It Starts With Us

A couple years ago while on a walk, John and I noticed a slew of cats at this house. Soon after that I stopped to ask the residents if the cats were spayed/neutered.

An elderly couple lived at the house and had started feeding a cat. Then another appeared and another. Eventually there were over 18 cats and we found out none were spayed/neutered. I knew we had to do something or they would continue to breed and eventually pay with their lives.

So I talked with them about humanely trapping, neutering and returning them. I let them know that we would pay the costs and all they had to do was give us permission to be on their property. They agreed.

So the trapping began and John and I successfully trapped and neutered them all. Mission accomplished.

A friendship developed between the four of us and we frequently went to check on this elderly couple. Sometimes taking food and gifts at Christmas. They loved the visits and we enjoyed being there.

Now fast forward to today. Sadly the woman passed away 2 years ago and her gentleman companion was left. He continued to care for the cats and we continued our visits.

Unfortunately 2 weeks ago he felt he needed to return to Ohio where his son lived. He moved but the cats remained. There was no way he could relocate them, which we knew. Sadly though the cats were not just going to stop showing up each day for food. They had been fed for many years now and the routine was embedded. John and I knew we had to step in.

So we have taken over the job of feeding this colony. My heart breaks because I know they must wonder where their previous caregiver is. And to make matters worse, the daughter of the deceased person who now owns the house…. plans to put the house up for sale.

I am more than distressed. Once this happens we will lose access to the yard to feed. So now I’m in the process of trying to find someone with another colony or a barn and some acreage that we could relocate them to. I haven’t had any luck yet but I am hopeful.

In the meantime, we will continue to provide food for these cats. The daughter refuses to feed them but does let us access the yard, which is good. She wants to have the cats euthanized. Sigh. That’s not in our plan.

We need prayers and hope. This situation is of no fault to these animals. It just breaks my heart. Hopefully with the current real estate market, we will be afforded the time needed to find a solution.

Spaying and neutering is of utmost importance. It prevents situations just like this one. There are low-cost options available everywhere. Please help those that cannot help themselves.

Until next time (when I hope I have better news),

Hannah

Catching Up

It's been forever since I've posted.  Got sidetracked.  But here I am with some new pics of the feral kids.  

Tipper used to be all skittish and scared.  Wouldn't let anyone get near him.  Typical feral.  But as I went out each day to feed he decided we weren't so bad and let me pet him.  Now he loves the petting more than food and will wait to eat until his head is scratched and he is thoroughly petted.  So cute. 

His fur was so bad and now look at this handsome guy.   All beeeeutiful. 

Next is Gordon.  I've only recently been able to pet him.  Just once.  He'll let me get closer to him so there is progress but he continues to keep his distance.  He dances around like he really, really wants to be loved on but he is just too scared.  Bless his little heart.  

Anyway, he looks good and we're happy to be able to watch over him, know that he has good meals each day and that he is loved. Isn't he a handsome boy?  He does wear too much eyeliner but what can you do? ;-)

I'll have pics of the rest of our gang soon. 

Until next time, 

Hannah

Time Flies

Holy smokes! Where did the time go?  I can't believe my last post was in September.  Apparently I got so caught up in the holidays I lost track of time.

So here it is February and it feels like spring is on its way!  I spent some time outside today starting to get the garden ready for planting.  So much to be done.  I got so tired just looking at all needing to be done that I almost had to sit and rest a bit.  But soon I got busy moving some plants out of our makeshift greenhouse, giving some plants some much needed fertilizer and planting some onion bulbs.  Junior helped with this.  Ok so what he did was jump in the soil where I was planting and throw himself down wanting to be pet.

This is the first time I've planted onion bulbs. You know the green scallion ones. Typically I start with seeds but I tell ya, that was always a bust.  It takes FOREVER for the dang things to grow and then it always seemed the season had ended and no real onions to speak of.   Just short little green tops with barely anything but a root.  Such a disappointment.  Anyway, so I'm hoping for better luck with the bulbs.

Tipper has come a long way since my last post.  He nows sits on the deck rail peeking in the screened porch to the kitchen reminding us it could be time for breakfast. Or supper.  Or maybe a snack!  And now he loves to be pet.  When he was first on the scene he kept his distance and would hiss and carry on in a dramatic way when we'd go out to feed.  Then when he was distracted with his food we would quickly stroke his fur.  He'd look up in a hurry and try to slap us and then hiss.  LOL!!  We kept this up for several months.  Now he headbutts us to pet and scratch him.  He's too cute.

