Week of Nov. 16 to Nov. 22

Monday, November 16, 2009
It is partly cloudy outside and a bit warmer than previous mornings with the temperature being in the high 30s. NWS is predicting the same until Thursday, and then a 20% chance of snow through the weekend. If the wind stays calm, I should be able to get more firewood cut, split and stacked this week.
Due to Rusty’s condition, I will drive to the Divide and call my vet to see if they can see him.
After finally getting a cell signal, I called my vet, explained the situation and they conferred with my vet, Julie. She told me to bring him in and leave him so she can do additional tests to find out if there are other problems that are causing him not to get well.
We drove to town, I checked in at the office and they had an assistant come out to the car and take Rusty in. I had to
give them contact information and it took a great deal of insisting to get them to agree to notify me by email, rather than phone. For today’s businesses not to have the ability to communicate over the internet seems shorts sighted, but even their web page is “under construction” and has been for some time. I think they just don’t want to bother dealing with people over the internet and while I appreciate that, in cases like mine, I would expect them to make an exception.
I truly hope that this course of treatment will give Rusty back his full health and not become an on going thing. I hated to leave him when he was so happy being here with us, but the assistant pointed out that he had originally spent more time there than he has with me, and should remember the place and people. She was right, but you know he will spend his nights alone, in the dark, in a cage, rather than cuddling in a warm bed, getting pets of reassurance.
Zack and I stopped at Ace Hardware and I bought two rolls of the vinyl snow fence. I had done the research on the web and decided to try some this winter, and can hopefully block the drifts on my road out. There are two or three spots that drift over the road at the angle of the hillside and I have slid off and down against trees while trying to traverse the area in the Argo, with the snow tracks on. The placement of the snow fence is critical, and all I can do is try it this winter and see if it will help. If the placement isn’t correct, I will have to try a different placement next winter and keep experimenting until I find the correct location.
The web sites, some of which are from highway departments in snow bound states, say that the fence needs to be placed 80 to 140 feet from the road, which is impossible for my situation as I am dealing with the wind driving the snow up the hillside from the creek, which is about 50 to 60 feet down the steep bank. I will try placing the fence about half way up the hillside and hope that will work. I will need to pound in posts between the trees to fasten it, so I may use the old T-posts from the barbed wire fence that I removed from around the cabin.
We stopped for my mail and then at the motor home to remove the batteries, which I should have done long ago. We arrived home just as the daylight was fading and I played with Zack before feeding him and Zoey, showering, eating some dinner and watching some television before bedtime.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The sky is mostly clear with some high thin clouds in the distance. The temperature never got really cold last night with the low being 24 degrees. By the time I got up at 9 AM, it was 37 degrees and the frost on the roof was thawing out and dripping off. I am hoping for a nice day so I can cut up all the trees.
By 11:30, I had changed into my work clothes and with only a sweatshirt on, went out to play with Zack and then attack the task at hand. The sun felt good and the temperature continued to increase, along with a breeze. Because the temperature was in the 50s, the breeze felt good and kept me from getting too hot and sweaty.
It took me 5 hours, but I managed to cut all of the trees into sections and stack them next to the log splitter. I took numerous breaks to rest and drink fluids, which caused Zack to believe if I wasn’t working, it must be playtime. I managed to use the tennis ball throwing stick to toss the ball enough to satisfy him without draining all of my energy. He was happy and I got to rest my back and shoulders for a bit.
By the time I put the chain saw and equipment away, it was almost 5 PM, so I fed Zack and Zoey and sat down to have my glass of V-8 with apple cider vinegar. I started to stiffen up right away and I know I’ll be sorry tomorrow for pushing myself so hard to get it done today. The only reason I pushed to get it all done is that NWS is predicting the possibility of snow for tomorrow. Because I stacked all of the sections, they won’t freeze to the ground and I can split them, as I need them if the snow continues.
National Weather Service is showing partly cloudy after today and through the remainder of the week, with a possibility of snow again on Friday night and Saturday. I need to keep a close watch on the possibilities of snow and the amounts predicted, as I have to move the Jeep into Marysville before the road becomes impassible, or I won’t have any way to get to town.
After a nice hot shower and some dinner, I relaxed in front of the fire and enjoyed a couple of programs on television before bedtime.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
My new weather station is working out very well and is showing a variation of about a half a degree difference from my old station. I attribute that to the placement of the unit and it being a newer, more sensitive unit. I also like that I can see the day, date, inside temperature, inside humidity, outside temperature and humidity, plus the wind and gusts without having to press any buttons, as I do with the old one. So all of the information I am interested in is displayed at once and all I need do is glance at it.
It is overcast and cold this morning with NWS still predicting snow for today, but only 30% chance. Did anyone see any meteors last night? I stepped outside every 30 minutes or so and while I saw thousands and thousands of stars, I didn’t see one single meteor. I was disappointed, as I had set up my new camera to try and snap a few photos if I could.
I haven’t received any messages from the vet so far, so I will drive to the Divide today and try to call them for an update on Rusty. I think Zack misses him because he is sniffing all of the places Rusty had frequented. Even Zoey seemed to look for him, and I assured her that he would be back, but she is just happy to have my lap to her self for now.
I drove to the Divide and called the vet and was told that Rusty is doing really great but the doctor wouldn’t be in until tomorrow afternoon, and they can’t release him until she signs off.
I haven’t been weighing myself every day, but usually try to every other day, and do so in the morning and again that evening to see what the difference is. When I weighed myself last night, I was almost shocked to see that I have dropped 24 pounds in just the last couple of weeks. The last time I was weighed at the doctor’s office, I weighed 230 lbs. and after getting this new scale, I weighed 228 lbs, and last night I weighed 206, and I haven’t changed my routine or eating habits very much. The only thing I have done, is have the two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and drink a lot of V-8 juice. I have been trying to keep my pH at or about 7.0, but other than those things, I have been eating as usual and other than cutting the wood, I haven’t changed my exercise routine. Do you suppose that the claims of people loosing weight by consuming apple cider vinegar and controlling their pH have real validity?
The day was colder than I thought it was going to be and with the wind chill factor, I decided not to work outside today and got out my assorted art equipment and started a couple of projects for Christmas gifts.
Using my new weather station information, regarding the indoor temperature and humidity, I have yet to achieve the “happy face” icon, which happens when the temperature is between 68 and 79 degrees, with the humidity between 45% and 64%. When I first build a fire in the morning, the humidity is close to 45%, but the temperature is in the 50s and as the temperature climbs from the heat of the fire, the humidity drops. Even with the humidifier running full blast, I can’t seem to get the humidity any higher than the low 30s. No wonder my skin is dry and itchy.

Thursday, November 19, 2009
The sky is clear and it is cold outside, not to mention it is only 52 degrees in the sunroom. The propane stove in the living room came on early this morning and ran until I got up. It is set at 55 degrees and only heats the living room, dining room and kitchen area, so the sunroom is always a bit cooler in the winter.
It is noon now and the temperature is only 41 degrees, but the wind is less than 2 mph, so I might work outside today, but I need to wait to hear from the vet, and if she releases Rusty, I’ll drive into town and pick him up.
No one bothered to email me, so at a little after 3 PM; I drove to the Divide and called them to see if I could come pick him up. They told me to come on in and get him as the doctor said he was fine.
Zack and I drove to town and I was able to talk with Julie about Rusty and his problems. She was very honest in telling me that there is no way to know if his immune system will ever mature to the point that he can fight off the viruses and illnesses that come his way. At least being up here at the cabin, he won’t be exposed to anything, so he should have a fighting chance to build the immune system and be a healthy cat.
Julie asked that I keep her informed and sent us off with a new prescription of another liquid antibiotic, his fifth course as of now. She said this antibiotic is mild and won’t affect his joints or cause any other problems for him. We stopped for my mail and some hamburger for Zack’s dinners before heading home. I let Rusty lay in my lap for the drive home and he happily stayed right there the entire trip.
Once at the cabin, he followed me around while I prepared dinner for Zack, Zoey and him. He ate the full amount and then napped while I showered and fixed my dinner. The remainder of the evening, he slept in my lap and stayed downstairs when I finally went to bed.

