Week 3

We recently put in a pet door for the dog, but our stray cat, Miss Kitty, figured it out first and now is in the habit of coming and going at will. 

The other day I was in the bedroom folding and putting away clothes and the dog started barking.  "Be quiet Shadow," I hollered.  Then I heard dishes and pots and pans being banged around.  Oh no,  I thought,  maybe a rabid raccoon came in through the pet door (you see where my mind goes).  I cautiously peeked into the kitchen to see this,

then this,



Apparently she brought in her catch alive and it got away.  Poor little jay was quite distraught.  So was Miss Kitty.  I threw a towel over the bird and carted it outside where it flew away.  You should have seen the look Miss Kitty gave me.  Then a few days later she brought in a Flicker alive.  I tried to get it out of her mouth, but she snarled, so I carried her and the bird outside.  She came back in.   I threw her out again and Mark quickly put on the cover to the pet door, so she dissected and ate the thing right on our porch rug.  Then yesterday she left us this by our dining room table.  Thank God it wasn't on the dining room table and it was dead.

Needless to say, I'm thinking this stray kitty needs to go.  She is sweet  (when she doesn't have a bird in her mouth)and her and our dog love to play, but besides the wildlife in the house, I'm allergic.  I have to wash after petting her and keep the bedroom door closed.  My allergies haven't been bad, but I'm probably pushing my luck.  I don't mind cats outside, but now that she has her 'own' door she is taking over the place.  I smile when I type this, because there is something about this cat that pulls on my heartstrings.  She is lovable, but pushy, industrious when she wants to be, but yet also so lazy.  I guess we are a bit of kindred spirits.

Here is another stray that recently wandered in.  Luckily she has chosen a barn to live in.   I'm calling her Dolly, because she reminded me somehow of a blue eyed dolly I had as a kid.

We wonder where in the world these cats are coming from.  We think it must be from some neighbor, but can't seem to find out who and can hardly imagine how the cats would walk so far.   Both cats are not feral and they came to us in really good shape.  They are good hunters.  I've actually had very little gopher problems since Miss Kitty showed up, but Mark attributes that to Henry, our rattlesnake.  Regardless though, we now have 5 cats about the place and that is too many. Do you want one, or two, or three? 

Weather here is outstanding.  In the seventies.  Incredible and scary at the same time.  California needs rain.  One thing though, the cattle and horses are digging this mild weather and their hay deliveries.  I'm beginning to call them welfare cases and since the last little rain grass is growing, so it's about time to cut back on their hand outs.  They need to start working for a living.



Except for these.  I call them the brush babies.

I finally found this group living up at the top of the ranch doing well on brush and  the grass. There is quite a bit more feed left growing up there.  They are a bit of a wild bunch though.  As a matter of fact the closer black/white face jumped a five and one half foot tall  fence last summer.   Her and the other black/white face in the photo were both oops.  They hid out and never got caught and then, of course, got pregnant and had calves.  We would not have chosen  them as as replacements as they are small and wild.  I'll say it again. Big Oopsers.  But  number 19 (I guess she needs a name) got caught last year and when she heard us talking about sending her off to the auction, she just  jumped our holding corrals flat footed.  I'll repeat myself,  five and half foot tall corrals with nary a hoof hit.  She's a jumper alright.  I kind of admire her spunk.   Maybe I should just train her to saddle. 

Mark has been spunky  too, cutting firewood in all this good weather.  Our woodshed is still nearly full, so he has been selling a little and also laying aside some to sell next fall.  I guess we are sort of unofficially, maybe, possibly back in the firewood business after a two year hiatus.  We  are taking it slow though, as it became  a sometimes overwhelming and life consuming task  before.

You know what the say about firewood....

It warms you 3 times,  cutting it, stacking it and burning it.