Endings and Beginnings

By end of August, I will be leaving my duplex. I don't yet know where I'm going;
so far I've only been able to find a short term temp assignment. If nothing else presents itself,
I will be living with a sister for a time. I don't mind that, it's just that she lives the next county over.

I couldn't stay even if I hadn't had my job stolen from me. I knew this place was being sold;
turns out the new owners will live in my unit and continue renting the other. My feelings about all this are mixed; this is the last place I lived with my cats. But also, perhaps that's a good thing,
to leave that behind. As you see, it's very emotionally complex. 

I just wish that what was happening was my choice.

Something Old, Something New

I'm cleaning out closets and donating stuff to Goodwill. Yesterday I took a load over and found....

these gorgeous silverplated serving dishes on the cart. They also have the glass dish inside.

And they were FREE. I was admiring them and the attendant told me twice 

I could just take them; it's a donation only center, so there was no way to buy them there anyway.

I couldn't resist! Yes, I know the point is to get rid of items, and I do no entertaining at all but still.

Pretty tarnished, but baking soda has done a fine job cleaning them up. 

And for the new:

Cracker Barrel is putting out their fall and Halloween items. 

These were NOT free, but worth buying.

They remind me of some of the props Summer used on her blog post for the Day of the Dead.

Speaking of... her human is having a birthday today! 

Wordless Wednesday

... because who doesn't love kittens?

Buggy Monday

Since I've become unemployed (July 1), I've had a lot of time to 

sit next to my living room window and look out. It's kind of soothing, actually.

But I've noticed there is a mud dauber wasp who is absolutely intent on making a home on my patio.

So far I've destroyed a tiny wasp home multiple times; on the underside of the wicker table next to the door, the backside of the patio chair and just today - the most clever hiding home place of all - 

I saw it bring a tiny green worm to its latest would-be residence tucked away in the window track.

Did anyone else know that they ate tiny green worms? I had no idea.

I just thought it was flowers and stuff. And yes, that home is also been demolished.

But, I'm not trying to kill it. No point really, there are so many stinging bugs here in Florida that others come around anyway. I'm content to keep knocking down the nest.

Goodbye Binga

As most of us probably know by now, Binga from Summer's blog went over the Bridge a few days ago. She was one of the grande dames of the cat blogosphere, and will be greatly missed by all of us, I think.

She redefined the Rules of Tortitude, with a style I don't think I've ever seen anyone else match. At her age, she'd earned that right!

Can't you just imagine the chats she's having with Grumpy Cat right now?

When They Were Only Tiny...

This picture is from 2004. Toby was about four months, Leia was the older woman at 6.

How quickly they took over my heart, and my life. 

I had a birthday on the 25th; it was my first one without them. 

Next week, it will be my first 4th fireworks noise without them.

Some people have pets, and when they are gone, are sad for a bit but they were, after all, only pets.

That's not me. When Leia left my world was spiderwebbed with fractures;
when Toby left it shattered entirely.
All my memories, my daily and weekly habits and meanderings, included them somehow.

It's now been six months.

Baby Burds - Look AWAY, Tabbies o Trout Town!

This is a rescue story. Not a cat rescue story, but baby burd rescue.

These lil peepers were nested in the bushes right behind my office window. I'm embarrassed to admit that although I heard them screaming earlier this week, I didn't realize they were babies. I was busy, and just vaguely chalked it up to Noises Burds Make.

Today they got VERY loud. For good reason - we believe that mom either got spooked off by all the people coming and going and being noisy themselves, or met a sad end. We do have burds of prey here. These babies were so hungry that they screamed at everyone who came close to freaking feed them already, ok?

Someone with more sense, and knowledge of burds, than I do, correctly realized what was happening, and took the entire nest away to a local vet that is a pick up point for a wildlife rescue group. The babies were fed right away, and were due to be picked up within the hour of their arrival, so I feel certain that they now have a good chance of survival.

There were four of them. Two were actively demanding they be fed, the third wasn't doing so well, and the fourth... has gone on to a Better Burd World. That was my deciding vote for removing them now instead of waiting to see if mom is coming back.

I don't especially like burds, but I have no wish to see any animal suffer, so I'm glad they are in experienced hands now. Fly free, and please don't poop on my car in future, ok?

 Thanks.