Still Cloudy and Cool

 Our weather is far from August normal lately.

After the brief heat wave, it went to predicted extreme rain, which didn't happen, but misty cloudy weather has happened.   Tomorrow is to be the last day of it and couldn't come soon enough.  

I know summer is on the wane and its scary to think of months of gray and damp coming soon to an Oregon town near you.

Some people love it depressing.  They like the low pressure.  By that I mean, when its yucky and icky outside, life devolves to be the least you can be mentality very quickly.

I hope to immediately head out, once cats over being fixed today go home to their people tomorrow.

To where?   I don't know--anywhere.

For the day, or a couple days.   It's simple for me to head out for just one night, since the cats can be here two nights alone without any problem.   I have if anything too many litter boxes.

Throw the sleeping blankets in the back, toss the kayak in too, and off I go.

Takes no planning or ta do, for a one nighter.  A two nighter, maybe a cooler goes too.

I was overjoyed to see the line of people outside Radpets clinic this morning.  So many cats and dogs getting fixed there.  They are wildly popular.  Why not?   They're affordable.  There's nothing that can make me happier than seeing so many people lined up to get their pets fixed.   It's probably like winning the lottery to other people.

I named those four Waterloo kittens.    Juble, Jetty, Jambo and Jingles.  The mom already had a name--Cinnamon.  

The Brownsville man only got the outside kitten caught who is tame.  I had asked him to try to get one or both of the pregnant females and he put maybe 30 minutes into trying, mid day too, which is useless.    The orange tabby boy is cat 31 fixed there.  He asked me, as I left, does it ever end, does anyone ever get them all?   I almost laughed.   Well, I said, it doesn't happen by magic.  You have to work at it. 

 Yeah, like that will happen.

Maybe he thinks elves will come in the night and get it done.

Around here, I'm the night elf cat trapper.

Little Guy, the 31st cat fixed from the Brownsville colony.  He looks big in the guy's small dirty carrier but he's quite small, maybe 3 lbs.  Maybe.

Filling the Spots

 The Sweet Home kittens couldn't be fixed tomorrow since they have kitty colds.   

It was to have been a no work day for me, with them transported and picked up by the couple holding them.  But with spots to fill, I set out yesterday late afternoon for Waterloo.

I wasn't sure how many I was to catch, since the spots Monday were originally for six males and one female, all kittens.  What if I caught all females, for instance.  They take longer to do.

I set up the drop trap on the side of a residential street in Waterloo and instantly kittens began popping out of the brush.   I yanked the cord when five were under it, but the cord caught on some grass and one escaped in the meantime.   So I got four kittens, in one yank of the string.   3 blacks and a buff.

After transferring them out to live traps, I didn't really expect the fifth one to be back and it didn't come back, but the mom came out.  At least one mom that is.  There have to be more moms.  Four of the kittens were taken away by some kids two or three weeks ago.   Five more here?  Really?   

I caught the next one out, an adult tabby tux, whom the feeder lady says is one of the moms.  I have no idea who the other mom or moms might be.   Because this morning, feeder lady says there are 3 more kittens, at least.   That would, with the ones taken by kids, be 11 kittens..That still could be just two moms, but who is the other mom, I wonder.   

I came home with the 4 kittens and one adult.   I'd already told the big Brownsville colony man to catch one.  He's had one of my traps for awhile and is supposed to have been feeding in it and use the bottle and string method to catch one of the pregnant ones.  That's the colony where I've already taken 30 to be fixed.  

One of the Moms

Two kittens

Two more kittens, both black, hard to see

The Waterloo lady has a trap of her own, so she's supposed to catch one more this morning.   The trap needs some work, but it will spring.  Not sure a kitten could spring it though.  Its mechanism needs some loosening.

I got to the colony about 5:00 p.m. and left before 6:00 to come on home.

Later my Lebanon friend said she found a chicken in a box along the road, poor thing, and took it to a friend of hers who has chickens.

We have some sick arsonist trying to start forest fires out by Foster Reservoir.  Ten fire starts in one night.   I hope they catch the twisted sicko.  The fire department and forestry fire were able to put them all out fast.  But they are upstaffing til they catch the mental bastard.  They at least sound like lazy arsonist/arsonists, maybe just doing it from a car (and that's from a facebook comment from someone who claimed to see someone throwing firecrackers etc from a car).

By Tuesday, our weather here should be less humid.   No rain yesterday but terribly humid so it felt hotter than 77 degrees.  We're not used to humidity here.  And Tuesday I'll return these cats fixed tomorrow, and head out somewhere.

