Joker

 Tim stopped at a yard sale last week. They had old garden tools, so he returned to the sale with Levi, who bought a carload of stuff.

(Not kidding, btw. )

The ladder he bought was set aside. And picked up when Tim brought the truck into town. So Tim did that yesterday.

Tim knows the family hosting the sale. An elderly couple is selling their big house. Their kids were helping out. One of the daughters mentioned that they were bringing stuff to the sale through out the week.

Tim needed to run into town to meet the water company this morning. We were astonished to get our water bill for the old house. They claimed we had used 63 gallons of water a day last month. The house has been empty since the end of July! When they were called, they said it was an estimated bill and said that they are required to be notified when a house is empty for a final meter reading. Who knew? We sure did not.

So this morning, we went back to town for the dreaded 8-12 'window'. Luckily, the man was there not long after 9. 

Tim wanted to stop by his yard sale again to see what else they had. They were delighted to see him again. 

The elderly woman said, "I assume this is your wife..."

I made my face look perfectly astonished, as I looked over at him. "Wait...you're married????!!"

Something Promising.

 Yesterday was an early start. I had caged Possum and Tiger Kitty the previous night and they had meowed pitifully from the basement through the night. I am sure they were hungry and thirsty, but they were being neutered.

We were up at 6. On the road by 7. In line by 7:30, back in the car by 8.

We had a list of errands to do. Tim needed to get some tools to work on his 'new' truck when the parts arrive on Friday. I wanted him to get a truck that was sound. I mean he already has a truck that he doesn't want to drive because it is an antique. He has two more trucks that need some mechanical work. Now he has another. He looks at me and patiently explains that the new truck has not got a bit of rust on it. All it needs is some tinkering and a paint job. The other trucks require tinkering AND bodywork.

I don't get it either, but he has promised me that once he replaces the fuel pump on his previous 'new' truck, he will sell it. 

We'll see, but we are two people who do not need six vehicles. Seven if you count the Baja in the garage. 

I digress, but this really is a bone of contention between us. All I can say is that at least it is not another house. 

Anyways. We had an appointment at the bank (that we missed) but that she took us anyway. We had to pick up some stuff from Lowe's. We had to stop in at the insurance office to add the 'new' truck to our policy. (Grrrrrrr....) The last stop was at the library to print off our tickets for Kansas. 

We got headed for home. It was not yet noon and we thought we might be able to get a little nap before we got the call to go pick up the cats. Usually the call comes about 2ish. This time we had no sooner gotten home and the stuff out of the car than the call came. 

I drove back in to town and two cats were pitifully glad to see me. They sang a very sad song the half hour home. I tried to confine them in the basement to insure that they were over the effects of the surgery, but they were so frantic to get out that I gave up and let them out. They tore across the yard and back to the safety of their clowder and garage. 

(At suppertime, they were just as glad to see me as usual, and allowed much petting.)

The Fix'n Wag'n neutered over 80 cats yesterday. In the four month that this service has been provided, they have neutered over 380 cats in my town. I can't say enough good things about this program. Not all these animals have homes, but there are people who tend these animals. The 'tipped' ear allows you to tell at a glance which feral cats have been neutered and which have not. Last visit a woman brought in (and paid for) 11 feral cats. Neutering them in this numbers should have a noticeable impact on feral cat populations - a very good thing.

Successful Day.

Today was a ticking boxes sort of day. 

Yoga (tick).

Remembered to pick up two jalapeños (tick)

Made salsa (tick)

Obligatory sampling of salsa - so very excellent (tick)

Finished siding 

Siding finished. (Tick!)

Managed to capture both ferals for their neuters tomorrow. (Tick!!! Only two more to do!)

We have a long list of errands to keep us busy while we are in town tomorrow waiting for the cats to be ready to come back home. It will be a long day, but at the end of it, we are going see 'Kansas' tomorrow night in Erie. 

For Dave. Thinking of you and your family.

