Well, in the planning stages anyway. In a matter of speaking, I am sad that it is being built because Mike was the one who decided on the location. Out on the back porch where his workbench and crafting tools have been all this time. It is a bite of reality that he finally recognizes life has changed for him in a drastic way. I also had to laugh when he suggested it last night (after the bee incident) because before he was hospitialized, he was complaining that the cats were overtaking the house and we would probably have to move out in the horse barn! Now, he has graciously given me permission to tear down his workbench (although I am just going to shift it to the other side of the porch) and then we will proceed to build this large-walk-in cage where visitors will be able to sit in comfort and visit with potential cats or kittens up for adoption.

I have no idea when I will start building it as funds are low, but the first order of business is to tear down the work bench and move it- then shift the rest of the items on the porch so this can happen. I am excited about having a potential meeting place for potential adopters as well as a safe place to put the new cats or kittens out of quarantine. All kinds of ideas running around in my head right now- if anyone wishes to chip in for this project- well you know the drill. And I thank you in advance for caring about these cats who fall into my care. I am determined to get back to my writing as soon as possible, but right now, it isn’t happening.

It is drizzly right now supposed to clear in a few days then rain again. I can’t believe it is still snowing in the pass! What strange weather.

I heard something funny on the news this morning- this gentleman got caught by a traffic cam running a red light. The police sent him a photo of his car running the light and a ticket.

The gentleman sent the sheriff a photo of $45.00 all the bills laid out real pretty in the photo. The sheriff turned around and mailed the guy a photo of handcuffs! The man paid the ticket!

Had a brainstorm (or so I thought) and went and looked at the two horse stalls as potential holding cages for cats. I decided to use Traveler’s stall- it is closest to the house and in better shape than Racer’s stall is- Race is a Mustang I had for 13 years and he didn’t like to be stalled- even though he was only stalled when he was sick.

So I start hoeing the stall and a friend arrives to help. We were working around this big gray tub that is the size of a small bathtub. It was firmly wedged into the wall and the ground. It was their water trough.

My friend says: “I think we should move this.” I disagreed, told her it was wedged well into the wall and ground it would be hard to move.

“I still think we should move this.” Haley says.

So, I grab the corner, she grabs the side and we both pull hard. The tub falls away and undeneath the tub in the hay, it came alive! There were so many we just beat our feet as far away as we could. Thank the Good Lord they were Oregon native bees and not wasps, hornets, or killer bees. Neither one of us got stung thankfully but we have some hissed off bees right now. I better say “B” is for a Better plan on where to put the cats- LOL

But the cat enclosure is back to being neat and tidy. I am not sure what message they were leaving behind-but there was terrible waste of dry food (I have 2 55 gallon drums of dry food out there that they kicked over, They tried to pull apart two trees limbs we have locked together so the cats can climb up to the top level- but we fooled them, those suckers are bolted together with long lag bolts! They rippped up two condos, and tore down a small tree house we had built for the cats to play in. The upturned the litter pans-not an easy task because they are kiddie pools full of litter and they tore off three doors to the section near the introduction cage where new cats can be placed to get used to the crew and get merged in faster.

It was puzzling to say the least and I am grateful that now all the cats are accounted for (I just now found Turner out in the shop).

People just need to grow up and I cry for the loss of the litter and the food as I had it stockpiled up- but at least the coons will have a feast as most of the spillage went outside the wire.

You know, we built this enclosure to keep the cats safe from four-legged predators and vehicles. It never occurred to me that I would have to keep them safe from two legged predators as well.

doors to individual cages were torn off, cat carriers were overturned and cat condos were tipped over. A big mess and for what? It’s just senseless. I am so glad that the tunnels attach to the house so the cats got away if the reason was to hurt them. I am still missing two kitties, everyone else is accounted for. Makes he angry because I just changed and scrubbed out the litterpans a few days ago and now all that litter is in the dust pan. It takes 5 bags of Stall Dry to fill the litter pans out in the enclosure and each bag is 40 pounds. I guess my mantra tomorrow will be “heave ho.” as I bring more bags of stall dry home.

But the cats are safe- and it could be so much worse. I just personally think the world is going a bit crazy-

Just got back from the surgeon’s office and Mike is not wearing a cast, his leg is not bandaged.It no longer resembles a frog’s skin and he will be able to shower for the FIRST time in a year and a half tomorrow morning!

The home health care nurses are no longer needed but he is still to wear the boot and not bear weight for at least three more weeks. I am so glad to see him make such progress AND he has now lost 37 pounds!

Something strange happened yesterday. Someone called me about five baby mackeral tabby kittens but the phone call didn’t feel right. I can’t explain it without going into a great deal of detail, but there were several things said during the conversation that was a bit “off.” The voice sounded familar like the guy who has in the past accused me of stealing his cats- which it has already been proven I didn’t.

The caller yesterday kept calling- he called me ten times to find out if I was still”coming” to get the kittens. I googled the address and it was a dead end road and something just told me not only to take my hubby but also another male friend who could hold his own in any situation. I almost didn’t go- but there were kittens involved and so off we went.