Friday, November 20, 2009
It is overcast but warmer than the previous morning, but a quick check of National Weather Service shows a 60% chance of a snowstorm this evening with a 70% chance tomorrow. Snow is predicted through the weekend and into next week and the high temperatures are remaining in the 20s.
Rusty climbed upstairs and snuggled with me just before I was ready to get up this morning. He isn’t acting like a playful kitten and sleeps most of the day. I tried to get him interested in playing by using the laser light, but he just stares at it. Meanwhile, Zoey will chase it all over the place and Rusty looks on with indifference. I haven’t quiet figured him out yet and I’m not sure if it is some brain damage, or he just isn’t up to par and hasn’t really figured life out yet.
Even though it isn’t very warm outside, I decided to deal with the siding on the propane shed. I never finished it when I left on my trip to Missouri, so I wanted to get the wood off the ground and put away the new lumber that I had purchased to refinish it.
It is now 5 PM, and I just fed the gang, with Rusty having had a half a can this morning and a quarter of a can tonight. There is nothing wrong with his appetite. He is still learning the word “no,” as I am sure he hasn’t heard it much under his circumstances, and he is now laying in the bed I bought especially for him. Small steps in the positive directions are all I should expect.
I will shower and then have a bite of dinner before relaxing for the rest of the evening.

Saturday, November 21, 2009
The snowstorm blew in sometime in the early morning hours and the wind was the worst of it. It blew at 12+ mph and only left a dusting of snow covering the ground. It is 25 degrees at 10 AM, and the low was only 24.4 degrees at 7:37 AM. My old weather station is showing sun and rising pressure, while the new one is showing rain (or snow) and a dropping pressure. I will wait and see if they change in the next few hours.
I spent the entire day bathing Rusty and Zack, cleaning and vacuuming to rid the cat litter that Rusty had scattered all over the cabin. He slept with me the entire night, getting up at about 7:30 and when he came back to my bed, he was wet and covered with cat litter. I made him sleep on top of the bedding and when we got up around 9:00, I had to give him a bath before I even had my coffee.
Zack wasn’t really dirty, but he smelled “doggy,” if you know what I mean. After bathing the two of them, I had to vacuum or Rusty would just be covered with litter again. I also did five loads of wash, washing all of the pet bedding. Now the critters are clean and smell better, along with their beds.
Joe and Michele arrived a little after 5:00 PM, and we visited for a while and then I fixed us a spaghetti dinner and we ate until we were full. We visited more and watched some television before bedtime.

Sunday, November 22, 2009
It was actually warmer last night, due to the cloud cover, and the low was only 24 degrees. It snowed most of today and at times was heavy, but there was no wind.
We enjoyed a brunch of bacon, eggs, hash browns, biscuits, and orange juice and then played a game of Monopoly. I lost big time, finally ending the game when I couldn’t pay Joe the $1,200.00 rent on his property with a hotel. I grilled chicken breasts for dinner and had a fresh spinach salad and some rice with it. By 6:30, they packed their belongings into Joe’s truck and headed for Helena. I watched television until bedtime and took Rusty to bed with me.

Week of Nov. 9 to Nov. 15

Monday, November 9, 2009
Sunny clear skies, but cold, it was 13 degrees at 9:30 this morning and the low was 10.2 earlier. NWS is predicting snowstorms starting tomorrow and last through the week, so I’d better get outside and get some more firewood and finish up a few things as I may not see another day this nice for a while.
At the end of the day, I had split and stacked all the sectioned tree I had cut up last week. It was cold and by the time the sun ducked behind the mountain, I was ready for some warmth from the fire, so after one more playtime with Zack, we came in. I fed the crew and sat down with my V-8 juice to warm up before showering and having dinner.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The sky is clear and the morning is cold, with a low of 21 degrees. At least the wind has died down and if the sun warms things up, it will be nice to work outside.
I spoke too soon, before I could change into my work clothes and get outside, the wind picked up again, gusting to 28 mph. Even in the sunlight, the wind drove the cold through my jacket and made my nose constantly run, but I managed to finish my work.
I bucked the downed tree from last week and cut it into two sections so I could drag it to the cabin with the Argo. I then proceeded to cut down four more trees, buck all of them, cut them in two pieces and drag them to the cabin. One tree was too big and heavy, so I ended up cutting it into three sections. By the time I got the last section to the cabin, I was too tired and cold to continue, plus I have a rule of not operating the chain saw, or any dangerous equipment, when I am tired, so even though it was only 3 PM, I quit for the day and put things away.
After parking the Argo, I came in, built up the fire and sat down with my V-8 to relax for a bit. Wood chips had gotten down the back of my shirt, so I stripped and showered, enjoying a nice hot shower. I played outside with Zack briefly and then fixed some dinner and relaxed in front of the fire and television.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 Veteran’s Day
Today is the day that every American should be thanking all of the men and women that have or are serving to preserve our way of life. Agree or disagree with war or our current situation, but remember that those men and women are serving us and following directions whether they agree or disagree with them. Thank a veteran today; my sister thanked me.
It is overcast and threatening this morning, with NWS predicting a 60% chance of a snowstorm. They are predicting snow for the entire week and through the weekend, with high temperatures never getting above 28 degrees. Right now it is 37.5 degrees at noon and the wind is starting to pick up, but no rain or snow as of yet.
It is now evening and no sooner had I wrote the above and it started to snow. At first the flakes were large and floated through the air searching for a place to land, and then they came faster and faster until the ground was covered with them.
Due to the snow, I found things to do inside and spent the day in front of the fire watching it snow. Zack and I played inside and a couple of times outside, while Zoey and Rusty watched through the windows. Rusty seems all well now and I finished the last dose of medicine tonight. He loves to play in the water dish, so I have restricted him to having a very small amount in a heavy bowl that he can’t tip over. I wash his feet two or three times a day to get all the caked-on cat litter off, but it is an ongoing process.

