Where Is He?

Where is Stripey?  He's a great cat.  Priscilla is a sweet cat, but she's not very affectionate and keeps to herself most of the time.  Elvis is a lovey cat, but usually later at night when I'm watching tv in the dark or after I've gotten into bed.  Stripey Cat would leap right into my lap and settle down for some good snuggling.  We already lost Black Kitty this year when he was hit by a car.  But Monday night Stripey Cat went outside and didn't come back.  He's only spent one night outside since last September.  He likes to stay out till bed time, but he always comes in at bed time.  He's afraid he will miss a meal!  If he doesn't come running, just shake the food dish.  He'll be at your feet in a matter of seconds!

Elvis has disappeared a number of times.   He's endured a lot.  He's moved 5 times.  And when Mike and I met I used to carry him to Austin, Texas on the weekends when I'd go visit him.  We've had to pick him up from the pound in Harker Heights, Texas a few times when I lived there.  It had even gotten to the point where they would call us to say he was there.  He just wouldn't stay out of the feral cat traps.  He even disappeared from where we live now for a whole week.  He came home scrawny and sickly.  But he's doing okay now. 

Prissy was not supposed to be ours.  Our landlord at our old place dropped her off and said he called the pound to come get her.  (But they never showed up.)  We had a guy staying with us for a while who was down on his luck.  So we gave her to him.  He took care of her, fed her, and everything.  Then, one day, he went out, got back into the crack cocaine scene, and didn't come back.  So we were sorta stuck with her.  But we've grown to love her.  She's not going anywhere right now.  This is what she's got at home.

She's got four little kittens that are about 2 weeks old.  Their eyes are just opening now.  They are adorable, too.  But where is Stripey Cat?!  He IS a male.  And he's right about the age where he should start getting curious.  But still, it's not like him to miss a meal.  If you're reading this Stripey Cat, please come home.  We miss you!

Can I Breathe?

These past two weeks have been a bit on the insane side of things.  We had open house at our branch for work last Tuesday and again at our Edenton branch 1 1/2 hours away on Wednesday.  So, that meant that I spent a good deal of Monday, and even some of the previous week, trying to prepare for all of it.  My boss flew to New York (upstate) to pick up a motorcycle that belongs to the company.  But it wasn't just any motorcycle.  It was personally created for Airgas by Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. of Orange County Choppers (OCC).  Tuesday we had a number of vendors here to sell their products (3M, Bosch, Metabo and others).  We were giving out free hot dogs, chips, and drinks.  The Hypertherm Rep even fired up a plasma cutter and let me give it a try!  My boss asked me to come in at 6 a.m. Wednesday to drive the six-figure ( I don't know the exact amount but I'm told it is between $100,000 and $250,000) motor bike to Edenton, NC, help out while I was there, then drive the bike back to Greenville that afternoon.  Then on Thursday, I had to drive the bike to Greensboro to meet someone who was taking it up to one of our stores in Kentucky.  Friday we had full gas inventory.  This week I have been trying to play catch-up from last week, plus it is month-end close out.

On top of all of this,  we have had some chicks hatch, and Mike called me this morning to say that Prissy was having her third litter of kittens (and she's not even 2 years old yet).    She's getting fixed soon.  You better believe I'm taking a much needed break this weekend.  Mike and I will be heading out to my parents Friday morning for the weekend.  I have pics, but they will have to wait till later. 
Hope you all have a wonderful Easter holiday!

A Bit on the Gang

Well, I'm not where I can start posting pics yet, but I suppose I can at least give you some wordage about the gang. Mike and I live on a small plot. It's a little over a half acre, I believe. We have a nice neighbor on one side, Henry. He's divorced with kids that stay with him part time. He's a good guy. He's always offering to lend us things like a hoe for the garden, scratch when we run out before I can get to TSC or things like that. On the other side used to be Ron and Susanne, but they, too, are divorcing. They put their house on the market and moved away. Now the home is empty and up for sale. Don't know much about the folks across the street. Mr. Wade lives across the field behind the house. He owns the field. This Spring he plowed a few rows for Henry and us to plant. I have squash, canteloupes, watermelons, okra, tomatoes, beans, radishes, eggplants, corn and cucumbers growing. Sometimes I let the hens out and have to watch them. They try to get in the garden to scratch.

We have two dogs, Max and Minnie. Max is a Toy Poodle. He's smart and loyal. He's a good dog and very "motherly". Minnie is a Rat Terrier mix. She's over weight. She loves to eat and eats almost anything. I try to keep her on a diet, but she sneaks in bites of cat food and everything. We have two cats, Elvis and Priscilla. Elvis is about 6 years old and all black. He spends a lot of time outside. He's fixed and has no front claws because he was supposed to be an indoor cat. But he wouldn't let that happen. Prissy is a gray tabby. She had kittens in April, but there was no way we could keep them in our little place. I tried to find homes for them, but no one would take them. They went to the pound. I hope they were adopted out, but I'm not going to ask. Prissy stays inside a lot and is still young. She's not even a year old. She was way too young to have babies, anyway. We have a Quaker parrot. Her name is Becky. We got her as payment for a debt. She used to be so mean to me. She tried to bite me every time I walked by. She's changed lately, though. I can't pick her up, but she lets me change her food and water and pet her head. We also have a couple of fish tanks. One has a bunch of Fire Belly Mickey Mouse Platys in it. The other has two African Cichlids, two Opaline Gouramis, and an African Brown Knife.

Then there's the chickens. We have four roosters. Perogi is the first rooster we got. He's a Rhode Island Red. He is so mean. He will spur you in a New York minute. He even tries to spur or bite me through the fence when I feed him. He's by himself at the moment. Bojangles is our Dominique rooster. He's very young. He's in a round with a buff hen, but he's not messing with her. Bucky is our Bantam rooster. He's pretty fiesty, too. Mr. Wade brought us a bantam hen for him. Hopefully she will start sitting soon. She had nine eggs this morning. Henry's bantam started sitting at 13 eggs. Then we have Col. Sanders. I don't know what he is. I don't even know if it's a he or a she. I thought she layed an egg once, but someone suggested it was left from the white hen that had been in the round. Mr. Wade swears it's a rooster, but he don't crow. We have four Buff hens that don't have names (yet). We have 10 black Sex Link hens (also nameless) that are still a bit young for laying. And we have 13 White Leghorns that were rescued from Perdue that lay very large brown eggs. One leghorn has a gimp foot. She doesn't lay. Her name is Dana, after a high school friend also with a gimp foot (lol). We have two bantam chicks that we got from Henry, and should be getting one or two more from him. I think one is a rooster, but I would prefer if the others were hens. I have a small Red/Leghorn mix chick that we hatched in the incubator. His name is Little Chicken. He follows us everywhere and comes when we call. Yesterday her rode around on my shoulder. His sister died in an escape attempt their first night outside. And we have five bitties that just hatched this weekend.

That is our gang. Yeah, I've put a lot up here. But it's a necessary introduction. Hopefully I can start posting pics soon. Hope you like what you have read, and will stick around for a while!!