Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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A keyhole garden is six feet in diameter. The keyhole cutout allows even a short person like me to reach the entire garden without much effort. Three of them will feed a family of ten all year.
We did learn one lesson: always put the keyhole on the north side, so the compost chute doesn't create shade on the garden. Sigh.
May have been wrong about the transplanted radishes. At least one is coming back. All the potatoes have sprouted now, as well as all the yellow onions. I am so looking forward to harvesting my own food.
It suddenly got very noisy a few minutes ago. Sure enough, two male barn swallows are checking out the accommodations and yakking away. Spot dashed out to watch.
WLToo's new rotisserie attachment for the grill worked out very nice. Peruvian chicken is next on my poultry list.
Got up to 83 today, so I finally unsealed the bedroom windows and opened one. Very nice cross breeze, should be great sleeping tonight.
I see it's past time to feed the cats. Later, y'all.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Czarny, black cat
Rainbow Bridge: Spotacus, Alexander the Grrreat, and so very many more
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KLO
Southern OK
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Joined: 09/17/2003
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Thanks for the info on the keyhole garden. Wish you luck with them, I now grow only in large nursery pots. No fighting Bermuda, and don't have to bend over, a plus when you have bad knees!
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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It's kitty piddle all over the place: Alex because he's old, and Spot because he has a nasty bladder infection. Good thing two gallons of Wee Cleaner arrived last week...
Unfortunately, Spot's not handling the antibiotic at all, so tomorrow I'll ask the vet for something else. Shoving a horse pill down his throat, followed by water, is a very painful process for both humans and Spot. I tried dissolving it in water, then squirting it into his mouth, and that was not successful, either. As much experience as we have with giving cats medication, this is really frustrating. He needs that medication.
Still just the one hummingbird, but more barn swallows are taking a look at our nests. Just one pair has stayed so far.
We have a new pet: a rat snake. WLToo came running into the house, saying there was a diamondback by the pool deck. But when I went out and looked, I saw a non-aggressive snake with no rattle, just watching for a chance to slip away. WLToo was under the misimpression that only poisonous snakes have arrow shaped heads, but when he looked at the photos of rat snakes, he realized that's what we have under the pool deck now. It's only the second snake we've seen since we got here nearly three years ago, and that first one was a bitty garter snake that we rescued from Alex.
Mama Doe Lassie's neck hair is falling off in clumps, making her look pretty ratty. We also don't think she's pregnant anymore, but we could be wrong. She's not showing like she did last month.
Have to water the cubanelle peppers every day. I didn't realize how much water they seem to want. Next time they get their own container, with a water reservoir.
Wow, it's kinda late. Later, y'all.
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Code2High
One hour past Nowhere, CA
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Joined: 12/21/2004
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I've had better luck with capsules than pills (though pills are better than liquids!). I have been known to put a pill in an emptied capsule, coat the capsule with butter or oil, and give it that way. It goes down fast that way with at least two of mine.
Liquids are impossible and a straight pill gets mushy and wet. You can help that with a little oil or butter, but the capsule makes it easier yet. I've used capsules to give liquids a couple of times, but you have to be FAST.
There's convenia, which is a dream in terms of convenience, but I'm seeing a lot of talk about side effects, some fatal. That's a shame as it's just awesome for ferals or cats that are really tough to dose.
Sometimes it's easier to just go with an injectable.
susan
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a wabbit, Fuzzy Wuzzy had a dandelion habit! RIP little Wuz... don't go far.
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dturm
Lake County, IN
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Joined: 01/29/2001
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Covenia - one injection every 2 weeks.
Doug & Sandy
Kaylee (16-year-old Terrier of some sort)
Winnie 4 1/2 year old golden
Sasha and many others at the Rainbow Bridge
2008 Southwind
2009 Honda CRV
Check out blog.rv.net
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Hammerhead
North of Normal
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Joined: 05/02/2002
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We had a cat 20 years ago that looked just like this one. We thought he was an adult when we first adopted him and he kept on growing. He eventually got to a lean 26 lbs and was tall enough to stand with his hind paws on the floor and his head higher than the dinner table to see what we were eating.
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Spot got the injection, and it cleared up his urine right off. He continued to squat all over the place, just not as often. However, some of his squatting seemed to be more of a dominance issue between him and WLToo. I say that because Spot would squat right where WLToo could see him, and be upset when WLToo chased him off whatever he was squatting on. Monday night, Spot peed on the clothes WLToo left on the bedside bench.
