Are we there yet?

Our move went well albeit the cats were stark-raving mad when we finally reached our destination. I'm sure that doesn't surprise anyone.

All I can say is that the next move will be next door and that's about as far as I'll ever want to go.
"I hate moving." Let's make that clear.

Much thanks to our family for their help and patience.
It wasn't easy getting furniture up sixteen steps. Our stairs will be finished now that the move is over.

I have to give credit to these wonderful animals of ours, too.

Ten minutes after arriving.

They have been through a lot with the upset at the previous house (boxes everywhere and not one to play in), the long car ride and then the shock of a new environment. All I want to do for the next few days is make their world a little safer and calmer.

Audrey discovering the birds.

I'm looking forward to decorating the mouse-house now. We do have a few things to finish up and then I'm going shopping. :))
And, I have a beautiful vase waiting for some Spring flowers to christen this new home. And maybe a favored bottle of wine. :)

I can't wait to show the kitties all the birds that come by. I have to get a feeder placed outside the garage window where Audrey has been promised a cat tree with a big , comfy perch.

How many more days 'til Spring? It's count-down time. :)

I am thrilled to be here. It is where I pictured myself for many years; it is a dream come true.
I can feel the presence of my grandmother, my mother, my family on this country lot.
I just need to take a deep breath now.

I have some catching up to do tomorrow.
Stay toasty,
Deb

To the Mouse House

Annie is packing up her favorite blanket to take along to her new digs.

"It just won't be home without it", she thinks.

Audrey has her chewed-up, personalized card-board box, 11 ping-pong balls and some fluff she found on the floor this morning packed and ready at the door. 

Sierra and Kane are sleeping and have left it all to fate.

Please keep them in your thoughts. These cats have a lot of adjustment ahead (as does Kane) starting with the 50 minute drive to the lot. *groan* 

I'm truly going to miss this ball of sweetness. Rae-Rae is such a good-natured cat. I have really loved having her in our home again. It will be hard to say "good-bye" although I know I will see her often.

I'll miss Joe, too. He's quite the character but my own cats do not care for him so it really is best that he will be staying with Rae-Rae.

I'll be waiting for the internet to get set up while putting things in place. I'm hoping to find a teeny-weeny pantry to hold more food in our little kitchen. I still have to do that.

And the good dishes and pottery will have to be put up high so Audrey doesn't get into it.
You just know she'll be busy checking out every nook and cranny.
I think I need more shelves.

I'll miss you all but I'll be back soon. Off we go...

Stay toasty,
Deb

Let's hear it for the final Inspections.

The plumbing is done....yah!

The electrical inspection is done....yah!

We lassoed our home inspector and the final inspection is done...Hallelujah!

Now we move.

At the feeders today... not sure what happened here but that is the chickadee's wing you see on the left. Odd!

I must have captured it just as it was pulling it in.

I filled the feeders today for the fifth time this week.

It's a feeding frenzy every day out there.

We have lots to do at the mouse-house as far as pulling it all together but at least I hung a little shelf with tea-cups today.

What could be more important. ;-)

Yes, we had our first cup of tea there today.

We've been living on Timmy's coffee & hot chocolate. Sinful!

This weekend's weather is a bit of everything. Warmer temps. are expected but more snow and cold wind. 

We'll just have to bundle up and be the tough Canadians that we are.

Now I have to sit Audrey down again and tell her to start collecting up her ping-pong balls.

Stay toasty,

Deb

Mr. Weatherman...please don't let me down.

                                          White-breasted Nuthatch
                                    a flock of sparrows

It was time to get the drive-way ready for the moving truck. We have already had one worker's truck stuck in the snow this week so, being very mild at -5C (yesterday), it was time to really clean it out. We have been waiting for the port-a-potty to be picked up for over a week now. Funny how you looooooooooove it when you need it and haaaaaaaaaaaate it when you are done with it. 

The retired--guy has proved to be quite the plumber over the last few weeks. He's a pretty handy guy; door and cupboard-hanger, painter, wood-worker and now plumber. He never ceases to amaze me at what he can turn his hand to.

You can see the nice tiling job our construction men did. I'm really pleased with our teeny-weeny bathroom. If you are a tall visitor I apologize ahead of time since you will most likely bang your head in there.
The mouse-house has a new resident. And she's dressed for winter.
Thanks, Susan from http://proseccoandpolkadots.blogspot.ca/ for Audrey's...ahem! I mean..my little mouse.

