Maybe I'm Not Ready

 The trapping job, catching up to 15, at a place where I've trapped before, wore me out.   

I had intended to leave the trapping location by 10:00 a.m. and go to the lake, but I didn't leave until 11:00 and was by then exhausted, too exhausted to load the car with my hardshell kayak and head to the lake.  I still do not have a pump with correct valve connection to fill my inflatible board.

I was there at the trapping location til about 10:30 last night and back by 7:00 this morning.   And in the meantime, after I came home last night, I had to bring the 11 cats I caught into my garage, set them up on the cat shelves and give them food and water.  I also mixed in capstar because they're all crawling in fleas.

It was the usual at this location, people coming and going, in and out of the house, completely disregarding the trap attempts going on.  There was even more junk than before around the property.

But, I did catch 11 cats anyway.  This made me feel young, that I still could do it.  And they're fun to talk to.

But once home, I couldn't get to sleep.  People were texting and messaging me, like I have all the time in the world.  Strangers.  Not people I know.   All wanting something from me.    It wouldn't leave my mind to let me sleep.

Until I turned off the phone, and basically did deep breathing, counting, until I was out.

This morning, after four more hours out there, swatting off aggressive yellow jackets, I was done, worm out, came home, left two traps set, had intended to head to the lake but knew I am far too tired.    

I'd caught two more and also discovered, contrary to what they had said, there were indeed still cats there, sporting eartips, whom I got fixed 7 years ago.  At least four of them.  I caught two, let them go.  

I had finally set up the drop trap, which was difficult because there is so much junk everywhere.  It was very tough to find a spot it would fit, and where I could even see it from a distance to yank the string.

I caught one of the two keepers under it and one in set live trap.

I might not be ready to full force trap people's cats, but at least this time, all I have to do is trap them.  They got their own appointments and someone else volunteered to drive them to the clinic.  Otherwise, I could not have worn myself out as I have, and also muster up to drive them to Portland tomorrow and spend the day up there waiting on them to be fixed.  The trip is a killer, killing time in Portland when already exhausted.  Yuck.

I don't think I'll ever do that to myself again---both trap a large number of cats, holding them, and also drive them to Portland.   Too much.  I can do one or the other but not both.

I may have missed the lake today, and that makes me sad, but I've caught 13 cats at a very difficult location.  I might get the full load yet.  They do have 15 spots and there are at least 3 more cats I saw without  eartips.   And I don't have to drive them to Portland in the morning.