Four Day Weekend!

It was very exciting to have four days off. A mini vacation of sorts. We actually slept in (until animals demanded to be fed and potty walked). We got many tasks accomplished and managed to not work the whole day. My sis and Mark came out to spend the night. Dex and Mark started on siding the back side of our house and Dex and I finished it the next day. The weather was agreeable, there was plenty of iced tea and water to keep us hydrated.

We decided to let Buddy be an outdoor/indoor cat. We tried to keep him in, but he has the wanderlust that Toms have. Even though he is fixed and we tried to keep him indoors, he was always trying to sneak out. He is so much happier now that he can come and go when he wants. I pray, he doesn't use up his nine lives to fast.

Dex had evidence of a Raccoon visitor in the shop. Prints on the window of Betsy, the 56 Chevy. I warned him of their aggressive nature when cornered and to have a broom handy in case he needs it. There have been no further signs of him, so he must have had a look and left.

I am really enjoying this weather, but know it will come to an end soon and then the hot days will be here. For now, I am enjoying the hammock and swing while I can.

Monday we put our flag out and I said a prayer of thanks for all those brave men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom. I said a special prayer for my loved ones and their friends and families who are making sacrifices everyday for all of us.

Chua - The Best Medicine

We went to visit with Gpa & Gma this weekend. Of course, Angel went with us. She feels like their home is her second home and is comfortable the minute she gets there! They were both glad to see her and it was good to see them both laughing and playing with her. She is so good for them. Gpa was moving the handle end of his cane across the floor and she was chasing it like a bunny rabbit, hopping up and down and back and forth. We were all laughing so hard at her antics!

I fixed Noodles Alfredo and fresh broccoli and Gpa even had 2nd helpings! It was a great weekend!

Now that Angel sleeps with us at night, I will be sleeping on the sofa at Gma's as there is not enough room in that double bed for the three of us! I keep thinking I am going to roll over on her, so I don't sleep as well at Gma's. It is fine when we are at home in our own Queen Bed!

Dog Day!

My little "Angel" was smelling pretty "doggy" so I thought it time to give her a bath and nail clip. My niece Mickey gave me some good doggy soap (her mom and sister work for a groomer) and it doesn't hurt their eyes and it smells so good. I had purchased one of those rotary nail filers as seen on TV, but she was terrified by it, so I gave up on that and took her to Pet Smart 4 weeks ago and they did her nails for free. Not being the sort of person to give in too easily, I bought a muzzle and a pair of nail clippers that have a safety device so you do not clip in the nail quick. Today was the day! She did not like getting into the sink, but she did like the scrub she got. Then we got her rinsed and toweled. Next, came the nail clip and I needed Dex's help for this. We had the hardest time getting the muzzle on her snout, but we finally succeeded, You would think that would be the end of the battle, right? Uh...know not quite. Can you imagine how squirmy a Chua Chua Dog can be? Very! We ended up wrapping her in a big towel, Dex putting her on her back in his lap, her snorting away in the muzzle and me drawing those hind legs out, so I could push her toenails out and clip, clip, clip. She was no worse for wear and neither were we. I just kept telling her how beautiful she is and I think she felt pretty proud of herself. I have marked the calendar and we will do this again in 4 weeks. I can hardly wait!!!

kitties & Pointsettias

Our dear neighbor sent us a beautiful pointsettia plant. I had vaguely rememembered that this could be a toxic plant to cats. Our female Delta wants to eat it and will not leave it alone. Buddy has also shown some interest, so off to the web I went to find out what the truth really is. Well, needless to say there were many opinions, some say yes they are toxic and some say no they are not. One wise source said this - Cats will vomit from eating any plant, including some of the plant grasses that are just for them. I knew that was true as I got some kitty grass and sure enough Delta vomited it right after ingesting, Buddy was not the least bit interested. Best bet is to keep the plant or any plants out of kitty's reach. We will be enjoying our plant in our bedroom as it is off limits to the animals, unless we let them snuggle with us!

Meet Angel

This is the new girl in our lives - her name is Angel and she is about 9 months old. We are still considered "foster parents" as we have been taking care of her for a friend who was in an accident and unable to care for her. He may not be able to care for her as he has a broken leg and it is all pinned and has a steel rod too. She of course is very lively and would be underfoot in a small travel trailer. She fits into our family quite nicely and gives the cats some exercise too, if you know what I mean. I wish I had a photo of when we first got her as she still had a tippy ear, but then one day it just "stood up" just like the other one. She thinks she is bigger than the cats and I think they enjoy making her play chase. She has brought lots of enjoyment to our lives and especially my parents, who just adore her. She loves to run up into my Dad's chair and it is so cute when they are both taking a nap together. P.S. She is not yippy either!!

Finally settling in

Well, Mishka and J are finally in their home in Okinawa and finishing up making it cozy. Chase will be home soon and then the whole family will be together finally!!! Fall has arrived, just that first hint - you know the hot part of the day diminishes early and the evening air has a bit of crispness in it. This is absolutely my favorite time of the year. Fall colors coming, some great wind to blow the leaves and whoopee you don't have to water as much! Dex and I usually try and go see Chicken and William at this time of year in Portland. We usually go to a corn maze, but they have decided to take us on a hike on Sauvie Island near the wildlife preserve. I look forward to seeing all the fabulous birds before many of them migrate south. I am going to start my savings for a trip to Oki as I can hardly wait to see it again and I am hoping my Dex will get to go with me this time! I am also going to try and blog more, now that things a winding down. I love that part, a good book, glass of wine and looking out my window at the woods. My winter bird friends will be back soon too!

Bow Wows!

Got a chance to watch the Big Kahuna dog show last night and of course I want a dog. I have wanted one for some time, but I know I cannot have one until I don't have to work full time. I am a firm believer in a disciplined dog, although my cats are not too disciplined (I try). These dogs are so beautiful and really do love strutting their stuff in the ring. You will also learn a lot about the different breeds from watching these shows. I think Eukanuba does one also.I love the herding and hunting dogs. They are so bright and you can see it in their eyes. The announcer's on the Westminster Dog Show are very well-informed and let you know the pro's and con's of the breeds and whether they would be right for you as a pet. I know someday I will have a dog again, Buddy will enjoy having a dog around and Delta will probably just ignore it. I would love to have a pure bred dog, but I know my heart will take me to the animal shelter to adopt another member into our family.

The Kitties who own HaHa

I have wanted to introduce our kitties to you for awhile now and finally got some decent pics of them. I think the one of buddy (white and black tabby) really shows his attitude (very much like Morris the Cat on TV) and Delta's pic doesn't do her justice. She was declawed (which I abhor) by her previous owner, but she will always be safe with us. She uses her teeth (against Buddy) instead of her claws, but she still pitterpats and "sharpens" her claws like a regular cat. Both Cats were adopted and although they still fight with each other (we use a spray bottle to break it up) they do seem to love each other too! We were going to get kittens, but I am glad we adopted them instead and I highly recommend it!

Rock, Roll and Rain

Thunder Rolling
Rain Tears Falling
Earth's Face


Much needed rain is falling as I write. Lots of thunder and some lightning and big drops of rain. I love the fresh ions in the air. They create such a clean and serene atmosphere, I always want to take deep breaths.
Buddy Rich our young male cat was quite impressed with the thunder, especially when it was right overhead and startled him out of a sound sleep. Delta Burke our four year old female was totally unimpressed. I guess she has been around the block a time or two an thunder is "old hat". The house is very quiet now and I love reading when it is just like this...sayonara