Here he is peeking in the screened porch.  The picture quality is not so hot (I think my camera has the flu) but you get the idea.

Well that's it for now.  This girl is tired and I need to start supper then call it a day.

Until next time,
Hannah

Lost and Found

Sunday I did feral trapping.  Trapped a boy we call Tipper.  The tip of his tail looks like he dipped it in milk.  Here he is after surgery and recovering at the house before his release.

I hope to get pictures of him in the upcoming weeks to show his improvement. 

About the title of this post.. it's not John and I but pretty much all else.  It's probably only a matter of time before it is John and I.  We seem to be misplacing things often. 

And truth be told I'm actually anal about putting things back where you get them from.  That doesn't seem to be working here.  A while back it was John's keys.  We have a place for our keys.  All hanging real nice on this key rack I painted long ago.  Here it is here.

Ok, so it's not that nice. Actually it looks pretty messy but the keys are all together.  And if you put them where they go then you'll always be able to grab them when you need them.  Such a good idea!  

But John usually carries his keys around in his pocket.  I think he's worried I'll lock him out.  Anyway, we're working in the yard one day.  He has his keys.  They are not exactly *in* his pocket.  He just had them sorta hanging from the pocket.  New concept I guess.  So we're breezin' around the yard doing yard stuff.  Later he needs his keys.  "Have you seen my keys"

I tell him I did.  Hanging on his pocket earlier.  They are not there.  My lord! someone had stolen his keys right off his pocket!!!!  So we search. And search. And then we search more.  We probably spent a good 40 minutes looking for these keys.    They were no where.  And we kept going back to the places we had already looked repeatedly.  Neither of us trusted the other  one to do a good job looking.  Still no keys.  

We kept returning to the yard.  Going over and over the places we were in.  I'm sure we looked like fools out there in the front yard bent over scouring the ground for these keys.  Keys are nowhere.  We have not left the house/yard.  Where the heck can they be?!  And as we are standing there scratching our heads, John sees something shining in the branch of one of the crepe myrtles.  Yes, I said branch of a tree.  

Sure enough it's the keys!  They are hanging on this little branch about 4-4 1/2 feet off the ground.  I look at him.. "did you not remember you hung the keys from the tree for crying out loud?"  But he hadn't.  As he was moving back and forth around the yard, the lower part of the branch snagged the keys from his pocket and the branch must have snapped back and the keys ended up on the other branch.  Such a fluke.  We laughed and laughed.  Then I insisted he put his keys on the key rack. 

This past week we lost the cell phone.  Uh.. John lost the cell phone.  Ok, he misplaced the cell phone.  He's heading out the door to meet his brother.  Then comes right back in.  "Have you seen the cell phone?"    

Until next time, 

Hannah  

A Tribute to Angel Buford

Today's post is all about my little bright light. Miss Buford.

Here she is sitting in all her beauty in one of her favorite places. The quilts on top of the cedar chest by the windows.

Miss Buford found John on a summer's day. She strolled into our yard and was hiding in the bushes. She gave him a little scare when she jumped out as he was trimming them. Ran right up to him as if to say, "Hello! I'm here. What's for supper?"

Part Maine Coon and full of love.. that was Buford. She had been abandoned by her previous owners. Left alone outside, declawed and her family not coming back. She quickly won a place in our hearts and our home. She claimed us as hers and never looked back. We brought her inside where she filled our hearts with love for the next 10 years.

Buford had such amazing qualities. Her total devotion for one, her love of cuddling (24/7 if she could), the way she would jump from the floor into your arms. I remember one time just her and I were home. I was standing at the stove cooking and the next thing I know I felt what I thought were hands on my shoulders! I screamed. Buford ran for cover. She had jumped up on my back. But since I was turned toward the stove and she hadn't made a sound I didn't know until I felt her paws.. not someone's hands at all. Freaked us both out. Then we laughed and laughed. Ok, I laughed and laughed.

I have a video of me vacuuming her. She loved to be vacuumed. First cat I've ever had that didn't think the vacuum was a scar-wee big creature out to get them.

In a lot of ways she was like a dog in a cat suit. She would come when called. Beg for what she wanted. Wait at the door when she heard you coming home. She was my best friend, my sweet devotion, my one true thing. I miss her with all my heart.

