The Last Cat Round Up

 Today was my last cat round up of 2023.

Nothing ever goes as planned.   This morning my car wouldn't start easily again.  But I got it going.  Back on youtube, searching out possible answers.  There are so many things that can go wrong to cause this issue.    

I tested the battery, first with the car not running.  Over 12 volts showed on the multimeter.  That was good.  Then with the multimeter on it, I cold cranked it, turned it over, and it did not go below 10 Volts and immediately peaked up over 14 which means the alternator is charging it.   So the battery is good I guess.

Fuel, too much, too little.  Air, too much, too little.  Spark, not enough.  These are the other things, each with hosts of possible causes, that can cause bad start.  Also, sludgey oil or bad gas.

I had already changed the air filter yesterday.   Today I got oil and will change it tomorrow and also maybe the plugs.   And spray the inside of the throttle body with some throttle cleaner.  But I can't get to the idle air control to clean it, not easily anyhow.  The throttle position switch was changed already on this car.  I guess it could still go bad again.  The Mass Air flow sensor was changed only a year ago and so were both O2 sensors.   Oh holy car issues.  They stink.   

And they're expensive.  One air filter--almost $17.  Oil filter--$10.  Four quarts of oil--almost $20.  

Anyhow, complain, comlain.

Then the Clover Ridge people who said they'd caught six came over with the cats.  Only three of them were already ear tipped.  Two of them were fixed last week, in fact.   Dasher and Prancer.   They couldn't see the ear tips.  So they took three of them back and more traps and kept at it.  They just brought the sixth catch an hour ago.   So we have six from there, two from up near Foster Reservoir and one from near Sweet Home, from where 9 were fixed Friday.

When I was in Foster to get two boys, I looked at what's left of the reservoir.  It's drawn down so low and the whole of what's left looks like a big mud puddle its so dirty.  I wonder if my beloved lake will ever be crystal clear again, as it was.  This environmental mess was brought to us by none other than three environmental groups.   Now the county I believe has begun a lawsuit, government officials, even the governor are calling for a reversal of the judges order to do this to us, to the lakes and the river, as a result of the lawsuit.  A filmmaker is doing a project on it also.

What's done is done and can't easily be undone, the damage.  I don't know that I will ever again be able to kayak on the clear beautiful waters there.  More like a mud bath now.

It's so depressing.

Those environmental groups need to pay for what they've done, maybe lose their nonprofit status or something.  Consequences for destroying what once was beautiful that most of them had never laid eyes on.  They don't live around here.

Anyhow.....here are the cats from the last round up of 2023 and I sure hope my car starts in the morning.

Tink, the torbi from near Sweet Home

Crash, a boy, from Foster

Cookie, another boy, from Foster

Comet, from Clover Ridge

Cupid, from Clover Ridge

Dancer from Clover Ridge

Mama K from Clover Ridge

Rudolph from Clover Ridge

Vixen from Clover Ridge

The last round up!  For 2023 that is.