I sat Audrey down tonight and explained the change that is about to happen in her life.
I hope this goes well. I'd hate for her to be plotting a revenge on us.
She'll be fine, I think. Once she recuperates.

The weather has changed again. It's freezing tonight and snow is coming. The prediction for this weekend, though, is milder with sun. I hope the weatherman knows how I'm counting on this.

Stay toasty,
Deb 

Nana has to brag a bit.

I'm so busy these days that I have little time to post but I did want to share my youngest grandittle with you. This is Gwynn's latest photo showing off her curls. She just melts my heart.

Her mommy had a head of curls, too, at the same age. If I wasn't so darn busy I'd hunt for a picture of her at two but instead I am piling things in the car that we need at the mouse-house today.

Our weather is co-operating for us and that frigid cold is behind us for now. If the sun shines today I would say this is a glorious day.

Back to packing...

Stay toasty,
Deb

New visitor on this absolutely frigid day.

I took this photo from the window of the mouse-house. It's too far to get a good shot with my camera but at least you can see this guy that visited my feeders yesterday. He is a Pileated Woodpecker. Apparently, they are not all that common to see at your feeders so I was thrilled to see this one. Most of the woodpeckers that visit are either Hairy Woodpeckers or Downy Woodpeckers and they are a lot smaller.
Here's a good read on them.
http://www.wildlifecenteroftexas.org/2011/05/pileated-woodpecker-new-video/

I don't remember it ever being this cold before. I tried to take a few photos at the feeders and just having my glove off for 10 seconds I could feel my skin begin to freeze. I had to cover my face with my scarf and head back in. How on earth do the birds survive in this weather? Or anything else.
I'm tellin' ya...it is survival of the fittest these days. As I drove back from our property I noticed a large amount of crows eating something on the side of the road. As I got closer I saw that they were eating a dead crow. Geez.....
I stopped at Timmy's for a coffee and as I sat in the parking lot a crow flew up beside the car with a leaf of frozen lettuce in it's beak. It must have found it in the garbage can. Oh boy, I'm losin' it but my heart just broke for this bird. I had some cat food in the car and threw a hand-ful outside the window. It dropped that frozen lettuce faster than a cat whips it's tail and devoured the hard food.

Everything is so hungry and food is scarce with so much snow and freezing temperatures.
I don't even want to think of feral cats out there. I just put the food down and leave the rest to God.

Today at the feeders a beautiful male cardinal came by. That was a treat to see. The female showed up shortly after along with a red-poll and numerous blue-jays.

The nuthatch is a regular, too. 

Of course, my family of chickadees are always there. They never seem too fazed by the cold; always singing and flitting around. I just adore those birds.

Someone was pretty tuckered out today at the mouse-house.

This winter even the dogs are fed up.

At 14 1/2 this cold weather takes it's toll on 'ol Kane.

He dreams of lying in the shade of one of our big, old maple trees.

We're counting the days 'til Spring. 

Stay toasty,

Deb

  

More on 'the mouse-house'.

Valentine's Day has come and gone once again. Around here, even the cats requested a little red in their day.

Sierra

Today it is so cold...."how cold", you ask. Well, let's just say I raise my tea-cup full of steaming hot chamomile tea with organic honey to whoever invented thermal long-underwear. :)

Heading out to feed the birds.

I have a pesky 'murder of crows' at the feeders but it was so darn cold today that I gladly fed them. They are gluttons and will keep the other birds away while they eat.

Here they are feasting on sunflower seeds.

No doubt this was the coldest day yet and still the chickadees, nuthatch, blue-jays, sparrows and woodpeckers arrived for some food.

Here are a few more photos of the goings-on at the mouse-house over the last few weeks.

Hanging lights

Adding some tongue and groove to the sitting area.

Well, we've got to snazz up the place somehow.

Kane snoopervising. :)

The crew have been keeping Timmy's in business.

I'm sure I've thrown out a hundred of these cups.

So far we've won a doughnut and coffee. No car. :(

Hanging the second door.

Hanging cupboards and fixtures. 

The little kitchen is inside the dormer.

The window looks out to the feeders.

Wow...these men are messy.

This will be the dining corner.

I'll have to figure out how to squeeze visitors in to enjoy a cup of tea.

Am I boring you yet? Lots more photos to come as rooms were completed.

After a long day at the property, I lay at the fire with Annie tonight. She was spotted washing Audrey today so I believe her days are getting better and life carries on. She has always been rather clingy with me but now she wants to sit on my knee the second I sit. My son dropped by this morning and she immediately jumped up on his knee and got comfy for the visit. He sat and stroked her gently and she cuddled right in.

