Audrey

I seem to only have time lately to post once a week.   I have had a very roller-coaster few days again with health issues this time regarding Audrey. She has been back and forth to the clinic because of 'episodes' I call them, but 'seizures' were something to consider.
This began Wednesday...short 30 second episodes of her stiffening and frothing at the mouth; eyes were dilated and she was dis-oriented. When it was over she acted like nothing had happened. ??? It was very frightening to witness.
Audrey spent the whole day at the clinic yesterday. Her vet has put her through many tests and now she is on Gabapentin, which controls seizures, for a short time and antibiotics for fluid that they found again in her ear canal. Ear drops for the inflammation and pain meds for her over-all discomfort. This cat will hate me by the time we get to the end of this.

                                        (a bag full of meds)
The polyp scare we had before may have in the end been an actual problem. They see something in the canal again; in there very deep.
Apparently, URI (which lays dormant until the animal becomes stressed) can form masses known as polyps in the ear canal. The polyp can in turn cause pain which can bring on these seizure-like episodes. 
After two days of meds the symptoms have stopped and she is getting back to her old self but this is far from over. 

When I adopted Annie and her babies years back they all had the Upper Respiratory Virus in them. I can see now how this can plague them throughout their life and cause other more serious issues.
Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. This has been one he** of a year for my girls. :(

What would they do without their beloved sun-puddles.

                                       photo taken today

hugs, Deb

Heading into the last few days of August.

The start of the week was stifling hot. You can always tell at the feeders as the birds forgo their snacks throughout the day to hide out in the trees. I had been filling the bird baths daily and could see by the end of the day that they had been used by many.

Cooler weather is here now and it's been fun cleaning up the garden and preparing for fall.

It's wonderful to see the chickadees again. 

I miss them in late spring as they go off to nest away from their feeding area. But, they are back now with their young and I am enjoying seeing them and especially hearing them at the feeders. They are simply the most charming little bird ever. I have had one land on my finger for seed and it was such a moment. :)))

I ordered on line my very first Emma Bridgewater mug and I love it.

This is called Wallflower.
It is light in weight and holds the perfect amount of tea or coffee.
And it is so pretty to add to the cluttered country cottage china cupboard for a splash of colour.

We are moving along now with the building. The floor trusses were delivered this week and it was not me that told the guy just to drop them on the lawn in front of the bird bath. Nope...not me. :-(
"Sorry, Simon." 

Simon lives just to the right under our old pump. 

He spends most of his day running from there to the bird-bath, to the feeders, up and down the maple and back to his den. I watched him chase off a sweet chippy the other day and boy, was he nasty. I don't think this little guy has any friends anymore. He's very territorial. He has me, though. :)

And Red's been by lately. He/she's a beauty, right?

 Check out that eye-liner. :)

I've been busy cat-sitting this week; four fabulous frisky felines. One of my cat-owners is an amazing gardener and today I was able to capture this beautiful hummingbird at her flowers.

I'll introduce you to Fred. Some of you may remember him from a post I did before but this photo captures his captivating personality quite well.

He.is.adorable. 

Audrey, Audrey, Audrey. Must you show me your belly when I just know that if I tickle it you will have my hand for lunch.

Scamp!

Cat-sitting bright and early tomorrow.

Enjoy your evening, everyone.
hugs, Deb

As August hustles along...

As I walked along the path in the wood-lot early this morning, I could hear Charlotte the donkey braying at Lucy's farm. It always makes me laugh to hear her because I know she is calling Lucy for her breakfast. It also reminded me that I need to drop over there for the farm fresh eggs from her very dependable 'ladies'. I think I'll get four dozen as I have some visiting to do and who doesn't like farm fresh eggs as a little gift.


The sunflowers are still amazing and we have five cobs of corn on our corn stalks today. 
The peaches that we buy at the market are at their best.

I know mama wren is still on her nest but surely those birds must be hatched by now. You can't get near her and I hate to scare her by looking in the house so I just leave her be. I doubt I will see hide nor hair of those babies.
Oh well, at least she had a nice home and repays me with her melodic song. :)

We've been waiting on our builders to finish up a job in the city to start on our house. With all the rain this summer the build before ours took longer but they are finally done. They'll be out tomorrow to do some measurements and our order for supplies arrives Tuesday.

August is flying by and the days are filled with activity. Birthday celebrations, grandittle visits, tweaking and finishing up the new kitchen design, gardening through a cloud of mosquitoes (someone remind me next spring what I went through this summer) and tidying up the grounds for the on-coming Fall has kept me busy.
My potted plants are done now so pots are being emptied and washed for the shelf. Some of the plants are still looking lovely, though.
As much as I hate to see summer go, I am an Autumn lover.

 
I hope you all had a good weekend.

hugs, Deb

Plugging through August.

 

 

I

I found two mugs to add to my cluttered country cottage china cupboard. 

Only $5.00 each.

:-)

You might notice the produce plate is a little less full right now.

I delivered a basket of garden goodies to a neighbour this week as she was so kind to give me a basket full of spring bulbs in April.

I tried today to pick away at the garden but the mosquitoes

got

the

best

of me.

:-( 

I have to tell you, if I had known what this summer was going to be like with all the rain and those nasty, pesky bugs I would have never bothered with a vegetable garden. They have taken all the fun out of having one.