WLToo left a couple days ago to do some things for his mom. That night, he pulled WLToo's towel off the rack and peed on it. I put away all WLToo's shoes and clothes, and Spot is only squatting in his litter box, outside, or occasionally in our shower. Between WLToo not being here and the injection, Spot seems to be greatly improved.
That's a big cat, Hammerhead. Spot's down to 15.9 pounds, thanks largely to being able to go on really long patrols around our fence line.
Mama Doe Lassie tried to get me to feed her twice today. Hmmmp. Not happening. She even put her front legs just inside the door, before figuring out no more corn was forthcoming. We need a storm door there...
Harvested a bunch of icicle radishes. The radishes were small; the greens huge. Tomorrow night is sauteed radish greens, assuming I'm feeling up to cooking.
Having a CT scan tomorrow, in prep for a catheter ablation (to stop the a-fib) next week. The CT requires an IV of iodine solution, and my skin is a little iodine sensitive, so I've been pre-medicated with two antihistimines and a steroid, just in case.
The hummingbird feeder is being attacked by some kind of large bird. It pulls the mesh inserts out, throws them on the ground, then sticks its bill inside to drink. The hummers are outraged.
Which reminds me, time to refill it. Later, y'all.
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Code2High
One hour past Nowhere, CA
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Joined: 12/21/2004
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Oriole?
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Code2High
One hour past Nowhere, CA
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Joined: 12/21/2004
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BTW I'd slap a happy gas collar on that bad boy and see if it will mellow him out a little. Best to nip that behavior in the bud.
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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What a day. The CT scan went fine, after which I finally found an excellent Korean restaurant and ate very well. Then I ran some errands, came home, and let the boys outside to enjoy a beautiful day.
Mama Doe Lassie stopped by for some corn and a little nuzzle (I do wish she'd stop that. Deer snot on my hand = ewww). That annoying bird threw all the hummingbird feeder inserts on the ground and drained the feeder. I cleaned it, refilled it, and had to contend with several hummers trying to feed while I was still hanging it. I hope that bigger bird moves on soon.
Saw Spot stalking the seal point cat several times today. No direct confrontations, so little did I expect what was to come later.
Since it was just me, I indulged in sweet potatoes for supper. However, my eyes were bigger than my stomach, so I had a few leftovers. Who should come wandering back up but MDL, so she got the leftovers. Even cooked, she likes sweet potatoes. We did not plant any this time; might do that next time.
Settled down to watch TV, when what should I hear but Spot on Alex' scratch pad. I knew immediately what Spot was going to do, grabbed the Wee Cleaner, yelled at Spot, and the chase began. He'd run to another spot, start to spray, I'd arrive yelling, and spray it with Wee Cleaner immediately, then dash off after Spot. At one point, I sprayed Spot with the Wee Cleaner instead of the water bottle, and that's when I lost it completely. I chased him outside, yelling to beat the band. He's never heard me yelling like a drill sergeant, so he knew he was in deep kimchee.
I put a little food out for him, and it's the kind of night he loves to be outside in, so he's staying out. I had an a-fib attack from all the excitement, and I need sleep. If he's inside, he'll be going around spraying all night, and I don't need that stress.
Starting tomorrow, a major re-training ensues. Luckily, the weather will be gorgeous, perfect for his thick fur -- not too hot, not too cold, so he'll be fine. We don't have coyotes or loose dogs, and I haven't seen a fox in nearly two years. I'll let him inside for meals, then watch him closely. Each time he acts inappropriately, he's outside. Until I get the Feliway or other happy gas, can't let him stay inside unsupervised, but I'll have to do that tomorrow, as we have a cold front coming in next week that will drop us into lows in the 40s. He could handle that, having survived colder temps making his way to us, but I don't like the idea that he may have to stay out very long.
Spot is stubborn, still with that tom cat attitude, but he knows for certain now that I am not even slightly happy with his behavior. Now we'll see if he understands the consequences.
First cat I've ever had to toss outside for my own health. Frustrating for both of us, but if I'm in a-fib all the way to my surgery next week, I can't re-train him. So he's on the porch loveseat and looks pretty happy at the moment.
Well, my throat hurts from yelling at him (I rarely yell, makes it hard to sing), the a-fib has calmed, and I'm drained. Time to sleep. Later, y'all.
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