My favorite streets

Any where I have lived, I have found streets that I enjoy travelling more than others. I love the ones that are winding with overhanging tree branches. They are laden with snow in winter and drip big blops of water on my windshield during the rain. In the summer, they shade the street and birds and butterfies fly overhead.

On my favorite street in the town where I live now, I often see deer, squirrels, and always I see box turtles on their migration routes always across the street! It always causes me to wonder what there is across the street to make them risk their little lives. Must be a strong calling.

Lil' Bit

When we moved after the divorce, we moved into a brand new neighborhood several miles from the city limits. There were very few homes in the area. Ours was on one end of the street, my best friend had 10 acres and her barn on the other end of the street. Between us was one home.

Caring as much for animals as we do, makes us very aware if any animal appears to be neglected. We tend to get a little uppity about how other people care for their animals when they aren't as conscientious as we think they should be.

The folks in the middle owned a poodle that spent its time indoors and we thought they also owned a mongrel that lived outdoors. She was about the same size as the poodle, had poodle-like fur and her features were "interesting". She was short, squat, but quite round. She had erect ears, but they flopped on the tips, cute buggy brown eyes and a pointy snout. Her fur was scrungy. She never seemed to have been brushed, always had ticks and fleas and she spent a lot of her time on the neighbors front porch, leading us to believe that she lived there. However, she managed to make it to everyone elses house for regular neighborly visits.

A couple of years passed and the neighbors sold their house and prepared to move. On one of their last days in the neighborhood, we were outside and walked over to visit with the daughter of the vacating neighbors. During our conversation, we told her we were sorry to see them leaving the neighborhood and that we would miss them and their dog. She promptly informed us that THAT dog did not belong to them, they thought the dog belonged to us. What a surprise!

They continued packing and did leave the poor mongrel behind. Needless to say, she was quickly rescued and spayed, brushed and groomed and after living on her own for at least two years, she officially became "our" dog. That is how we came to have Lil' Bit.

Geni, the wonder dog

After losing our lab named Kohl, we decided we couldn't live without another lab. Kohl was a gift, but I am a firm believer in getting great pets from the shelters or pound. So we went "shopping" for another lab.

When we arrived at the local shelter, there was an abundance of puppies. I had gone back to school after a 20 year hiatus and was in the middle of a separation from my husband plus the two great kids I was taking care of. My time was very limited and I didn't feel I could spend enough time with a little puppy. We focused on an older dog. Geni was a perfect match for us. She was nine months old, a yellow lab and very docile. She immediately took top honors in her obedience class and anytime we were at home, she was right with us.

Our divorce occurred shortly after we got Geni and I moved our household out of town to a more rural setting. My eldest daughter loves horses and we needed that diversion in our life. My youngest was still trying to decide what she enjoyed. We were able to have plenty of pets. Geni was released from her imprisonment in the back yard and learned to enjoy the pleasures of rabbit hunting and squirrel chasing.

As Geni aged, she developed a severe case of hip displasia and in the months shortly after we moved, she was showing signs of being in serious trouble. We had beautiful wood floors in the new house and everytime she tried to stand or walk on them, she collapsed in the splits, yelping in pain. I was not financially able to have surgery done on her and she was not recommended as a candidate at that time.

This new house has a great enclosed sunroom, full of windows and opens to our deck. We ended up carpeting the sunroom to give her traction and she spends her time there now. She has learned that this is her room and if she needs or wants something, she yelps to let us know. She has become very adept at communicating. Because of her limitations, she does not chase anything anymore, but has continued to be able to walk and can usually climb steps to get up on our deck at will. She still does come and go at will.

She has become our interspecies communications system. She seems to know when any other varmint is outside and lets us know that a possum or raccoon is pilfering the cat or dog feeder. We have had a number of kitten litters and she loves having them in with her. If she thinks another cat or dog wants in, she sounds the alarm. If it is too hot or cold in the house. She lets us know. And certainly no mealtime gets by her. We love it that she has learned to tell us so much.

Another kitten!!

I love kittens. And I am a kitten magnet. We live in a rural area and have had occasions when people dropped off whole litters of kittens. And the area is full of feral cats. This job of kitten magnet is not too difficult.

