Saturday, September 19, 2015

This, That and The Other

So.......

Oci is way too fat.  My only fat cat, in fact.  And she's feral.  She limps now, from her weight paining her joints.   I have been going to build a nice large cage for some time, to contain her so I can control what she eats.  So I started it, almost finished it, yesterday.  But it's not done yet, so she has a couple more days.

I'm relieved I'll be able to do this for her and finally got it going.

Yesterday I got a few boards and then painted them, with half bucket of super old paint I had leftover from something.  I had all my measurements stored in my head, which can be a hazardous place to store anything.

Finally last night as darkness fell I got the two ends put together and had enough old horse fencing to cover them.
This morning I was back at it early.  See I'd had this other thought in my head....about what else I might do today, seeing as the sun returned, but its return may be brief.

I hauled the two completed ends plus the top inside and put them together, adding other pieces I'd cut and painted.

To stand it up without twisting it, I enlisted the propping aid of a cat tree.

This is still how it looks this evening, because I left the project at this point, and headed up to the lake......I could not help myself.  Sorry cats.  They were all gathered around the new contraption, very excited.  Like I say, they're all going to want to be the ones confined in it.  They will fight over that and volunteer!
News said it would be close to 80 degrees.  I hemmed and hawed, thinking I should relax today with the cats, kick back, read a book.  Then I'd think "No Way! I'm not wasting a sunny day!"  "No Way!" won out.  Off I went.  Glad I did.

The lake is down like ten feet from a week ago Friday when I was last up there.   The boat ramp where I put in is useless to most regular gas boats because the ramp itself ends at the waters edge.  A boat trailer would have to bump over big rocks and maybe get stuck in mud to back into the water.

One woman on a jet ski said it was in the news they were going to start draining it.  Darn.

You can see the end of the concrete boat ramp there.

Lots of stumps and mud exposed.
I had a great time even though I wasn't on the water til about 2:30 p.m.  I paddled all over the lake as usual and also swam.  It was again very hard to leave.


Beach is a little bit high and dry.

Docks at the day use area on the north shore are definitely high and dry.

Shallow water on the north side has created a new lagoon, taken over by ducks and Canada Geese and revealing these old concrete formations.  Docks maybe from way back, or an old house foundation?  I don't know.

The water even where I'm paddling is only a couple feet deep.



Day use area pretty much empty.


Parts of the lake have a lot of weed.

Water Weed gussied up!


I had a fantastic day.  I didn't fool around at the lake the entire day. I first got the cage up, even though its not done.

I came home to find another box from my cat loving friend up in British Columbia and Miss Daisy had to nose in to see what was in there for her.  (It was all for her, well sure, for the other cats too, but I'm not telling her that).

Yahoo!  Gifts from Canada!  (my flash didn't fire for this photo nor the one of Miss D below)

You get the picture, despite the flash not working, of who immediately claimed that box of treats!

Thank you Elaine, say Miss D and Miss Vision and Miss Me!!!


10 comments:

  1. I love that you got a day at the lake.
    And the care package.
    Our cats claim everything which comes into the house. And if they don't approve Jazz will bite it or spray it.
    The dieter's retreat looks as if it will be great. Poor Oci isn't going to love you when you put her on rations though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, but maybe I can make her think she's getting more, by spreading out her days' food in little bits. I'm home more in the winter months. I'll let her out often, after morning wet food is taken up for the others and plan to feed the morning wet food elsewhere so she can't see the others eat.

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  2. Anonymous9:45 PM

    Where did all the lake water go to so quickly?

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    Replies
    1. It's a Reservoir, not a real lake, Andrew. So they are letting more out through the dam floodgates, into the Santiam River. If you look at Foster Reservoir on google maps (just east of Sweet Home, Oregon), you'll see there's another Reservoir, Green Peter, above it. That one has been really low all summer, sacrificed to keep Foster's levels up.

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  3. That is a nice big cage. It looks like it's tall enough that you can stand in it. Oci may like the cage, but I don't think she'll be happy when you decrease her food. It will be en interesting experiment.

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    Replies
    1. It will be. I hope it helps her. Sometimes we're just different and that is that.

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  4. I'm so glad you enjoyed the sunny day! And that cage is amazing. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A sunny day, as winter comes, cannot be wasted! The cage IS amazing!

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  5. I did the same as you a couple weeks ago. Hemmed and hawed and finally went kayaking, because I didn't want to miss the sunshine!

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