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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

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

23 comments:

  1. I'm with you on waiting for trades people, we have waited in all morning for a new freezer to come and are now waiting for the boiler man, ho, hum.....
    Briony
    x

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  2. I love how Annie is making sure you didn't miss any dishes. Such a good snooperviser!
    Audrey looks good in front of the stove (don't tell her I said that!)

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  3. I'm with you ... I don't like waiting for trades men, though that is invariably the case when ever we need something done. Annie is a sweet little helper. My cats try to help too ... but they really tend to hinder. I can't fault them though, at least they are there for me.

    I can't imagine moving in this cold weather. You might want to wait until spring. But, on the other hand, I am guessing you are pretty excited about getting into your Mouse House. Lots of work, and lots of fun and excitement as well.

    Cat dynamics are very interesting. Ours don't seem to change much when we lose somebody, but if we add one in ... oh my. All the fussing over territoies and alphaships. We have one alpha and two others who don't want to believe they aren't the alpha so there is a daily challenge. The little female doesn't challenge anyone ... she just knows she is an alpha and treats everyone accordingly. The real alpha is a kind hearted soul and just puts up with her. I don't know how we would live without out cats ... they add so much to our lives. Nice post, Deb ... looking forward to seeing the finished product at the mouse house.

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  4. I never really thought about how the loss of a pet might affect the other pets until a situation last year that we came close to, it is surprising what happens isn't it! xx

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  5. Deb, I have to comment on your 'cat dynamics"... especially about the core territory thing. Before he passed, Jack was always the Alpha Cat and he ruled with a very silent gentle hand (never heard that cat hiss in his life). Now with 4 females and one male (Tux - Jack's brother) left in the house, there was really no one Alpha that stood out. Ghost (who is the youngest, but a good sized cat) takes over DH's armchair every night. It's her spot. Recently Tux has taken to challenging this. He now get up there and either lays next to her or chases her off. We're not sure what caused this shift...

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    1. I wonder if it just took time for him to realize the 'position of Alpha Cat' was open.

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    2. Possibly, Deb. tux always let Jack take the lead. Maybe he's decided it was his time...

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  6. An empty set of shelves like that, of course a cat will want to explore that and check it out.

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  7. With my two kitties, Kit was always in charge. Sadie was not allowed in a chair, on the perch or barely on the bed but both laid by the wood stove together. I thought after Kit died that Sadie would take over but she didn't. It took her a year before she would get into a kitchen chair even with encouragement that it was okay. We had to give the perch away because she would not come near it and seemed upset that it was in the room. Funny how it takes time for them to find their place. Sadie now is queen of the house and she knows it!

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  8. It takes time for another kitty to take over as pack leader ! I bet you can wait to get into the new house and the kitties will love watching all the birdies your get there ! Lovely photos . Thanks for sharing , The sun popped out here for the afternoon and I am loving it ! Have a good day !

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  9. It truly is amazing how the dynamics change in a household when one cat or dog leaves. I am glad that Audrey is moving forward in life and trying new things. Good Girl.

    I can't wait to see the cupboard in the new house! It is all but ruining me, Deb!

    Love,
    Lily

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    1. Oh, now I feel pressured. You're funny, Lily. :)

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  10. I cannot pick my favorite photos of my kitties; there are too many. Photos when they were young, or doing something silly, or being lazy (with one arm out). And I have just a handful of photos of Sweetie's kittens; they are worth their weight in gold!

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  11. Here's that link for the London tea house:

    http://www.aglimpseoflondon.com/2015/02/a-nice-cup-of-tea.html

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  12. It's good that your husband is so handy, Deb. I can't wait to see it all put together. You will do a complete tour, won't you? I'm sorry about Lily.

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  13. Thanks Nancy. She will surely be missed. As far as the move, yes, it is handy having a handy-man. :) I will do a little video tour once we have it decorated. Shouldn't take much more than a few seconds. haha!

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  14. Amazing what you accumulate. You never realize until you start packing up ;)
    Deciding on pictures is hard, but with lots of pics you can change them often.
    Sorry to learn about Lily.It is never easy to say goodbye to a beloved pet.
    The new dynamic will show itself soon.
    Hugs, Nancy ans the kitties

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  15. It wasn't the space by the fire that Annie wanted, it was Lily. Now that her dear friend is no longer there, the space holds no lure. Our hearts are breaking for your little magical girl who remains behind.

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  16. So cute about the shifting spots around the fire! Aw. And they will all adjust and shift again in the mouse house. I wonder what the coveted spots will be there!
    I usually have the blinds to the front window closed here but lately I've had them open and have noticed a couple of cats enjoying the window seat a bit more while they can nap and keep an eye on the goings on in the front yard. ha.

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  17. I can imagine a myriad of feelings about packing up, making decisions about what comes right now, and oh -- such a lot of work! But I know it will be just charming and a wonderful home for you all. I noticed a change in behavior in Gypsy after Stimpy died (licking his tummy bare and overgrooming in grief). It will be interesting to see how they maneuver through life with so many changes on tap.

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  18. You are getting so close on the Mouse House! The process of moving brings up a lot of memories.... feelings... Plus, the loss of Lily. Lots of changes in y'all's lives. I love the last thing you wrote in this post... we have to keep on dancing. blessings and hugs ~ tanna

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