A balancing act

Ed is always such a gentleman. After enjoying his own portion, here he is helping Lily finish her snack this morning. Such a trooper.

Notice his back leg is out to the left of him. That is his damaged leg from last Fall when he tumbled off the couch. He balances himself best this way when he eats. He is still getting around on it. Bless his heart at 25 years of age now.

Meet one of this weeks kitty-clients, Madi.

She tumbles on her side when I enter the home and purrs so you can hear her in the next town.

What a joy this cat is. 

Beautiful, green-eyed Madi.
This is a very busy week for cat-sitting. I'll have more to show you soon.

hugs, Deb

More on the old coop

Thank you all for such nice comments about Cali. It's wonderful to know that so many others understand the feeling of loss when a beloved pet passes on. It really is very comforting.

We were back at the property today with some house-building appointments.

This is the old chicken coop on the land.

What a disaster, I know.

It housed many chickens including banty hens years back.

They weren't a breed of hen but just a smaller hen that laid eggs about 2/3 the size of a normal chicken egg.

I used to love those little hens when I was a kid. I think I had them all named.

The old coop is in rough shape and there is growth around it that I don't even recognize. It hasn't housed chickens now for over 40 years.  If it can be restored, I plan to keep it and turn it into a potting shed.

                                                             That's not a ghost.
          
There is lots of cleaning up to do on this property. Kane is a wonderful help when it comes to clearing some brush and twigs.

He's never far from the retired-guy.

There is no end to the clean-up after a long winter.

Looks like I found something that should tickle Audrey's fancy.

hugs, Deb

Keeping her close.

I've had a busy weekend with cat-sitting and house-building plans. The weather is promising to co-operate and the sun is shining today. We finally took 'lil Cali out to the property to her final resting place under the apple trees by the stone wall.

She passed away Nov. 29th after being with us for 19 years. She was a character; full of spit and vinegar and we loved her so. I miss her and feel her presence in our home every day.  I am thankful that she will remain close to us.
                                               "Rest well 'lil Cal. We love you."        

hugs, Deb

Let's play and bake and bug the cats.

Sierra

The sun shone and the house smelled of blueberry/banana muffins.

Sometimes I need to play in my china cabinet. It's one of my favorite things to do.

"La la la la la"

I love my blue and white dishes.

There are so many blueberries and bananas in my favorite muffins that I think we can count them as a fruit.

"Won't you come for a cup of tea and a muffin...um..I mean some fruit?"

There's Natalie from http://knatolee.blogspot.ca/ and Ronna from http://ronnas.blogspot.ca/having tea in the photo. Drop on over and meet them.

Am I bugging you with my singing, Annie?

I think not.

Here's the recipe...

Banana-Blueberry Whole Wheat Muffins. NOW HOW HEALTHY IS THAT?
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas 
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries ( I have used fresh and that's fine, too)


Preheat oven 375
In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda and salt.


In a large bowl beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs. In another bowl, mash bananas with fork and stir in milk & vanilla.

Add dry ingr. and banana mixture alternately to the wet mixture.
When mixed, add your one cup of blueberries. Mix lightly.
Pop into muffin cups and bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 23 minutes. Do the tooth-pick test.
Enjoy your fruit. :-)

I'm joining A Favorite Thing at  http://mockingbirdhillcottage.com/& Anything Blue Friday at http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.ca/

Hugs, Deb

Kane

It's not too often that I feature our dog, Kane in a post.

The cats, of course take center stage as we live with five and I cat-sit on a daily basis.

But, I was going through some photos last night and thought I would show these two of Kane when he was five years old. He will soon be thirteen.

This one was taken in Burnstown, Ontario near Renfrew.

This is 2005. 

Oh my goodness, we both look much younger. 

Kane loved it there and we would let him off-leash to follow us on a trail that became one of his favorite spots.
Another place he loved to run free was along the old rail-road line where the tracks had been removed in Carleton Place. Back then, 2005 again, he loved to spend hours outside in the snow.
Here he is having a rest. It would last 5 minutes and then he was off again.

