Eyes Wide Shut

Reality ...  Check~!  Some of you don't like to read my blog because it contains some sadness.  Well, guess what, its reality, for sure!  Here are some observations from this morning.  There is one good one, so read at your own risk.  It is damned cold out there.  My fingers were beginning to go numb the first 15 minutes on my trip.  You ask, why don't you wear gloves?  I don't wear gloves because at each of my stops, I have to thaw out the water bowls, and to do this, I have to pour water over the bowls, and then pop out the ice, and pour in the hot water.  This gets on my hands, and gets the gloves wet, and then my fingers are in real trouble.  Hence, I don't even bother.  Secondly, there are four kitties that ran up to me at my first stop this morning, I have placed their bowls on the side of a house, right next to the other neighbor's driveway.  They must see the bowls, and its certainly not a location I can place a board to protect the food from the elements - I just have to do the best I can and hope four people will say they will adopt each one.  Right. 

Second, Big Red was waiting for me this morning, freezing.  I wish he would use his pea-sized brain and use the shelters, I pray he does and just runs out when he hears my car each morning.  Otherwise, he is just sitting there, freezing.  I have not heard from the girl who advertised for cats for her barn.  Hoping she is just busy.  It doesn't look promising, as she hasn't returned calls or e-mail.  Poor Big Red. 

Third, at my Short Street spot, and this is the good one, someone placed a board to protect the little carrier and food dishes I have under a porch on that street.  I was stunned this morning to find that!  During the summer, if you were to drive down this street, to me its the scariest street, mostly because of the way these people live, with trash all over their yards, and the houses are pretty scary.  Its not a street I would walk down without some hesitation, even though its a very short street, hence its name!  But at 5:30 am., its pretty safe, and dark, and there is a black kitty waiting for me there every morning, so there is no hesitation for me to go there each day.  But for someone to place the board like that, I was SHOCKED.  And grateful!  I must have a friend there, right?   

But at my second to last spot, there is a kitty that is so sick, its eyes are sealed shut due to the crust freezing them closed.  Its SO VERY SAD.   I don't know how it can even see to run from me when I pull back the board that it sleeps behind.  I do have soft warm blankets, and its fairly dry so it doesn't get exposed to the elements, now, and there is a nice igloo dog house with straw stuffed in it, and food each day, but what else can I do.  This is where my friend Nancy has now rescued two cats from last week.  I have rescued countless animals, including Buttons, the kitty my sister took.  We have also TNR'd a few there, but what can I do?  I don't have room to care for another cat, nor the money to get it vetted.  I must just do the best I can do.  Thats all I can do.  I feel so hopeless sometimes.