Critters

Work done, things found and kitten fix

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While doing my rounds yesterday evening, I decided to prune away the dead parts of the mock orange at the clothes line platform.

It did so well last year, it’s a shame so much of it died over the winter. At the same time, I was happy to see the tiniest of leaf buds struggling to emerge from some main branches. I pruned all the dead stuff off and cleared out some Virginia Creeper that was trying to re-establish itself. That’s a wheel barrow full, right there. Now that it’s all open and pruned, I’m thinking it will recover quite well.

While hauling this away, I also started picking up branches in the West yard that had come down in the storms. I kept finding more and more branches – most were just small enough to be hidden by the grass, but still be enough that I wouldn’t want to hit them with the mower! I probably cleared another 2 wheelbarrows worth from the West lawn, including the section behind the storage house. I found more in the maple grove. I’m glad I was able to mow as much as I did, as it made it easier to find the fallen branches. Branches that had fallen into the areas I still need to get to with the weed trimmer were almost completely hidden! I’m also glad I brought my pruners with me, because I ended up cutting away spirea and caragana that was trying to reclaim the spaces between the lilacs, plum and apple trees again. It’s going to be a constant battle to keep those under control!

Then I checked on the transplanted raspberries and found a surprise.

A single asparagus spear!

It wasn’t there a few days ago. It wasn’t there last year.

It may be that, after having cleared away the weeds and mulching the area, a hidden root was finally able to grow.

Of course, I did have to go into the sun room to get my pruning sheers, and managed to get this adorable picture.

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Hummer

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I was about to settle at my computer when I suddenly heard a buzzing in my open window, and Fenrir started going nuts at the screen.

My first thought was that it was a big bumble bee.

I was wrong.

I called my daughters over to see. They then went outside to rescue it, while I made sure Fenrir didn’t get back on the window sill and tear out the screen to get at it!

The girls found Doom Guy under the window, watching intently!

This morning, we saw a humming bird outside our living room window, going for the lilacs. That was our first sighting of a humming bird this year. I certainly didn’t expect to find one stuck in my window just a few hours later!

The Re-Farmer

My morning – in cats

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It’s been cats, right from the start of my morning!

Are you up, yet?

I didn’t even get out of bed yet, when Fenrir claimed my wrist as a chin pillow while I checked my phone. I could just barely angle the phone to get this picture.

Her chin is so soft and warm on my wrist, I can’t complain, even if it does make it hard to check the weather for the day!

Where have YOU been, Jim?

While starting the cat stuff outdoors, a very dirty Big Jim came by.

Do I really want to know how he got black on him like that?

May I come out?

Beep Beep came over while I was securing the door from the outside.

May I come in?

A curious Big Jim! Checking on things while I washed out the kitten’s eye.

Jim has gone into the sun room with the kittens only once, that I know of, and the moms drove him out. This morning, this was as far as he dared go. :-D

The Re-Farmer

Critter of the Day: rosy

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This was taken towards the middle of May, when the rose-breasted grosbeaks first started showing up.

From a single male and female pair, we now get whole bunches of them, visiting us.

This is another one of those birds local to our area that I’d never seen before until we moved back here.

10

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While doing the cat stuff this evening, kittens were getting into the old kitchen. When I put out wet cat food for them, I did a head count, to make sure all 9 kittens were accounted for.

I got to 10.

I counted again.

Still 10.

That means the orange kitten we thought was taken back by Rosencrantz or Guildenstern has been here with his sibling all this time, and we couldn’t tell it apart from the other orange ones.

Which also means all those times we did head counts for 9, we were missing a kitten and didn’t know it!

Well, I guess that means it’s eyes healed up fast, because none of the all-orange kittens have eye issues. Just the one tabby (whose eyes are much better today!).

That was rather surreal! 😄

The Re-Farmer

Storms and stuff

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Things got rather interesting, yesterday!

A series of thunderstorms made their way through our area. Our power flickered off and on about 6 times, that I know of. The first time it happened, I was on my desktop computer, when suddenly, it was off. !! Thankfully, I wasn’t working on anything that was affected by it.

I’m rather happy that we have power bars, everywhere!! :-D

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Kitty Status

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Just a quick update on the new kitties.

Here are a couple of photos from last night.

After cleaning their eyes, I put the new kittens into the box nest, and they cuddled right up to each other.

That grey tabby looks as woeful as Not-Slick!

I think I’m going to have a hard time telling the orange tabby apart from Beep Beep’s orange tabbies!

When Beep Beep came in, she seemed rather okay with the new addition – you can see the new grey tabby by her front paws in the above picture.

When I checked on them this morning, as expected, all the kittens were in one big pile!

The new grey tabby is in the back, and his eyes are stuck shut again. He could hear a commotion, of course, and was growling away. I did not try to go near him. We’ll have to come back a few times throughout the day to check their eyes, and wash them as needed.

There is no sign of the new orange tabby. Either it’s under the dresser, or the mama managed to get it out before the door was closed for the night. I’m going to assume for now that it’s eyes will need cleaning again, too.

Beep Beep was with the kittens overnight and when I opened the storm door for the sun room this morning, Butterscotch was outside, waiting. She seemed to want me to move the “gate”, but eventually jumped in.

While going around to put cat kibble and bird feed out, I passed Rosencrantz or Guildenstern, coming around the corner by the main entry. I was happy to see her. When I went around to put the bird feed out, I did see her other grey kitten disappear under the concrete steps, so she has gone back to him. Still no sign of the 4th kitten, though. :-(

It’s unfortunate that we’ve split the litter up like this, but it’s the only way to treat their eyes. At least we know Butterscotch and Beep Beep are willing to nurse any and all the kitties, so we don’t have to worry about the ones in the sun room going hungry, even if their mom doesn’t jump the gate to check on them. Plus, they’re big enough that they can start eating the cat kibble.

We will keep a close watch on them.

The Re-Farmer

Unexpected find

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This evening, I was able to get the other side of the first half of the gate painted, while the second half has been set up, scrubbed and washed, needing only to dry before it can be painted. It was still quite went when I went out to do my evening rounds, so that will wait until tomorrow.

One of the things I had to consider, when setting the sun room up so the moms could leave, but the babies stayed, was that other cats could get in, too.

Which Doom Guy did.

When I came through the old kitchen to check on them, he immediately ran in, only to find himself trapped when he tried to leave!

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