Week of Nov. 23 to Nov. 29

Monday, November 23, 2009
It is overcast with some errant flakes of snow being blown about. By afternoon, the sun actually came out and while the high temperature was only 29 degrees, the wind made it feel a lot colder. More snow is predicted for tonight, but then it is supposed to be mostly sunny with the highs reaching 40 degrees on Thanksgiving Day.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, I accepted Ray and Rae’s invitation to dine with them, Guy, Mary, and two other single people, so I will have a Thanksgiving dinner after all.
Last night, right after Joe and Michele left, I turned on the water pump and it ran for an extraordinary length of time. I shut it off and discovered that there was no water, so either the line froze or the supply at the creek is totally frozen. I had to resort to my back up containers of water, which I keep for just such occasions.
This morning, I plugged in the heat strip, which I had attached to the water line when I installed it, and left it on hoping it would melt any frozen spots. I changed both filters and tightened the hose clamps at the pump, primed it and then started the pump. The water flowed instantly and I think that the stoppage may have been due to the clamps being a little loose, causing it to suck air instead of water. What a relief to have it fixed, as I didn’t relish the thought of going without running water for the winter.
With having that fixed, I was able to do the dishes and clean the kitchen, and other than working on the computer, that was all I accomplished today. I will now take a nice hot shower and fix myself some dinner.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009
It is snowing lightly and is calm this morning. NWS is predicting snow for today and tonight, with partly to mostly sunny until Friday, when snow is again predicted. That may give me the conditions I hoped for so I can rewire the shed and install the big generator.
I have made arrangement to meet Greg in town for lunch today, as I have a 2 PM chiropractor appointment, so I’ll finish my morning coffee and Zack and I will head into town.
Like most trips to town, it took all day. It was snowing fairly heavily when we left at 11 AM, arriving at Greg’s office at 11:50. Greg was ready to go and we drove to Montana City and had lunch. I didn’t know that the café had changed ownership and the menu and food were only mediocre, and in fact, the waitress got my order wrong and never came back to our table to check on us.
Greg and I had a nice visit and we parted when we arrived back at his office, with him heading to show some property and me to get dog food and my mail before going to my chiropractor appointment.
After my appointment, we stopped at Safeway for a prescription, some groceries, and to fill the Jeep and two cans with gas. We head straight home, arriving at dusk. I unloaded and put away all the items, played with Zack, built up the fire, fed the critters and then fixed myself some dinner.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009
It is overcast with a light breeze this morning. I can see some blue sky to the east of me and it looks like it is moving this way. It is warmer this morning, as last nights frost had melted from the deck and roof by the time I got up.
If the weather stays this nice, or better, I will go to work on the shed, rewiring and making the adjustments on the generator platform.
By noon, the sky cleared and the sun warmed things up to the mid 40s with only a light breeze, so it was pleasant to be outside. I changed into my work clothes and after playing with Zack, went to work.
By 4:30, I had managed to remove all of the old tarps from the Argo shed and replace them with one large new tarp, secured by numerous batten boards to keep the tarp from flapping in the wind. I also disassembled the generator platform and removed the insulation from the area that I need to rewire for installation of the large generator.
I took three breaks to play with Zack and as the sun disappeared behind the mountain, it started to get really cold, so I stopped, played with Zack one more time and we came in to feed my furry companions. I took a shower and then ate some dinner before relaxing in front of the fire and watching television.

