Pumpkins and a pussy-cat.

Friday was a good day.

Audrey has beat this vertigo thing. She is now walking straight ("phew! YAH! YIPPEE!") and jumping up on things again. I'd say she is almost back to her old self. I am so thankful.
She is still exhausted from it all but we all know that cats can catch up on lost sleep with little problem. :)

Saturday she enjoyed a favorite lunch and a new mouse to celebrate her belated 6th birthday. I know her exact birthday because she was exactly one day old when I first laid eyes on her. She's grown up with real character and we've enjoyed every day with her since.

                     She's back jumping up on everything.

We were off to Miller's Farm for pumpkin-pickin' last week.
Now the construction site has a little bit of Autumn loveliness to take the roughness away.

Fall at the mouse-house...and a bit. :)

 

I hope you are all enjoying your seasonal weather.

We are hoping it continues here as there is a roof to have installed,  stairs to build, floors to go in along with windows.

No one here wants +30C anymore.

 We welcome the fall crispness and cool winds.

hugs, Deb 

Let's build that house and Audrey's update

Fall has arrived in Ontario but by the temperatures you would never believe it. It has been HOT!
Thank goodness our builders are easy going and try to make the best of this sticky hot weather. "Lots of water, please."

 

Here's just a few photos of the construction this week.

 More coming.

Audrey update 

It's all good news. :)

The infection in her ears has completely gone after two runs of antibiotics and ear-drops. The vet could not see any sign of the polyp today. It has either shrunk from the medication, and the remedies we had her holistic vet prescribe, or it has moved out of the ear canal. Her surgeon/vet said sometimes they will move down into the back of the throat but she did not see anything.

Audrey showed no sign of discomfort when she was examined today.

Her ear canal was clear and clean.

I can't describe the relief I felt.

We talked about the constant circling and she said the vertigo can take time to heal and I should start to see the circling lessen as time goes. I'm to keep her informed.

I mentioned to her that Audrey jumped up on a chair and then onto the table today. I also watched her jump to the second landing on her cat tree.

Dr. Nunn (surgeon) just smiled and said,

"it's all good."

So Audrey is happy to be home and she celebrated with her favorite dinner.  

Thank you again for all your good wishes and your heart-felt prayers for Audrey. I know, without a doubt, that healing hands found their way to her.

We love our little audacious one.

hugs, Deb

A little light in the tunnel

Today is the first day of fall and September is moving at the speed of light.
I don't know where the last week has gone.
 Audrey is top priority these days and only yesterday, after days of worry, I saw her health take a turn for the better. She is now finished with antibiotics and seems not to need the meticam for the last two days. She is eating well; more with gusto, and is once again moving around the mouse-house. But, she still walks in circles; moving constantly to the right. You can imagine how frustrating this is for her; and so tiring. It tears me apart.
Because of this I am carrying her around much of the day and keeping her beside me by brushing her gently with her favorite brush.
Her next appt. will tell us if the infection is completely gone. We then have to discuss what to do about the polyp in her ear canal. Until it is removed the vet does not expect to see an improvement in her movement. This is far from over, even though I thank God and You for all your good thoughts and prayers, and I am so thankful that she is feeling better.
She joined her mom in a sun-puddle today.

 

Still loves her hidey-hole.

The house-building carries on. The house is wrapped in insulation and the roof-trusses arrived today. 

It will soon look like a real house.

David has been by to check on the construction, being a guy and all.

Look at that mug. lol
 He is just here for a belly-rub, shameless fella that he is, and it is always fun to have him drop by. I never let him near the old pump where Simon lives. He's a Mighty Hunter, as you know.

Our garden won't quit. 

 

No one visits the mouse-house and goes home empty-handed. 

My web cam has revealed our mystery visitors; three very big and very healthy-looking raccoons.

I'm pretty sure it is the mom and two babes that started coming for food last winter. By the looks of them they should do well this coming winter with the extra weight they have on their chubby bodies. 

No cat.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Please keep Audrey in your thoughts and prayers.

hugs, Deb 

Around and about the mouse-house

We have had some very hot summer-like days this past week. I think we are now getting our summer as it was too wet from June right through August. This is really a treat right now as there is always a nice breeze that comes with the warm weather.

