Musings on a Small Life

[Thank you for the kind comments re: the anniversary of Annie's death yesterday. I didn't dwell on it; what would have been the point? I lit a candle for her spirit first thing in the morning, then went about my day.]  *** I was in the mood to go the City greenhouse this afternoon, for the fifth consecutive year. The snapshots all look the same, year-to-year, but I still enjoy it. It always gives me a little glimpse of Spring, especially in the midst of our current deep freeze (minus 25 Celsius windchill for much of the day, tonight and tomorrow too). Snapped with the little Canon Elph. There were several serious photographers there, though, and for a few seconds I wished I had brought my Fuji, or at least the old PowerShot. No matter, the pics would look the same regardless of what camera I was using. LOL. I'm only sorry that I no longer can smell, because everyone who was coming in was inhaling and saying how wonderful the scent was. More pics ne...

Today marks two years that Annie had to be helped to the Bridge. I prefer not to think of that day, or the days and weeks that led up to that. It's the worst thing, to date, that I've experienced, and I still feel that the vet (and I) did the wrong things for her. But that can't be changed. The letter I wrote to Annie last year, on the first anniversary of her death, is on her memorial page, found in the menu bar above. I prefer to remember Annie in happier and healthier times--full of beans, silly and wild, my crabapple, my precious Annie Bananie. Peace and Blessings, my darling girl. May you and Chumley both be waiting for me.

I just called the clinic to speak with Meghan re: Toby, see how he's settling into their barn. Well. He's still at the clinic!!! Meghan wasn't there, but the other young woman said he's loose with the other resident cats and is quite happy, is very loving. Meghan apparently hasn't had a time when she's not had her dogs with her, and so Toby still is waiting for transport. I don't know what to think. On the one hand, he's abruptly gone from a street cat to living indoors at this clinic for a week and a half. Yikes. On the other hand, he's getting food, human and cat attention and apparently is content. Maybe someone there will fall in love with him and take him home? Maybe he'll end up being another resident clinic cat? I'll update as soon as I have further information. *** BTW, the boys wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day.(Enlarge to view properly.)

Snapped yesterday afternoon. I couldn't resist posting them.  :-) For anyone who's not seen the addition on my fence, it's clearly visible in the background. That's greenhouse roof sheeting attached to the fence, so Mr. Escape Artist (Nicki) can't climb up and over. Happy Wednesday.  :-)

I was lighting a couple of candles at Gratefulness.org and thought I'd share their "word for the day." (Thank you to the "snipping" tool that comes with Windows!) I like the quote, for reasons that should be obvious. Though my "within" isn't particularly daring, either!  :-) Have a "daring" day, everyone. Even if that means daring to eat the last chocolate or cookie. LOL. Comments are off.

So I'm looking all over my cubicle for my mug, it's time for a cup of tea. I had the mug this morning, for coffee. But do you think I can find it now? Into the kitchen I go, hunting high and low, looking in the dishwasher (maybe I left it on the counter in error and someone put it in), looking in all the cupboards. No mug. Into the office washroom I go, thinking maybe I left it on the counter. Nope. Finally I realize, as I'm walking back to our office suite, that I had put it down on top of a box in the photocopier/supplies room earlier this morning, when I was in there getting our mail. Duh. But hey, at least I found it, and I now have my cup of lemon ginger "tea."  :-) *** Snapshots from the weekend, the aftermath of the storm: Around the side of my unit on Saturday AM, too deep to walk through now.   Looking back down my little street, while heading to the bus.   On the bus at one of the transfer points, watching the plow cl...

Never believe a groundhog when it purports to predict Spring's arrival.  :-p Our storm wasn't too bad, first thing yesterday morning. None of my buses was late, in spite of unplowed side streets. Waiting for the next bus after a stop at the grocery store, on the way to the office. Of course, the snapshots don't show the driving wind and blowing snow, which got progressively worse throughout the day. I asked my boss if I could leave at 2PM, and as it happened, the University finally closed shortly after that. It took only an hour and a half to get home, which was surprising, considering by then most buses were running late. Snapped through the window of the moving bus, on the last leg of my trip home. But note the driver's visibility! The last two were snapped through the front windshield, on the passenger's side. (I zoomed in from where I was sitting.) Kudos to all the drivers who got me (and so many others) safely to work and home ...