I pick for two minutes and then have to come inside.

Only if I plop a net hat on my head can I last and they are miserably hot to wear. 

It's been a bad summer.

 But look what does love the rain/sun/rain/sun days.

 Never have they been so beautiful.

And our corn is eight feet high.

 

 We found another piece of what must have been part of a machine of some sort used by my ancestors to work this land many years ago.

 Just an old rusted piece of metal that would mean nothing to someone else but is of interest to me.

I hung it on the old OH next to Riley's shoe ( my grandmother's work horse many years ago).

Now when I walk by, just seeing it there makes me wonder what it was like here when the land was being worked and the old clap-board house was being built. 

Just what did that old piece of metal belong to. 

Oh, if only for one moment I could go back in time.

 

 Our funny tilted OH

 I've been busy with family issues, cat-sitting and house-plans.

One of my fabulous feline charges is 

grand-kitty Cooper.

He and I had a lot to talk about

and

managed to solve the world's problems today.

 Cooper love

 

The air is changing and Fall is not far off.

But, that's ok. Autumn is my favorite season and the fifty or so maple trees that surround the mouse-house will be showing off their multitude of colours.

They are a spectacular sight to see.

 

And

we have a week of sun ahead and I am thankful for that. 

And so is this beautiful sun-puddle worshipper extraordinaire.

Annie

Hope you are enjoying August.

hugs, deb

Catching up...

It's been a busy week of cats, cats, and more cats. I have met many new kitty-clients and their owners in my area which makes this cat-sitter very happy. I have cared for four fabulous felines; two shy ones and two that tripped over their own paws to greet me at the door. =^..^=
I wasn't sure I could provide the in-home cat care service here as there were other pet-sitting services already established for years but I think because I specialize in 'cats only' many people feel that I have a greater interest in cats and understand the feline mind a little more than the average dog/cat sitter. And I think I do. :)
Well, as much as that is possible. :)

I don't have photos because I like to get to know them a bit before photographing them (with permission) but you will enjoy their lovely names...
Sassy-pansy, Bella, Lexus & Minou. All sweet names. 

Our own two ladies have enjoyed a quiet week at home as the foundation is complete and the last of the trucks left Tuesday morning. 

It's a busy day today. Helping out our daughter with the grands, car shopping and cat-sitting is in order for the morning. It's a beautiful day here, sunny and a bit breezy. Perfect.

The house-building will start soon.

The garden is over-flowing. Time to get picking.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

hugs, Deb

First week of August whizzed right by.

The week has flown by like a blue-jay on a mission. Where.did.it.go?
Oh, yes.
We've had grands visiting, a foundation to finish, a birthday to celebrate, a bit of cat-sitting and a big black grand-dog who howled to come for a sleep-over. We just took him home today. xo

My garden is keeping me busy. Everything is producing now although the tomatoes remain green. I have tons of zucs and cucs; yellow beans and kale but the peppers are just now growing well .
The sun-flowers are at their very best and huge this summer. This one's bigger than my big head.

How is this for a corn stalk. haha! We just threw a few kernels in the ground to see if they would grow. And they did. I'm 5' 5".

 

I've been saving a few wildflowers from the wheels of roaring trucks here.

I love the Queen Ann's lace and these daisy-like beauties. I will have to find out what they are called.

They look like a Black-eyed Susan with a lighter-coloured center.

 

Audrey...with her nose in everything.

 I never leave them out long because Annie likes to chew on flowers and I don't know if these are poisonous.

They most-likely are.

The ground is really getting dug up with all the machinery. We'll have a lot of landscaping to do when this building project is over.

The wrap is on the foundation and the dirt is back in the hole with a little left over.  Well, maybe a lot. :(

But we do have plans for it.

We'll be renting a bob-cat to move it around.

I have to tell you...we are tired.

Getting the foundation in for house-building is not for the weak. Keeping up with the gardens when we are inundated with mosquitoes the size of gum-drops, all this rain we've had and joining in with all the family shenanigans that every summer brings

has left us pooped.

Cats always have the right idea.

Sometimes I wish I had a Blackberries box to fall into.
 

 The house will soon be starting.

Time to take a breath and then

onwards and upwards.

:)

Hope the summer is treating everyone well.

hugs, Deb

August snuck in like a cat today.

                                                            "Oh dear."
This summer is moving along at rapid speed.
This is the time of year when the gardens are at their best and the little veggie plots are producing like mad. Even after such a wet season we are being fed well. 
 

 

We had some very cute pickers out here last weekend.

 Our grandittles Riley, Brad and little Tenley.

Brad came upon a zuc that obviously got away on me but boy was he proud of it.

He figured his find should win a prize.

 on nana's swing

These three munchkins belong to my son and his wife, Brittany.

Riley is our little nature lover. 

Soon after this photo was taken she grabbed my binoculars and headed off to see what birds were hanging about and find that silly Simon. :)

 

And maybe give St. Francis a fairy hat.

Here's a bit of a throw-back...
A photo taken thirty years ago of a mom teaching her son how to properly pet a timid little barn cat.

Now that boy and girl, my oldest and middle child and both married with children, have two beautiful cats of their own and love them dearly.

Have a wonderful day as you welcome in this glorious month. 

                     Someone is already on her morning nap.

hugs, Deb