Our walks today are slow and methodical and he must be on leash now. He wanders a bit too much. We leave the house without his tennis ball because after one good run to fetch it he may feel some aches later. Although he starts out jumping with excitement, he takes his time now & stops often to smell whatever grabs his interest. He likes a routine walk where he knows every yard that houses a dog or the porch where a cat lies daily in the sunshine.

He looks for other dogs on leash but only stares for a moment, maybe a wee bark, and then carries on.

He's not interested in causing a ruckus like the old days. Oh, how he caused a ruckus.

His eyes and ears are failing somewhat.

Yep, thirteen years old this summer. Hard to believe.

The thought does two things to me; it makes me proud to have helped bring this dog, who I found frightened and confused in a shelter, to this ripe old age knowing he is loved and cherished, and it also brings tears to my eyes and an ache in my heart knowing that the time has gone so quickly and his best years are behind him now. (He's probably thinking the same thing about me)

I'm really hoping for more years with him. 

Whatever it takes.

My boy, Kane.

2013

He's just my dog. He's my other eyes

that can see above the clouds

My other ears that hear above the winds.

He has promised to wait for me

whenever, wherever, 

in case I need him

I'm joining Camera Critter Meme at http://camera-critters.blogspot.ca/

hugs, Deb

Pansies

 It's Pansy-time again.

What a great way to welcome in Spring.

These hardy flowers can be planted outside in pots now.

And there's nothing better for your kitty this Spring than a comfy window seat.

(source)

Some will hold two cats comfortably.

                                           Audrey & Lily
The sun is shining and I'm filling pots with pansies today.

Enjoy your day.
Hugs, Deb

One of my favorite things...sometimes

It's time to cut food portions back a bit as winter seems to have added some weight to feline, canine and a  certain human alike. I don't free-feed my animals but both Annie and Audrey have gotten a bit pudgy over the last six months. They have a different metabolism than the others and gain weight easily.

                                                      "HELP! My tummy's rumbling."

Health risks due to obesity in cats include the following:

• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Hepatic Lipidosis
• Respiratory problems

Furthermore, cats that are overweight are at greater risk for complications from anesthesia and surgery.

How to Check Body Condition on a Cat

With a little practice you can do a visual check of your cat's condition. A cat that is at a healthy weight will be obvious.

1. Have someone hold your cat in place on the floor. Look down.
2. Cats should have a waist. Run your hands down the cat from ribs to hip. You should see a slight waist.
3. There should be an indentation in the abdomen when you run your hand from ribs to pelvis.
4. Ribs can be felt without a fat padding.

I'll bet this works for humans, too. :)

 

Kane has gained three pounds over winter. His weight gain is due to slowing down on his walks and not playing ball anymore because of his arthritis. The vet is not concerned but she would be if he kept gaining. He weighs 44 lbs.now. He is not a show-sheltie size; he is as large in the shoulder as they get, but that is a bit heavy. I'll be adding 10 minutes to his walks daily and watching his food intake.

For the humans, first thing on the agenda...pull out the old juicer and shine it up. This is one of my favorite gadgets in the kitchen but we do have an on again off again love affair going on. Right now, it's LOVE!

Instead of snacking between meals, a glass of fruit and veggies freshly juiced is how I start to get back into this healthy regime. Today it was apple, carrot, melon, pineapple & cantalope. Add some ice and you just can't beat it. This takes the place of lunch today but even a small drink half-way through the day so you don't get the 3:00 hungers is a good way to start. It's a fabulous way to use up any fruit and veggies in the crisper, too. I picked this one up for $99.00 on sale.

I'm all refreshed and heading out to cat-sit. Now, where is that clothes brush? ;-)

hugs, Deb

Spring has sprung on our property

Today it didn't snow or rain. That, in itself, made it a great day. Off to the property we went to see how dry the ground is now that we have had some warmer days.

The lilacs are budding at the gate.

See.

And the snow has disappeared. Things are looking much greener now.

Oh my goodness, this 'ol tractor kills me but it started up on the first try.

Kane likes to head over to the old coop hoping he'll find a chicken.

He won't,  but if I was a chicken at the coop, I don't think I'd have much to worry about.

This is where my grandmother housed her chickens many years ago. The sound inside this building and collecting the eggs from the squawking hens is still vivid in my mind. To a city kid, this was great fun.