Thursday, November 12, 2009
It is still snowing lightly and has accumulated; covering the trees I pulled to the cabin on Tuesday. NWS is predicting snow through Saturday night, with some sun on Sunday, so Joe and Michele may be up to help split and stack wood.
I finally got a return email from La Crosse, which is the company that made my weather station. I had written to them last week to see if I could just buy the wind indicator and not have to buy a whole new weather station. They told me that while they didn’t sale directly to the public, I should check with Great Big Outlet, as they handle the company’s entire surplus, discontinued and blemished products, so I did. It turned out that they had the indoor receiving unit, but not the sending units. I did find a replacement wind sensor that would work, but it was $32.75, whereas, I could buy an entire weather station, that was a discontinued model, for $42.75, so I opted for that.
I do have the old weather station sending good data on outside high and low temperature, and wind speed, so I can use it as a back up to the new unit. The new unit has some differences, but I think I’ll be able to learn those differences without a problem.
I have spent the day inside, due to the snow, and organized papers and paid some bills, while keeping warm and cozy. Zack hasn’t even bugged me to play and he and Zoey are napping in front of the fire, while Rusty naps on the chair next to me.
It has just stopped snowing, so I’ll ask Zack if he’d like to go out and play and I’m pretty sure I know what his answer will be.
The afternoon cleared up and the sun even came out, but it still only got to 31 degrees, so I stayed indoors and kept the fire going. I did a lot of computer work, nothing important, just this and that. Zack and I played inside and out several times and when I went out to start the generator, I broke off a rather large icicle and threw it for him to chase. When he picked it up, it shattered and then he proceeded to dig in the snow looking for it.
Rusty is behaving like a normal kitten, well as normal as he can be, and playful, especially in the water dishes. After he pulled over the big self-filling water container, I spent a lot of time mopping and cleaning up the mess, then bathing him to remove the litter. I am glad he likes taking a bath, but hope he gets over the playing in his water dish.
As of right now, I plan to make a trip into town tomorrow for a few items, including returning the incorrect chain for my 18” chain saw. I picked up the wrong one and although it is for an 18” Husvarna, it won’t fit mine. I will also drop off a couple of chains to be sharpened professionally. It is worth the small fee they charge to have them done correctly and it is time consuming for me to do them. I may also have my new weather station as UPS tracking is telling me it should be delivered tomorrow.
I shall feed my zoo and then shower and have some dinner before relaxing for the evening.

Friday, November 13, 2001
It didn’t occur to me that today was Friday the thirteenth until I typed it. I am not superstitious but all the same, driving to town on the snow I do have can be troublesome.
The weather is cold (0.3 degrees) and NWS still predicts snow, but it is just a very few flakes blowing by and the sky overhead is perfectly clear and bright blue. I hope the snowstorms hold off until just before Christmas and that way I can still drive all of the way in and out to town.
Zack and I made the trip to town and we stopped at Murrdoch’s to replace the wrong chain for my 18” chain saw. Marc, the manager, simply gave me the correct one without even caring to see my receipt, so we next stopped at Ace Hardware and I bought a couple of tarps to replace the ones the wind storm tore up. I visited with Steve, one of the managers, for a short while and discovered that they carry the vinyl snow fences and he said that due to living in the mountains, he installed some where the snow drifts across his driveway and always blocks the road. I told him about the two or three spots where the snowdrifts fill in my road, making it difficult to pass in the Argo. The snow fence comes in 4’ x 50’ rolls for $30.00, so I may try it this winter and see if it will help make it safer in the drift areas.
We then stopped to pick up my mail and the new weather station had been delivered. I also had a lot of mail, but mostly junk mail. I drove to Safeway, got a few items and picked up a prescription, and then filled three 5-gallon gas cans and we headed for home.
I stopped at the motor home to get the tow bar, as I will need to tow the Jeep down to Marysville before the next heavy storm. It was 28 degrees outside and I had trouble getting the lock and electrical line off, so my hands were almost frozen. I finally got tools out of the Jeep to help remove them and managed to get it off and put it in the Jeep.
We didn’t arrive home until after sunset and it got dark fast. I unloaded the car and then played with Zack for a few minutes before putting the groceries away. I built a nice fire, had my V-8 juice drink and then opened my mail. Upon completely that, I fixed myself a very nice T-bone steak and made a fresh spinach salad. I also sautéed some fresh mushrooms and had all of it with a nice glass of red wine. It was delicious and as good as the steak dinner Michele, Joe and I had last Sunday.
A shower and some television before bedtime rounded out the day.

Saturday, November 14, 2009
It doesn’t seem as cold this morning, but it is only 14 degrees at 9:30 and the low was 9.6 overnight. The sky is mainly clear and the sun is shining, so I am hoping it will melt some of the snow on the ground and make tomorrow a nice day to work outside.
I spent the majority of the day doing several loads of wash, cleaning the kitchen, playing with Zack, Zoey and Rusty, working on the computer and watching television in front of the fire.

Sunday, November 15, 2009
It is clear but cold this morning with a low of 13 degrees. There is a slight breeze, but I am hoping that it doesn’t build, as I’d like to cut more firewood today.
My friends Joe and Michele were planning on coming up today to help me split and stack firewood, but Michele’s car broke down and they have to go car shopping. It’s just as well because the wind picked up here and while the temperature, in the direct sun, was 29, the wind chill factor made it 5 degrees.
Before I discovered just how cold it was outside, I donned my work clothes and heavy work jacket and went out to tackle the job. By the time I put the new chain on the chain saw and gassed it up, my fingers were tingling and burning. When I was in the service, my nose, ears, fingers and toes were slightly frostbitten, so they are the first to react to the cold. I cut part of a tree and had to go inside to warm up. After cutting the entire tree into sections, I took another warm up and then stacked the sections next to the log splitter, so they don’t freeze to the ground. By this time, I decided I should wait for a warmer day to continue, and stopped working.
I spent the remainder of the afternoon setting up my new weather station. While it is similar to my old one, it required reading the directions twice to set all the proper settings. I finally have it up and working and really like that it shows some different things than my old one, like the indoor temperature AND humidity with a little happy/unhappy face if the humidity isn’t high enough. Having dry itchy skin is probably due to the low humidity when I have the wood stove going all day. The humidity was only 32% when I finally set up the unit and 45% to 64% is considered the normal range. Because of this, I have been running the humidifier to help adjust the humidity.
This unit also has a moon phase display, showing the moon phase for the day with an image. One feature I really like is the wind gauge. It not only gives the wind speed, but it shows the highest gust, plus it has the Beaufort scale, showing the top wind speed from 0 to 12 in strength. My old unit only showed the max wind speed if I pushed the buttons while this new unit displays all of the information all of the time. This weather station doesn’t show the wind direction, but then that usually doesn’t change at my location, so I can just look at the trees outside and see the direction it is coming from.
I am still reading all of the information on how to get the high and low, with the date and time, so I can keep a record. I am very pleased with the new station and you can’t beat the price ($42.88 + 12.33 S/H) for a unit that is usually $159.95). The blemish, which is an almost unperceivable little mark on the plastic face, is why it was sent to La Crosse’s discount distributor, Great Big Outlet. If you, like me, are interested in keeping track of your weather, I highly recommend going to the outlet store and finding a weather station that fits your needs.
Bad news about Rusty, he seems to be coming down with the infection again. He has been acting like a kitten up until this afternoon and then he became listless; with rapid swallow breathing, drooling, a slight temperature and signs of some dehydration. I have been forcing water by using a syringe but he resists it to the point that most of it runs out and down his chin. I will monitor him through the night and call the vet in the morning to see if I can get him started on the antibiotics before it gets too bad.