I think our move will be good for this wonderful cat.

A new adventure. She'll be so busy investigating that she'll not have time to miss her friend.

                                                Wait 'til she sees all the birdies.
Stay toasty,
Deb

Sun-lit Sunday

                             Annie in a sun-puddle.

I'm joining http://mylittlehomeandgarden.blogspot.ca/ for Sun-lit Sunday.

Stay toasty on this frigid Sunday.
Deb

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing everyone a Very Happy Valentine's Day.

(together again)

Thank you for all the love you send our way.

                                              Hugs, Deb

Sharing a sun-puddle.

This photo was taken in 2012.

My three beautiful cats, Lily, Sierra and Ed making the best of one sun-puddle; squeezing every bit of warmth from it's rays. I remember taking this photo like it was yesterday. Now, only Sierra remains with us and she is once again soaking up the sun on this cold, wintry day.

                                               Sierra

A fresh blanket of snow covers our ground today. Lots of shoveling to do once again.
The feeders were filled to the brim at the mouse house yesterday. Fresh suet offered up.
The feeders were very active with chickadees, blue-jays, woodpeckers, gold finch, sparrows, nuthatch and the bold black crows. One lonely squirrel joined in mid-day.

                                    Woodpecker with beak bursting with sunflowers

                                       The sweet little Chickadee at a suet cage.

It will be one of the coldest nights so far this year.

I hope everyone stays warm

& toasty.

Deb

Favorite little bread plates

It was good to see Annie playing with her toys today. This is the first time I noticed her being playful since Lily died. The sun was shining through the windows and leaving sun-puddles in every room for the cats. I think, that alone, cheered her up and gave her more energy.
She took advantage of a puddle soon after she wore herself out.

I just love that little peachy nose.

I have been spending a lot more time with Annie the last few days.

She is loving the extra attention. I gave her a massage today and she slept for hours after. Not that that is anything odd for a cat. haha! 

I've been alone for a few days so I baked up more apple-sauce oatmeal cookies; some for me and some for the freezer. 

Nothing goes better with a hot cup of tea.

Packing is a great way to come across some items you have not seen for awhile. These were always my favorite little bread plates.

This time I packed them away in the bin marked 'kitchen' so I'll be sure to unpack them and use them more often at the mouse house.

                              The little pottery mug was a find at our local thrift shop.
                                         I can never have too many pottery mugs.
                                                They are all pieces of art to me.

"Oh, Mr. Sunshine you are so welcomed today.  Annie & I hope to see more of you this week."

The electrician finished up at our property today. It was a cold day but he didn't seem to mind working outside a bit. We finally got our indoor lights, garage lights and motion detectors up.

"Thank you very much."
Now if we could just find our 'ever-elusive inspector' for the last inspection.

I'm joining Share Your Cup Thursday at http://jannolson.blogspot.ca/

Stay toasty,
Deb

Finishing up the Mouse House & a shift in our home.

Here's a couple of photos as odds and ends are finished up at our property. They were taken at the end of January. Cupboards are now in and finished. 

The retired-guy can pretty much turn his hand to anything we need done to get that final permit.

but we are still waiting on the final hook-up which I believe is this coming Wednesday.

Did I mention how much I hate waiting on trades people?

My step-back cupboard looks rather sad right now but I'm happy to have all the dishes wrapped up (thank's Annie for your help today)  packed and ready to go. It's amazing how much one piece of furniture can hold. :(

This gal is better than hired help.

I plan to do a picture gallery going up the stairs to the mouse-house and am having a time of it trying to decide what prints and photographs to bring along.

There is lots of wall space, though, so I can have some fun with this.

With the frigid temperatures outside we have been huddled around the fire-place in the evenings.

Up until recently, Annie and Lily always laid in front on the sacred kitty blankets.

Audrey would lie close by on the couch.

Just tonight, Audrey ventured over to the front-row seating and, with a long stretch, she happily settled in front of the fire. This is the first time for her.

Annie took to the couch.

Sierra chose a cat bed up high.

It's funny how the dynamics change in a mult-cat household when one has left.

There is a certain core territory that each cat has to claim for itself.

As new habits are formed the status will also take a shift.

It's all very interesting to witness.

Nothing lasts forever

And I guess that's just the way things go

But I guess we all have to keep on dancing

even though the fiddlers packed up and gone home.

Stay toasty,

Deb