Talking about ticked: how about Trump's speech? Greeted by silence as he took the stage, he told 800 military leaders that they could applaud if they liked what he had to say. He also told them they could also leave the room if they didn't, but that it would cost them their rank and their future.

Whoo boy.

TaskerI will have to get your truck picture another day. One box unticked.

Buying a truck.

 Yesterday, Tim suddenly made a phone call. "I am about an hour away from you and I am leaving the house right now." 

I was dicing up tomatoes for salsa. He passed by, tossing me his phone. Google this address for me. He has a truck for sale. He just put it up an hour ago. He has had a lot of calls, but no one has made arrangements. If I like it, I am putting a five hundred dollar deposit on it. He said he would hold it 'til I got there." He headed for his shoes. I brought up the address, and kept my mouth shut. He knew what I thought. 

Out the door he flew. 

I had my own stuff to do. I had already canned 5 quarts of stewed tomatoes. I was turning another 5 quart crockpot of tomatoes into 5 quarts of spaghetti sauce, so I was chopping onions and peppers and garlic for that. I set up 4 cookie sheets of tomato skins for dehydrating. I talked to my youngest daughter on the phone. I made meatballs.

In the end, Tim returned home triumphant. He had bought a truck. It was from California. No rust. Chrome deer guard. Nice tires. Aluminum wheels. 

The seller was a nice fellow. When it came time to write out the receipt, he said that he could not read and write. He had a sister who took care of those things for him. He went into the house, and came out with the receipt, which he signed and gave to Tim.

Tim mused over that while we ate our spaghetti supper. "He knows trucks and does great body work. I'd guess he is in his seventies."

I said. "Well, I don't think it was uncommon for young men to leave school to take care of their families. My grandpa..." I trailed off. My grandpa would be about 120 now. This fellow was not much older than we were. The realization came as a shock, as once again I realized my own age.

So today, we drove up to get the truck. Surprisingly, Tim took the money in cash for him. He just felt like it would be easier for him. 

I didn't know how safe that was, but he had his mind made up. He knew the guy could count. 

We drove the hour to get there. We saw this: 

I can't imagine someone spending thousands of dollars to have a chainsaw carving of that man square in the middle of the front yard. There's a picture for your picture window, alright. It is not even very good. Look how big his hands are. 

Anyways we pulled up in front of a tidy little house. A neatly dressed man with a bushy mustache stepped out of his garage and walked out to meet us with a brisk step. Tim and he talked. We gave him a ride over to the AAA to do the title change and get the new plate for the truck. 

We handed him the money. He was a familiar face there and everyonegreeted him by name so I assume this was not the first time he had sold a vehicle. The woman doing the paperwork took him around a corner and helped him count the money. 

When the paperwork was done and we were walking back to the car, I asked him if he wanted us to take him to the bank to deposit it. "No, no," he replied. "I have a safe in my house."

So, we got him back home. There was a gray haired man with a ponytail in front of the garage. "Looks like you have company," I said.

"That's just my brother. He really wanted that truck. He already had a truck. I told him no."

Just something in his voice made me think that he really didn't care much for his brother. I was even surer of it when we all got out of the car. He immediately headed to his house. I noticed that he had that money concealed on the opposite side from his brother.

I was sure at that point that there was a problem in that relationship. 

We changed his plate for our new plate, Tim said, 'follow me'. He drove off in his new-to-him truck. 

We stopped for lunch about halfway home, and then headed off. I was following Tim still. It was such a pretty day, with autumn colors. The road got very twisty. Tim got further and further ahead. I was pretty sure I knew where I was, so I wasn't too worried. I just kept my eye on that far ahead green truck. 

I came to an intersection and I intended to turn right, but then I saw that green truck far off in front of me. He had gone straight. I simply assumed that he was taking another route, so I continued on straight, keeping that far off truck in my sight.

As I traveled along, I noticed I was catching up to that truck. Eventually I got close enough to see the dog's head out of the window. I was following someone else's green truck!

It made me laugh, but it was a pretty day for a drive. I knew where I was and I knew how to get home. 

