Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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A cold front blew in this morning. The morning highs of mid-40s dropped quickly into the low 30s, with a wind chill factor of the lower 20s/upper teens. It's raining a little, may turn to sleet or snow overnight. We so hope the moisture is significant, but aren't holding our breaths.
We're curled up in the great room with the fireplace pumping out some serious heat. But the cats decamped to the bedroom, where I had placed an afghan on the bed for Alex, since Spot was hogging the plush throw.
So what happened? They're both on the afghan.
![[image]](http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l188/Expatriate9666/CatsSharingaBinkie_zps44d629fa.jpg)
"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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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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So we had an ice storm Thursday night. Woke up to TxDot having closed I-35 and most of the county roads, so it was really quiet. No vehicle noises anywhere within hearing distance. The night's high winds and low temps (wind chill factor around 10F) resulted in frozen hummingbird nectar, so we brought it inside to melt, then put it back out. Was in the 20s last night, but not windy, so the nectar didn't freeze again.
We had a thin sheet of ice with sleet stuck to it on our property. It melted by afternoon, but was only a trace of moisture. Back into the 60s and 70s this weekend. I'm sure the garden suffered some damage, but since it's all volunteer, we're not out anything.
Alex has moved from the afghan back to my lap. He's trying to stay away from Spot, who's taken to attacking him wherever Alex goes. No more safe zones. Knowing Alex, he probably tried to start something just because he could, and whatever it was made Spot really angry. But that gets Spot into trouble, because he'll hurt (or kill) Alex if we let him continue, so the spray bottle is getting a fair amount of exercise -- not actually being used, just waved in Spot's general direction. That's enough to stop him.
We had a buck fight in the meadow yesterday. WLToo watched for a while, then decided it was a play fight, not a real one. One doe was licking a buck's muzzle, but we didn't see the final result of that obvious acceptance. Three does and an eight point buck separately came up to the north porch and looked in, but only MDL gets the corn, and only when she's alone. It was right lively out there...
A small bird just checked out one of the barn swallow nests. It was not a barn swallow, though.
We're already warmer today than the high yesterday, no wind, and bright sunshine, so around noon I'll go check the garden.
Later, y'all.
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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We had several days of 60s and 70s, and today another front has arrived. Not frigid, but awfully windy, so it's been a sit by the fireplace and drink hot beverages day.
Alex is on top of my recliner, trying to ease his way down on my lap (where the laptop is). Spot's on the bed.
Spot has a new "thing." He goes outside, does whatever he does, comes back inside, and immediately climbs on me, where he plants his cold nose into my neck and stays until he's all warmed up. If I'm not sitting down, he comes to me and makes it very clear he wants to be held. It's kinda cute, considering how big he is...
A tiny hummingbird is still here, and looks pretty good. The deer are all fuzzy. We have an 8-point buck interested in us, mainly because MDL hangs around with us, and she's part of his harem of five or six does who stay in our meadow. So now we have a buck in the meadow, too, and he's much inclined toward being somewhat friendly. When he drops his antlers, fine, but until then, we're keeping him at a respectable distance. Besides, if the zombie apocalypse occurs, he's lunch...
Time to head over to the library. Later, y'all.
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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The wind and cold last night froze the hummingbird nectar again. I brought it inside, thawed it, cleaned it, and put new in.
I know it will freeze tonight, but at least today the bird has new nectar.
Spot's been outside four times today so far, all trips lasting less than two minutes each. OK, make that five - just let him out again.
Alex isn't fooled. He knows it's too cold out there, and there are nice, warm humans to curl up on.
Haven't seen MDL in a couple of days. I guess they've all taken shelter from this nasty cold wind.
WLToo needs help with the broccoli soup (harvested from our garden day before yesterday). Later, y'all.
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Stephany
Brier, WA (just north of Seattle)
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Joined: 12/03/2002
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Hi,
We found that wrapping a string of the little Christmas lights (not LED) around the hummer feeder and leaving it plugged in all night kept the syrup from freezing on our occasional sub-30 degree nights here in Seattle. We have also bunched the lights into a margarine container and snugged it up to the bottom of the feeder with rubber bands, again leaving it on all night and that keeps the syrup from freezing too.
But my husband usually just brings the feeder in at night and puts it back out in the morning before dawn.
Hope this helps,
Stephany
Stephany & Wally Schneider + 2 grown kids, a ball-obsessed beagle, and a camping cat
2004 Sunnybrook 2850SL
2002 GMC 2500HD Duramax crew cab short bed
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Thanks, Stephany. Handy hint to have.
We had lovely warm weather all weekend, in the 60s and 70s. Today we didn't reach 45, and tomorrow will only be 38. The pattern for the next 10 days looks to be cold, cold, cold, warm, warm, cold, warm, warm, cold, cold. Must be February...
A doe came up to MDL's dish and tried to take it away. She put her hoof in it and yanked, and the corn flew out. MDL was a tad disgusted with the other doe.
Spot is a bit frustrated with the weather patterns. He doesn't mind the cold so much, but when it's mixed with high winds and a bit of moisture, he'd rather stay inside and insist I play with him. Well, he'd like to play with Alex, but Alex does not want to play -- he'd much rather cuddle with a human. So Spot stalks my legs, dashes up, whacks me on the leg, and dashes away.
Speaking of whom -- he wants up in my lap, so I'll move the computer now. Later, y'all.
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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Ahhh, warm weather. Should be warm the next five days. I think I'll plant some cauliflower.