This was a mousse-filled cupcake given to me by the wonderful woman who sits in the next cubicle, a week or two ago. I had meant to post the pic days ago, but got sidetracked with Toby.   It was such a lovely thing for her to do, and it certainly was my "good news" for that day. It also was very yummy! (She had picked it up on her way to work, from a bakery--the same woman who stopped by after work with her electrician husband a couple of weeks ago, so he could change my hall light switches and thus save me from calling an electrician out of the Yellow Pages.) I wish you all a "sweet treat" today, be it food or something else. And if you're being hit by this nasty snowstorm, as we are right now, please stay off the roads and stay safe. Peace and Light.

I just called and spoke with Meghan about Toby (10:40AM). He's still at the clinic, has had all his vaccinations, ears cleaned, been dewormed, etc. He's still in isolation, in a large dog cage right now, will go to the barn with Meghan tomorrow, when she finishes work at noon. He's not happy about being locked up (what cat is?) and keeps trying to escape whenever someone opens his cage door, but he's been super-good, clean in the cage, no problems at all, no aggression, not even when doing the vaccs. Meghan said she has the stall all set up for him now, and that she'll spend a couple of hours out there with him tomorrow, while she's doing her chores. I asked if I could call back in about a week to see how he's going, and she said not a problem.  :-) Fingers--and paws--crossed, guys. BTW, we're slated for a winter wallop starting tonight, up to 25 cms of snow, blowing snow, etc. through tomorrow evening. Whatever happens to Toby now, ...

I called this morning, but Meghan wasn't in, was told she'd be there in a few hours. So I just called again (about 1:40PM) and was told she wasn't in at all today. So. No Toby update until tomorrow at the earliest. I don't want to keep pestering them, but will try for an update tomorrow. Fingers (and paws!) crossed for him. * Yesterday morning, as I was leaving for work, I saw "Mr. Peanuts" (unneutered young male) around the back of my unit, by the fence. I think he had been up to my step looking for the kitty buffet, but alas, the buffet is gone. I didn't see any paw prints in this morning's fresh dusting of snow, though. I won't put food out again, but if I do have an opportunity to catch him (or any other stray), I'll do my best. * Nicki was on guard yesterday morning, and again this morning, looking for Toby on our fence. I think it'll take the Nickster a while to "stand down," as it were. * The neighbour mother an...

It's done, Toby's at the vet clinic now, will stay for a day or two to have tests run and be vaccinated.   Backing up a bit... On Friday afternoon my co-worker left her dog cage on my front step, but it was so large and so unwieldy that I knew at a glance it just wouldn't suit. She had left a scribbled note for me saying in fit in her car with a millimeter or two to spare. But there's no way any taxi driver would have even made the attempt. So on Saturday, while at PetSmart, I found a carrier for 15 - 25 pound dogs (above) on sale, and bought it. Hadn't wanted to spend money for a one-time use, but the size was right and the price was really good. On Sunday I put it together in my garage, with Toby there to lend a paw. I spent a few minutes with a bag of Temptations, putting a few inside. He got his head and front paws in, and I left it at that. Sunday evening I lit a votive candle for him and prayed, in my way, to the Source, the Universe, th...

A quick note to say that since I already subscribe or follow all the cat blogs under my "Fuzzy Tales" account, I've unsubscribed or un-followed (most of) them from my personal account. So if you notice one fewer follower, that's probably me, though "the boys" will still be following. It just seemed silly to have the duplication, and I've noticed that a couple of former cat blogs have been taken over by uh, less than appropriate (IMO) content. BTW, if anyone is having a problem managing their blogs via the Dashboard, as I have under my personal account, it's related to the now-defunct Google Connect. Google has been giving me an "unable to connect" error message for ages now, as it has for many others. I finally found a link (not Google's) that explains how to get around that: http://www.villageidiotsavant.com/2012/11/managing-blogs-in-googles-discontinued.html *Comments are off*

Tip of the day: After you've dunked your silver chain and crystal pendant into your jar of silver-cleaning solution, ensure you put the plug in the sink before rinsing it off. Otherwise, the one-- one --time you forgo the plug, you might, in fact, end up dropping your necklace down the drain. However , if you're lucky enough to still be holding the chain, with the pendant stuck down said drain, it is possible to retrieve it without shutting off the water and taking things apart. It requires (a) patience, (b) a small flash light, (c) a long knitting needle, and (d) more patience. This has been your public service announcement for the day.

