It's a Happy New Year for Cotton-Cat

Here is the photo you've all been anxiously awaiting. Yes, it's Cotton the cat - in repose. Ellen says she requires much maintenance than her previous cat. I dunno. Do you think she looks like a princess?

Hard to imagine that only days before this snap, Cotton was an abandoned cat with a cold, who was - seriously - knock-knock-knocking on heaven's door.

Happy New Year to Cotton and all of you!

How to adopt a cat

We got a tip from Ellen's cleaning lady - try the Maricopa County Shelter. After a delicious burrito lunch, Richard, Larry, and I headed forth to the place. Lots of barking dogs...seemed like a place where animals were in residence. Three billion people lined up in a space designed for twelve facing a high counter with mostly closed wickets. A ticket dispenser on the far wall - we pulled 03 - only 10 away from service. While waiting, we searched out the cats and found a row of them in what looked like a pet-sized penitentiary. They howled and pawed at the bars like so many desperate prisoners. Some cages bore plastic signs declaring the pet's age, gender, and reproductive status - with a cheery "Ready for Adoption" attached.

Only the kittens had names. We settled on a blue-grey girl of 4 years, and took the sign back to the counter. The line was hijacked by several non-number carrying folk. Those of us on the sidelines silently seethed. Some not so silently.

Eventually, we were called. We want to adopt, we say... The agent of bureaucracy-gone-mad behind the counter wanted to know if we had visited with the chosen pet. Ah, no... She handed us a swath of paperwork and told us to go outside, go left and left, and have a supervised visit with the animal. Then we could come back, select another number, and wait.

We cleverly took a number prior to heading out for our "visit."

The visit did not go well. Blue-grey girl was very skittish and afraid. Probably not a suitable pet for Ellen. So we went to our fall-back position. A lovely grey and white girl of 6 years with a persistent sneeze. (Many fostered sneezers have made me an expert in this problem).

Yes, we'll take her. Better yet, she was already spayed and could be taken immediately.

Well, not immediately... several years later when our new number came up, we filled in more paperwork, paid our $25-Christmas-special-price and lined up at another location to have the cat brought to us. Apparently, this cat was destined for the big litter box in the sky before Christmas. Now she lies contentedly on our bed. Lucky cat.

Looking for clever name suggestions...

Tempe, Arizona: Winter Wonderland

Here I am in the desert, choking back the fumes of the SUV's and enjoying the poisonous fruits of the american dream. Jeez. The amerikans sure know how to consume. It's all spend, spend, spend. Not that I do not engage. I say, when in Mesa, spend like the now financially bankrupt city. But try to adopt a cat? That is a challenge. I thought there would be a robust adopter's market for senior cats in need of a happy home. Apparently you have to have a social worker and financial report as well as blood work before you can even get on the list.

Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it is much harder than I anticipated to pick up an old, on-its-last-legs, cat for my elderly mother-in-law to replace her much missed Kit-Kat, who shuffled off the mortal coil last month. I've contacted 3 shelters. In three jurisdictions - Mesa, Phoenix, and Gilbert. Each shelter's website gives a thousand reasons to donate a thousand dollars to the rescue and happy home finding for stray and unwanted cats, but can't come up with a live pet. They are all somehow, mysteriously, "fostered" out.

The shelter we visited today could have been part of a set for a Clint Eastwood movie when he was deep in his Mariposa days. Old, rundown house, masquerading as an animal shelter. I saw one live dog and quite a few wild birds in the tree in the junk-strewn yard. And several staff attached to telephones. We filled in a profile not unlike those I have filled in for medical treatment. How many people live in the house? Is it noisy? Busy? Are there people at home? Other pets? How old are you? What happened to your last pet? Provide an affadavit to prove that the euthanization of your last pet was as a last resort and not just due to the inconvenience of changing its drip every 4 hours.

Stuff like that.

Meanwhile, I have been able to spend copious amounts of money on unnecessary gift items. And my mother-in-law, who thinks she is 90 (and why not? She's close enough) is slipping in and out of lucid thought. But she is very, very sweet and amiable. And the home support Christine arranged has turned out well. That is the news from this end of the universe.