Week of Nov. 2 to Nov. 8

Monday, November 2, 2009
The day began with a sunny clear blue sky, but still cold in the early hours. I had a fire to warm the sunroom and fixed my coffee as usual. I gave Rusty his pill and noticed a lot more discharge coming from both eyes and his nose. He was sneezing regularly and looked miserable. He wouldn’t eat the canned food I gave him and barely touched his water. After nine days on the antibiotics, he should have been improving, not going down hill, so I put him in his crate and drove with Zack to the Divide for a cell phone signal.
I called my vet, explained the situation and finally got them to let me bring him in to be seen. I emailed most of you the following, but will put it in for my blog post so that others can read it.
Rusty was taking a nose dive again and aside from not eating and drinking, he was having trouble breathing and just laying like a rag doll, not wanting to move, so I drove him to the Divide, where I could get a phone signal, and called my vet, hoping to have her see him today.
I managed to get Rusty in even though they refused at first. They said that because I hadn't officially adopted him and he was just placed in my care as a trial, they couldn't treat him without the Humane Societies permission. Well, after a lot of discussion, and the assistant running back and forth to the vet, I found out the Humane Society is closed on Monday, but I finally convince her (my vet is a woman) that he needed to be seen today.
They told me to bring him in and she would work him into her schedule, but to keep him in the car so the facility wouldn't be exposed to the disease. I went in and notified them I was in the car in the parking lot, and they should let me know when they were ready to see him. I had barely gotten back out to the car when an assistant came out and led me through the back door and into an isolated exam room. Julie, my vet, came in and recognized Rusty as Herbie, the poor kitten that almost didn't make it. It turns out that she was the vet that the Humane Society sent him to when they first got him. She was the one that nursed him back to health and told me that he was so bad off that she actually took him home with her so she could keep an eye on him through the night.
When I told her the story of events and the medication the Humane Society had him on, plus the fact that they recommended aspirin for him, she about flipped. The antibiotic they had him on is too strong for a kitten and she agreed that aspirin could be deadly for cats and I had done the right thing to NOT give him any. She questioned me about the girl that told me these things, saying that the Society doesn't have an in-house vet, and while she didn't know the person I described, two of her vet assistants work as volunteers for the Society and she would find out who the girl was and set her and the Society straight.
Julie wanted to keep him for a couple of days to hydrate and keep him in a cage with a humidifier, but I told her that he had been bounced around enough and I felt capable of caring for him. She agreed and prescribed a subcutaneous injection of fluids and a milder liquid antibiotic. Two assistants came in to give him the fluids and immediately recognized him as Herbie. Everyone made a big deal over him and said they almost adopted him themselves, and they were glad to know he was in a good home.
Julie came back in, gave him an injection of the antibiotic and gave me the liquid of the same, with instructions on administering it. Due to the circumstances, they are billing the Humane Society, even though I told them I'd pay for it. Now I am not sure if I should go ahead and adopt him now, or wait until he is healthy and let them pay for the vet bills and medicine. Julie said that some kittens can take months to recover and are kept on antibiotics. She also told me that excessive antibiotics can be harmful and I mentioned the killing of good bacteria in the gut, causing problems with digestion, and she said no, it could damage their joint development. I hadn't read anything about that, so I am now guarded on this his third round of antibiotics. She asked that I contact her in a week and let her know how he is responding. She also gave me a couple of cans of high protein canned cat food to help him regain his strength.

We stopped at Target to buy a humidifier and then after stopping briefly at the RV, headed for home. It was dark by the time we arrived and I unloaded Rusty and built a fire. I then set up the humidifier and fed him the canned food. He ate it all and was acting more normal, so I guess the fluids and shot acted quickly to help him recover some energy.

I had promised Zack some inside play time so we played keep-away and tug-o-war for about 20 minutes, while Rusty watched with great interest. I then fed Zack and Zoey, showered, ate, and relaxed for the night. At bedtime, I followed Julie's suggestion, put Rusty in the carrier, and positioned the humidifier so it was putting steam into the crate.
I think you can see from the above that it consumed my entire day.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009
When I got up at 5 AM, Rusty heard me and was crying, so I let him out of the crate only to discover that he was all wet. The humidifier must have been putting out too much steam, even though I had it set on the lowest setting. I shut it off and dried him, putting him on my chair and building the fire up. I went back to bed and Zack asked to come up, so I let him. Rusty started crying so I called him and to my amazement, he climbed the stairs and jumped up into bed with us. I covered him and snuggled, which caused loud purring and much contentment. After awhile he decided he wanted to explore this new world and jumped down to explore all of the upstairs. Even though Zoey was upstairs, I never heard a hiss or any disturbance, so I guess Zoey just kept a close eye on him.
It is cold this morning and overcast, looking like it may rain. I hope it clears up and gets a bit warmer as I planned on collecting and repairing all of the wind damaged items.
By noon, the sky did clear and the sun came out, but it was still cool enough to need a jacket outside. I had my coffee while warming the sunroom with a nice fire, and collected my emails, letting Rusty purr in my lap. After having some fresh biscuits and honey, I changed into my work clothes and went out to collect the items that were still in the creek after the windstorm. While in the creek bed, I noticed that several rails of my Jack Leg fence were down and went to investigate. It seems that the wind knocked one of two dead standing trees down and it landed on the fence, breaking several of the rails.
I reattached the tin to the roof of the firewood storage area, securing all of the panels with numerous extra screws so it will hopefully stay. I refastened the tarps and decided that I’ll need to buy new ones the next time I am in town. These were pretty torn up and I wasn’t able to attach all the edges like it needs to be. I put the outside freestanding fireplace back together and then changed the oil in the little generator. I had a choice to make about working on the platform for the big generator, or hauling the downed tree to the cabin and cutting it up. I decided to haul the downed tree, so took the Argo over and bucked the fallen tree, hauling it to the cabin. I decided to take down the other dead standing tree as it was probably going to fall during the next storm, so I fell, bucked and dragged it to the cabin.
I started cutting the first tree into sections and got half way done when the weather turned uncomfortably cold, not cool, but cold, so I put my things away and came in. I discovered that it was only 4:15, but the sun was behind the mountain, so I will leave the rest of it to be finished another day. I have a chiropractor appointment in town tomorrow and need to make a decision about Rusty and the Humane Society while I am in town. I probably won’t get back to dealing with the firewood until Thursday.
I started a fire and played with Zack before sitting down to write this update. I’ll shower and then eat something before resting for the evening.
Just as I was getting ready to take my shower, the power went out so I traipsed out in my underwear, thinking I would simply start the generator and return to the cabin as I usually do. Well, it was 35 degrees outside and the generator refused to start. I spend a half an hour working on it to no avail. I found a ground wire broken, so made up a new one with new connectors and installed it. It didn’t help. I returned to the cabin and tried to light my Coleman lantern but the propane tank was empty. I then tried to light my kerosene lamp and found that Rusty had knocked the chimney over and it destroyed the mantle, so I found another propane tank and got the camp lantern lit. I put on some more clothes and went back out to work on the generator.
I checked everything I could think of and found too much oil in the foam air filter, so cleaned and reinstalled it, but it still wouldn’t start. I though maybe it was flooded, so pulled the plug and it was dry. I had a new plug so installed it and after much pulling I got it to run. I guess I’d better work a little faster on getting the big generator installed and make sure all of my back up lighting is in good order.


Wednesday, November 4, 2009
It is cold this morning, with the low being 17 at 5 AM. The high thin clouds broke up by 10 AM, the sky cleared, and the sun began warming things up. I still built a fire to take the chill off the cabin and the propane stove in the living room, which is set at 55, was on when I came down stairs. The barometer is indicating a low and showing the possibility of rain, but NSW is predicting clear and sunny, with the possibility of snow on Friday and through the weekend.
Last night, I took Rusty upstairs with me and he slept under the covers next to my head, purring all night long. I know he is feeling better and was so happy to be with me in a nice warm bed. He didn’t move or get up until 5 AM and then came back to bed with me when Zack did around 6 AM. Zoey joined us briefly and I don’t think she even knew that Rusty was under the covers.
Zoey is still acting put out and wants to make friends and play, but doesn’t know how to do it. At one point this morning, they were both on the stairs, Zoey coming down and Rusty going up, but when Rusty was one step away, Zoey hissed and acted as if she was going to swat him. They stayed that way the entire time I was doing my morning routine in the bathroom, and then Rusty left, following me into the kitchen for some breakfast. He has been packing away the high protein canned food like a starving kitten. He also finished off a cereal bowl full of dry kitten food, so he should be bulking up any day now.
I am giving him the liquid antibiotic morning and night, but he hates it and slobbers most of it out. I wish the vet had given me the pills instead as he didn’t mind taking them. I have to go into town today and will stop by the Humane Society and make a deal with them. I can finalize the adoption, at no additional charge due to knowing he is going to need further medical treatment, or I can extent the temporary custody and let them pay for his treatments. I already paid a $35.00 fee and the adoption cost for a cat is $85.00, which covers the neutering and shots, so I think them absorbing the remaining $50.00 would be fair. We shall see what they think of the deal and go from there.
I made the trip to town, stopping at the Humane Society as I said I would. I didn’t need to make a decision about finalizing Rusty’s adoption as they offered to extend my agreement and they will pay for all vet and medicine needs until he is completely healthy. I spoke with the woman that is in charge of the Society and let her know about the advice to give Rusty aspirin and she was unaware that it had been used on cats. She will look into it and I hope for the sake of the cats, she does.
I stopped to get some prescriptions refilled and pick up a couple of items and then we headed for home, arriving around 4 PM, which is about the earliest I’ve gotten back from a trip to town in a long time. I unloaded the items from the Jeep and played with Zack before fixing dinner for all of them and sitting down to relax in front of the fire before fixing my dinner and watching some television.