MDL came up by herself this morning, so she could eat her corn in peace. I had an appointment, so I couldn't stay out there and chat, which she seems to like.
Had to get out the Feliway spray again. Spot tells me he wants to go outside at o dark early by clawing the bed frame, the screen, the chair and a half, or the window bench. WLToo has been letting Spot outside after yelling at him to stop clawing. Well, I don't reward bad behavior. Instead, I got up, sprayed everything he's been clawing, and went back to bed. He gave up and went back to bed, too. He went outside when I got up for the day.
Ah, it's supper time, for both cats and human. Later, y'all.
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Scott_85
Virginia
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Joined: 02/07/2014
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Thank you so much for opening up your life to us. I have cried with you laughed with you this whole time. I found this tread two days ago and have been reading it every chance I could get. But its off to bed and I will share some of my stories tomorrow that go hand and hand with the adventures at the Wanderlost homestead.
* This post was
edited 02/21/14 12:20pm by Scott_85 *
TV: 2013 Ram 2500 Laramie, G56, Andersen Ultimate 5th Wheel Hitch.
5er: 2013 Coachmen Chaparral 280RLS
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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It’s been a long, long, LONG month - without internet access. WLToo’s mom sold her farm, so we moved her into the retirement village she’d chosen. But downsizing from a 3000+ square feet house into a 300 sq ft suite was painful. She was more interested in messing with her sons’ minds than in deciding what she absolutely needed. We worked like youngsters for weeks, packing, moving 40 miles one way, unpacking, going back for more, taking back what we’d told her would not fit but she insisted on it until she saw for herself it wouldn’t fit…
After we got her moved, we had to empty the house. She again refused to tell them what they were supposed to do with the stuff, so WLToo made the decision for her. A charity came with a huge truck and took almost everything, only stopping because the truck was full. The few things left over went to her friends or straight into the garbage.
She’s ticked at them for making decisions. Both sons are ticked at her for acting like they were 20-somethings who could handle all the manual labor without consequences - and for not making decisions. The elder had to go back home before we were done, and his doctor did yell at him for overdoing it. WLToo at least has been working out, so he was doing ok until he caught a cold. I had the stamina and strength to keep going, but had to come back home a few days before WLToo did. Even lost another inch off my waist and added 6+ pounds of lean muscle mass from the labor, but it’s not real high on my list of fun ways to lose fat.
The whole time, Spot and Alex were lounging around the vet’s office, getting spoiled. But just a couple of days after he got home, Spot started squatting everywhere. The bladder problem was back. Then he couldn’t pee at all. Wound up with a catheter for 24 hours. Lab results and a sonogram showed crystals in bladder and right kidney, but no bacteria. So an antibiotic won’t do anything.
End result is he’s on a pain killer every 8 hours (oral or sub-cutaneous, depending on how hard he fights me), Hill’s CD for a month, then a raw food diet. He likes the CD dry, appears to be tired of the wet, and still wants the treats he’ll not be able to have when we finish the transition to the raw food diet. I predict a long and painful process.
Meanwhile, until the CD dissolves all the crystals, every few hours Spot goes into a squatting frenzy, peeing any and everywhere. I’ve gone through an entire gallon of Wee Cleaner already, and the place still reeks.
Then Alex got into trouble by spraying my dresser. Great. Two cats peeing everywhere. I’m completely exhausted just from cleaning up, spraying Wee Cleaner, cleaning up, spraying Wee Cleaner. I’ve stopped counting the number of bend and squats I’ve done (not my favorite exercise). Today will be steam mopping with distilled water and vinegar, and shampooing the area rug.
The only up side so far is that Spot is using his Litter Robot again, more or less. For several days, he’d put his front into the litter, pee on the step, climb inside and lay down. He leaked on himself a few times, and the litter clumped on his fur, so that was a fun cleanup, too, especially since it was on his hind legs and he hates having them touched.
He knows full well that peeing anywhere he wants is not acceptable, yet he’ll literally do it in front of me, then run to the Litter Robot, as though he thinks that makes it all better.
My brother nicknamed him Spotacus; right now, SpotaCUSS! is more accurate…
On the wildlife side, we have barn swallows! They showed up yesterday, examining all the nests. We’ve not seen the hummingbirds since just before we went to his mom’s, and we need at least one new feeder, as the old one just plain wore out. Birds are singing – it’s quite noisy outside – and the bluebonnets are already blooming.
MDL is quite pregnant. I hope she doesn’t lose this year’s fawn(s), as she’s probably nearing her last breeding seasons. She’s coming up now after deserting the doe herd that follows her around, so she can get her corn. Smart girl, knows we only feed her, not the rest of them. A couple of the younger does are right bold, standing just beyond the porch and stomping at us while we’re inside looking out. We stomp back and they go away.
There’s a very large cat on my lap, sucking up. Will have to keep him away from my glass of V-8, lest he help himself. Will be glad when WLToo gets home to share the load. He’s back at the farm, clearing out the last of the junk. If there’s anything left this time, it’s just going to convey.
Time to start mopping. Later, y’all.
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Scott_85 wrote:Thank you so much for opening up your life to us. I have cried with you laughed with you this whole time. I found this tread two days ago and have been reading it every chance I could get. But its off to bed and I will share some of my stories tomorrow that go hand and hand with the adventures at the Wanderlost homestead.
Welcome to Spot's place, Scott. Looking forward to reading your adventures, too.
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