Thursday, November 26, 2009 - Thanksgiving Day
I sent out an e-card earlier, but if you didn’t get one, Happy Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day that we remember our forefather’s and how they came peacefully together with the Native American’s to celebrate the bounty of the land. They all gave thanks for the crops and good fortunes that had been bestowed upon them.
As I prepare to go to a friend’s home and celebrate my thanks, I can’t help but reflect on the past and give thanks for my good health and the things that helped get me to this point in my life. I hope all of you can find plenty of things to give thanks for in your life.
The weather today is about the best it has been in a couple of weeks. It is sunny and clear with a predicted high in the 40s, and no wind. Yesterday was about the same, with the high being 51 degrees and pleasant enough to work outside without a jacket, at least until later in the afternoon.
After my morning coffee and routine, I got dressed, played with Zack and then we headed to Ray and Rae’s for our Thanksgiving Day feast.
Ray and Rae’s home is very nice and they have done a good job of decorating it, but I’d hate to have to dust and clean all of the knick-knacks and things they have on open display.
After being given a complete tour, Guy, Mary and another friend, Glen, arrived. The other party was invited to her son’s for the day, so it was just the six of us for dinner. We all visited while Mary and Rae finished cooking and preparing the feast. When the turkey was done, Ray carved it and all of the dishes were placed on the kitchen island for us to serve ourselves. All of it was delicious and it has been a year since I’ve had a good turkey dinner, so I over ate and when I had finished the slices of pumpkin and pecan pie, I was full.
We ate at about 4 O’clock, so by the time we finished, it was dark. Both Glen and I excused ourselves, thanking the host and hostess, and headed for home. Zack had been invited inside to be with Ray, Rae’s dog and Guy and Mary’s two dogs, but he chose to stay in the car. I had him come in three different times and got him calmed down, but each time he headed to the door and begged to go out, so I let him. It wasn’t terribly cold outside, so he was comfortable enough laying in the driver’s seat of the Jeep.
We got home at a little past six, with the trip taking just over an hour, being almost 50 miles one way. I was glad I went and enjoyed the meal, but was feeling uncomfortably full and glad to be home. I downed an Alka-Seltzer and stirred the fire back to life, fed all the critters and then sat down to try and rid myself of the near explosion feeling in my stomach. I was actually looking forward to bed, knowing I would wake to a better feeling in the morning.

Friday, November 27, 2009
It was overcast and gray with a light breeze when I got up at 8:45, but it soon turned to rain mixed with snow and then alternated through the day with rain, sleet and snow. It never stayed below 32, so the wet snow melted as fast as it landed.
Due to the weather, I stayed in all day and worked on the computer and some art projects I have going. I played with Zack numerous times, while Zoey and Rusty took turns getting individual attention in my lap. Although Zoey still isn’t ready to fully accept Rusty, they did share the couch for a long nap together.
Rusty is still doing fine, but I won’t be convinced he is 100% until at least a week after stopping this latest round of antibiotics. I still have several days’ worth to give him, so we shall see.
Dinner for all and I enjoyed the fire while watching television until bedtime.

Saturday, November 28, 2009
The weather this morning is clear with a very light breeze and in the high 20s to low 30s. I built a fire on the still red-hot coals of last nights fire and then had my coffee while checking my emails.
I worked on some training with Zack, as I need to spend more time challenging his exceptional brain. We reviewed all of the tricks and commands he has already learned and then I tried out a few new ones. A hand shake is something that a lot of people meeting him for the first time try, but I had never worked on that, so we spent some time doing that and he was rewarded with his favorite thing in the world . . . playtime. I also tried challenging him by throwing two of his disc at the same time to see how he would deal with it. At first, he tried to pick both of them up to return but when he couldn’t, he left one and brought the other back to me. I had to make him go retrieve the second one and we repeated this several times without him ever being able to collect and return two at a time.
I also spent some of the day doing research, writing, and working on some of my art projects. The day was too cold, with the wind chill being 21 degrees, to work outside. I played with Zoey and Rusty, using the catnip filled toys hanging from the ceiling beam, but Rusty wasn’t that interested and wandered off, which is when Zoey dove in and chased them.
Rusty is having trouble learning simple commands and I am not sure if it may be due to his possible brain damage or not. I don’t remember Zoey having any trouble learning voice commands for the words; move, stop that, watch out, come here, and other simple commands, but he at least is learning the command “no.” Often times he will stop what he is doing, or about to do, but mostly he just hesitates and then tries it again until I physically stop him.
He hasn’t been playing in his water dish very much and I made it impossible for him to move it, which I think helped. I replaced the clay litter in the downstairs litter box, which he has since used just to pee in, but only added the Feline Pine to the upstairs litter box, as Zoey isn’t use to this new type of litter. They are both using the upstairs litter box more than the downstairs and neither of them have used it for anything but peeing. I think that with time, they will both become accustom to using the new type of litter, and that should eliminate the mess and dried clay litter between Rusty’s toes.
As the day progressed, it tried to snow but didn’t and the wind picked up with gusts to 6 mph, which isn’t too bad. I have kept a fire going all day and the sunroom has remained at 72 degrees and comfortable for all of us.
I will play with Zack one more time before feeding all of them and then I’ll shower and fix myself something to eat as I settle down for the rest of the night.