Audrey is doing much the same; no real change yet. She has meds to finish and another vet visit ahead and I can then give you an update on how she is doing. She really needs me right now and she is top priority. I don't go far. 
Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers and please keep them coming. xo

I have had a web-cam put on the maple today, right next to the feeders, as I have a sneaking suspicion that there is a cat coming in the wee hours of the  night to eat.

There is a scent there in the morning and I recognize it as cat spray. I have always left crusts, a little dry cat food and apples out for a family of raccoons that found the mouse-house last winter. I never stopped feeding them even when spring came. Now I wonder what else comes around hoping to find a bite to eat. The mystery should soon be solved. 
At five p.m. the Mourning Doves arrive. We have about a dozen that come to eat each evening. They wait patiently on a wire for me to fill their platform feeder and sprinkle a bit of seed on the grass. They do prefer to eat off the ground.

They are a beautiful bird.

Poor Annie spent much of the day waiting at the window for the builders to come.

She doesn't understand that people need time off so I had to open a fresh bag of freeze-dried chicken strips just to make her happy and lure her away from her perch. :) 
She's such a sassy cat. =^..^=

Enjoy your evening.

hugs, Deb

As we go...

 The house is coming along.

 (back of breeze-way)

The door behind me is off the bedroom that leads to the porch.

I tested it out today. :)

What a gorgeous day it is.

Porch will be wrap-around.

And our garden just keeps on giving

 Tomato sandwiches and tomato soup on the menu.

This pumpkin-head gal came home with me from the Farmer's Market.

The grandittles will like her.

=^..^=

Audrey is resting under Kane's watchful eye.

I know if Kane were here today he would be staying close to her.

We keep on moving forward; today was better than yesterday. Antibiotics can be hard on cats and we deal with the side-effects. I thank God she is eating well.
Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers for our little furry girl. She is worth to me all the care she needs right now so I am not going far. Duty calls. xo

Enjoy your day.

hugs, Deb

Update

I have very few words tonight as I am 'done'. I am still struggling with Audrey's health issues as she is continuing to suffer with vertigo caused by the URI. We are working on the infection that has caused fluid in the ear and the polyp. This is not a quick fix, I guess. :( Thank God she is eating and pain-free with her medication. My biggest worry is the vertigo that is causing her to walk in circles.https://www.cuteness.com/article/vertigo-cats

                                                               taken this morning

She is on meds for vestibular disease so please keep her in your thoughts and prayers for recovery. She is eating and uses her box but she paces and is confused. Of course, there are side-effects to all medication.
With all that's going on I am very tired; exhausted, actually, but I can show you how things are going with the build at the mouse-house.
So enjoy my rather 'quiet' post. 

Today is Audrey's 6th birthday. Thank you for your good wishes and prayers. 

 

 

Waiting on roof trusses

the end of the day

 hugs, Deb

If I had a hammer.. :)

 

I can't seem to get that song out of my head these days.

With the long weekend and lots of rain we only had three work days this week but the men made up for lost time.

Our building is starting to look like a house now with the first floor framed in and the loft was started today. 

 

 

Now it's getting exciting.

Monday the loft will be framed in.

That is, of course, if it doesn't rain (again).

The 8 ft. wrap-around porch will be started, too.

The breeze-way will be done last as the roof has to be lined up with the house roof.

=^..^=

Can you hear her snore?  She deserves a good long snooze after the last week she has had. Too many vet visits for her liking. I am so looking forward to the day she is back to her old self.She hates ear drops and meds given orally. yuk! yuk! yuk!

I watched her groom herself from top to bottom after breakfast today and that is such a good sign. Any positive steps forward after those dark days of seizures gives me much relief.

The chickadees are having fun flying around watching all the comings and goings here. They even land on the supplies and watch the show. :) I adore these birds. And they are so willing to pose for me whenever I am near. 

The sumacs are changing now and delighting us with the vibrant red leaves. I'll photograph them when they are in full show soon. 


