Homeless Cat -- Now Spotacus' Legacy

[Wanderlost]

On 18 Dec, a very large cat showed up at our house. It was late and cold, and he looked in the door and made it clear he wanted inside. Well, since we have two cats already and he was a stranger, we could not let him in the house. WLToo walked out and the cat ran to him, so he walked the cat into the garage and into the climate controlled room out there.

He was extremely hungry and thirsty, but in otherwise good condition and very clean. We fixed up a bed for him, set up the feeding and elimination stations, and went to bed.

Next day, we worked in the garage all day, while the big guy slept or supervised. We found him to be an intact male, no sign he's ever worn a collar, and he has a strong need to be in the general vicinity of humans. For an intact male, he's remarkably mellow - I don't think he was the alpha cat in his previous home.

Have had zero responses to the "found cat" notices around the area and online, so we'll be working with the local rescues to get him neutered and all his shots, then find him a home. We can't keep him because he's just too big for our two cats to share our small house. Alex would have another emotional meltdown, and I don't want to go through that mess again (long, ugly story).

For now, we're calling him Spot, not that he answers to it (does answer to "Kitty, Kitty"). No idea how he travels; we'll find out when we take him to the vet on Tuesday.

If anyone knows of someone who would like a large (about 15-18 pounds) cat who needs to be with people, please let me know. No cat novices, please; this cat needs someone who knows exactly how to handle an adult cat of this size, especially when he's feeling frisky.





We're at Canyon Lake, TX, so if there are any Winter Texans nearby who would like to meet him and maybe give him a home, that would be great.

[Wanderlost]

Chorale rehearsals are going pretty well, except the director keeps making changes to individual songs, requiring us to relearn them. I have so many pencil marks on the pages that it's hard to decipher at times.

Finally rained yesterday. We got .91", which is nice, but not even close to making a dent in the drought. Lake's at historic low levels; only two boat ramps are open. We have finally dropped out of the 90s and 100s highs, and it's right nice out there.

I'm performing with the band at the Fredericksburg Oktoberfest tomorrow, and I might even need a light windbreaker. Ever seen German music requiring bongos? Yup, we're performing several pieces that need bongos -- so I bought a set. My music room is becoming a little cluttered with all the small percussion instruments.

I believe it's finally time to let go of a few instruments, such as late FIL's electric guitar and amp, one or two of my acoustic guitars, a violin, a couple harmonicas, maybe the fife. Maybe. One day. I dunno...

We have a raccoon that insists on making noise on the roof, but we don't see anywhere that it could get inside, so we don't really know why it keeps climbing up there. It also likes to poop on our deck, which thoroughly annoys Czarny, but he's nice enough to not poop or pee in response.

Czarny's enjoying the lovely weather today. He's come inside a couple times, but just to get a snack and some pettins, then he's back out, where he can nap on the deck furniture with the breeze ruffling his fur.

Well, break's over, back to crocheting a manatee. Later, y'all.

[magnusfide]

One of our favorite parts to a trip is coming back home and having the furbabies velcro on us. They really do miss us. We're taking our last trip of the year in October. Heading to Georgia for a memory lane kind of trip with the relatives. Cancelled another trip because of gasoline prices. I need both arms and legs so can't sacrifice those.

[Wanderlost]

Pool supply guys can't do the installation -- don't have the concrete drill. Did give us a couple of pool installation/repair guys who could do it. I'm leaving that up to Spousal Unit.

Still no break on the heat and lack of rain. El Nino needs some counseling about doing his job.

Our county commissioners aren't doing a bloody thing to slow down the developers. I just hope we still have potable water by the time we kick the bucket...

Czarny stayed home while we were at a writer's convention. Short Friend took care of him -- he likes her, especially when it's playtime. Nonetheless, he was thrilled when we came home and became velcro kitty for a couple days. Back to normal now and enjoying the no swoopy bird outside times.

Joined the community chorale. We're doing a concert of 1960s music, and are supposed to wear 1960s-style clothing. That's not hard - jeans, sandals, embroidered Mexican shirt, headband. Got 'em all in my closet. Only thing different from back then is my hair has decided to be curly instead of wavy, so it doesn't look as long as it really is (waist length). It's also more chrome than black nowadays -- still Harley hair, but reverse colors.

The big challenge for our director is getting all those "church choir" voices to git down and rock it. Pretty funny at times. I'm quite enjoying doing my Mamas and Papas voice.