Sunday, November 29, 2009
The wind picked up during the night and blew continuously, causing me to get up at 2:30 in the morning and shut my bedroom window. The temperature wasn’t that cold, 21 degrees, but with the gusting winds it felt a lot colder. It is supposed to be “partly cloudy” today, but it became overcast by afternoon and the temperature stayed at 32 degrees.
I did my usual computer work, played with Zack, cuddled with Zoey and then Rusty, who had spent the night sleeping with me, had something to eat and then worked on my art work for the remainder of the day.
Tomorrow is supposed to be “partly sunny” with a high of 38 degrees, so I plan on working on the generator platform and wiring for the shed and might even have some time to split some more firewood.
That’s it for this week. I hope your Thanksgiving and week was good.

Week of Oct. 19 to Oct. 25, 2009

Monday, October 19, 2009
The weather is still unsettled and it is raining this morning. By 11 AM, the rain turned to sleet and then snow. It was still above freezing so very little stuck until later in the afternoon when it had built up so much that it covered everything in a new white coat.
I spent the day inside doing this and that, working on the computer, watching television, enjoying a nice fire to keep cozy. I rigged Zack’s toys over the log beam in the sunroom and played keep away with him until he gave up. This satisfied his need for exercise and I repeated the game later in the afternoon. He was happy to nap in front of the wood stove and enjoy the warmth of the fire.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
It is overcast and cold this morning, with the low being 31 at 8 O’clock this morning. The forecast keeps changing so I don’t pay much attention to it and just go by what is happening outside the window.
After my usual morning, I changed into my work clothes and worked in the generator shed until 5:30, and then played with Zack before coming in to fix him and Zoey their dinner. I built a nice fire, showered, and then fixed my dinner, settling in front of the fire and television until bedtime.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
It got down to 28 at 9 AM this morning, and is staying cold outside. I built a nice fire to take the chill off the sunroom and then went about my usual morning routine.
I received a disturbing email from three different sources, all about the Copenhagen Treaty, and spent time downloading and reading the treaty text. If you haven’t already been made aware of this world changing treaty, please read about it. It could be a big step towards One World Government and the New World Order. This Oblamea, not a typo because we can blame him for all of this, is going to ruin our country within the first year in office.
In the afternoon, I worked on putting a tarp up on the woodpile next to the cabin and I restacked the wood for optimum space, cleaned the entire area, burning the debris in the outside freestanding fireplace. I also cut more firewood and stacked it with the firewood on the deck.
More play time with Zack and then I put away the tools and we came in. I fed him and Zoey, built a fire, made a cup of tea and rested before my shower and dinner.

