tux. At least I'll be able to save one cat out of the many. I've already asked one person if they would give Tux a home. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy him and his sweet loveable nature. If I do find him a home, I'm going to miss him.
Unfortunately, in these economic times, it happens too frequently these days and it is heartbreaking instead of funny. These past few months, Pat & I are seeing more and more animals, cats and dogs, roaming around the area of our home and the park. People with no way to care for their animals and no place to take them are dumping them in the country and they are turning wild.
Right now we have any number of wild cats around the property. Every time I see one hanging out in front of the bird feeders, I'm running it off. All I have to do is step outside and the cat is off like a shot. They are totally feral.
I know what Pat wants to do, but it breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. I love animals so much that it hurts me to even consider killing one. However, there isn't any animal control out here and these animals are not pet material. If I could tame some and find them homes, I would do so, but I don't think it is possible with these cats. They are just too wild. If I trapped them and hauled them deeper into the park, I'm sure the park rangers would destroy them. There just isn't any good solution that I can see.
I know that if left to their own devices, we will soon see the cats become diseased and full of fleas and ticks. I'm sure the coyotes and other preditors will get some of them, but there will still be too many and it will soon effect the wildlife in the area ... birds, squirrels, mice ... and the balance of nature will be thrown off.
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Loverboy was unique ... almost like a dog. He would follow me around and was one of the most affectionate cats that I ever owned. He was always by my side wherever I was and always quick to pat me on the shoulder or my knee (whatever he could reach) when I was ignoring him. I'd pick him up and give him a belly rub (something most cats won't tolerate) and he would "kiss" my nose in thanks.
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Amidst my turmoil over the wild cat situation, one thing has emerged to cheer me. About 10 days ago, I spotted a black cat near Loverboy's grave. The next day when I was throwing scraps into the compost pile, it came right up to me. He looked a bit beaten up, probably from fighting other cats, so I didn't try to pet him at the time, thinking he was just another wild cat. However, the next day he came right up to me and let me pet him.
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However, Pat is not in the least enamored of Tux, which means that I'll have to see if I can find someone to adopt Tux. At least I'll be able to save one cat out of the many. I've already asked one person if they would give Tux a home. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy him and his sweet loveable nature. If I do find him a home, I'm going to miss him.
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