Right now, for records, I need to name 4 kittens.  The feeder lady already calls the mom cat Cinnamon.

The Inevitability

 If Heartland has a euth tech there today, Vino will today meet his end.

Vino's an old feral boy here, who has, for two months experienced symptoms one usually associates with kitty IBS.  He's had some issues for almost a year which I attributed at first to worms, but netting and worming him did not help.  Then I thought hairball blockage but hairball cat food for two months did not help.   I even got some coccidia two day treatment but that didn't not help either and neither did panacure. When I try everything possible, and symptoms only worsen, its time.  Blood lately in his stool, makes me believe he has digestive tract cancer.  He's not handleable and cries out when he goes.

So its time.   

In other news, Morning, the flamepoint kitten from Sweet Home, is doing better but still sick.  There were 7 kittens still up there in trouble.  The couple who discovered their plight, at a neighbors house, that had burned, began feeding them.  Then we got the adults fixed, four so far.  And two of the kittens, both girls, both flamepoints.  One of them was Morning, now named Angel, and in the care of the vet clinic.  The couple helping were trying to build a catio to hold the others, after one of the 8 left died.  But he had to work one handed having just had major shoulder surgery, then fell.  So instead, she ordered a catio from Amazon and its awesome!

The 7 remaining kittens (Fleabee, one of them, already fixed), went to the vet yesterday.  They had upper respiratory illness and can't be fixed Monday as planned.  So now they have been wormed, flea treated and are on antibiotics.  The neighbor who is holding them took them to the vet.  These are neighbors you would want to have, helping out someone just down their block whose house burned--twice.   Anyhow, they'll either go from their place to a rescue, or be fixed and another neighbor near her, will help find them homes once fixed.   

Their lives are improving at rocketship speed!

I'm heading to catch a few in Waterloo hopefully this evening, to fill the spots Monday, that the kittens had, to be fixed.  No sense wasting spots.

I saw evidence of rain yesterday morning, just a bit, and this morning, but haven't actually seen any rain.  No atmostpheric river.  Barely any rain at all.   Skies outside are blue.

A little disappointing.

I stopped in at my Lebanon friends place yesterday.   She and her brother are selling the house she's lived in, which was her mom's.  She had taken care of her mom for years, when she was in dementia.  Then she died.  They decided to save money and sell it themselves, not through a realtor, who would take a lot of the money in the sale.   They don't have much money, and need all they get from the sale to buy something else, so my friend and her nephew have a place to live.  They had to be outside city limits, so they can better afford property taxes and they also wanted off city water, to save money on that.  It's tough to afford to live lately, if you haven't noticed.  Every penny counts.

So they go an offer and will close by September if all goes well.  I hope it does for them.  They have a place they will buy immediately, also private sale, from a former coworker of hers, who has to move to warmer less damp climate since her husband gets pneumonia winters here.

Lots of folks can't tolerate the damp winters here and some can't do the pollen and dust filled summers of the mid valley, with the grass seed production.

Oregon just got labeled one of the worst places to move to due to how expensive it is, crime, health care access, somethiing else, I forget.  My Idaho brother sends me such news stories.  He had wanted to move back to Oregon but now can't foresee doing so because its so expensive to live here.  We all know about that already.

Now the news is OR and most other states are about to lose billions from the federal government, mostly in cuts to health care for the poor and food stamps but also for many other things.  Like anything that involves science, lol, just generalizing.   I won't know for some time if I am going to lose housing and/or medicaid, which for me is secondary, not my primary insurance.  With our current admin, things change overnight, so you never know anything til it actually happens.

Oregon is considered a sanctuary state, which means local law enforcement doesn't participate in immigration roundups.  This is largely a financial issue and because immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the feds.    When there's a warrant, locals cooperate, but otherwise I don't think they want involved in rounding up people at random, without knowing the truth of their status.  Who would?

But now the feds are threatening states that don't let local law help ICE, with withholding federal funds, but only federal funds that go to help illegal immigrants.  I have no idea what that involves.    I saw this on the news last night.  I think a quarter of the population in this town might be immigrants whether legal or not how would I know.  I don't know, so I stay out of all this.  To me humans are humans and I'm not god in heaven or the current admin to want to have the power to judge and punish.  

Anyway, if Oregon is expensive now, just think how its going to be in a year or two, with the loss of all that federal money for health care and food assistance.   The food assistance helps also farmers and grocers out.   People scoff at those who can't pay the extreme rent costs in this state or the high food prices, yet at the same time, they want their low wage workers employed at the big box stores, the tourist trap hotels, the food places, the maids, the dishwashers....they don't want to pay them enough to otherwise exist.

