Monday, February 22, 2016

More Cats, and Visit with my Brother

I was happy to see my brother yesterday.  I didn't get any pictures, darn it.

He'd been trying to buy an equipment trailer from an Albany company.  The first one he wanted was stolen, the day before he was set to come buy it.  But this one wasn't stolen first and he picked it up then stopped by.  I thought it was pretty, as far as utility trailers go.  But when I left with him, to go have lunch, and we parked it to go inside, I was nervous, knowing how high theft rates are around here.  No problems however.

He had brought along his chain saw on a pole.  I'd asked him to help me trim the cherry tree.   I had hoped we could take off the biggest trunk of it, since its branches are so high, there's no way to pick the cherries, then they rot and fall off, creating a mess.  But it proved too difficult to fall safely, without more ropes. I had only one 30 foot length of rope.

We used this and my aluminum ladder to tie off the branch first, running the rope then up and over a high crotch in the tree.  As he cut off the four inch diameter branch, I held the rope end, so as to suspend the large branch mid air, before slowly lowering it safely, as he cut off branches that extended out from it, so nothing was touched or harmed.   I learned this method watching tree companies.

We loaded most of the branch mess created into the back of his pickup.  He has a burn pile at his shop.


The branch trimmed off was on the right trunk, not from the spot showing bare brown lower down, that was a short knob that stuck out, so he trimmed it off flush.  Nor was it from the small bare brown trimmed spot five feet up from the other trim spot, and on the right.  That's from a small branch that was in the way.  The bigger branch came off the right side trunk way up a couple feet under where the right side trunk forks out into two smaller branches.  It extended out over the roof and yard of the empty house, which will likely soon be sold.

I also delivered a bag of dog food, an assist from the Happy Cat Club, to friends of a veteran who has been hospitalized since surviving, rather miraculously, a tree trimming electrocution event.  He has two very loved dogs, being cared for by friends, and they were running out of food.



When driving out to deliver the food, I ran across swans in a field.   Whether they are Tundra Swans or Trumpeter Swans, I'm not sure.  They can be difficult to tell apart.





Trumpeter Swans, a native species to Oregon, once were brought to near extinction by over hunting.  They are one of the worlds largest flying birds.  Males can be as heavy as 30 pounds.  Tundra Swans are very common in eastern Oregon certain times of the year and often "occupy" Malheur Wildlife refuge.  Speaking of which, the refuge is still closed after the "invasive species" occupiers pillaged the area.  The FBI has been combing through evidence left that includes guns, explosives and trenches of human feces.

I will help trap some cats left behind by someone who moved in Albany.   I'm a little unclear on who is who, but am told three are white, and I took photos of three different white cats.   There is now a placement for the two short hair whites, and Keitha in Lebanon has space to hold the female, who is likely pregnant or in heat, til she can be placed.

White female

White Male

Another white

Lastly, how precious is this?  My torti girls, Starry and Slurpy, are best of friends.



11 comments:

  1. Glad you got that tree trimmed before disaster struck. We raised chickens for eggs and meat, but I don't think I could ever kill (or eat) a swan... same with sandhill cranes.... it just wouldn't feel right to take away that beauty and magical quality. (I love that last photo... sweet kitties!)

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    1. I love the sandhill cranes, herons and egrets too. I've seen fields full of Snowy egrets intermingled with Great Blue Herons. So beautiful!

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  2. Anonymous1:02 PM

    Interesting swans. Of course ours only come in black. I hope your brother and you are super careful when doing things like tree trimming. Over a certain age, you know....

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    1. I am extremely safety oriented, but he? No. I wear a helmet, tie the ladder to the tree, wear safety glasses. But him? Won't do any of the above. I argued with him over it, saying if something happens to him, I no longer have a landlord. So then I tried to mitigate his refusals, holding the ladder, tying it securely when he wasn't looking too. And I was insistent the branch be cut my way, by first tying it off so it would not fall. He's the guy, and wanted to just cut it and be done.

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    2. He is strong as a horse, Andrew, good at almost anything he does, and didn't want me involved on being up the ladder, being protective of me. But I am also of him, and could not bear it if he had hurt himself. Which is why I quietly do the rest of the job, after determining a safe way and procuring more rope.

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  3. Such a sweet picture of your torti girls. :) And I'm so happy that your brother was finally able to get his trailer.

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  4. Love your tortis and wish my moggies were as loving to each other. They are MUCH more likely to go into attack mode than groom each other and never, ever sleep together. Unless we have visitors when they skulk in the wardrobe together.
    Yay for getting your tree trimmed and I am glad your brother finally has his trailer.
    Love the birds too. Of course.

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    1. I love my tortis too. And the birds. My brother could not believe how angrily they were chirping as we began on the cherry tree. He asked what was going on with them. I said "they are mad is what." He says, "Should I be worried?" I say, "Yes."

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  5. Brothers! They're all like that in my experience, and I had 5 of them. Glad it's safely taken care of and that your brother has a utility trailer. We're having trees trimmed next March.

    Love torties (achoo!) and thank you for being instrumental in rescuing the white kitties. (ACHOO!) ;-)

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    1. Wow, five brothers! Are they all protective of you still? Mine both are. Nothing like brothers. I don't know what I'd do without them, love them both, different as night and day, yet the same deep down---loyal, thoughtful, protective, generous, good hearted. (also stubborn)

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