I’m back!! Yes, it’s been a very long time and so much has happened. We are now retired and we have moved back to our 28 acres in the Slocan Valley. It’s been a huge change from the big five bedroom house and the open space overlooking Kootenay Lake to being full time here, nestled against the mountain with tall trees dwarfing our little forest home.
It was a challenge to move the contents of the big house into our small three bedroom cabin. Boxes have remained unpacked for well over a year. No place to put anything and it’s been a lesson in having too much stuff. We definitely need to downsize! I sometimes look around and wonder at how we managed to raise two children here but we did.
I just had my 69th birthday and I still hope that I will be able to have a horse (or two) before I’m too old and out of shape to enjoy having them. I bought a saddle and still have a full tack box so I haven’t given up yet. My sister is raising Gypsy Vaner horses in California. They are truly remarkable and beautiful animals. She wants me to come for a visit and ride her beauties on the beach at Monterey. Sounds wonderful and hopefully I will be able to realize that dream.
Our son’s sweet old Pitty, Jupiter,  crossed the rainbow bridge last year and our little Mr. Rutgar still perks up his ears whenever anyone mentions his old pal. For weeks Rutgar would run to meet our son when he returned from work, obviously looking for Jupiter to return. We drove through town recently and when Rutgar saw a pit bull that closely resembled Jupie, he cried and tried to claw his way through the window.
Our daughter was given a long hair tea-up Chihuahua. A sweet tiny guy. We were a bit worried that our 19 pound Mr. Rutgar might do him harm as he’s a bit of a bully around other dogs but to our relief, he simply doesn’t acknowledge little Angelo. We all held our collective breath at their first meeting but the only recognition from Rutgar was a quick sniff and a butt bump… done.
We have two new cats. They were 1½ years old on December 8th. Rondo and Turk are a pair of rascals. They are brother ginger cats and my experience of with orange kitties is that they are the silliest, craziest, get into everything kind of fur babies. As a result, they have their own room at night just so we can sleep without the crashing, banging and scratching. We wanted them to be strictly indoor cats but with all the confusion and activity of moving, they managed to escape into the big wide world. That hasn’t come without a price. They both developed salmonella last spring after eating wild birds and we nearly lost them. With the wet spring we had, there was an outbreak of salmonella apparently due to dirty and mouldy bird feeders and subsequently, sick, slow, and easily caught, birds. We now have the two boys somewhat trained to a routine of coming in as soon as it begins to get dark, now about 3:pm. During the day they come in to use their litter boxes. I’ve had to explain to the household that the cats are most vulnerable outside when the are focused on doing their ‘business’. We have so many predators here, coyotes, coy wolves, wolves, cougars, bob cats, lynx, neighbour’s dogs… and oh yes, eagles. One of our neighbours lost her cats to eagles and I’ve noticed that our kitties dart under our deck whenever a large bird flies overhead.
I must not forget our son’s cat, Emerald, who lives here too. She is a black and white ‘Hemmingway’ cat, with 6 toes on each of her front feet. She wasn’t pleased when these two arrived. Lots of caterwauling, hissing and clawed smacks. She had lost her sister the year before, most likely to a coyote and was the house queen but I believe, lonely. She had been pulling her fur and was nearly naked but it seems that condition has resolved itself since the boys have been here. She realized they were here to stay and it now seems she has become their mama, teaching them everything she knows. The first lesson was how to climb down a tree and that’s a good thing as the very first thing Rondo did after his escape from the house was to climb 70ft up into a cedar tree, necessitating our son climb to rescue him. Once they learned how to navigate up and down, the tree-tops became their playground, leaping from tree to tree, following the blue jays that they harassed and thus the jays teasing and harassing them. I mentioned it to our vet when we took them for their neutering. He scowled at me and said, “That is not a survival instinct.”
The whole plan with the cats, all three, was that they would help to eliminate the mice that move into these warmer digs every winter. Unfortunately, with so much stuff and yet to be unpacked boxes, the cats are unable to get to the mousy hiding places. Mr. Rutgar is a natural ratter and has been focused on the pack rat that has moved in under the bathroom. We are trying to figure out how we can open things up enough so that the cats and dog can ease their frustration and catch a few varmints.
Hopefully I will get back to my painting and drawing soon. Most of my art supplies are still packed and I’ve not been able to make space enough yet in the ‘studio’ to immerse myself in my art. Fresh canvases wait for me and new untouched drawing books are now unpacked and shelved, waiting for me to get going… and I guess there’s no time like NOW.
I will include some photos of the crazy cats as soon as possible.
WISHING YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, WARM AND JOYOUS YULE AND A NEW YEAR FILLED WITH LOVE, HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND AN ABUNDANCE OF ALL THINGS WONDERFUL. Cheers!