Nice outside right now. Think I'll sit out there and enjoy the evening. Later, y'all.

[magnusfide]

Yep if the steps are an issue then a ladder may be a bigger one. Maybe they’ll have a floor model where he can try it out first.

Sorry the rain isn’t coming. We’ve had plenty thanks to Idalia. No flooding, just 8 inches in two days. The garden is thrilled.

County just told a developer he can’t do short term rentals here. Developer launched a bashing campaign against the county calling us backward. County Commishes said if our peace and quiet is backward we’ll take a double helping. Developer left and put the property on the market. Good riddance.

[Wanderlost]

Well, the clouds did get scared away. No rain. Our lake is now only 60% full, and still has to release so folks downriver have something to drink. Upriver, one can walk along the totally dry riverbed. El Nino is very late getting here...

Czarny has been thoroughly enjoying his jaunts outside. He couldn't get back inside fast enough the other day, though. Papa and two fox kits trotted along the driveway past the house, following one of their usual routes. Showed no interest in us or Czarny, but we always are happier if he's inside with us during their daily movements to and fro.

The kits are almost Papa's size and all look quite healthy, so even in this drought they're getting enough to eat. They have stopped playing on the deck chairs; I miss the show.

We both got our latest short stories submitted to another charity anthology, and they'll most likely be published in late October/early November. No income therefrom, but it's another book to put on one's resume.

We told our ("I can do it myself!") egos to shut up and hired a Putzfrau (cleaning woman). Happened to be a friend who needed more houses to clean and mentioned it just as we decided we need help. Working out nicely so far. Czarny does not appreciate the weekly vacuuming, though...

Spousal Unit asked for a swimming pool ladder, so we're off to the pool supply to order it, because they'll also install it. Honestly, I don't see how he's gonna use a pool ladder when he has enough trouble on the steps, but it won't hurt to have one.

Off to the pool supply now. Later, y'all.

[aro_sie]

I hear you on the "quiet". I just bought a new house, really new, nothing here Right now except my house. I do have some trees on the outer edge of the property I bought by=ut, no grass yet! It is almost too quiet.

[magnusfide]

It's really nice to enjoy the quiet. New neighbors moved in a couple of houses down. They decided to have a huge party with speakers outdoors. Police were called, the speakers were unplugged and the new neighbors got a lesson in neighborly courtesy. We're due for more heat. I think someone left the door open in Hades.

[Wanderlost]

Ah, bacon, the food of gods... A friend's garden is still producing a few hot weather items, and he's promised some to us. Soon as we get the freezer dryer up and running, we'll take him up on that promise.

There are clouds in the sky today. Folks are noticing, and I keep telling them to stay very, very quiet so we don't scare them away...

Quiet day today. I'm working on an edit job, Spousal Unit's napping, and Czarny's under the spare bed covers for his afternoon nap. The week will get busy again tomorrow, but for now it's nice to be able to just be quiet.

Break's over, back to editing. Later, y'all.

[magnusfide]

Wanderlost wrote:
The barn swallows have migrated, and Czarny is thrilled. He can go outside and stay for as long as he can stand the heat (which presently isn't much longer than when the birds were here).

Our freeze dryer was missing a part, so we've not used it yet. That part should be here next week. Not looking forward to trying it out in this heat, but soon...

I organized my yarn stash. I was amazed that I only have 10 plastic tubs of yarn. As soon as it's cool enough, I'll be crocheting easy Christmas presents. The idea is to not replace yarn as it's used up, thereby cutting down the stash by a considerable amount. Snerk. Right, and pigs may fly....

Our local thrift store had two brass Russian samovars. Didn't know what they were, so they were mislabeled and priced dirt cheap. I snatched up both of them for our writers' group. It's a long running gag that now has a physical presence at our "blanket fort."

It's very early in the morning. Time for bed. Later, y'all.

Hope the fox and other predators stay clear of Czarny too. Our freeze dryer works well. Some neighbors brought their garden harvest to us and we had a freeze dry party of a sort. They gave us some of their harvest in exchange for getting most of theirs dried for home use. We have enough now for the next big trip.

Nasty heat this year. It's a good thing our neighbors prefer hot weather veg. I now have enough okra to hold a jambalaya jamboree for the family. With bacon of course.

[Wanderlost]

The barn swallows have migrated, and Czarny is thrilled. He can go outside and stay for as long as he can stand the heat (which presently isn't much longer than when the birds were here).