I miss my girls. The vet from Rupert called today while I was being turned down again as a blood donor (no, not because of any reasons you are thinking... it is the low iron thing). They had a spot open up to have Phoebe relieved of those women's parts that I have hoped to be relieved of. Unfortunately, I was unable to present Phoebe for surgery in the requisite 30 minutes.

That's what's going on here. How about you?

Ben, Tim, and Nick 

Phoebe when we first met her 

Phoebe

Rumour had it that a young female Scottish Fold was at the SPCA. Big Hair and I went to the site and sure enough... Phoebe! Now saddled with the totally unsuitable name of Milly (I had a Milly cat once, but that's another story), she sat in her cage, little owl face peering out. Of course we immediately removed her, telling the staff that we were "fostering with intent." Last time we fostered Phoebe, they recalled her like a substandard vehicle and sent her off to an obviously mismatched adoptive parent. We were bereft. But, here she is, little quiet, placid Phoebe, taking up residence with Coco and Stripey. Oh happy day.

Phoebe is back!!!! 

Judy, Dawn, Big Hair, Me on the deck. Bad circumstances, but great to see them under any circumstances. Made me resolve to visit Eastern Canada. Soon. 

Bailey the dog. Great night out at the Ford's. Is that dog photogenic or what? Note my hair...back to the usual. 

Something to blog about

On a recent whirlwind trip to Vancouver, I got a new haircut (which I have not been able to replicate since leaving the salon) and visited with Cole and his mom, Heather. Oh, and I went to a long meeting. Sorry to my loyal blog fans (all four of you) for not updating sooner.

Cole, Bighair and New Hair. Fun in Vancouver. 

Coco in cat heaven 

Lunch with Karen!

So great to see Karen while she was back in Prince Rupert with her boyfriend, Andrew. We got to go for lunch - a midweek luxury provided by the teachers' strike. It was great to spend time with her and live a little vicariously in her fabulous (and deserved) life. Thanks for that, Karen - and we are so looking forward to seeing you again in Belize in March.

Karen, Andrew, Bighair and me at Cow Bay Cafe 

Teachers on the Picket Line

Here are my friends and colleagues in Prince Rupert's most inclement weather. Their spirits are strong...but their feet are wet.

Not as much fun on the picket line 

Fun on the picket line 

Site of running deer 

One of those rainy days

Well, it's raining in Prince Rupert (I can hear you all now..."No, really?") I mean it's extremely rainy. The kind of day one sits inside in front of the fireplace and reads. Except I don't have a fireplace. So, Coco and I are blogging aimlessly instead. I've read everyone else's blog. I've made some comments. Nice video Camille, btw.

As I write, a nice sized deer just galloped (do deer gallop?) through my front yard - white tail bouncing. Weird. I will post a picture of the site of this strange animal behaviour. Coco missed the whole thing, which would have freaked her out. In her mind, such events never occur, because she was looking the other way at the time. Reminds me of me.

Happy Thanksgiving all you Canadians. Stay dry.

Autumn

Yes, it's definitely fall here. It may still be 95 degrees in Phoenix, but today was the first long-pants and shirt running morning of the season. Reds and oranges have infiltrated the green in unexpected places. We're not in some kind of overblown fall display like back east, but quietly and beautifully, the living colours intensify, and the contrast of light and not-light bands the view, defining every angle. Everywhere, the view has been decoupaged. And that is Autumn in Prince Rupert.

OK Let's think re-think this

Alright. Lauri says my life is interesting. Actually, I think my friends are interesting. And yes, it is more interesting, and actually nicer, to live my life than that of a refugee. No contest. I guess I was too overwhelmed by the most fascinating blogs written by my friends, and friends of friends and I kind of felt in blog-competition with them.

Now that I have that straight, let me mention that I have had to pick up people at the airport (well, the bus) too many times lately. You can frequently find me sitting around in the vehicle in the rain outside the Highliner. Last night I picked up no one when I waited for Larry off Air Canada. Later I went back and picked him up off the Hawkair flight. Tonight, it has been Brian from Air Cananda. Now I am waiting for Bighair on Hawkair. But I haven't heard from her, so am wondering..."is the plane delayed?????" Her phone is turned off, which leads me to believe that she is mid flight.

The bus information line has no current information.

So, we wait.