The address turned out to be the wrong place and there were a group of trucks parked at the end of the dead end road- when we turned around and left- they started their engines. I got on the phone quickly and called the police and we lost the pursurers pretty quickly.

When I got home someone had been here left the cat enclosure door open and trashed the inside. Four cats were outside and freaked out, the rest were in the house and they were freaky for quite awhile.

I called the original detective and he said he would handle it from here on in. Tomorrow, I will go out and straighten out the enclosure and see if I can get the cats who got out back into their home.

I thought this was all over with- but I guess I was wrong. Time to install cameras I guess to find out who is creating such hate and discontent. At least the cats are okay and the phone number of the man in question has been blocked.

I also found out that the website that was going to run an auction for CATS Inc., cannot do so- so I will say here and now CATS need a lot of help right now. If I can get the monies needed for the food, litter and ever-present vet bill, I will be able to also buy and install the cameras and catch this bastard red-handed. Sorry for the cussing but mess with my cats and you get the claw- He wants his cats back and that just isn’t going to happen. They are in a wonderful, happy place sleeping on the bed at night and getting love and pets and lots of attention. No cat could ask for more.

So if anyone has money to spare and can send it my way- my cats would be just as grateful as I am. It’s ironic though if it were dogs, goats or horses the law would step in quickly- but these are “just cats.” But, what this butt head doesn’t understand is these are MY cats and you don’t mess with them-

Smuggles, the cat who I was told was the “mom: sat on my lap this morning for the first time. Funny thing though, she is a he. Makes me a bit uneasy to have them both together in the room still- since the kitten is a female. Although both are fixed I heard some trilling from inside the room yesterday and wondered about it but when I went in they were both asleep on the bed.

The little three-legged boy is now in a new home. I was at PetCo yesterday and ran into someone who adopted from me in the past. I told her about him and she came and got him this morning! He’s in such good hands and he will be sharing a life with two little girls and a cocker spaniel and another black cat.

In Philippians 4:13 which my bible flipped open to this morning when I was reading it says “I do all things through Christ which Strengthens me.”

It doesn’t say some things, it says ALL things and I would be wise to remember this verse when the day tends to overwhelm me. I am weak but He is strong and I need to remember to draw on that strength daily and not give way to despair.

I find myself so angry these days. Not sure what I am angry about- haven’t figured that out yet, but the anger vanishes the minute a cat jumps on my lap or head bumps me in passing.

This morning, I was presented with a kitten- he is probably 3 months old and the vet said he was born without a rear leg. No massive injury occurred, just some genetic mistake or inbreeding that when this kitten was born, it didn’t have a leg.

He is skinny, scared and flea-ridden. He is so anemic his rectum is as white as if someone poured bleach on it! I don’t know if he is going to make it, nor does the vet. All we can do is try.

Speaking of feeling anger- where is a cat when you need one- 🙂

They discharged Mike this afternoon and we just now got home. He is sans cast- he now wears a boot and his leg is heavily bandaged. They found two types of staph in his foot so he is on some antibiotics. It was not MYRSA thankfully, even if he is a carrier.

This morning we went to get Mike’s cast off and for him to be checked out. They found two holes in his foot so he is now admitted to the hospital and undergoing surgery as I type. He will stay in the hospital until the cultures are returned and the verdict decided about what to do next. There is a possibility that this time, he could lose his foot it is all weighing on what the cultures grow.

Last night, I slipped away to a small cafe to do some writing and just have some me time.

While I was there, I noticed a group at a table that looked like a typical family; mother, dad and daughters (2).
The dad and mom were on their cell phone, the older girl was on another apparatus and the littlier girl kept trying to talk to her family but kept getting shut down. Finally, she excused herself and went into the bathroom. As I watched her go, I felt that I should follow her so I did. No one at the table noticed I followed their daughter into the bathroom- they were talking on the cells or texting.

I heard the sobbing as soon as the door shut. I stood there for a minute and said quietly “Hon is there anything I can do?” The girl (Jessica) I found out later was very quiet- so I just washed my hands and waited. Soon, she came out of the stall and stood by me. I told her I had noticed her at the table and she seemed to want to share something with her family. “no one would listen Jessica whispered. I just wanted to tell them I got an A in Math.”

When she announced she got an A- I clapped my hands and told her Good Job gal! I hate math and I know how hard it is for some people. How cool that you know what you are doing and your teacher recognizes that!” She got this beautiful smile across her face and said “Thanks.!” Then she asked me my name. I told her and then left the bathroom.

I was standing in line to pay my check and the family was behind me. As I turned to leave, Jessica said; “Bye Mary Anne!” I turned and smiled and told her goodbye.

Ironically, no one even noticed she knew my name. Dad was on the cell again, as was mom and sister was chatting with someone.

We become to connected with all these electronic gadgets and sometimes I wonder if we notice how disconnected we are becoming to what really matters in our world.