Since Christmas Day

 How long ago, it seems, was Christmas.

Here's the synopsis:

Christmas Day I sat out at the Blue Ox colony, pretty much all day.  Wading back and forth through that icy ditch, as the weather went south, with snow predicted, catching cats at the colony.   I'd been given ten spots at the clinic on the following Monday.  I was so skeptical and sluggish to say yes to more spots, because I had a bad feeling the clinic would be closed for weather. I am greedy though, and could not resist the offer of five additional spay neuter reservations.  So I silenced my fears and went for it.  But alas, the clinic closed that Monday due to weather.

That Sunday it snowed almost six inches here.  Clinic was cancelled.  I reluctantly turned five of the seven cats loose in my bathroom.  Two of them were kittens.   The two big males I housed in the garage.  This was quite stressful.    The laundry is in the bathroom too, so I got stalled on laundry I do here daily.  And pretty much anything else I needed to do, due to all the extra work.  The cats knocked the mirror off the wall in the bathroom, breaking the frame apart.

Snow accumulation collapsed the cat yard wire in many places on two days.  I'd go out and bang the snow off the wire, from underneath, with a broom, getting soaked and cold in the process.   I'd warm up and go back out to finish and then to reach up to put new zip ties in, to fasten the patchwork of wire all together, best I could.  This inflamed my shoulders and my neck.  You do what you have to do.

The 7 colony cats were fixed on the Tuesday after Christmas.   I then drove the two kittens, from the colony, to Portland to ARCF.  The next day my battery light, on my car, began coming on.   I got an appointment the next Monday, with my beloved Lebanon mechanic, but until then, just didn't drive it.  I got a new mirror for the bathroom and installed it.  It looks great.

Jenny escaped the cat yard.  I went out to lock up the car late and spotted her on the roof.   Took me half the night to recatch her and repair the new large holes in the cat yard.  Took the car to the mechanic Monday, who installed a new alternator but didn't have time to replace the belts.   They were shrieking badly.  

 I agreed to house 3 adult males for KKR, from a terrible Lebanon situation until they could be placed elsewhere.  After a few days with two of them in a large cage, I moved them to my bathroom, for their comfort.  Again laundry and much of life goes on hold.  My own cats freaked out from the smell of unfixed male, which is really difficult to handle.

On Friday, Starry's vet appointment turned tragic when a large tumor was found and I lost her.  Grief overcame me the next days, some of which were spent sick from sudden onset stomach virus I got on Sunday. 

Part of the ten foot maple stump fell out, rotted, on Monday and I had to remove the ramps, climbs and perch the cats had used for years to enjoy that tall stump. 

The stump lair of yore (rotted).  Cats had sure loved perching up top and looking down on the world!

Tuesday the car went back to the shop.  Wednesday the boys went to Cats Meow Cat Rescue, who picked them up at my place, which was an incredible blessing to me and to them.

So anyhow, I was behind on crucial laundry and cleaning.   Yesterday I spent all day at it, cleaning, doing laundry, it was just nice to finally be able to get back to a bit of normality.  I like cleaning. Car is running, house is clean, laundry almost caught up.  

Sure I have projects needing done.

I need to repair some clothes.  No machine so I do sewing repairs by hand.  It's relaxing.

I've been watching youtube videos on gutter repair.  Two corners leak and many of the hangers which are called spike and furl hangers, have fallen out.   On youtube, they said those are very old style not very supportive hangers.  I thought I would need to figure out how to replace the corner miters, but now feel if I replace hangers and remove old sealant and reseal the corners, all might be much better.  Not supposed to rain for three days so I might at least try to reseal the two corners.   

And finally I will take down the outside Christmas lights. I've waited to do it partly because I wanted to get a no rain stretch to try to seal the worst of the leaky gutter miters, while I've got the ladder out and up there anyhow.  I like the lights.  So I'm moving them inside so I can enjoy them.    I've always thought its just too self depreciating to put lights on the outside of my place, for others to see.  I like them inside.  That's where they'll be now.

And that is what has gone on here since Christmas Day.