The field is barren

 It has been a lot of busyness. We had to run into town yesterday, and so Maytag was delivered to his new home. That kitten has hit the jackpot. He looks like the older cat they already have, so they were eager to get him. She sent me a video of him playing with a very posh mechanical toy that had him leaping and twisting. He also has a stuffed gorilla that he drags around. She said, 'I got out the cat toy box and he picked that out immediately.' 

Cat toy box? Multiple cat trees? If there is a feline version of Disneyland, he is there. They are besotted. 

Fred and Houdi were thrilled to have their suppers to themselves once again.

The house deal closed, and Mia now officially has a house for her and her little boy. She still does not seem to be be speaking to us. A disappointing end, but it is done.

I drove an Amish woman to the hospital so that she could have sister time. Her sister lives in Ohio but is quite ill and was transferred to St Vincent hospital.

It was a nice day, and I enjoyed sitting outside in the sun and reading my book while they visited inside.

Today was pumpkin butter in the little crock pot and stewed tomatoes in the five qt. 

Keeping myself occupied seems to be the only way I am going to get through these strange days. 

I saw someone referred to trump as 'Been-a-dick Donald.' It is good that I can still laugh.

Retirement, take two.

 We came up six panels of siding short, so we had to order more. Tim picked it up this morning, and has been working between rain showers trying to finish the job. It isn't going to happen, but we have tomorrow.

It has been cooling down here -good news- and we had more rain this week than we have had in the last month. Looks like more on the way. All good news.

So the siding is nearly done. How on earth will we entertain ourselves now? 

Yesterday, I needed to pick up a phone card. I always stop into the discount grocery on my way through. You can never tell what you are going to come across.

I spent $35 there, and quite honestly, nearly half of it was on cheese. It is all vacuum packed. It will store.

When I was done there, I headed to the Walmart to get my phone card. 

My niece messaged me. She wanted to know if I was able to make yoga that night. We have been trying to mesh schedules, but with our 4 kids' birthdays in 3 weeks, getting the siding up, and her trip to Virginia Beach, it just never seemed to work out. 

She normally goes in the mornings, but fresh from vacation, she missed yoga and had a spur of the moment idea to do an evening session and texted to see if I could make it. 

I could, if I hustled, so hustle I did. I am glad I went. The class was small, the instructor good. I discovered that I am still pretty flexible, and although the instructor was concerned about my knee, I wasn't. I made it clear that I had no intention of pushing it.

There was only one exercise I could not do, putting all my weight on that knee while extending the opposite leg and flexing the knee I was kneeling on. Everything else was very 'doable'. It even felt good. 

At the end of the class, the instructor asked what I thought. I said, 'I think this is something that will be very important.' She was pleased to hear that. I think she was also relieved to see that 'if I couldn't, I didn't'. I think she had been awfully concerned about an injury.

I did a stupid thing though. I lost my wallet. I did not realize it until I went to add my minutes to my phone. 

I was pretty sure that it had to be one of two places. My phone was out of service and it was too late to call anyone anyway. So, it was a fretful, sleepless night, but it worked out just fine...it was in my niece's truck. 

'What's the limit on your credit card?' she wanted to know. I explained it was a debit card and she was limited to the buck-98 I had in the bank. I mentioned that it always happens when I get in a rush, and mused about brain yoga.

She said, ''You were juggling a yoga mat, a water bottle you phone and a wallet. You're fine."

I responded with *there, there senile old lady...it's okaaaaaaaaaayyy*

This morning while Tim was collecting the siding, I enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee while re-reading 'Sense and Sensibility'. Pumpkins were roasting in the oven to make pumpkin butter.

It felt like what I thought retirement would be like.

The Not So Peaceable Kingdom

 Allison asked yesterday how many cats we have in the house. Difficult to answer.

I had one cat. Houdi. He is a large chonky orange cat. Born from a feral mother who gifted a kitten to practically everyone on the street. (We still haven't caught her to have her neutered.) Houdi took about 3 months to tame. Grandson William played a big part in his domestication.