Thursday, October 22, 2009
It was clear, sunny, and still cold this morning but by 10:30 the rain clouds began to appear and it became dark and threatening. NWS is predicting a 70% chance of snow for tomorrow night and then again on Sunday evening. I don’t think this storm will amount to much and will probably be mixed with a lot of rain, as the temperatures haven’t been that cold during the day.
I need more hamburger and vegetables for Zack’s dinners, so we headed into town in the afternoon.
One of my stops was at Costco, and directly across the road is the Humane Society. I had inquired about kittens in the spring, and while they had some, none were ready for adoption. They require all animals to have a check up, shots, and to be fixed before they can be adopted.
I stopped in and they did have several kittens that were ready for adoption so I looked at the ones available. They have a “cat room” where all the cats and kittens are allowed to roam freely, share toys, beds, food and play with each other. When I first went in, one little Orange tiger kitten came to me and was rubbing against my leg. I picked him up and he purred so loud people in the next room could hear him. After I put him down to investigate other possibilities, he continued to follow me and rub against me while purring loudly.
After I had looked at all of the kittens, I inquired about the tabby and was told that he had been brought in by a person that found him on their door step. A car must have hit him because his hindquarters were paralyzed and he was dragging himself around. He was taken to the outside vet that cares for the Society’s animals, examined and treated. They kept him until he was able to walk and treated him for brain trauma and an eye infection. His right eye is cockeyed and weeps constantly. Once he was well enough to be considered for adoption, he was sent back to the Society and put up for adoption.
Upon being returned, he instantly caught a cold, which is the Feline Viral Respiratory disease. It is highly contagious and often affects all of the cats in the facility. They treat it with antibiotics but the kitten didn’t do well on the first type, so they tried another and he got better.
I made a decision that this was the kitten for us; Zoey, Zack and myself, so told them I wanted him. Due to his medical history and only being with them a short while, they insisted that I take him home on a two-week trial basis. If he didn’t do well or get along with my other pets, I could bring him back. If he did well, I could fill out the adoption papers and keep him.
I was assured that he was completely healthy and had been checked by their in-house vet, so there shouldn’t be a problem. They gave me a hard sided cat carrier to use, telling me to bring it back in two weeks if I was going to keep him.
While he was at the vets, which was almost a month, they had given him the name Herbie. Of course I was under no obligation to keep that name and due to the fact that he didn’t respond to it at all, I thought I’d come up with a different name for him. Some names just don’t fit the personality and I wanted to see what he reacted to when I got him home.
We ran the rest of the errands needed and then got home around 5 PM. After bringing the kitten in, setting up a new litter box, water and food, I let him explore the cabin. I unloading all the stuff from the truck, played with Zack and then fed him, Herbie, and Zoey. Zoey was NOT happy to see the kitten and hissed at him, staying her distance. She pretty much stayed upstairs, where her litter box and dry food is, while the kitten stayed downstairs. He ate heartily and then climbed into my lap and napped. After building a fire and showering, I fixed myself some dinner, snuggled with the kitten in front of the fire, and watched some television until bedtime.

Friday, October 23, 2009
It is cold this morning, with the low being 24 degrees shortly after midnight, and staying in the low 20s until sunrise. It is overcast and dark outside, with the feeling of a storm coming in.
I read my emails and got bad news. My Air Force buddy, the one I visited in Wisconsin this past September, died early this morning. His wife, Rita, asked for information about his time in the service and I put together all the information I knew and sent it to her. The funeral will be held on Tuesday, and due to time and distance, I told her I wouldn’t be coming, but would like to remember him as he was during our visit. She responded that she understood. His obituary and the funeral service information is posted at http://www.roseberrys.com/httpdocs/Obits/2009/October/Smith.htm
I had planned on driving up to Great Falls to pick up my generator as the shop owner, Greg, had emailed me yesterday that it was finished, tested, and ready to go. Because of the bad news, I didn’t leave as early as I had planned, but Zack and I did leave at 2:30. We drove the truck up, loaded the generator into the back and then stopped to visit with Joe and Michele at their store. We didn’t get home until it was almost dark and I parked the truck in the garage, as I haven’t finished the improvements to the shed for the generator yet. I will make the necessary changes and rewire the shed before attempting to reinstall the generator.
I played with Zack and fed everyone before showering and relaxing with some heated up leftovers. The kitten seems lethargic and isn’t looking too good. He is sneezing more than yesterday or this morning, so I need to keep a close eye on him.