If we get nothing from the feds, in the end, nobody will have to pay federal income tax at least.  Why would they?  

Younger Crowd

 Besides the mostly very elderly cats here, a younger crowd provides entertainment.  For the most part, they're happy healthy and insanely funny.

Tickle, from Quartzville road is curious, a bit odd looking with a lanky body and small head, and fun loving.

Prissy from Quartzville road with elderly Hawkeye in background

Prissy also enjoys hanging out inside and literally hanging out upside down on my ancient cat trees.

Prissy is full of expressions.

Machi from the 7-11 colony in Sweet Home.

Tball--the master of dramatic pose.  He and his sisters are more middle aged.  

Dramatic pose boy Tball could have a career as a cat model.  This was him, striking a pose, even before he came here, in the park, where all four teenagers resided until the camp host warned me of a cougar seen just above the berry vines where they were living.  I went back that night and recaught them all, unable to sleep to think of them hanging from the mouth of a cougar.  I call them the cougar bait four.  

So these are the younger crowd, even though the Waterloo park kids are now middle agers.  

Our weather, unbearably hot the last few days, today is in cool off and national weather service claims we will experience a category 3 atmostpheric river event starting tomorrow or Saturday.  However, local forecasters are having none of that, although they, out of courtesy I suppose, let us know its been forecast by the big chiefs now of weather.  We the peons shall just wait and see, as always.

Well, I look outside, and we had rain this morning.  Wasn't supposed to rain til tomorrow.  I'm out of blackberries, ate all the ones I picked around the lake.   I need to get back up there, get some more.  They must be so fat and ready by now.  Fat, dripping blackberries---they haunt my dreams.  Tis that season.

Unseasonably Warm, to put it Mildly

 It's 100 degrees outside, and only 2:00 p.m.  Will get even hotter.

I deleted former post about the sweet flamepoint kitten Morning, with the terrible leg injury, that turned out to be a destroyed knee.  And about the black cat caught there too and some drama. Best to stay positive.

Especially when it will soon be 103 outside.

Morning, in very difficult shape, is in the care of the vet clinic.  They offered to take her in if the Sweet Home lady helping those cats would relinquish her and she nearly cried in relief when they offered.  It's their call on her fate, if she's too bad off to save or if they try to save her.  I was so relieved I couldn't stop sobbing, once home.  That blessed little sweet girl.  

Meanwhile the black adult, male or female, I don't know which, is being fixed and will be picked up by the Sweet Home lady, so I'm done for the day.  Good thing, its so hot, I just want to sprawl inside.

I need to get up to Waldo Lake really soon. Waldo is my therapist, and about everything else I need.  Like tomorrow soon, but it will still be in the hundreds I think tomorrow, so maybe day after.  

All good otherwise.

Last Days at Lake

 Summer is rapidly coming to an end.

In my all out attempt to enjoy it to max, I went to the lake yesterday.  Usually I don't go on Saturdays, its so busy.   I tried to get up there early but after doing all the cat chores, I didn't get off til almost 9:30.  So I got up there a bit after 10:00.

To my surprise, I got a parking spot.

There were already a lot of motor boats out on the lake, pulling people and kids on various big blow up type tow toys.    You don't see water skiis anymore or even wake boards rarely.  It's all the puffy blow up tow toys.

They look like great fun.

I paddled across the lake and around the shoreline, for a couple of hours.    I was looking for ripe blackberries and finally found a huge patch I could pick from the water.   I picked a quart into an empty cat treat plastic jar.  I like those treat jars.  They have screw on lids and handles.  I use them for lunch buckets too.

These are the sandals I've repaired over and over.   But the bottoms are coming loose again at the edges I found out yesterday when the loose edge caught and nearly sent me onto my head.  More super glue is in order.

Huge wall of ripe blackberries at the lake!

By 2:00 I was back at the boat launch to go home.  That was delayed by the endless stream of big boats launching and pulling out.  I didn't mind.  I just hung out on my kayak and also swimming.   Finally there was a break and was able to get my kayak out and into my car.

Today til Tuesday it will be near 100 degrees.   

The lady in Sweet Home trying to help the neighbor's cats, its breaking her heart.   The neighbors house burned twice and property owner living now elsewhere.  Someone lives at the property in an RV or small trailer but isn't seen. Property owner gave permission for the cats to be fixed and would like the kittens to find homes.  Easier said than done though.  The shelters and rescues are full.  The ones not full seem to be importing kittens from out of state.   Why?   No clue.  Why not help Oregon cats and kittens and dogs.  