In the middle of last winter, a large fluffy gray cat was discovered hiding out on our balcony. He was very wary and frightened. It took months before he allowed me to touch him, although he came readily when I called him. He was hungry.

Once Freddie's backstory was uncovered, I did not have the heart to abandon him to the streets one more time. He and Houdi tolerated each other well enough. I brought him along to the new house.

(And then there were two.)

Now understand that we had quite a clowder of ferals at the new house already. 3 mama cats. We trapped 9 raccoons out of the garage and to be honest, I think they were partially responsible for the fact that Sigh had only two kittens. Tiger had two kittens. I think that some kittens met unfortunate ends. Just before our move to the new house, Possum had five kittens, all of which survived.

If you are keeping track, that is two cats in the house and 12 cats in the garage. (!!!!!!!!)

Something had to be done. Two of the mamas were neutered after their kittens were weaned, but feral cats are hard to catch. They are also hard to find homes for. So Possum's five kittens were taken from the garage and moved to the basement. 

For those of you trying to keep track, that is seven cats in the house, and six cats in the garage. (Don't ask questions).

Now the five kittens were confined to the basement. There was a lot of running around room, it was dry and warm. We called it the kitten kindergarten. There was a recreational area. They were fed 3x a day and there were human beings down there to play and handle them. They tamed very quickly, actually. They figured out the purpose of the litter box immediately. 

Houdi and Freddie have their litter box downstairs as well. It wasn't a problem. As soon as feet hit the floor in the morning, Fred wants out. He doesn't come back until evening. Houdi asks to go down stairs. He runs the gauntlet of kittens, does his business, runs the gauntlet of kittens to get back upstairs. 

At night, the kittens were all caged in a large animal cage for their own protection once Fred was back inside. This allowed us to leave the basement door open so that Fred and Houdi had free access their litterbox.

Although Fred and Houdi got along fine when Fred was an outside cat, once inside, he became a bit territorial, trying to establish himself as the top cat. Houdi and he were warily working things out between the two of them, but we did not trust him around the kittens.

It took a little over a week, but 4 little kittens went to their new homes, leaving one: Maytag.

Again, for those keeping score, that is 3 cats in the house and six feral (but becoming tamer) cats in the garage. 

Maytag was lonely. He was also loud. We began allowing him to spend more time upstairs. Socialization, doncha know.

This sent poor Fred right around the bend. Maytag doesn't help matters. Even if he has been fed 10 minutes ago, when he notices one of the big boys eating, he toddles over with his little tail straight up in the air, as if asking 'what do you have in that bowl for me?' 

Predictably, this annoys the bigs, and Fred began to get very aggressive, which provoked shouts of 'NO FRED!!!' which only served to further traumatize poor traumatized Fred , which made me feel bad. Fred began lashing out at Houdi. Houdi began to lash back. Maytag fled to the nearest lap and watched the whole thing unfold, a feline version of Jerry Springer. 

After two mornings of breaking up early morning cat squabbles, we were at our wits end. We invested in a Feliway Calming Diffuser last night. It is too early to tell if it is working for sure, but there was no cat fight this morning. Fred was waiting calmly at the door to go out as usual.

Anyways, someone has claimed Maytag. However, he has not yet been actually picked up, so we will see.

On October 1st, Possum gets spayed and Tiger Kitty (not to be confused with Tiger Cat, who is already neutered). Adding more math for those keeping score, that is 6 neutered cats.

Once Maytag is finally claimed, the goal will be to trap these two and bring them in. And yes, these are two different cats, both blue eyed. Everyone wanted the two blue eyed kittens from the first batch. We will have them both neutered next month. We are very hopeful that we can rehome them quickly. The fact that they are such pretty cats AND neutered will be quite a selling point for a free cat. They are still young enough to be kittenish, and they are very sweet natured.

Then, for those of you keeping track, it will be two cats in the house, a fact that will please those two cats to no end. In the garage, there will be four cats, all neutered.

I can live with that, although honestly it is 5 more cats than I actually wanted.