Every Picture Tells A Story (don't it!)

Rod Stewart - still love that old geezer...

The picture above is of flowers that were delivered to me yesterday morning at my job.  This happened last year around this time also, and I don't think I ever figured it out, even though the card read:  We couldn't love you more, thank you...  Meow Meow...  Now, I know cats are talented in several ways...  BUT...  I wish someone would fess up so I could thank them properly!  They are lovely, and they definitely made my day, if not week, if not month, if not year!  :)   Springtime in the winter, nothing could be better than that. Thank you thank you thank you all you 'kitties' out there!  :)

I took some pictures this morning before my crappy camera died.  Keep in mind, I don't have a smart phone.  I have an old fashioned flip phone that I only use occasionally for texting, and calling.  That's it.  I can't take pictures, receive pictures, send pictures.  So I rely on this crappy Kodak camera I've had, and now its dead and needs recharging, but I did get some photos of some of my spots this morning.  And I will tell you a bit about them under each photo.

Temperature this morning - 10 degrees.  No new snow.

Nancy texted me last night asking me to pick her up at 5 am. this morning. She never did explain what happened to her last week when she was a 'no show'.  I figured she would tell me what happened this morning.  Well, after doing the first half of my route by myself (I go out at 4:15 now because of how long it takes when there is snow like this - and to be in front of her apartment building at exactly 5 am.), I sat and waited for her and she never came out.  I called her, honked the horn, nothing.  DRAT.  I drove off very disappointed, knowing I would have to do the rest of the route myself.  Alone.  In the dark.  But I did it and all is well.  And I even got home in record time.  I have no idea what is going on with her, but obviously, I don't think I can rely on her again.   She is a very nice person, I just don't know what is going on with her.  I do know she has said in the past that she oversleeps.

BE SURE TO CLICK ON PICTURE TO SEE UP CLOSE!

I had this little boy, who looks like a girl because he is so fluffy and pretty, neutered last fall, along with some kittens that were hanging here, my first spot, on Parsells.  He is the one that had the rare lice along with fleas, etc.  He finally learned to trust me and greets me each morning, waiting for his fresh wet food.

Second shelter on Parsells.  Here is where Petey and Paulie hang, the two reds, although haven't seen Petey in weeks, and Paulie is not always waiting for me.  I caught a very young tiger coming out from the inside one morning, scared to death, ran off.  There are two large shelters inside (underneath the snow, the tarp and the board on top).  The left is filled with straw, its just a large feeding station turned into straw bed.  I cover the floors of these shelters with a towel or blanket, you can see the blue blanket.

My pathway is straight, the pathway to the left is made by the kitties.  This is my Baldwin spot.

Baldwin:  Here is where the heads peek out when I arrive, it is nice and dry inside here.  Its like a little village inside, with at least four or five large shelters underneath the snow, board and tarp.  To the right of that is a lean-to board with more food, water and a fleece blanket.  As I've mentioned, cats can be territorial, so I try to space out the food. 

 

Baldwin, here are two of the regulars that wait for me.  You can see how cold it is.  The camera caught the air, it looks ghostly.

Fourth and Penn:  There are normally eight cats waiting here - I still have not been kicked out of this location.  Thank God.  

Fourth and Penn:  As you can see, I have shoveled a path for myself and for the cats.  Towards the back is a board leaning against a large shelter - more food dishes and a towel for them to stand on.

Here is what it looks like inside.  There are at least four shelters inside here, under the board tarp and snow.  I am not sure if they use them - I am fearful that the straw inside them could be wet, now frozen. Its a hard shelter to take apart in the winter with all this snow.

Second:  Behind Paul's house.  A lean to to protect the opening of the large igloo shelter from the northerly storms we've been getting.  Water dish outside of it.

Second:  Two shelter in back, on the left is a large snow covered lean-two with straw and blankets inside.  There is an adult tabby girl that has been living here for years.  This is where Tuffy used to be.  Haven't seen him in months.  :(

Second:  The igloo, with straw that now has snow in it, in the front.  Hard to change this stuff in weather like this.

Straw inside the shelter, you can see the indentation where female tabby lays.  (lies?)

Central:  Outside the shelter.  This is where Chico resides (although have not seen him in a few days now).  This is where Tippy Toes and many many others have come from.

Central:  Inside the shelter.  A large cat ran out this morning, frightened to death.  I make cat calls before I get to each shelter to let them know I am there, but they must not always hear it!

Central:  This is where I wanted a small board to place, and the jerk snowplowing wouldn't give me his board (I wrote about this a couple of days ago).  I needed it to lean against here so that the snow wouldn't get inside during the storm.

Central:  Path leading to this little shelter.

Seventh:  Here we have at least four regulars, two being cats just under a year that run from me when they hear me.  The other is Mama Girl, the kitten that had kittens that I was able to get two out of three who wound up being adopted. God, I wish I could remember them all......  can't remember their names and who they went to (unless I did a search on this blog - but who has time???)

Seventh - inside the shelter

Seventh:  The cargo shelter outside the shelter

And there you have it.  I hope this gives you a good visual of some of what I do every day.

Back at it tomorrow!

Have a great day!

"You don't always need a plan.  Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens."