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Saturday, October 6, 2018

I'm back!


It has been a long time. Definitely longer than I had planned, but then you know how plans go. I figured the reason for this is that there was too much to do and I don’t do most of it as fast as I used to. I did manage to do some of the same seasonal things I do most summers like taking in the local Arts Festival, Rendezvous Days at Grand Portage, and the Hymers Fair just up the road in Ontario.
The biggest issue is my job. I am getting past the age where most people retire and I am working overtime nearly every day. It’s good for the paycheck, but bad for the energy level. I have been pooped out more than I want to be and, quite frankly, I am tired of being tired. But enough whining.
Here is a pictographic account of the last few months. Click on the pic to embiggen.



















Do you remember Vinny? He was the feral cat I originally thought was a female when I first saw him (he has forgiven me for that) and after a year of getting him comfortable with humans I finally did what needed to be done. When he wasn’t paying attention I stuffed him in a cat carrier and hauled him to the vet. I wasn’t sure how he would react, but I tried to do the gentlest thing I could when we got there.  He was scared, but he stayed in my arms on the exam table. After a quick test for Feline Leukemia came back negative he was off to surgery for a neutering and a repair of an infected cat bite he got quite some time ago.  A few hours later he was on his way home to an isolated kennel in the bedroom.  This wouldn’t be unusual except that Vinny has never been indoors. He stayed curled up in a ball, groggy and fearful, until I coaxed him out (physically pulled him out) and cradled him for a bit. After doing that a bit more during the day he was okay with it. A little trepidatious, but adapting quickly. We are a couple of weeks out now and he is starting to come out into the rest of the house.  He sleeps in the bed and seems to be adapting to the life of an indoor cat. No more standoffs with wild critters, miserable weather, or doing his bit to decimate the local bird population. He is sweet and adds little cost and time to the rest of the herd now that his vet bills are nearly done.  Here he is being a lazy indoor cat.
I am hopeful that life has settled down a bit and I can be back to once a week posts or whenever, but I kind of missed doing this. If there are any of you still interested. I'll probably do it whether you are or not, but maybe I can play around a bit more. See you all soon!

28 comments:

  1. I'm so glad that your outdoor cat is now an indoor cat. The birds rejoice I'm sure.
    We have two indoor cats and lots of bird feeders. A bad combination if we were
    to let the cats out.

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  2. Welcome back. You have been missed. I loved scrolling throught the life, the vibrancy and the colour of your time away. And yay for Vinny, and his new life.

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  3. I am so glad to hear about Vinney. Truthfully, I hated the idea of any kitty spending their winter trying to find shelter. Excellent that you two found each other.

    Glad you are back Jono. I missed seeing your part of the world.

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  4. YAYZ! you're back! and so is vinny! lots of wonderful pix; thanks for sharing. bunnehs!

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  5. Welcome back, Jono! And what good news about Vinny. He deserves the comfort and safety of being an indoors cat. He looks quite "at home" in that photo. Working OT is tough enough when we're young but extra tough when energy is naturally diminishing anyway. I hope you get back to regular hours soon because too much OT can suck all the joy out of life.

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  6. Great to have you back with some lovely pictures and a catty tale with a happy ending.

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  7. That's great news about Vinny. He is a handsome fellow. What is the head count on cats now?

    It's good to have you back writing again.

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  8. Nice to see you back.
    All the photos were great but I adore the photo of Vinny. So happy he knew you were trying to help him. He has lost a lot of his wild winter fur.

    cheers, parsnip and badger

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  9. Welcome back to the blog world. Your summer photos show that you got out and about and had some fun in the sunshine, which is what summer is all about. That lighthouse on the rock is gorgeous.... maybe I'll try to paint it. I'm happy about Vinny's adoption into the household. So much better for him to be in the warm with a regular dinner provided.

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  10. Are we interested? Of course. ;)

    Vinny has fallen into the lap of luxury. It looks like he's living the life he's deserved to live... for a very long time.

    Great to have you back.

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  11. knittergran, I had to try and fence off the feeder from cat access with mixed results, but it was better than just having him jump up there with his mouth open waiting to see what would fly in.

    Elephant's Child, There are more pictures from the quickly scanned adventures that I will post in the future. I love watching Spring unfold in your world.

    Linda, I did have a heated box on the deck that he could climb into last winter and sometimes he actually did. He still felt more at ease in the hay shed, I think.

    anne marie, Hey home girl! How's life in Philly these days? I am patiently waiting for the New Years Day Mummers Parade. Ringing in the New Year without it just isn't right.