We don't go inside though because of this...

The roof is caving in and needs repair. I'll never tear the building down as there are too many wonderful memories attached to it. I'm hoping to turn it into a potting shed someday. If chickens were to live on this land again they would have the finest coop just over to the left of this one. Someday...maybe, BIG maybe.
Perhaps I should stick to cats.

And to end my day I spent some time again with one of my favorite kitty clients who enjoys a good brushing after every meal. Proof is in the photo.

 Note to all cat-sitters: Remember to always add a hair removal brush to your cat-bag before leaving home.

hugs, Deb

Getting to know Basil

Spring is such a great time to start a beautiful herb garden. Our winter has worn us all out and we are anxious to get planting. The ground is not ready, though and won't be for awhile so indoor gardens are popular right now.

I love to have herbs in pots in the kitchen and today I brought home some basil.

It has a beautiful fragrance and I pick it up for a close sniff when I walk by. I think Lily enjoys it, too.
Basil belongs to the mint family. If you look close, the pointed leaves of the plant looks a lot like peppermint. It is highly fragrant and used as a seasoning herb. I use it in stir-fry, always in my spaghetti sauce  and it is delicious in rice.
Basil is recommended for digestive issues. So, after dinner instead of having a mint why not sip on an after-dinner cup of basil tea. It is full of vitamins and helps to boost the immune system. See http://www.basiltea.net/

Basil Tea
3 tbsp. of fresh chopped basil leaves to 2 cups of boiled water. Strain before serving or if you prefer, you can chew on the leaves.  And, of course I add a bit of honey. 
      Basil Tea in my Old Amsterdam Porcelain Works tea-cup

in my favorite tea-pot

This is a great tea before calling it a day.

No cookies today as I am just back from having dental work done. My nurse, Audrey has been wonderful. ;-)

Lily is 18 years old now, and when she is not with Ed in the basket or cuddled with him on the couch, she is seeking out a sun-puddle.

As you can see, we are once again enjoying bright sunlight in the late afternoon.

I'm joining Sandi at
http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.ca/ for Tea- time Tuesday & Share Your Cup Thursday at http://jannolson.blogspot.ca/
hugs, Deb

Poor Deb

"Poor Deb. She's just back from the dentist and had to have a tooth pulled.

She looks like somethin' the cat dragged in and upside-down she looks worse. Poor thing."

"Can I get you anything, dear one?"

"I feel so bad for her. Apparently, the tooth was damaging the next tooth so they yanked it out."

"Oh my goodness, Who am I kiddin'.  She's all frozen up and looks hilarious.  THIS is the best yet. MADE MY DAY."
                                                           "HAHAHAHAHA!" *snort*

"This is epic."

AA

Cool cat toy & a favorite photo

The above toy is called a 'Peek a prize toy box' for your in-door cat. I found this on-line and thought it looked like a great addition to any cats' toy box. Cat treats can also be in amongst the toys to keep the somewhat bored indoor cat busy for an hour.

I did find a video that showed cats playing with a home-made version of this box. Looks easy enough if you can find the right shaped box. Why not try it?

I've been going through some of my old photos again.
This photo is of my grandmother, mother and her two sisters, Vera and Frances.

 My mom is the far right.

Frances, Mary, Vera & Edna

 It was most likely taken at a party or before church because of their dress. Usually, we were all together at the farm and looked much more casually dressed there. At least no one wore pearls. ;)  I love the look on my grandmothers' face in this photo. She was such a kind woman and I learned a lot from her. She was very much loved by all her grandchildren. The little frame was purchased at The Tin Market in Almonte last week. http://tinbarnmarket.com/ It's always been a favorite photo of mine and now I can show it off.

Audrey wants to show you something, too.

It's her new mouse and she loves it.

Which means she will shred it to bits.

Poor mouse.

"Here, mousie, mousie."

The sun is shining and I'm off to cat-sit one of my most favorite little kitty-clients and then company for dinner.

Do you have a love of log homes like I do?

I'm sending you over to visit Dawn at http://www.creativecaincabin.com/

You will love her way of  'Springing up'  her home.

Have a nice, peaceful Sunday.

Hugs, Deb