More Work

Well on the eve of the end of my so called break, I am getting into the projects I should have done a long time ago.

More cat yard work.  The shelters are very ancient and built initially with used materials.

I also placed twelve 12x12 inch concrete stones in the cat yard, since the dirt out there won't grow grass.  It's clay to begin with then it gets high traffic from the cats.   12 square feet doesn't cover much of it, but its a start.

 The problem I encountered immediately, digging out dirt to set them, was roots from the gone maples.  Some were near  two inches in diameter.  One was over three.  I tried using the sawzall to cut them but the battery is shot and only holds a charge for about two minutes.  New batteries are ultra expensive.

 So....I went to Walmart and the clerk was extremely helpful, showed me all sorts of tools that could be used to cut roots.  Some of them looked seriously threatening.  Like the machete like tool with curved hooked blade.  Yikes.  Looked like something better off used as a prop in a horror movie.  Then there was the machete with a saw blade, a good wood cutting edge, on one side and sharp on the other.   Good chance I'd hurt myself with that one somehow.  There was an empty space where the tool was to be stocked specifically designed for cutting roots.  I moved on to eye the hatchets and axes.  Oh my, axes are more expensive than I imagined.  But the hatchet was only $7.  The blade looked pre-dulled however.  Could that cut anything, I thought.  I do have my sharpening stone, I reasoned.  It was supposed to be good enough metal it could take a sharpening.

I got it.  Right price.  I could return it if it wouldn't work out.

That hatchet worked like a charm to hack out the roots and I got the stones placed.

Finally.  Six of them have been sitting by the garage for weeks.

I'd also bought another small outside cat house, when I saw them on sale at Chewy.  I had some trouble with that order as two huge  boxes arrived on my porch.  They mysteriously contained a huge bale of wood chips each.  What?  Well Chewy instantly makes wrong orders right, so a few days later the right order arrived and I gave the chips to someone who has rats as pets.

One of the large boxes is still in my living room being used as  a cat toy by my bizarre kitties.  They love it.

I put the cat house together yesterday and got it out in the yard beside one just like it, a few years old now. They're cheap, easy to put together and hold up well.

Old one on left, new one on right

I cleaned out the old one.  The wood floor easily lifts out to clean, and stuffed both with straw.  For good measure I put diatomaceous earth underneath them to help control insects.

I lean the painted board over the entrances of the cat houses for rain protection

I'm getting there, on projects, but I still have a lot to do.  I go at these projects rather slowly now, since I don't want to hurt myself further.

Sun is back out today.  I'm happy about that.