 None of their cats were fixed and all live outside the RV.  Nine kittens and three adult females, at least.  By now, we've got the three adult females fixed and two of the girl kittens.  But after surgery one of the girl kittens suffered a terrible leg injury.  She's going back to vet tomorrow.  And one kitten was found dead in the front of the RV, probably hit by car on the street, which made the lady helping cry.  They kittens are crawling in fleas too and anemic from flea bites.

This is Morning, a kitten fixed last tuesday, that lower leg--swollen with something protruding.  Kneecap?  Bone end?   Large abscess? We don't know but the vet tomorrow will figure it out.

So last night her husband said he'd built a cage to keep the kittens comfy in their garage until they're fixed.  Then another neighbor is going to help find them homes.  That's a really nice husband.  Also last night they caught a pregnant black cat that comes out of the berry vines middle of night to eat.  I will guess she at some point too was associated with the neighbors who don't fix their cats but who knows.   There are two more adult females, she thinks to catch too.

Meanwhile, Happy Cat Club, our nonprofit, that pays for all these fixes, is struggling to keep up financially.   We are trying to keep at it, because its desperately needed, the help.   Thanks so much to all who donate.

The Change

 

The Silver Scion Feline Fleet!
Long May They Live and Carry Cats to be Fixed!!!

There's been a good change here that has me very happy.

A friend called me Wednesday night.  Said her friend is selling her car and she told her about me and to call her right away.

Ok.  I will.  My heart was beating wildly.   I know the car.  I used to park next to it at Gleaners.  It looks exactly like my car, right down to the color, but is a year older and well maintained.

It has half the miles.

I called, sealed the deal pretty much on the phone within 20 minutes.  My neighbor took me over yesterday morning.   I bought it.  It was too good a deal to pass on.  $1500.   I got help with it.  That's cheaper than the last repair job on the other one, including the repair required to fix the repair.

They're also cat ladies, older, in their 80's now, don't need the expense on insurance of two cars.  They feed a young stray female I'll help get fixed.

My mind numbed afterwards.  What to do with the car I've got.  The younger in miles one smells so nice, not like mine, of male cats and age.   The younger in miles one has no loud rattles, grinds and NO dash lights are on.  How will I drive a car that doesn't display at least four to six dash warning lights?  LOL, I will manage.

It's a manual transmission also and the clutch is twice as reactive as in mine.   Made me think I wonder if the clutch is starting to fail in the one I drive.  The seat in the one I just got isn't worn out and I sit higher up and comfortable in it.  

I began to think I need a back up car.   I began to think I don't want to smell up the latest with cat hauling.  I decided to sign the one I've been driving over to my nonprofit and use it alone for cat hauling, until its natural death of old age.  Then and only then will I use the latest one to haul cats.  For awhile at least, I will have a car to myself, one that doesn't smell of a zillion cats I've hauled to clinics.  When the one I've been driving dies, I'll donate it to the FCCO.  They have a car donation program.

I called the state's insurance help hotline and talked to an extremely helpful lady on the how's of a teensy nonprofit "owning" a car and what type of insurance I would need for that and what else I should do, like I have to change the title over to HCC.  She was so helpful.   I talked to my insurance company and quickly they seemed to understand what I needed and changed my current insurance to the latest car and signed me up for a nonprofit commercial liability for the old one.   It was a lot of calling and the like but really easy with the help I got from the state helpline lady and my insurance.

Today I will take the two titles in to the DMV to get new titles/registration.

I'm pretty excited to have a new old car.  Yup, a year older than the one I have but half the miles.

And now the nonprofit owns a cat hauler, for as long as it lasts.   

If you didn't look closely, you'd think they are the same car.

My neighbors were going to take their RV to River Bend county park today to camps five or six days.  They've had the reservations for awhile.   Then the RV decided to break down and dump transmission fluid out.   He tried to get it back to where they store it.   He got out though, to open the gate, and then the RV wouldn't go, so he was blocking the gate in and out.  Last I heard, when I went to bed, he'd been waiting on a tow truck for a long while and was told it was possible they couldn't get one there last night.   I wonder if he had to spend the night there, waiting.  

 I told her I was sorry about the camp trip, since to cancel she'd have to lose quite a lot, maybe all of what she already paid for the nights they reserved and she said maybe she'll go anyhow and sleep in her car.   I thought "good for her" as I'd planned to go up Saturday to visit her.  She wants to try out my kayak and I was eager for her to do that, at the reservoir.  I think she'd love kayaking and then I'd have someone to go with, if she does.  She's disabled, with neuropathy in her legs, but her arms are fine.  Kayaking is great that way.