Thursday, November 5, 2009
Except for some high thin clouds, the sky is mainly clear and sunny. I am hoping for a repeat of yesterday’s high, which was 62 degrees. NWS is predicting a snowstorm for Friday and through the weekend, so I hope to get some work outside completed before that happens.
I changed into my work clothes and went to work on splitting and stacking the firewood. I finished, getting about a half a cord of wood, and stacked all of it. Even though it started getting cool, I decided to fall a couple of more trees and get them to the cabin. By 4 PM, the sun had disappeared behind the mountain and I had downed two more trees, dragging one of them to the cabin and sectioning it. The other tree has a lot of limbs that need bucking, so it will have to wait for another day.
By the time I sectioned the tree and stacked it next to the log splitter, it was getting dark and had dropped in temperature to the point I had to put my sweatshirt back on. I took care of a couple of more things, put away all my equipment and came in for the evening.
Rusty is improving to the point he is acting like a normal kitten. He is ALWAYS under foot and I have accidentally stepped on him twice and swiftly moved him out of my path, unintentionally, with my feet. He is eating and drinking a lot, playing with toys and generally getting into mischief, which is pretty normal. I am teaching him the meaning of the word, NO, but he is fighting it, getting into and onto everything he can. Last night, he jumped about two feet from a chair right into the middle of my steak dinner! He is a character and I can tell by his behavior that he is afraid to let me get out of his sight, and I am sure it is because he's been moved around and left so many different places.

Friday, November 6, 2009
The weather is cloudy with the threat of a storm. NWS is still saying snow today and through the weekend, so we shall see. The low was 31 with a high of only 37 for the entire day.
I over did it yesterday while cutting wood and my lower back and shoulders are hurting, so I opted to take it easy today and only do some light cleaning of the cabin. Joe and Michele are coming up tomorrow evening and spending the night; so I will pick up and do some cleaning so the cabin is more presentable.
I decided to move the couch in the sunroom against one of the sliding doors and when I pulled the couch away from the wall, I discovered that it must have gotten wet under there as the ASB flooring under the carpet is bubbled up and spongy. I also discovered that something, probably a mouse, died and literally melted under the couch. There was a rather large area of some substance pooled on the carpet. It was about a 1/8 of an inch thick and I had to use a putty knife to scrape it up. I vacuumed and then used carpet cleaner four times without being able to remove the stain.
It became too dark to see what I was doing, so I’ll left things as they are and will wait until tomorrow morning to peel the carpet back and inspect the bubble in the flooring.
More playtime outside with Zack and then I fed all the critters and took a shower. As soon as the sun ducks behind the mountain to my west, which is by 4 PM, it gets really cold, so our playtime outside was a short one.

Saturday, November 7, 2009
The wind has picked up again and it was 22 degrees with horizontal snow this morning. The snow isn’t sticking and the wind is blowing it around.
I had a shorter than normal morning, as I wanted to do some laundry and finish the cleaning. I cleared and oiled the dining room table, scrubbed the kitchen and island, mopped the floor, cleaned the bathroom, finished arranging the furniture in the sunroom and vacuumed the entire cabin. I also cleaned the sunroom windows inside and out before stopping at sunset and taking a shower.
I relaxed in front of a nice warm fire and watched some television while waiting for Joe and Michele to arrive. They got here a little after five and we visited for a short while as they became acquainted with Rusty, then I put a couple of frozen pizzas in the oven for our dinner.
After dinner, we watched a little television and then Joe and Michele retired while I stayed up to watch some additional television before going to bed.

Sunday, November 8, 2009
It got down to 18 degrees before midnight last night, and is still cold this morning, but no snow. There are threatening clouds to the west, but so far it is sunny with a strong breeze. The wind gusts are in the 20 mph range and causing a wind chill that exceeds my comfort zone.
Joe and Michele were up before I climbed out of bed, which is usual. It seems that Rusty enjoyed spreading the cat litter on his wet feet in Joe and Michele’s bed during the night. He only visited me briefly in the early dawn hours. He is acting normal for a kitten and I am hoping that this latest round of antibiotics will put an end to his infection. He doesn’t have any discharge from his nose or eyes, other than a little from his bad eye, which has nothing to do with his cold. He is breathing normally and active, so with the additional days of antibiotics to give him, I’ll hope for the best and see how he does.
I have discovered a couple of more things about him, one of which is that he is double jointed in both front paws and sometimes he will stop walking and one paw seems to be doubled back and looks very odd. He also seems to have some mental processing problems as he will jump up and head somewhere and then just stand still like he forgot what he was doing. He has a look of confusion on his face, but after a short time, he continues to do whatever it was he started to do. I wish I could read his mind and tell what was going on. He is a funny little fellow and I enjoy all of his idiosyncrasies.
After my morning coffee, Joe played with Zack outside while I started breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns, toast and orange juice. After breakfast, we visited and then started a round of Yahtzee. The score sheets provide for 6 games and we usually play that many. We did take a break after the fourth game and Joe played with Zack again while we stretched our legs.
Back at the game, I finally won one, while Joe took the majority of the six games. We put things away and started dinner, which consisted of some huge T-bone steaks, large baked potatoes, and artichokes. I sautéed some fresh mushrooms to go with the steak while Joe BBQ the steaks outside, and we all had a great dinner. Michele and I split both a steak and a potato, as we knew that we wouldn’t be able to finish them on our own, while Joe ended up taking part of his dinner home.
After cleaning up and after doing the dishes, we sat around the fire and let the meal settle, while visiting some more. It was almost 7:30 by the time they packed up their things and headed for home, while I added to the fire and watched some television until midnight.

