The outside cats have a number of places they use to keep warm, as winter creeps its way in.  The kittens have basically moved into the sun room, and there is a path worn into the grass between the house, and the storage house, from little kitty paws.  There is a gap they squeeze through to get into what used to be a full basement, but is now basically a crawlspace.  There are other areas, both in the inner and outer yards, they use, but those two seem to be the most used areas.

The cat kibble we provide for them is pretty straightforward.  No matter the temperature, they can eat the kibble.

Water is a different issue.  It’s already freezing very quickly.

With that in mind, I did some research for what we can do to keep the water from freezing, and found some ideas that utilize cinder blocks or cookie tins and a light bulb.  We’ve got plenty of cinder blocks around, though most are being used to prop things up, so when I did my rounds this morning, I went specifically looking for cinder blocks that I might be able to salvage.

I found other things, too.

A window at the back of the storage house had fallen out.  Which means I could see inside – something I haven’t done since I used to play under there as a child.

Yes.  In the photos below, you are seeing parts of my childhood. :-D

This is what I found as I came around the house.  Note the kitty prints on the window sill!

That’s a galvanized steel bucket in there.  We used to use them when we had milk cows.  I have no idea why it’s there.

When we first started cleaning up around here, there was a pipe through the round hole in the glass.  Probably to keep the cats out.  Which wouldn’t have worked, since there are easier places they can get in.  Maybe it was also there to keep the window from falling out?  There are actually a pair of hinges on the sill above the window, so it was intended to be opened from the outside.  A bent nail served as a “latch” to keep it from swinging.  You can see it in the photo, just inside the sill on the right.  It’s just a dark line half way up the sill.

Since I had the opportunity, I stuck my phone in the window and started taking pictures.

There’s another window there.  Huh.  And a lawn chair?

Is that a … large hose? on the ground?  That doesn’t make sense.

Loose cinder blocks that aren’t being used for anything.  Too bad I can’t reach them!

That’s… not a hose.  I think it’s a root!

Why is there an old, empty food can in there?

Look at that tree root!!!

That, my friends, is why trees should not be planted too close to houses.  A root like that will force its way right through concrete or brick, push aside plumbing, and generally wreak havoc on a house’s foundations.  And that would be on top of the damage trees can do to roofs.

I honestly didn’t remember that the floor above was being held up by stacks of cinder blocks.  In my child’s mind, it would have been too ordinary to pay attention to.   The entire building is sitting on a foundation of cinder blocks.  You can just see the tops of them in some of the pictures.

The stairs from the main level can still be accessed from inside.  There is a 2 piece bathroom on the main floor.  The main bathroom was in the basement.  I’m pretty sure the tub we have right now was salvaged from this building.

My siblings and I probably brought that chair under there (along with the lawn chair, I would guess) for when we played under here.

I am a loss as to what is behind that wooden beam being used as a pillar.  It looks like it might be an old de-humidifier! Or maybe and old electric heater?

That looks like another window, leaning under the stairs.

After getting the pictures, it was time to put back the window.  Which didn’t co-operate, so I tried to give the frame a gentle kick to push a corner into place.

One of the glass panes fell out.

Well, I guess it’ll be easier for the cats to get in, now!

You can see the one remaining hinge above the window (it holds nothing, now).  The nail I mentioned earlier is pretty much the only thing holding the window in place.

I’m going to look around for something I can put in front of this.  I don’t want to block it entirely; I’m good with the cats finding shelter under there (and, I’m sure, the skunk!).  I do want to keep the wind and weather out, though.  I’m sure there’s something, somewhere, I can McGyver over it.

Meanwhile, I did indeed find what I was originally out looking for.  Not here by the storage house, but by the garage.  A half cinder block that I dug out when I was cleaning up around there, back in the spring.  My older brought had rigged up a light fixture to a board that he used to make sure the kitchen pipes didn’t freeze while this place was empty.  Our kitchen does not have a heat vent from the furnace running to it.  (Instead, it has a wall panel heater, which we don’t use.  In fact, we’ve shut the breaker off to it, and the one in the entryway, to make sure they don’t get turned on by accident. )  The heat of an incandescent bulb under the sink was enough to ensure the pipes wouldn’t freeze.  We still have that fixture, and I brought it out from the basement last night.

I brought the block to the house and cleaned it off of leaves, grass and dirt that was stuck to it.  Once it’s dry, I will see if we can rig it up to be a water bowl warmer.  If the block doesn’t work, I also found a terracotta plant pot that might work, though it would be slightly less stable than the brick.

The light figure is not suitable to use outside, though.  This means we will have to set it up in the sun room.  If it works, then it will serve double duty.  The light will warm up the brick (or pot, if we use that) and provide some radiant heat in the room.  It won’t be much, but still better than nothing, and safer than some of the other things we were considering.

The Re-Farmer