Weekend Update

Well, after a slow start, I have finally got something vital to tell. I previewed the video. I went for a run at Butze. I weeded some of the garden that was particularly and obviously weedy. I almost locked Coco in the crawl space under the deck. Blackie came into the house while my cats were outside and ate all their food. I fed Christine's cats (3 q-tips and 2 hair ties in the empty bowl), let them out, cleaned their litter box (eewww), and then cleaned up and rearranged her outdoor patio.

Now, I am showered and ready to hit the grocery store. Is this not a fascinating life? I can't believe no one has thought to make this into a best seller or a movie. OR BOTH. I await expressions of interest.

Lacking Motivation

Bighair is stuck in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. Larry is on his way home tonight. The cats are jingling around the house, mad at having suffered the indignity of flea treatment this morning. I am looking at the mental list of "what I might do on this Sunday." It's a long list, but I'm having a choosing crisis.

The black cloud of Charles Hays hangs over everything. Underneath there is the weedy garden, paint cans and detritus of recent renos, weekly grocery shopping (which requires a change of clothes at the very least), a run, cooking up things in the fridge before they turn into compost, removing the chipped nail polish on my toes, returning phone calls, reading a book, sorting through paperwork, previewing that video for the FNEd Centre, and, current favorite - blogging aimlessly while stretching out the morning coffee.

I'll let you know if anything happens.

Being on one's own

For the first time in months...there is no one here. No Hockey-Sock and Sophie climbing over the keyboard, playing with the cursor. They have gone to their new home and I miss them more than I expected. Larry is in Nanaimo at a conference. Tristan has moved out - with the cats. Bighair is in Georgia. So, tick-tock-tick-tock, I can hear everything. In my world, silence is rare. Best heard during the swim or run. Not sure I like it now.

Looking out for Ellen

Christine is in Phoenix trying to set up home support for Ellen. I am wondering whether she will become the favored daughter. Ellen has already offered her a cut of what the neighbors are paying to park their RV in the driveway - sort of like a negotiator's fee. Furthermore, mom thinks Larry and I are stealing her things and that we also fired the long-time cleaning lady. Who, incidentally, has been absent due to family concerns of her own.

The great gift here is that Christine has a beautiful manner with the old and infirm. (Hell, that's probably why she likes Larry and me!) She is respectful, thoughtful, and fun.

Ellen forgets, but she hasn't forgotten her dignity and her intellect. She might not remember that she gave us those things (now stolen property), but she knows she is a person worthy of respect - our mother. And we are just the kids. So we'd better know our place and tread down this delicate path with care.

She misses Nelson and she is doing her grieving now, three years on. She grieves with Christine, who she really doesn't know (or remember) but she won't do it with us. It all remains unsaid. Thanks Bighair, for being there today.

Sophie is taking out the duster. She is serious about killing it - lots of grrrrr'ing... 

Me, Larry, and my sister Susan in Massett, July. 

Last days of summer

Summer is at an end. When running Butze today, I noticed the alder leaves falling. School begins on Tuesday, so goodbye to blogging at my leisure, or reading all those books I bought home from Phoenix.

Hockey-Sock and Sophie at the computer 

Why is she doing that?

July in Massett. I don't know what bighair thinks she's doing, but she's doing it...like she usually does.

Bighair in Massett 

Backyard Bald Eagles

I took these pics of Annie and Fluffy a couple of mornings ago. They were eating fish for breakfast. No shortage of eagles in Prince Rupert and this pair have habitually perched in our tree over the past three or four years. Unfortunately, the tree is dying (ok, it's dead) and will need to be cut down before it falls on the house during the hurricane force winds of winter. Annie and Fluffy will have to find a new tree. I love the backyard National Geographic of Prince Rupert.

Annie and Fluffy, our resident eagles. Photo taken from my bedroom window. 

Breakfast for bald eagles 

On the party circuit

Chase and Hayden were born one day apart. Last week, Chase had his first birthday party and today it was Hayden's turn. Both of them took the big leap into one-dom very, very seriously.

Chase 

I specifically asked for vanilla 

Nonni and the one year olds 

Hayden, Chase, Calla 

Big sister Calla and Hayden 

It's my party! 

Salmon BBQ and announcement night

Great night with clever, funny friends. Life is good with such wonderful people to share it with. Glad to be connected today with these smart and wonderful women.

No fun being had here 

More of the same!