Week of Oct.26 to Nov. 1

Monday, October 26, 2009
Boy am I behind. I haven’t been keeping up with my log, so I will reconstruct most of this week from other emails I sent and notes on my calendar.
The weather today was dark and overcast with the look of rain and by late afternoon the wind picked up to gusts in the 35 mph range and it started snowing before sunset.
My sister, Sharry, and I emailed back a forth and she, along with a lot of others, suggested some names for the kitten. One name she suggested sounded perfect for him, so his name is Rusty. Thanks Sharry.
For most of the day I called him by that name and he didn’t respond, so I became suspicious and decided to test his hearing. Prior to this, he had been so sick that he slept most of the time and it didn’t occur to me that along with his eye problem that his hearing may also be impaired. I started testing his hearing with sounds that I was sure would attract his attention. I waited until he was looking away from me and then made the sounds. He didn’t respond and didn’t even move his ears toward the sound. I made the noises progressively louder and noticed that if I clapped loudly, or whistled loudly, he was startled and would turn towards me.
My conclusion was that he was practically deaf, noticing only really loud noises. It didn’t bother me that he may be deaf and I just needed to adjust my approach to communicating with him. His “cold,” which is called Feline Viral Respiratory Disease (FVR), is getting better and by late afternoon, he was eating and more alert than yesterday, but still not acting like a playful kitten. All of the feline "colds" are called FVR, but there is FCV, which is Feline Calicivirus, a Feline Pneurnonitis (Chlamydia psittaci), Mycoplasmal infection, Feline infectious peritonitis and pleuritis, and FHV, Feline Herpesvirus, which can cause the same symptoms but the cat may NEVER get over. If he doesn’t get completely better, I’ll have him tested by my vet for the cause.
I spent the day cleaning and doing some wash, working on the computer, and watching television in front of a nice warm fire. Zack and I played several times and I enjoyed watching his interactions with Rusty.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The weather today is cold and blowing snow, with gusts to 20 mph and the high for the day barely getting above the freeze mark. My chipmunks have disappeared, except for one hearty soul that is taking a few peanuts back to his burrow. The birds all disappeared last week, so the animals are trying to tell me something. What do you suppose it is?
It snowed most of the day, so I played with Zack indoors, using the toys I strung up over the log-ceiling beam in the sunroom. He got plenty of exercise and I wore him out three times during the day.
Rusty is improving, as this is the third day he has been on the antibiotics. He his eating like a horse and drinking copious amounts of water. I have discovered that this kitten loves water, which is kind of unusual. I am using a regular cereal bowl for his water container and he moves it out from under Zack’s food and water platform and plays in it. He then dries off in the litter box, so he has the absorbent clay litter stuck in his front paws constantly. I started only putting small amounts of water in it so I could wash it out and replenish the water on a regular basis.
He took to the new bed that I bought especially for him, while he was so sick but now avoids it like the plague. It may have the odor of his nasal discharge and reminds him of being sick, so I will wash it and see if it helps.
Some of my observations about Rusty are; his ears look too big for his head, his cocked eye makes it look like he is looking at two different things at the same time, despite his eye damage, he seems to see out of it okay and even has depth perception as he can jump great distances with accuracy, he sneezes 7 times in a row, like I do, but he isn’t consistent, he loves water, and has one of the loudest purrs I’ve heard. He also isn’t the least bit afraid of Zack and even likes him.
I spent most of the day indoors, going for a short walk when the snow stopped momentarily, and working on the generator shed briefly. I just haven’t been overly eager to get the big generator back on line, as the little one not only works well, it uses far less gas for the same amount of running time.
A quiet evening in front of the fire, with a good dinner and some television ended my day.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
It is overcast and cold this morning, with some brief periods of calm air and the sun trying to peek out. NWS is predicting snow and rain for the remainder of the week and into the weekend.
Rusty is starting to act more like an energized kitten and playing and exploring everything. I am trying to teach him the meaning of the word “No,” but between his hearing and stubbornness, he is a slow learner. He is, however, regaining some of his hearing and responded to more noises. I am beginning to think that the congestion from the cold may have been plugging up his Eustachian tubes, causing him to loose his hearing, and now that the antibiotics are helping, the tubes may be clearing and he is able to hear better. I hope that is the case, as it would be nice for him to respond to his name.
Zoey hasn’t exhibited any signs of coming down with the FVR and is behaving normally. She is getting braver and approaching Rusty without hissing or acting aggressive. She is slowly getting the idea that he isn’t going to go away, and therefore she wants to make sure he knows she is in charge.
I goofed around all afternoon and did some research online about the Copenhagen Treaty. By late afternoon, the winds picked up and it began to seriously snow. It was a wet snow and stuck to everything, including my satellites, so it knocked out my internet connection. I shut things down and showered, fixed and ate dinner, watched a prerecorded movie and went to bed.

Thursday, October 29, 2009
It is cold this morning, with the temperature at 10:00 being 14 degrees, with an overnight low of -1.8. The high for the day was in the late afternoon, when the sun came out briefly, and it reached 38 degrees. Most of the day stayed in the 20s.
Last nights snowstorm delivered about 8” of new snow and covered everything. The icicles on the edge of the roof look like the plastic ones we used to hang on our Christmas tree when I was a kid. I snapped a couple of photos and will include them.
I managed to clean the kitchen, including a thorough cleaning of the stove, and need to clean the refrigerator as a plastic storage dish cracked on the side and spilled sticky stuff all over the shelves. I’ll get to that later. I played with Zack, both indoors and out as the weather wasn’t too bad, but stayed cold all day.
A nice hot shower, some dinner and then television time rounded out the day.

Friday, October 30, 2009
It turned warm (34 degrees) last night and started raining, heavy at times. It is washing all of the snow away and making the ground a muddy mess. Zack tracks in mud and spreads it around faster than I can clean it. Once it dries, I can usually vacuum it up with out too much of a problem.
Mary and Guy are hosting a lunch on Sunday and invited me. Ray and Rae, maybe cowboy Harry, and myself are the guests. I accepted as Joe and Michele aren’t coming up this weekend, but will be up next weekend.
It rained most of the day and I played with Zack indoors rather than have him getting all wet and then tracking more mud into the cabin. I spent the afternoon cleaning the cabin and managed to clean the bathroom from top to bottom, and the sunroom, including a thorough dusting and vacuuming. I also washed all the pet blankets and the towels that I use for them.
Zoey is getting braver and even used Rusty’s potty box to let him know she owns this place. He is still sneezing and has discharge from both eyes and his nose. He seems to have several hours of feeling good and then he has a bout of sneezing and naps for a couple of hours. I know he feels miserable and hope he gets over this soon.

Saturday, October 31, 2009 - Happy Halloween
The wind picked up shortly before 11 O’clock and has been blowing strong all day. I have had gusts to 48.5, with it being fairly constant at around 20 mph. While working on the computer, that strong gust ripped a section of the new metal roofing off the wood shelter and blew it past the window. It also blew one of my porch light off and down into the creek, knocked over the free standing outdoor fire place, shredded the tarp on the side of the Argo garage, blew down the 16’ Little Giant ladder that I had leaning against the cabin, and knocked my weather station off the deck and into the creek, totally destroying it. I can’t, or I should say won’t, try to fix any of it while the wind is blowing as I just fight with it and the wind wins.
I did go down and collect all of the items blown into the creek and secured them so if it does snow, they won’t be lost until next summer. I tried to play with Zack outside, but even throwing the tennis ball was fruitless against the wind. We played inside until he was tired and then he napped while I finished this update.
It is 5:30 PM, and I will now build a fire as when the sun disappeared, it got cold, and then I’ll shower and have some dinner before settling down to watch some television for the evening.