Our freeze dryer was missing a part, so we've not used it yet. That part should be here next week. Not looking forward to trying it out in this heat, but soon...

I organized my yarn stash. I was amazed that I only have 10 plastic tubs of yarn. As soon as it's cool enough, I'll be crocheting easy Christmas presents. The idea is to not replace yarn as it's used up, thereby cutting down the stash by a considerable amount. Snerk. Right, and pigs may fly....

Our local thrift store had two brass Russian samovars. Didn't know what they were, so they were mislabeled and priced dirt cheap. I snatched up both of them for our writers' group. It's a long running gag that now has a physical presence at our "blanket fort."

It's very early in the morning. Time for bed. Later, y'all.

[magnusfide]

I’m not a hoarder but it’s amazing how stuff just replicates like nanites on steroids eating after midnight. We clean out stuff every August so our turn is coming up.

We bought one of those freeze dryers last fall and I’m looking forward to doing up our patch of corn, green beans, tomatoes and squashes. It’s too dang hot to do any canning.

[Wanderlost]

The baby barn swallows are doing just fine. Everyone's on the north porch right now, cleaning themselves, chirping away, and infuriating one hummingbird as they fly past the feeder. Such happy sounds they make, even when doing their predator alarm.

It's awful humid this morning, but we still managed to get a place set up in the garage for the freeze dryer I just ordered. Looking forward to having foods that reconstitute back into something edible, unlike the commercial varieties Spousal Unit insisted on collecting.

If the temps are going to stay around 100, sure would be nice if the humidity would drop back down to the 20s.

Back in the garage, SU finally decided it's time to call the junk folks to come pick up a load of stuff he's been saving for "future projects," and which I call garbage. Get that stuff out of there, and then there's room for him to move his walker around and start organizing all his tools and such. Again. I figured it was a successful morning when I found six screwdrivers laying on the floor and put them into the screwdriver drawer...

Time to work on my yarn inventory. Later, y'all.

[magnusfide]

Yep we have the haze too. No too bad though.

That raccoon may be coming for the convenience of the water. We don't like raccoons because of their tendency to carry rabies and other diseases as well as killing birds and baby rabbits. We've caught them with a Hava-hart trap using a can of tuna. Then drive them 15 miles to the National Forest and drop them off.

Once we had a raccoon acting strange as though it had rabies. I just shot it and buried it.

[Wanderlost]

And now the Saharan dust has arrived to clog up eyes, sinuses and pores. At least our house is tight enough to keep the dust out, mostly.

We have to use eye wash and nasal irrigation each evening. Visibility is down; the haze is noticeable. No rain in the forecast the rest of the month (not unusual, but with the heat, it's hurting us bad water-wise).

Gosh, you'd think it was summertime or something...

Czarny made it outside a whole five minutes this morning. He hid alternately under the south porch furniture before finally deciding it was just no fun out there.

We noticed a raccoon climbing down one of our arbor posts a few days ago. A couple nights later, it caught a bird and ate it under the window next to my recliner. Then we realized the baby barn swallows had fledged too soon, likely to escape the raccoon's attempts to get at the nest.

For a couple of days, I'd go out to the porch or into the grass, pick up a baby barn swallow, and set it up high. The older birds were still feeding the babies, even down on the porch, but I didn't want that danged raccoon getting more birds. By Saturday, the babies didn't even fuss when I picked them up; they simply clamped onto a finger, then stepped off onto the high area.

Yesterday, they were strong enough to stay up high, on the porch ceiling fan blades, the top of the bedroom door, or on several wind chimes. The older birds fussed at them, trying to get them flying and/or protecting them. At one point, all eight barn swallows were arrayed on one ceiling fan blade.

I'm cautiously optimistic that the babies will survive now.

As for the raccoon, it strolled across the deck and down the stairs about 11:30 this morning. It's not fat, but looks healthy. I'm hoping that the barn swallows will stay out of range and cause it to go looking for food elsewhere. I'd just rather not host a raccoon.

Meanwhile, the fox family still transits twice a day, but they no longer play on the deck. I put out a large dog bowl in the shade near where they transit, but I can't tell if anyone is using it. I'll keep adding water, though, in case some other small critter needs it.

Time to get back to editing BIL's book. Later, y'all.

[magnusfide]

Those are some rough temps. Herself and I flirted with relocating to Scotland. Much cooler there. Just flirted though.