Snipped Trip

I left very very early yesterday morning for Empire and the Snipped clinic, near Coos Bay, with 8 cats.

Four of them were kittens, from the Bellinger colony.

Dot the Calico.  These are Athena's kittens, the torti fixed last week.

T2, in the back, the black and white one, then Jack closest up and Jill, both orange tabbies.  T2 is named for his lookalike and dad, Titus.

The other four were from that new Albany situation, the old couple who were taken off to nursing homes, and the cats left on their own.

All four were boys.

Scar

Huck

Tom

Tiger

Leaving at 4:30 a.m. meant going to bed at 7:30 p.m. Monday night, which isn't my normal bedtime.

I got to the clinic on time yesterday morning.  Check in starts at 7;30 a.m.  After checking them in, I wasn't sure what to do.   But I needed to find a public restroom and those are not so easy to find in these covid times.

I went to Walmart and used the one there, after which I got a cup of coffee at the McDonalds inside the Walmart.  Now what.  I headed out to Sunset Bay, one of my favorite beaches in the area.  I grew up in southern Oregon so I do have a lot of favorite places.

I had a slip on knee brace that was too tight.  I did  not have the sense to remove it.  Once at Sunset, I took a walk to the far rocks on the right side of the bay.  The tide was so far out, seemed like there was barely any bay left.

But when nearing the exposed tide pools in the rocks, I hit sand, that looked normal but wasn't at all.  It sucked my feet and shoes down like quicksand.  It was blackish in color and stunk horribly too.

I mucked through it, had to by then, finding tips of rocks to step on when I could for solid footing.  But my shoes and socks were a mess by the time I got to the rocks. 

Once on the rocks, (slippery so I was cautious and moved slowly), I found a tidepool, then, stood, bent over it, waiting and watching.  Initially the colorful pool of stranded water would look void of life but after a few minutes, the pool would come to life.  I love watching the life of tidepools.

I retraced my steps but went closer to the rocky cliff to avoid the stinky smelly blackish sucking sand.  Once beyond it, I walked in the ocean and scrubbed my shoes as best I could with one hand.

My knee brace was so tight my entire leg began to throb.   Before I got to the car, my leg began to lose feeling.  I was very distressed, in fact, in horrific pain, all because the brace was far too tight.  I did not want to create some scene though on the crowded beach because the brace was beneath my pants.  I managed to get to my car before ripping it off.  I hobbled around my car several times, to revive my nearly dead leg.

I went to my dentist while there to get the partial adjusted.  I'd not been able to wear it since two weeks into the Covid shutdown because it clamped too hard on one tooth and caused pain.  That didn't take more than a few minutes.

I picked up the cats and drove home then.   I stopped once to get cat food, having forgotten to bring some.  The kittens were crying and I knew they needed some food.  After I fed everyone the trip was far quieter.

I got home around 7 p.m. last night, settled the kittens into the bathroom, fed the four Albany boys, and went to bed.

Today a friend messaged me and said her husband and her would like to provide a barn home for the three younger boys from the Albany situation.  I was so happy!  I immediately drove them down, stopping first to release Tiger, the older boy.  They already had a cage set up in their barn and the little guys are in good hands.  Whew!  That's three out of that bad situation. 

I came home, cleaned all the traps, did laundry, cleaned more, and finally took the four Bellinger kittens home.  I left that property with mixed emotions.  They were the last needing fixed there.  One man asked if he could give me a hug, especially for finding Titus and bringing him home.  Titus is his buddy.     I gave him a big hug.  I like hugs, a lot.