Sunday, November 29, 2020

I Found A Kitten!



One Tuesday I went out for a run and came home with a dirty, sick, and hungry orange kitten!  I saw him sitting right in the middle of the sidewalk on a very busy street and I couldn't leave him there to die of starvation or of being hit by a car.  

First he got to eat and drink (while I cleaned up the bites he gave me out of fear!)


Then he got a quick bath.  He was very dirty and who knows what was on him . . . 


Then he got to eat more.



I was able to get him in to see the vet that same day.
He was treated for worms and fleas.  He was also given an antibiotic, since he had cuts all over.





He's been with us a week and a half.  The first few days he did a lot of sleeping (sometimes in the trash can!) and eating, though right from the first day, he showed great affection.  He likes me to put my face down very close to his so that he can rub his nose on me.  I don't mind!  He purrs a LOT.


He started trying to bat and eat my hair dangling down, at which point we brought in a bunch of fun toys!





Happy and stretchy:



He's very tiny (especially compared to our very large other cats!)  I estimated from his body size that he was 6 weeks old, but the vet said according to his teeth, he's about 4 months old.  Poor little mite!
He's a mighty warrior for surviving all alone!











He likes to play with his toys under a blanket tent on the couch.  Though we hear funny ding dong sounds from the guest bathroom when he's in there because he plays crazy with toys in there, too.


I'm glad he feels safe and happy and healthy enough to play and be silly!





His belly is still pretty round, while the rest of him is spindly, but he's looking a lot healthier.  The cuts have almost all healed, he's clean, and he's happy.  The vet said that in one week, this little monster had gone from 1.8 pounds to 2.05 pounds (or approximately a weight gain of 25%).  That's a LOT so we're doing a good job and so is he!  He goes back to the vet on Tuesday for follow up (he still had a fever last week) and potentially vaccinations if he's big enough.


He would very much like to play with the other cats.  So far we're letting them be near each other, but not touch each other just so that this little one can get vaccinated and all healthy first.  He purrs and starts moving towards them whenever he sees them, which is pretty cute.












As perfect as he is, and as much as we already love him, we are looking for a wonderful and loving home for him (we suspect that we may be moving across the country at some point - yes, there's a story in that comment that I'm not going to share right now! - and transporting FOUR cats might be challenging).  If you need more JOY and LAUGHTER in your life, this kitten is just the ticket.  He's amazing and lovely and delightful.










And he only missed the litter box one time (on the very first day)!  He's the perfect kitten!

Saturday, November 28, 2020

My Birthday!


It was a long time ago already (more than a month!), but my birthday was a good one!
I decided I wanted to do a hike and the weather was perfect!

Look at that!


We drove by the weird Snakehole Golf course.
It's famous with us just because it's so grungy and dusty.  There's NO grass at all!



Here's what I wore:




We didn't want to go far, so we decided on Lost Dutchman State Park.



 






















I had stuffed peppers:




And when we came home, I made a lovely pizza.


The leaves on our Chinese Elm trees are even turning colors!


I even got some great gifts!

Some new fruit & veggie bags:


A super cute wooden apple:


"Diagnosis Murder" - so much fun!


More than one great books:


I chatted with my Mom a bit and cuddled cats and hung out with Greg, and it was wonderful!


What a great day!

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Walking With Cindy



Cindy and I decided that it was fairly safe to meet outside to walk once the weather cooled down.  The above photo does not show appropriate social distancing and I apologize for being a bad example of cautious care for myself and my community!  We mostly stayed far enough apart to not infect each other, and we definitely stayed far enough away from other people.  

We walked only three times before we had to stop because not only did a paraprofessional in Cindy's classroom test positive for COVID, but Cindy's housemate did, too.  The paraprofessional didn't get very sick, but Cindy's housemate did.  


Before this happened, we would walk through the grounds of the Gilbert Riparian Preserve and then to the canal.  There are lots of interesting animals!

The preserve fills a number of lakes up.  Sometimes a lake will be dry, sometimes it will be wet.  I don't understand their rotating plans, but it must make sense to them!  




We saw a cute squirrel:



This quail sat in the top of the tree and talked to us loudly.


There are a lot of ducks happily waddling around and playing in the water.



Here's a heron!




I find the crunch crunch crunch of the gravel path soothing and relaxing.


We walked along the canal for a good 1-2 miles and then turned around to go back the way we came.  When the weather is cool, there are quite a few walkers, joggers, and bikers.  I like seeing people out being active, and I'm grateful every day to be able to BE ACTIVE myself!


I hope you take some time today to enjoy nature's beauty around you.  Even if you're in the middle of a concrete jungle, LOOK UP!  The sky is there.
xo