Sunday, November 1, 2009
Without a weather station, all I can report is the current outside temperature, whether there is wind or not, and condition of the sky. I am looking into getting another weather station and will probably go with the same type so I don’t have to learn a whole bunch of new instructions to operate it.
The wind is still blowing, but not as strong as yesterday, at least not right now. As the day wears on, it may once again picked up to 30 or 40 mph. By 11 O’clock, the sky over me was completely clear and sunny, while it was snowing, with the wind blowing the snow horizontally from the south-southwest.
I will be getting ready and heading to Marysville for the afternoon lunch with Mary and Guy soon, so I’ll finish this upon my return.
I didn’t finish this last night as I was tending to Rusty and his cold, or whatever it is. He actually seems worse, so I’ll try to get a vet appointment for him tomorrow. Zack and I drove to Marysville, making the passage with only a little slipping and sliding on the muddy road. We arrived right on time, 1:00, as instructed. Another couple, Ray and his wife Rae, arrived a half hour later and we all visited for a while. Supper was hot pulled pork on fresh bakery rolls, with a homemade bean salad and potato salad, followed with desert of cheesecake with homemade berry syrup. It was all delicious and filling. After more visiting, I said my goodbyes and headed for home.
Zack and I got home around 5:30, and I built a fire and fed all the critters. Upon playing outside with Zack, I fooled around with the weather station and actually got it to send data to the inside display, so I can at least get the high and low temperatures, plus wind speeds. Having eaten so late, I didn’t eat again, so settled in to let Rusty cuddle in my lap while I watched television and then went to bed.

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.

Week of Oct. 12 to Oct. 18, 2009

One last large icicle

The skunk that visited

A chipmunk that died praying

Monday, October 12, 2009
It was cold again last night with the low being -10.8 at 7:48 AM this morning. Helena was calling for a low of 7 degrees for last night, so I hope the predicted high in the 40s for Wednesday is true. It is clear this morning, but NWS is calling for more snow tonight and snow likely tomorrow and through Thursday night. They are showing a possible break on Friday, with the high being 44 degrees and partly sunny.
I have been having some trouble with my acid reflux and allergies, so didn’t feel like doing much of anything today. I was having trouble focusing my attention on anything for very much time, so did a little of this and that most of the day. I decided to do additional research on acid reflux, as what the doctors are doing isn’t working and the medication, while being probably the best for me, isn’t solving my belching. It is so bad that it makes me sick and I feel like I need to throw up all the time.
I found a web site on using apple cider vinegar (ACV) to solve the problem and spent most of the afternoon reading about the benefits of taking a couple of table spoons of it on a daily basis. A few years ago I had purchased a book on using vinegar for health and dug it out to reread. It seems that the natural ACV has a long history of medicinal uses and is said to cure many aliments. Using apple cider vinegar with baking soda helps balance the body’s pH and can be beneficial. According to the site: Apple Cider Vinegar has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties, primarily coming from the malic acid and acetic acid portion of the vinegar.
Most of what I managed to read and understand makes sense and at this point I am willing to try almost anything. My acid reflux problem has followed a long list of symptom, from a constant dry cough, to severe heartburn, to stomach pains, regurgitation, and now abnormal bouts of belching. The medication has helped the symptoms but not cured the problem, so I am going to try the apple cider vinegar and baking soda treatment, along with a spoon full of natural honey, and hope for the best.
ACV and honey is also supposed to help allergies and asthma, so it may help in more than just one area and seems like it can’t do any harm. Besides the acid reflux and allergies, I have no other problems and hope that this may be the natural wonder elixir I am searching for.
By 5 PM, it began snowing for the first time since yesterday evening, so I guess NWS is correct in their prediction. I shall shower and fix myself some dinner, already having fed Zack and Zoey, and then relax by the fire until time for bed.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009
It was overcast and in the teens this morning, but by 11:30, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds and began to raise the temperature. By noon, it was reaching the 40s and the snow began to melt. My hopes of the weather changing and becoming warm enough for the snow to melt were dashed when I checked NWS and discovered that they had changed the forecast and now expect a 70 percent chance of snow this afternoon and 90% tonight, with more snow through Thursday night. The 40+ degree weather they predicted for Helena has changed to 80% chance of snow into Friday, with the temperatures rising into the 60s on Friday afternoon.
After my disappointing trip to the RV on Sunday, I doubt that the ice in the tanks will melt enough to empty them until the temperature has stayed in the 50s or 60s for several days. My problem here is whether the winds will blow the still loose snow into deep drifts on the Divide. If it does, I may not be able to get into town as both vehicles are here at the cabin. None of the weather reports forecast far enough in advance to determine if I should move the Jeep to Marysville for the winter. Normally, I wouldn’t have to do that until late November, but this isn’t normally.
I spent the morning as usual and then played with Zack before deciding how I would spend the day.
Well, it is 6 PM now and I just played with and fed Zack. It is somewhat sunny and the temperature in the direct sun got into the mid 40s, but on the shady side of the cabin, it didn’t get higher than about 34 degrees. The sun helped melt some of the snow, but there is still plenty left, plus NWS says a 90% chance of snow this evening. They are also predicting winds, which will cause the road on the Divide to be impassible with deep drifts.
I spent the afternoon working on resetting the inverter/charger limits, as the batteries simply aren’t holding a charge for more than 24 hours. They should last me 36 to 45 or more hours, so I got out all of my manuals and the information about my new batteries, which I had downloaded from the web, and carefully reread everything. After reading it out loud, three times, so it would all make sense, I realized my error.
I had read that low temperatures don’t affect these Acid Glass Mat (AGM) batteries, at least until it is 40 below, but I didn’t understand that the charging of these batteries is affected by temperature. With the low and below zero temperatures I’ve had, the voltage needs to be increased to fully charge the bank. I won’t bore you with all the math and terminology here, but to put it in simply terms, I needed to decrease the amp input and increase the volt input, which I did.
Just prior to doing the adjustments, I had run the generator until the charger said the batteries were fully charged, so I had shut it down just prior to making the adjustments. What I found out when I took voltage readings of each battery was that I charged the bank to about 60% of a full charge. The inverter told me they were charged based upon the figures I had previously entered. Once I made the adjustment for the low temperatures and started the generator again; it began charging to the full capacity. The bad news it that at 40 degrees and lower, the bank will take 10 to 13 hours to be fully charged!
So, based upon this new information, I should be able to fully charge the battery bank and have it last me for at least 36 hours before it needs to be topped off again. I just hope that all of the under charging I have previously done hasn’t shortened the life of the batteries. The generator has only been running for two hours since I recalibrated it, so I will have to refuel the generator a couple of times before I am done, not to mention stopping and starting the generator for bedtime. I just hope that this truly solves my problem.
I will shower and then have some dinner and relax for the rest of the evening.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
It is partly cloudy, with a breeze, but not threaten in overall appearance. I have decided to make the trip to town for my chiropractor appointment.
As I was doing my regular morning routine, not in a hurry to go to town as my appointment was for 2 PM, and my peripheral vision noted a large dark shape at the sliding door. I started to get up to let Zoey in when I realized she was asleep in the chair next to me. Zack was asleep in front of the fire and didn’t stir. I saw something I’ve never seen at the cabin, and hoped I never would. It was a large skunk! He sniffed around the door, woodpile, the peanut shells and debris in the area, and then disappeared around the corner into the woodpile along side the cabin.
Zack had been acting funny about going out, sniffing at the door and firewood and then turning around and wanting back in. He hadn’t barks, growled or acted scared, but his behavior wasn’t normal. I now suspect he picked up on the scent and didn’t like it. It dawned on me that if the skunk decided to pack his winter home under the woodpile, we would all be trouble. It then occurred to me that skunks are nocturnal and this one was out snooping around at noon on a now sunny day. My understanding is that it could be a sign of a rabid animal, so I wanted to make sure it didn’t stick around.
By now, my getting the pistol to insure my safety if I went out and it attack, stirred Zack, but he still didn’t want to get outside. I carefully stepped out and walked away from the cabin so I could view the woodpile and surrounding area. I saw no sign of it and walked all of the way around the cabin. There was still enough snow on the ground that I might have seen tracks, but didn’t. I imagine he could have been under the pile, but I couldn’t see all the way to the back. The underside of the cabin is sealed very well, with metal flashings shirting the entire foundation, so unless it dug under the skirt, I don’t believe it could gain access, but I’m not sure.
I couldn’t take the time for further investigation, so Zack and I headed for town, while Zoey was safely inside cabin. I still had the chains on the truck tires, so I wasn’t concerned about making it out, but NWS forecast 90% chance of snow this afternoon. We got to Marysville without too much of a problem, only sliding into ruts where the gumbo mud was. In Marysville, I removed the chains and we made it to my appointment at 1:45. After the adjustment, we stopped at Safeway, Whole Food, Ace Hardware, Target, and picked up my mail. We then stopped at the RV Park and I managed to open all the valves and drain the water heater, but I won’t know the damage until I try to use the water system the next time I use the motor home. It is supposed to be into the 60s by Friday, so I think most of the ice will melt and drain, at least I hope so.
I decided to take a chance that we could make it back without put the chains on, so up the mountain we went. It hadn’t rained or snowed since we left, so my tire tracks were still visible and we followed them home, arriving at 5:30. After unloading my goodies from the truck, starting a fire, and putting things away, I was disappointed to discover that my adjustments to the inverter/charger made no difference whatsoever and I had to start the generator to charge the batteries.
I will need to rethink the setup and try to figure out why the charger isn’t charging the battery bank to its fullest.
There was no sign of the skunk, so I am hoping it was just passing through looking for food. Zack don’t react when I let him out, so I hope it is gone for good.
I fed Zack and Zoey, but due to the lateness of the day and the fact that it was getting cold, plus a split on his paw, Zack got no playtime. I showered and fixed myself a grilled skinless chicken breast and due to drinking way too much V-8, had three sodas before going to bed.

