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.