Depressing Oregon Summer

So far its the summer that isn't, here in the valley where I live.

Rain, clouds, very little sun.

All winter we wait and hope for a sunny summer.  ALL FRICKING GRAY RAINY
 WINTER.

When summers are like this, it is almost unbearable.

I still hope for a break out into summer type weather, our usual.  Not this crap we have now, cloudy, sun breaks through sometimes, intermingled with rainy times.

It's gotten me depressed.

And irritated.  And wanting to move.  What have I got here?

I was supposed to float the river with someone this afternoon.  Rearranged things for it, was excited because today is maybe the only day without rain this week, although the forecast keeps changing.  Now they say Thursday and Friday will be good with rain Tuesday Wednesday and Sunday.

So I go up to the park early to take care of the boys.  I see a woman open the back end of her mini pickup and there's a whitish big cat staring out, in a harness.  I swing over there and briefly talk to her.  She is elderly and homeless, has two cats, both fixed she says, and trying to live in that little truck.  Oh boy, not much I could do there, except tell her I'm sorry you're in this situation.   She can't afford rent is the issue on Social Security.   I know that one.  It's impossible.   She's on the list for HUD she said, but it would be several months to a year.

There may be more to the story, there often is.  But it made me intensely sad.  I also feel lucky to have a roof over my head at this point.

I took Kona, the mom cat from Knox Butte road over to be fixed.  Because I was floating the river this afternoon, they did her first and I picked her up at 11:00 a.m.   The wound beside her eye is a bite wound, and there's a lower section of it too, they said, and at one point, whatever did that to her, coon or dog most likely, the teeth  from whomever bit her went clear from the outside into the inside of her mouth.  She was likely defending her kittens.

So I am on my way home, 15 minutes from the time this lady and I were going to go float the river, and she texts me to call her and when I call her she cancels, ten minutes before we were going to leave.  TEN MINUTES!!  She changed her mind, didn't want to go I guess, at the very last minute. I was terribly disappointed.   

I was so much looking forward to it.  Now I'm feeling the blues again.   I'd float it alone but it'd be a long long walk back to my car from wherever I got out.  To float a river, you must have two cars.

I need to find somewhere for six kittens to go.  Heartland is still full.  Hmmm.

Kalani and Keanu

Mama Kona up top with Keanu and Kalani

Kai, a little boy, the tamest so far of the four, since he was in dire straits from dehydration.  Kai may be going to a friend and her husband.  Was supposed to be today, but he needs a couple more days.  He's the sweetest little guy.

Mama Kona and Kai  Mama Kona is recuperating in the garage after her spay yesterday.  The terrible bite wound, where something had her by the face, teeth penetrating from outside into her mouth, will heal, the crew at Heartland said.  It was not infected even, although they did give her an antibiotic injection that will last for a couple of weeks.  She was likely defending her kittens.  Starved, dehydrated, on her own---what a mom, what a cat.