I'm happy to report the latest project is done. Thanks mostly to helpful neighbors, who took on setting and checking traps.
A teen boy noticed kittens in the yard of a vacant house. He was skate boarding and he or his mom contacted Keitha's Kitties. I offered to help catch the adults. KKR, the rescue, had three spay neuter spaces they were not using last Thursday. I knew we could get at least three done. FCCO said they could do up to four on Friday. So I was covered, for fixing the adults.
KKR hand grabbed one kitten, who was very ill. The other four the neighbors caught one by one, with my traps and one of their own. I just went and got the kittens or cats once caught. I sure like it when it goes this way.
Lots of trips back and forth but that's ok.
The kittens were all caught by Wednesday evening. And I had three adults for Thursday too. They were a big Lynx Point male, a young black long hair female, Uva, and Boots, the mother of all.
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| Mr. Fluffy, fixed Thursday. |
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| Uva, a girl, fixed Thursday, Boot's offspring |
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| Boots herself, no more kittens for her. |
Friday KKR came here and picked up the three fixed Thursday, to return to their home, since I'd left early with two more boys from the colony, bravely heading to the FCCO which is in Portland and Portland is a traffic nightmare.
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| Draco was fixed yesterday. |
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| Timmy the tabby, also a Boot's offspring, fixed yesterday. |
It was a difficult day on me. I was tired, my shoulder hurt and my car is not comfortable to sit in long or nap in, unless I sprawl out in the back. But the boys were terribly stinky and I hadn't brought cleaner or a blanket and pad, for sleeping. It's harder and harder to find anywhere you can sleep undisturbed and safe, in a parking lot in Portland. Its a different city (group of cities) than it used to be. It's over run in cars, people and crime now.
Too many people have moved there. OMG its awful to try to drive anywhere. Takes ages.
The drive home turned into a visit to hell. I don't know how you'd put up with that regularly. Bumper to bumper traffic stalled me for an hour and a half, going just ten miles during that time. My mind wandered aimlessly. People were texting and watching videos on their phones. I saw four cars pulled off to the side with people just napping. I thought about doing just that. Why sit in this exhaust cloud of thousands of cars any longer, I thought. This is what hell is like, I said to the boys in the back.
North bound lanes were also backed up for miles, behind a wreck. I vowed to never visit Portland again. But I have to, next week, with cats from another project and the woman is desperate to get the breeding stopped there. I won't let her down. But I might just sleep somewhere and not drive home til after 7:00 p.m., to avoid some of the awfulness.
If I can find somewhere safe to do that, I will.
The last photo I have of one of the fledgings as they did fledge and now are proper tree birds.
Our weather is still very wet and dismal. So today I'm just going to zone out and doze and be mindless and purposeless.
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| These gifts from the neighbors who helped trap the colony mean so much to me. Comfrey cbd cream for my sore shoulder and a homemade bar of soap. They were handed to me in a little bag decorated by their little girl who is both smart and very kind. |
Hooray for another colony done and dusted. That traffic would do my head in - so thank you.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is wonderful to learn that the fledglings did fledge and take to the sky and the trees.
Good to know the birds are safely on their way to adulthood.
ReplyDeleteI would have thought COVID would have seen a decent reduction in traffic, but clearly it hasn't.
Well done on the cat front too.
Covid did reduce traffic for awhile last year. It was splendid. Now it is worse than before. The state is about to completely open up once average vaccination rate reaches 70% which it almost has. Our county though is only 40% vaccinated. It will still open when the state reaches 70%, fueled by higher rates in urban areas. The people who aren't vaccinated will just infect themselves and others unvaccinated and to hell with them anyhow.
DeleteI hate city traffic and avoid it at all costs, but sometimes you have to go there. Maybe your next trip will be better if there's not an accident.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on another colony completed!
The accident was in north bound lanes, with traffic backed up behind it. I was trying to go south and that's the direction its terribly congested evenings as people go from work home to outlying areas. Or off for a weekend camping or elsewhere.
DeleteYour well deserved gifts and folks' patient assistance make me very happy. ~hugs~ On a personal note, I drove southwest across Ohio yesterday on biways instead of freeways. My Sunday trek northeast on the interstate roads were often harrowing. I still encountered construction and a traffic accident on the slower option but lower speeds felt safer and left me more relaxed upon arrival home. :) Take care, my dear.
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