Thursday, October 15, 2009
The sky was clear last night, but there are a number of clouds in the sky this morning, with the forecast being for possible rain. The high temperature yesterday really surprised me at 60.4 degrees. National Weather Service is predicting a high of only 48 tomorrow, but 61 on Saturday.
Yesterday, I purchased an electronic scale that not only tells you your weight, it gives you calories and BMI, so I spent some time reading the directions to set it up only to find out it was defective and I couldn’t even get it to turn on. I also bought the new water filter product called Zero Water, which gives you a TDS tester that tells you the amount of Total Dissolved Solids in the water, and the fewer the particles, the lower reading. I was amazed to find that my bottled drinking water had 233 dissolved solids, while my faucet water was 111, and the Brita filtered water had 044, whereas the Zero Water had 000.
I am totally impressed with this new filter system and can taste the difference in the water. Because I am on my annual health kick, I am watching what I eat and trying to keep my pH levels balanced, which includes drinking a lot of water, so the better the water, the better for me, or at least I think so.
The Zero Water system has a convenient pitcher, which allows you to either pour from the spout, or use the push button dispenser on the bottom. That way you can place it in the refrigerator and just get a glass of water when you want. I brought mine at Target for $34.99, but you can find them in other large stores like, Home Depot, Walgreens and Wal-Mart. After testing my bottled water I think that using the Zero Water is a good idea for pure drinking water. If you go to Amazon, you’ll see several different types of pitchers and systems.
I haven’t seen any sign of the skunk and even put out some apple to see if it would take the bait. Zack isn’t acting strange about going out and none of the chipmunks seem to be acting differently. I truly hope that it has moved on to other locations. Speaking of animals, Zack’s crack in his pad is healing and he seems to be back to normal. I have limited his playtime and he seems just as satisfied, so I’ll keep checking it and hope for the best. I am going to make him some snow boots to wear this winter, and hopefully limit the cracking in his pads.
The weather was kind of stormy, so I stayed in, cleaned the kitchen and picked up the mess I have been living with for the past several weeks. After returning from my trip, I sort of just left things where they laid and not done much cleaning. Michele had done an excellent job of cleaning and vacuuming before my return, so I started in good shape and have gone down hill since then.

Friday, October 16, 2009
The sun shining in my eyes awakened me and I looked forward to a sunny, warm day, but that changed when the clouds moved in and looked like it might rain. A quick check of NWS shows that they have altered their forecast and now show a partly sunning day with the high only reaching 48. It isn’t the mid to high 60s that they thought we would have, and after the surprising high of 60 degrees day before yesterday, I expected today to be nice.
I spent the morning doing some more research on diet and pH balance and found some interesting and surprising information. I was told by my chiropractor to check out a site that outlines diets and discovered a chart of alkaline and acid foods. I am going to try the apple cider vinegar idea, check my pH levels on a daily basis for a month, and record my findings. I will summarize those findings on my blog when I conclude the study.
I have done a lot more studying about diet, the use of vinegar, and acid reflux, along with playing with Zack a few times. I am not holding my breath, but NWS is predicting 59 degrees and mostly sunny for tomorrow, so I will plan on working in the generator shed, preparing for the return of my large generator. Meanwhile, I am still trying to figure out why the charge on the battery bank isn’t lasting longer.

Saturday, October 17, 2009
The weather looked like it was changing for the better and when the sun came out, it warmed up considerably. My high for today, in the direct sun, was 77.3 degrees, which is amazing when you consider it was only in the 40s yesterday. The weather service keeps changing their forecast, so it is hard to predict if this will last.
I had my usual morning routine and then went to work on the generator shed. I managed to make a big dent in the job of cleaning and organizing, but it will take a couple of more days before it is the way I want it. After it is thoroughly cleaned and everything is in its place, I will rebuild the generator platform and rewire the shed. I hope I can put up some blue board insulation and maybe even sheetrock the interior before more cold weather, and then I’ll be more comfortable when I need to use it during the winter.
Play periods with Zack, between working in the shed, and then one final playtime before feeding him and Zoey, finished the day. I showered and had a nice hot cup of green tea before thinking about dinner. I have been on a real kick of drinking V-8, apple juice, and hot tea for over a week now. My body is trying to tell me something and I am attempting to listen.
Dinner and television for the remainder of the evening, with bedtime coming at midnight, which is the time I’ve gone to bed almost every night this week.

Sunday, October 18, 2009
The wind picked up during the night and is blowing close to 12 mph, gusting to 15 at times. It is overcast, cool and looks like it might rain. National Weather Service is calling for 30% chance of rain or snow for this afternoon and evening, with a 70% chance of snow tomorrow. It is a big change from the warmth of yesterday, and that was short lived.
After my usual morning I went out to work some more on the shed, hoping to finish getting the tools all organized and in their proper place.
It is now 6 PM, and I have just come in from getting all the tools organized and starting to disassemble the table that the generator sits on. I have to lower it a few inches so the exhaust pipe doesn’t need an extension as it leaked and filled the shed with fumes.
I played with Zack until he was pooped and then fed him and am doing a second load of clothes while the first dries in the dryer. I just built a small fire, as it is getting a little chilly. I will finish this update and then post this weeks events before I shower and have my dinner.
I finished computing my pH level, as it requires two days worth of readings and then some math to come up with the average and my actual pH level. It came out to a reading of 5.91, which is more acidic than it should be, but not off the charts. The book says I am 5 to 10 times higher than I should be and I need to balance my system. I need to do some more reading to see just what I need to do, and I will adjust my diet to compensate for the high level.
I have continued my two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and rather enjoy the taste of it, when mixed with a glass of water. I am trying it in hot water, like a tea, right now and find it soothing to my throat. I made the mistake of taking a deep breath before having a sip and about choked on the fumes. The smell reminds me of dying Easter eggs. Mom always added some vinegar to the dye and the smell brings back pleasant memories.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope the weather holds so I can finish my shed and retrieve the generator next week.