Miss Buford got her wings eight years ago today, while laying in my lap, at home. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. To say goodbye. But she was losing her battle with cancer and she needed to be free to go to her peaceful place.

I miss the heavy soft feel of her in my lap. I think of her most days and always wish I had just one more day.

I love you Miss Buford,

Mommy

The Power of Meow

Meows are not created equal. Those of you who are cat owners, uh, owned by cats know this. Each cat has his or her own unique voice.

Take our Buddy's meow for example. He's got this very dramatic I NEED YOU RIGHT NOW!!! sort of meow. He uses his outside voice inside. And no matter how many times I've heard the meow, I go running to see what's wrong. And each and every time there he sits in the middle of the room with not a thing the matter. Entertain me!! Entertain me!!!

Me: "Buddy... it's 5am.. what *is* the problem?"

Buddy: "Problem? What problem? I don't have a problem. But since you're up, could you go ahead and toss me my toy?"

And so it goes, day after day. And still I never learn.

"Whew, I need to rest a little.. all this meowing has worn me out!"

Yesterday we made what seems like a weekly trip to Home Depot. Picked up a new garden hose on this trip. Have you noticed the warnings on the garden hoses these days? {Don't drink from this hose} When I was little we drank from the hose all the time. Of course that might be what is wrong with me today.

Anyway, I digress. So we got this hose. John hooked it up. I came inside because I was about to burst into flames. So I didn't really see the hose until today. I went outside to water and I swear I almost fainted on the spot!!!! I thought the hose was this huge snake. Scared the bejesus out of me. It's a wonder I didn't fall and break something. Not in the yard.. on me!!

The hose is like a dark charcoal gray and it has this greenish stripe along the side of it. I didn't see the stripe on it when we bought it. It was all twisted up nice and neat so you couldn't see it until you unrolled the thing.

So I ran inside to tell John the hose scared me. I thought it was a snake. He sorta laughed and said, "yeah I know". Huh? Like he already realized this and said nothing. Oh, ok... so now I'm planning my revenge. Did I say revenge. Sorry, I meant my REVENGE. ;-)

Until next time,

Hannah

A Lesson in Digital

OMG! the last couple weeks have been a nightmare. Being the last 2 people on the planet who hadn't converted to the digital world, we decided to take the plunge. Well, partly. We purchased a new HDTV. Sound the horns!!!!

Ok, for most of you this is no big deal. For us.. it's a HUGE milestone. I mean we don't even subscribe to cable! So off we went to purchase a new TV thinking we'd breeze in and out of the store, dash back home, hook the thing up and voila! Uh.. no.

We made a selection. Let's go with a 37" Samsung, 1080p, 120Hz. We're all smiles. Salesman says, "Samsung doesn't make a 37" 120Hz. Say what?! Ok, so who does? (we didn't want a TV so big that we could sit outside our house in the street and watch it. Baby steps dude.) LG makes one. Ok.. we'll take it. Well.. after 4 days of fidgeting with the darn thing we learn this isn't going to work with the equipment we want to hook-up to it. Salesman apologizes and suggests we return the LG and start over.

We did just that. So now we have a Samsung, 40" LED, 1080p, 120Hz. Can you say woo hoo?! We are in love with the picture. So crisp and clear. Who knew? And all this time while watching our old TV we kept thinking our eyesight was going. What a relief I tell ya.

So now we are *almost* all current. If and when we decide to get cable we will have the TV. In the meantime it is great for movies and the limited regular TV we watch. And with this new TV comes with a thing called a 'remote control'.. it sure beats having to get up and change channels each time. Ok, ok, ours wasn't really that old.

Now for the important stuff.. like the animals. Here's a picture of Junior. One of our last TNR (trapped/neutered/return) cats. After having cats spayed/neutered we bring them back to our house to recover them after surgery. This can take 2-3 days depending on surgery and the cat.

Junior was released back to his colony after his recovery. About a week later he showed up at our house meowing up a storm. Everyday I'd sit outside talking to him. Trying to get closer and closer until one day I was able to pet him. And now... Katie bar the door!! That is all he wants. Pet me! Pet me! Pet me! And of course he hasn't left our house since. And here he is today.. all handsome and cared for.

It's amazing what a little love and care does.

Until next time,

Hannah