Beauty Amongst the Ruins

Yesterday started with trapping two cats.  One a black one on Parsells, and another one a red one, on Melville.  They were both boys, and neutered at the clinic.  To those of you that called in to donate, thank you so very much.  I know I chose this path myself, but its come at such a high cost.  But with all the money I've spent myself, I know I've made a difference not only in unnecessary cats and kittens being born by TNR, but also by the rescues I've done that have turned into adoptions and made so many people happy and fulfilled with their lives because of their animal.  And thanks to you now, for helping me to make that difference. 

Both boys were placed on the porch for overnight accommodations for release this morning, but a foster reached out to me and asked if I would like her to foster Red.  I told her I was able to put my fingers through the cage and scratch his head, so I figured he would be adoptable.  I told her I would feel it out, maybe let him out of trap in bathroom.  So sure enough, I did.  He went a little crazy, maybe half drugged, and wound up in the litter box in the tub, where he remained until I went to bed.  I got up this morning to find him calmly sitting in the carrier I had replaced the trap with the day before.  I got down on the floor and spoke gently to him, and reached in and scratched his head again.  No problem.  I then went about doing my thing to get ready to leave the house at 4 am.  I heard some scratching and some banging around about half an hour later, and went in to find him hanging from the window, obviously scared, and growling at me.  I got him down, carefully, without touching him, and he went to a corner with ears down.  I slowly turned the carrier over to him and he went right in.  I closed the door, and decided that it was not his time. 

Yes, he was scared, no doubt, but he still had a bit of feral in him and I just couldn't take that chance.  Not yet.  Thank God the warm months are ahead and we have some time for him to start to trust me.  It hurt to let them both back out, but I had to do it.  As I will have to do it again this coming Tuesday, where I have two slots each week thereafter for TNR through the clinic.  And through the remaining months of summer if I have the money to do it.  Again, its $120 per week, which is $480 per month.  Yikes.  My friend was telling me she was going to Ireland this year.  I am so jealous.  I've lost out on so many normal things - like vacations - or even having the money to take them, and sleeping in.  What have I done with my life?  Where did it go?  Where did all the money go that I've made busting my $#%& all these years working a full time job?

WAA WAA WAA...  I know.  But its my blog, and I can whine if I want to.

SAM on Short and the Daffodil

The past few mornings, I get out to feed around Short, and I notice around the shelter a hyacinth and a daffodil in the middle of the field.  I wonder at this simple beauty, where these homeless creatures struggle to survive.  Its amazing to me, so I snapped this picture while Sam was running after me as I was leaving today.  If you click on the picture, you can see the daffodil.  I think that is a piece of garbage in front of it.  I will pick that up tomorrow, as I pick up stuff around there most days.  Gotta keep it clean!

Have a great day!

"It is said that you can't

take it with you;

I say there are two things you can

take with you:

the things you do for others and

the things you do to others."