Long Interesting Night up Quartzville

 I went back up, as you probably would guess I did.

I stayed all night up there, leaving at 7:30.  I never caught the last cat, but I caught the next to last cat.

I feel so bad for that last cat up there, a gray tux or gray and white.

I got up there a bit late, not arriving at the group camp until 7:00 p.m.   I'd dorked around trying to catch that kitten, but alas, not even the dry food I'd left in weatherproof container last Friday, had been touched.  I set a trap for a few hours anyway, but no luck, not touched.

I went on up to the group camp and set my largest trap and by 8:00, caught the young short hair gray kitty.  He's in my bathroom now.  Not with five other cats, who were in there this morning.  This morning, before I went to bed after being up all night, Kelsey, from Sweet Home, stopped by.  She is holding five of the Quartzville cats, three of whom I've gotten fixed already.  She had a coworker wanting to adopt Pebbles and Prince.  Off they went with her.   Sweet dear Pebbles with the heart murmur got herself a home with her beloved friend Prince.

So new boy or girl is in the bathroom with Julian, Poof and Boulder, all three of whom are leaving Saturday for a barn home through Silverton Cat Rescue.

I'd taken a donated extra large light weight true catch trap and that did the trick with this one.  I'll take it with me tomorrow when I try for the last cat, up there alone in that remote area in very cold wet weather.  The deer have been eating the dry cat food left out for the cats.

There was a deer waiting when I arrived in fact.   And later, when I returned from Thistle Creek, where there is one bar of cell coverage, that deer was not happy I'd put out no dry cat food. Thistle Creek parking lot/vault toilet is five miles back down the road towards the dam.   I drove back there twice, bored, to play on my phone, and thinking maybe that last cat would get in a trap if I left the group camp parking lot.  

When I returned, the deer met me in the parking lot.  And charged my car.

Not funny, you might think, but I broke out laughing.  Maybe that's the deer I hit last Monday night.   Maybe he's out to get me or maybe all the deer up that road are.

Later I cooked up some catnip tuna stew, trying to lure in that last cat.  I had my sterno stove along and had already made myself some hot chocolate.   I baited the traps with it, then called out into the dark "Here Kitty Kitty" trying to let her know, new bait, to come on and get some.  Instead, the deer came running out of the brush, expectantly, like "What have you got for me?"    Oh boy.   The last cat is really skittish in part because of this one deer that hangs out around there who is a tad aggressive.  And who apparently eagerly awaits whomever has put out dry cat food, although I don't think anyone is now.  Maybe I better find some grain free cat food.   Most cat food now is full of grain and will attract herbivores for that reason.

It was down in the 30's I think.   I was plenty warm, had warm clothes, hand warmers, blankets, sterno stove, all that.   Luxury living.  I could have survived a week out there with all the food and drink I had along.  Even sharing with the deer and the cat.

It poured most of the night.  There were just no let ups.  I knew I wouldn't catch the last cat in the downpour.   Finally it let up for about half hour about the time I was leaving.   I read a book I had with me.  I dozed.   I went back to Thistle Creek to play on my phone twice.   I exercised my feet and legs trying not to get a blood clot, from sitting so long in the cold.  You know, things to pass the time in your car.

The empty log trucks began passing by the group camp on the way up to wherever they're loading up logs about 3:30 to 4:00 a.m.   They're lit like Christmas trees, very pretty lights on those trucks. I know its so they can be seen, but I think they're beautiful to see coming out of the darkness.

I left at 7:30 a.m. and drove on back down and home, discouraged for that last cat up there all alone, way out there in this cold wet weather.   I needed to be home because I was worn out and because Kelsey was coming by, to pick up Pebbles and Prince to take to her coworker.

After they left, I went to bed and slept over 8 hours.   Woke up and did all the cleaning chores, the laundry, dishes, litter boxes, mopping, but headed off to bed again now.