Muffy to the Coast Clinic

 I took Muffy to the coast clinic today.  She'd been losing weight and her tongue would stick out.  I got the appointment about 2 months ago.

It was a long day.   I tried to get to bed by 7:30 so I could get my sleep in before getting up at 3:30 a.m. to leave by 4:30 a.m.   But that went to hell.   I read in bed, and was near the end of another Inspector Montalbano book and couldn't put it down til I finished.   Then I woke up at 2:30 and couldn't get back to sleep for another hour, thinking I'd miss the alarm.

Anyhow, I was tired by the time I got to the clinic.  The line had already formed.   I had a surgery appointment so I knew I wouldn't have to wait too long.  Most of the people in line were there for drop in appointments.  

The clinic is extremely popular because they do drop in appointments and because they are affordable.  I love them.

I checked Muffy in then headed for Fort Stevens state park, the usual parking lots and a restroom.  The south jetty has been under construction for years now.  They are building it up with huge rocks then packing in smaller rocks, gravel and sand, turning the top of the jetty into a road.   

I walked up through the dune to the top of the jetty and was shocked to see it a road now.  But every now and then, there's been shifting and a large hole has appeared, allowing me to see down into the bowels of the old jetty underneath all that sand and gravel.

You would not want to be staring at your phone walking along the top and fall into this hole!

About three surfers were trying to ride the unimpressive waves by the south jetty.

There was gorse everywhere along the roads at Fort Stevens state park.  I didn't remember that much from prior trips.

You can read how invasive gorse came to Oregon here.

My grandpa lost his Bandon Oregon home to a fire that destroyed most of the town attributed to gorse.

Gorse is very difficult to control.

I headed back to the clinic, after going to Walmart only to use their bathroom.    I was so tired by then I crawled into the back of my car and slept for several hours.  It wasn't that comfortable because I just had one blanket to lay atop for padding.  Like sleeping on the floor pretty much.   

Muffy had 20 teeth pulled!!!!   Poor kitty.  She's mad at me but will soon feel better.

We had another setback last week when we all got emails from the Salem clinic stating from henceforth starting with our June appointments we would need to pay $50 per feral cat.   WTF!   If I keep getting ten spots a month, that's $500 more per month I have to somehow raise.  Previously I paid nothing and neither did any other nonprofit and neither did any private person in Marion or Polk counties who trapped their own barn cats or helped others trap Marion and Polk county cats.   I had been paying out $43 per cat for any stray or feral or barn cats taken in by their own people from Linn County.  Now that is $50 per cat.  Unless I suddenly get super good at fundraising, this will spell the end of it for me and I'll have to focus on just helping those willing to get their own reservations up in Portland at the FCCO, which, for some reason, is very few people around here.   Well, some have no phones, no internet, or limited minutes.  It's hard for many people to even have to register like that.   So I kind of understand it.

It's gotten so bad around here, with services being ripped away or costs increased unbearably.   

That has been terribly depressing, the latest news about the Salem clinic.   It's attached to the shelter that switched to being run by a big huge rich shelter in Portland last summer.  Nothing but changes since they took it over and they're probably the richest animal organization in Oregon.  Very very discouraging.

Anyhow, off to bed for me.  I'm worn out but very happy Muffy got the care she needed at a super nice affordable clinic, even if it takes three hours to drive there.  I love them.