Thanks to the "mom" at the Katnip Lounge for sending along a couple of treats for the boys, some silver vine and some feathers! Before I post a few pics of Derry, I have to thank Old Kitty for misinterpreting my offering to leave the dog crate (to transport Toby) with the young woman who will take him. I believe she thought I meant his little insulated cat "house" on my step, and I have to say, THAT'S a brilliant idea! So when the time comes, I will take that too, and let her keep it for Toby, as it's his "home" and will be something familiar. Absolutely. Brilliant. Idea. Thank you ! So, here are some pics of Derry, with a bit of the silver vine rubbed on the ESS. It doesn't take much.  :-) Have a great day, everyone. A couple more hours and I'll pack Nicki off for his trip to the vet, for his anal glands. Yippee for both of us. LOL.

I'm going to borrow my co-worker's dog crate next week, since there will be lots of room and I might be able to entice Toby into it with nip and silver vine more easily. And the perfect, tactful way of addressing integration just popped into my head: When (please let it be "when" and not "if") I get Toby to the clinic, I'll ask her if she'd like to borrow the crate for a couple of weeks to keep Toby confined, to give him time to adjust to his new home. My co-worker is fine with that, as she doesn't use the crate anyway. I think that's a much better solution than calling this woman up and asking if she knows how to integrate a feral cat, something that easily could put her on the defensive and make her wish she hadn't offered to take Toby in the first place. Sometimes--just sometimes--I have a "brilliant" idea. No more posts today, I promise. And no more posts about Toby until it's a done deal, however long t...

In response to a few comments: This person, out of the kindness of heart, has offered to take Toby to her family's barn. No, she doesn't care what he looks like, because it really doesn't matter, she'll take him regardless, out of compassion, to give him a chance. He's not going to be a house cat. And frankly, I don't really feel I have the right to tell her what to do with him and how to do it. I would hope that, since it's a vet family (father is the co-owner of the clinic) and since they also take unadoptable cats from our local shelter, they'd be savvy enough to understand that cats are territorial and will head for "home" if not acclimated. I can call today to ask if he'll be confined somehow and allowed to adjust. But if she says no, what then?  One alternative is to continue as is, with my cats being held hostage in the house because I can't let them out safely, with Toby always on the fence, looking like he'l...

I had emailed the president of the boys' shelter last night, asking about barn homes, naively thinking they'd have a list of people who take cats for barns. They do not and all the spaces at various barns are filled, he replied. So I've been very discouraged all morning. On a whim I called the clinic that neutered him in the first place, to ask if they happened to know of anyone who would take poor Toby for a barn. I chatted with the tech who is the daughter of the clinic owner, and she said she'd take him. They have a 20-horse barn and all their outdoor cats are rescues, as are all their indoor cats. I chatted with her for a bit, told her about Toby and why I was trying to find a home for him (btw Nicki was fighting with him through the fence last night, I was stressed, Derry was stressed....), etc. I told her I could send her a few pics of Tobes, but she said she didn't care, it didn't matter what he looked like. So. Getting a hold of a ca...

Nothing profound today. We're in the path of some nasty winter weather: Going home this aft and getting in tomorrow AM could be "fun." On the up side, there are only 51 days till the Spring equinox. Yippee! *** Unless something unforeseen occurs, I'm taking Friday off this week so I can haul Nicki's furry butt in to the vet for his routine anal gland expression. Poor boy; don't tell him! *** I was chatting with a friend in Montreal yesterday, found out her younger brother (who's about my age and lives in Vancouver, BC) was attacked (unprovoked) in his apartment building corridor a week ago, by someone mentally unstable with a history of violence. Unfortunately, it looks like he'll lose the sight in his right eye. He's already had 6 hours of surgery on it and needs more, but the very best case scenario would be that he still can see fuzzy shapes with the eye. Worst case scenario is that he requires a prosthetic. From the sounds of th...

I snapped these early this morning, before 8AM. He always looks so surly to me, but of course he's really not. I wish someone in our complex would have fallen in love with him and have been able to give him a good outdoor/indoor home, but I don't think that miracle will be granted to him. *** I had checked the MLS listings for our city yesterday and found that unit #6 is up for sale. It's across the street and a few doors up. The people at #8 seem rather fond of screaming at each other outside, at night (as they did last night, around 10:30PM), which made me wonder if that's the reason the people at #6 are leaving. Hey, maybe the people who buy (or rent) will like cats. Highly unlikely, but I still can hope for the very best for Toby, for his Highest Good.  :-)