Have a wonderful weekend everyone. We are busy purchasing showers and bathroom fixtures. There is so much to think about as this seems never-ending. I think I need a hot cup of tea. :)

Enjoy what's left of summer.
hugs, Deb

Update on Audrey and a busy long-weekend

Audrey is stable and doing well on her meds. She has been six days now without an episode so we are praying that that is the end of them. She is eating well and enjoying her naps in between medications. I think she secretly is basking in all the extra attention this health scare has brought her. I saw her play with a cat-nip toy today. We still worry and she needs to be checked again next week to see if the fluid between her ears has disappeared from the antibiotics but for now, for today, I feel relief. 

Annie is well and still enjoying her morning treat.


We had a very busy and fun weekend. Two birthdays were celebrated and the retired-guy and I discovered a new 'favorite' breakfast place only ten minutes from the mouse-house. The Metcalfe Bar and Grill did not disappoint.

Our favorite meal out is always the first one of the day.

We ordered our IKEA kitchen for the house and all the windows.

We put an IKEA kitchen in the mouse-house when it was first built and I love it.

The leaves are beginning to change at the top of the many old maples that surround our property. Even the sumacs are beginning to show off. I remember as a child seeing the leaves change from week to week and finding the most beautiful ones to wax and put in a scrap-book. We would bunch some up into bouquets for our gran.

And the garden is still producing...a lot. Today I picked twice; once for us and once for our workers. It's been a wonderful little garden this year in spite of all the rain.

 
Never in my life did I think the *bang* of a hammer hitting nails would be a favorite sound to me...but it is. :) The house is coming along and I need to get a few photos for you.

The sun is peaking through the clouds now and I best get out to the feeders before Simon comes knocking. He is having a blast watching the workers and entertaining them at break-time. I think I should look for a very teeny construction hat for him before something bonks him on the head. 

I'll check in again soon,
hugs, Deb

Around and about the mouse house

Thank you everyone for all your encouraging comments this week. Audrey seems to be feeling better but this will take some time.  She is on far more medication than she thinks she needs but it's all doing it's job. Of course there are side-effects and we are dealing with that. I want my girl back to her old self. I miss her.
I can't tell you what a scare that was because when your cat looks like it is having seizures your head goes to a very dark place. Very dark.
I will be awhile getting myself back to normal as we continue this struggle to get her health back. 
I told her she has to get better so we can celebrate her 6th birthday soon.
 Just having the 'episodes' stopped brings much relief. I never want to see her go through that again. Although in this photo she looks very sad she is tonight feeling much better and just enjoyed a grooming session. She even purred for me. :)

 

Well, here it is September.

It's that time of year to cut and bring inside the beautiful hydrangea blooms to enjoy all winter long. They can lift your spirits when the cold wind blows outside.

Did I mention I love cats?
I do have quite a collection of cats on dishes. It just sort of happened. :-}

Another basket of veggies headed out the door today. 
I have to admit I am getting tired of my gardens and look forward to putting them to bed this fall. I'd like a few new fresh plants and garden decor to look at now.

The house-building is moving along. Right now it looks like a dance floor out there.  Although our workers were delayed to start they sure are making up for lost time. They have a great work ethic and energy to burn. And they play The Eagles music while they work which I give two thumbs up.
Simon seems to be taking it all in stride. I found him laying across a pile of floor trusses yesterday, soaking up the sun. Silly chip. And then he joined the workers as they had their lunch in the Adirondack chairs around the old pump. They would throw tidbits and he would scamper around collecting them up. This chipmunk is shameless. He was very entertaining and gave them a few laughs.

Here's a few photos from this week.
It's a noisy place around here.

 

 "Anyone care to dance?"

The walls go up on Tuesday. This house will be an open-concept (kitchen, living -room, dining corner) with a master bedroom and bathroom at the front. A loft will be built over the kitchen/ living-room that will have a bedroom, bathroom and office nook.  At some point, there will be an eight foot porch added on three sides of the house.
I checked out the full basement where I can have a small laundry room, play-room/sitting room for the grands and a cat area with a window leading to an out-door enclosure. Big plans...lots to do. :)
The fur-girls will love it.
Have a wonderful weekend. For Canadians it's a long one.  We have a grand's birthday tomorrow (Gwynn) and the retired-guy is another year older on Sunday. Lots to celebrate. :)

Have fun and thank you again from me and Audrey.
hugs, Deb