A feral female lives in a wooded area beyond my yard. She was always so afraid of people that we named her Fraidy Cat. We keep an outdoor feeder on my back deck for my cats. Of course, this invites everything to come and eat. Lately, Fraidy Cat has begun staying on the deck, keeping her distance when we are out there, but on the deck never the less.

Every evening, we feed the outdoor kitties some canned food and check them out to be sure that no kitty needs medical attention and to give us all a chance to enjoy the other's company. Nothing like the cozy, purring affection of a hungry cat! Many summer nights the spectacle is much more entertaining than TV. Nothing beats seeing several kitties chasing a lightening bug across 4 acres! Or watching them ambush each other in the grass! Or the view of my white lab followed single file by the small black mongrel, followed by any number of cats going off to "hunt" in the late evening.

Last night during the feeding, we discovered the reason Fraidy Cat is staying so close. She has brought a kitten. We presume she feels that it is more protected and food is readily available.


She is a darling! At least we think it is a she. She has four white socks and is tabby striped. She appears about 8 weeks old. She is not nearly as afraid as her mother. She has interacted with our toms and queens and seems quite gregarious. We have spayed or neutered all kitties we can catch and get to the vet, so it isn't all that often anymore that we get a kitten. They are so sweet! Guess we will be watching her grow this summer!

Tuffy!

Several years ago, my father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. It is a blood cancer. At the time he was given very little time to live. My mother has always been his most avid supporter. Between the two of them and considerable, fast research, he has beaten the statistics. In the early years, my mom completely devoted every waking moment to his care. Many times he truly needed moment to moment care. But as the disease was treated and lessons were learned, my dad truly needed to be more on his own again.

Old habits being hard to break, it was a little difficult for him to resume a more normal life and it was difficult for all of us to turn loose and give him the chance. Even more so for my mom. Dad is a very strong person and has weathered his illness plus other problems that would stop any normal person in their tracks. My mother has had to be equally strong to balance out their relationship.

Both of them needed a new focus though. My family has had pets all our lives, but Mom and Dad had lost their pets and because of the illnesses had not attempted to adopt any more.

I tend to peruse pet shelter sites off and on and had a surge in my activity for some reason. One day a charming photo appeared on a website for a shelter located nearby. The puppy was 1/2 rat terrier and 1/2 yorkie and so endearing. He was one of a litter of five. I didn't even consider going to see him, but I did inquire about him. I was sent an adoption form. I have more pets than I can take care of and my parents had made it clear they were unable to assume any more responsibilities. So, I didn't just run over and get a puppy. However, just before Christmas, I happened to be shopping in the area of the Shelter with my best friend. Off the wall, I mentioned that the Shelter was in the area and I wondered if that pup and his littermates were still there. Being the great friend she is, we drove immediately to the shelter to find all 8 oz. of Tuffy. He was all alone. His littermates had been adopted.

We took him home. My daughter thought we were going to keep him and was very disappointed when I suggested that he was my Mom and Dad's Christmas present. But she tucked him in her hoodie and we went to present him. What a surprise! They were truly stunned, but he won them over almost immediately. They love him dearly. He wins over almost everyone still.

He was so small, that Mom was afraid that some harm would come to him, so she created a bag to carry him in so he wouldn't get lost or stepped on. He is a constant companion. Dad taught him to play tug of war and fetch and to beg from the table. He is not a large dog, but he is an enormous personality. He goes shopping, out to eat, on road trips and to the bank for treats!

Tuffy has certainly been a blessing and has blessed us all in return. To know him is to love him.

The Legend of Snagglepuss

Today I am a cat lady. Though, all my life I have had all kinds of pets.

In years past, during my married years, we were owned by a cat named Snagglepuss. Approximately 27 years ago, I was working for a vet and married to a Doctor. I got pregnant and quit working at the vet clinic to be safe.

Our first ownership as a couple, was by a lovely tom named Whiskers and a queen named Boo. Both were catered to, during our early married years, as though they were children. We moved to a cul de sac neighborhood and I got pregnant.

Whiskers politely brought me a battered kitten during my 9th month which happened to be the coldest day in November. I was in no state to allow the kitten to fend for itself and promptly attempted to clean it up and then walked the neighborhood to locate its owner. Of course, it did not have an owner now. The kitten was born without eyelids and had developed serious eye infections. I contacted the vet I had worked for and asked for help. He was developing his skills in the cat eye area and was kind enough to work on this kitten. He called a another vet friend and through cosmetic surgery they created eyelids for this kitten and told me that she would always have problems and need artificial tears.

Fast forward a decade. Snagglepuss has survived and although she is mostly blind, rules the neighborhood. On a sparkling early summer day, the husband gets into the Explorer to go to work and promptly comes running back into the house panicking. It seems that Snagglepuss has been in his car and all that he can now find is her lovely feather boa style tail lying in the middle of his spot in the garage. I send him on to work and tuck my gown into my jeans and go off on the hunt for the crazed kitty.

She is located intact except for the tail under a stack of firewood. She comes right out to me and I scoop her up in a towel and run her to the vet's office convinced that she must be dying. He examines her and requests that I retrieve her tail. The tail has been dropped in the trash. I didn't really think she would be using it again.

I dashed back home to retrieve the tail, arriving just as the trash collector has lifted the lid. I grabbed the tail, hopped back into the car and drove off. I am not sure what he was thinking as I left!

The vet examines the tail and pronounces Snagglepuss to be structurally intact with no loss of nerves to anything vital other than her tail. She spends the day and night with the vet and returns home only a bit worse for wear. Every effort to make her an indoor cat was thwarted by her. She enjoyed being outdoors and made it outside at every opportunity. Eventually, we gave in and left it to Mother Nature to take care of her.

At 18 years old, we relinquished our care and Snagglepuss left to stay permanently with Mother Nature.

Monday moments

Normally on a Monday those special moments are a bit harder to find. But already today, I have found a smile maker.

Once again, I went home to eat lunch. Usually when I start into the house, the cat contingent lazily wanders in to see what is going on. Felix, the tom cat was sleeping on the back of the upholstered chair when I came in. I patted him on the head and got the television going, then went to the kitchen to prepare my lunch. When I got to a stopping point I went back in to see the television. The television was playing an exerpt from the Lion King musical. Felix and Serena (female kitty) and Poppy ( female kitty) were all sitting up in the chair staring at the television as if they were watching it. In no time at all, the moment was gone and the interest in The Lion King was all over.

Happy Mother's Day

It does seem appropriate to begin my real postings today. I feel as if I have a new child!
From time to time there are moments which mean very little to anyone but me. But there are things that make my day go easier or from which I may have learned something. I wanted to have a place that I could share these moments. So here goes. . .

This week there have been at least a couple of special moments.

Mooing stories:

I live close enough to my home that I can leave work and eat lunch at my own table. On the return trip to work this georgeous blue skyed Wednesday, I was driving along and saw this photo moment. A man with a white vinyl fence was mowing the green grass as close to the fence as he could get with his shiny green John Deere mower. Inside the fence was a small herd of copper brown cattle. As he is progressing down the length of fence on the outside, this herd of cattle was following single file after him on the inside. Wish I had a photo!

The Bluebird of Happiness:

Oh! and while I was mowing the 3 acre yard this week, I was mowing along and I noticed a male bluebird following me from about 25-30 feet behind. He was making a pig of himself. The crickets and bugs were fresh and he was hopping along just enjoying the smorgasbord.

Random Acts of Kindness:

I have a notary bond and as part of my daily activities, I notorize documents for the public as a free service. Generally people feel that having a notary seal required is a nuisance. But even if they have been inconvenienced, I love working with people and it is always interesting to see the short segments of peoples lives. A lovely woman came in today with a document to be notarized. Her husband had passed away and she was re-organizing. She was not very comfortable with her new role and was telling me her story and about her discomfort. I shared some of mine and explained that it really was good to see her taking on the responsibilities. I notarized, imparted opinion and wished her well. At the end of the conversation, she abruptly asked me my favorite flavor of pie. Caught off guard, I told her and explained that I never turned down any pie! She laughed and thanked me and went on her way. I resumed the other parts of my daily grind. About 30 minutes later, she walked in carrying a freshly made Chocolate pie. I found out she makes them to sell and had just finished making the next days offerings just prior to our conversation. The pie was so delicious and the sentiment so appreciated. And the gesture will definitely increase her business!

Guess, that is enough for today. Nothing profound - just memories!

Day 1.

Day 1. The best is yet to come!