    Debra, Work usually slows down in the winter and I have a lot of time off I HAVE to use or lose. That is just what I am going to do.

    magiceye, I have a backlog of things to do in blogger world and taking the time to enjoy your photos is up at the top.

    jenny_o, Vinny is doing really well and with him it brings us back up to eleven. He and Patch, the three-legged one, are about three, but most of the rest are between 12 and 18 years old. I guess we are more like a retirement home for wayward kitties.

    angryparsnip, Vinny is a lot smaller than he originally appeared to be. At his official weigh in he was just under eight pounds! I don't think he'll need to get as hairy this winter since he has fallen into the lap of luxury.

    Shammickite, I did squeeze in a few recreational moments, but most of it was within ten miles of home. Although there was that several hour excursion across the border on Labour Day. The lighthouse is the Split Rock Lighthouse and you are welcome to use the picture! I am flattered, but there are probably better ones of it online. While Vinny had access to food, water, and shelter outside it was still a dangerous and unpredictable place to be. At least he survived living dangerously for a while so he'll have stories to tell the other cats.

    Sioux, Thanks! Vinny has adapted quite well in a very short time. I just realized that the phrase, "watch out for the cat!" is the most frequently used phrase in the household. Never thought I would get to be an old guy living in a cat house. :)

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  12. Aw, Vinny is such a sweet guy! And you're sweet, too, for your tireless campaign to keep him warm and safe and loved. I'm sure he'll adapt quickly now that he's indoors - formerly feral cats are nothing if not adaptable!

    Your summer looks fun and eventful, and my curiosity is piqued by the trailer with all the saw and Canadian flags on it. Whaaaaat...?

    I hope you're soon able to dial back your overtime to healthier and happier levels.

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  13. P.S. Welcome back - it's good to see you! :-)

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  14. Love the photos, esp. the spider web, the woman singer, the sea spray and of course the cat. Indoor cats live longer, no questions about it.

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  15. That is a mighty fine specimen of a feline you got there, well worth the investment.

    Glad too have you back!

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  16. You been MISSED dear Jono!!!

    Ah same here "i am tired of being tired"

    best part about your job is that you can be retired but i can't until the breath goes on :) as house wives don't have vacation schedules or retirement facility !

    Loved this calm gentle pet you owned ,he will be cared and loved for sure

    Absolutely beautiful ,interesting and fun images!
    thank you for cherishing my day with your beautiful sharing my friend!
    take great care!

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  17. Diane, Vinny is doing really well and slowly starting to socialize with the others. The Canadian flags are from the annual Labour Day celebration called the Hymers Fall Fair just across the border in Ontario. It is a wonderful old time agricultural fair that started in 1912.

    Tom, Thanks! And thanks for keeping me thinking about retirement with all your helpful ideas. You sure did it right!

    Batty, The other night Vinny slept on my pillow keeping the back of my bald head nice and warm. It's only a month away from Air Waves. Are you excited? Wish I could go to, too!

    baili, Thanks! I do hope the time will come when your family will start to take care of YOU. In the meantime don't forget the work you do is very important.

    Silver Willow, Thank you! It is about this time of year that California living starts looking pretty good.

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  18. Cats are wonderful and should be kept indoors.

    When I reached retirement age I talked to my wife about retiring and living on less money vice continuing to work as my life span was growing shorter. We decided that our time together for the years I have left are more important than continuing our lifestyle. We seriously downsized and tightened our belts. I am not as financially comfortable as I could have been, but we have never regretted deciding that our time together was more important than our standard of living.

    Life is short - too short to waste in the pursuit of money and possessions.

    Just an insight form the OL'Buzzard

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  19. Ol'Buzzard, Thanks for the advice. Life is getting shorter every day and I am very aware of it.

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  20. It's great to meet us. We hope the work schedule gets better for you. Vinny is such a handsome fellow. Love the beautiful photos that you shared with us. Must have been an eventful summer. We will be very interested in your future posts. Thanks for the share. Have a wonderful day.
    World of Animals

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  21. World of Animals, Looks like you have quite a practice there! I grew up just a little south of you in Wilmington. Having had many dogs, cats, and horses over the years I am really appreciative of the work you do.

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  22. Glad you are back - I've missed your posts! But I know about working a lot and being tired... Sometimes I wonder if I'll have to work until lunch on the day of my funeral.

    So happy Vinny and you have adopted each other. It will be a much better winter for him.

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  23. OH those baby birds!!
    I've been having trouble finding the time to write on my blog, and I am trying to rectify that. I need more balance in my life... we're getting older; shouldn't we be working less, not more? ;) Have a great weekend.

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  24. PS Vinny will soon learn that indoor life can be a VERY good thing :)

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  25. Pixel Peeper, I have the same fear about dropping in the traces. Vinny also helps keep me warm.

    Knatolee, I noticed you have been a bit sporadic, but I know how life is with bunches of critters, etc. Yes, we should be working less!

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  26. Yay! I’m late to the party but i’m glad you are back. Vinny is lucky!

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