Saturday, October 24, 2009
It wasn’t as cold last night as the previous nights, but the temperature isn’t warming up. It is staying in the high 30s to low 40s, with an overcast and wind.
The kitten is looking like he is at Death’s Door, not eating or moving and a heavy discharge from both nostrils with labored breathing. I read every vet book I have for cats and knowing that he had a case of Feline Viral Respiratory disease I read everything about it. It is common for cats to have a relapse and I had no doubt that the kitten was suffering from that. I did an online search for information about FVR and looked for home remedies that might ease his suffering. About the only thing that the research and books recommended was the Children’s Afrin nose drops. I didn’t have any type of nose drops but knew he needed something to ease his labored breathing.
I decided to take him to town to see my vet, as waiting would mean letting him suffer or taking him to an emergency vet on Sunday. We drove to town and I called my vet, only to find out they closed at noon. I called the Humane Society and spoke to the same woman that I talked with when I took the kitten. She told me to bring him in and the in-house vet could look at him and give me the necessary antibiotics. I could either leave him with them to treat, or take him back home if I felt comfortable treating him myself. I didn’t bother telling her I worked as a vet’s assistant while in college, or that I have tons of vet books and a fairly full first aid kit for my pets, but told her I would keep him.
We drove to town and their vet, a young woman, took his temperature and handed me a bottle of antibiotics, telling me to give him a quarter of a pill twice a day (she didn’t even bother to give him one right then) and half a baby aspirin. I questioned her on the aspirin as everything I have ever read says that aspirin is deadly to cats. She assured me that it was fine and did wonders for the sick cats there. I doubted her and won’t be giving him any, after all, aspirin is usually to help bring a fever down, which he had a slight temperature, and to ease aches and pains. Knowing that a slight fever wasn’t going to harm him but the alternative of killing him with aspirin wasn’t an option.
We left, heading for home, arriving at dusk. I made a fire, gave the kitten a quarter of the antibiotic and made him comfortable. I then played with Zack and fed him and Zoey. Zoey has already been exposed to the FVR, so keeping them separated at this point seemed useless. Zoey has been staying mostly upstairs, but has been playing with the catnip-laced toy that the kitten had played with. They have their own litter box, water and food, so all I can do is hope for the best.
The first day I brought the kitten home, Zoey was really pissed at me and stayed upstairs. She would sit on the steps towards the top and hiss every time she saw this stranger, but as time went on, she got closer and investigated him.
I showered and then had some dinner, sitting down with the kitten in my lap, wiping his nose and weeping eye with a wet cotton ball to clean the snot and fluids away, preventing them from forming a crust. I put a very small dab of Vicks on his nose and I think it helped his breathing somewhat. I had stopped at the store and looked for the children’s Afrin, but they evidently don’t make it any more. The druggist recommended that I use a saline solution, putting one drop in each nostril, so I did. There wasn’t anything else I could do, so when it came time for bed, I built up the fire and made sure he was comfortable, letting him sleep in the new bed I bought for him.

Sunday, October 25, 2009
The sky is dark and cold with a heavy overcast. Snow and rain is predicted for today, and the wind is picking up. NWS predicts 60% chance of snow and rain this afternoon, with it dropping to 30% through the week, until Thursday, when it goes to 40%.
I was happy to see that the kitten seemed to be rebounding and was eating, drinking and being more active. I gave him his morning pill and fed him some wet food.
I spent the day reading and researching items on the internet. It held off raining, or snowing, until late in the afternoon and then rained a little bit. Aside from playing with Zack and giving Zoey and the kitten attention, I did little else.
It is now late and I had a shower and some dinner, and then watched television until bedtime.