Changes

Change is not that easy.  I had to switch computers, because the other one failed completely.

I knew it was on its way out and pure laziness kept me from switching over to the donated tower.  I liked the programs I had on mine and was comfortable using them for photo manipulation, records, everything.  Damn I hate change sometimes.   Now I use the laptop a lot more.  It has Picasa and Gimp and Windows Movie Maker on it.  The donated tower has none of those programs although I could put Gimp on it.  I use the tower for reading, online news, cruising, facebook and records. Gimp is free.  It all takes time.

The new old Catmobile title issue may be about to be solved.  After three trips to the DMV, which proved not helpful, except to find out what form the former owners lender needs to sign AND stamp, I contacted the lender again and this time, got immediate action, from clear over in New York!  She researched the loan, discovered it had been paid in full, found the Oregon DMV form required online, told me to have the seller contact her immediately.  He did.  And then she put the signed stamped form in the  mail to me.  Might get here tomorrow or Tuesday.  This nightmare could have a good ending.

In the meantime, I drive it.  It's legal to do so for 30 days.

It's just like the old catmobile only a year younger and with a lot less miles.  It's also a manual transmission.  I discovered when driving Knickers and Chilly to be fixed why maybe the seller sold it.  He lives in Portland, the land of traffic congestion.  On the way to pick up the kittens, I5 from Albany to Salem, was stop and go traffic.  Endless camp trailers, RV's and big rigs trying to squeeze onto a two lane freeway.    Managing stop and go traffic in a manual is not that pleasant!

I love the car other than that.  I mean its pretty much the same as the old car.  Except the windshield wipers work.  I don't have to hold them on for them to work like in the other car.

A friend donated an air conditioning unit she no longer uses.  I went and got it and laboriously cut a plywood window frame to hold the thin vinyl she had from when she used it, to fill the window space above it.  I even painted that plywood frame.  The unit is keeping the house cool during our weekend heat wave.  Temps are about 100 I think.  Just took this photo of the thermometer by the garage, but its in the shade.

As if everything else breaking were not enough, two days ago, after a couple days of wind that preceded the extreme heat, I heard a cracking sound.  A branch had ripped from high up on the maple and then fallen to my garage roof.  I had to get it down, with temps climbing and the roof already hot to touch.  I put a ladder against the cat yard fence, climbed up to the roof, tied a rope around the branch, climbed back down and pulled it off.  Last night I cut up part of it with a handsaw.

One of the branches from the main branch that fell

The two kittens, Knickers and Chilly, quite delightful that pair, will be leaving Thursday, but for now I get to enjoy them.  Willy, the starved brown tabby from Mountain Shadows trailer park, is still here too waiting for an adoption option.  He's very sweet.  He has a low mournful meow.  Sam tries to mess with him but Willy takes nothing off the elderly Sam. So far he's in a cage.  I think I will try him with the kittens in the bathroom.  Usually a male won't bother kittens.

Willy

Knickers and Chilly

As hot weather approached I knew I needed to clip Angel again.  She is older now and has long hair with matting fine undercoat.  The new cheapo clippers I got off Amazon worked like a charm on her coat.  What used to be a three hour job was done in 30 minutes.  She likes her clip jobs!

Angel up in the overhead run in the garage after her clip job

And with her best friend, Button, also getting old now

The other cats are mostly laid out, enduring the heat.  Some enjoying it.  Except Miss Daisy who seems not to even notice.  That's what really old age will do for you.  I can't wait!

Juno

Teddy

Soloman!

Even though its quite hot, when offered two spay neuter reservations for tomorrow, because they are hard to find right now, I took traps up for the kittens, of the mother fixed last Monday.   I saw no cats, but left traps set and to my horror, ran into a fox hunting nearby when I was walking the area, looking for sign of them.  Limping the area might be a better word to use.  My knee pain returned, as the doctor said it would, after the blissful injected anesthesia wore off, but the steroids are supposed to start helping soon.  I hope REAL soon.