Thursday, November 27, 2008

Felix Update

We've reached a milestone or two. Felix is eating a whole serving of food at time without me spooning it into his mouth. Better yet, I don't have to hold him while he eats. We can break the association of my lap with food.

I saw a glimmer of old Felix this morning when he reached his paw into his dish. He used to do that with the dried food -- reach in and dig out a chunk and eat out of his paw. Only the food didn't always stay in his paw long enough for him to eat it and there was always a mess around the dish.

I dreamed last night that he jumped up on the counter. But alas, it was only a dream. He eats, he drinks, he sleeps on the heating pad, he uses his box. Pretty good for a cat that was this [] close to going into a hole in the ground last week.

Thanks for the good kitty wishes! >^..^<

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

One Life Down, Eight to Go

Remember Felix?




Last Tuesday Felix was acting weird. He walked up against the end table table legs and looked at me and meowed and meowed. It was like he couldn't figure out how to move himself. I picked him up and tried putting him in his favorite resting spots, but he struggled to get out of them and kept heading back towards those table legs. He wasn't moving right. His left leg kept folding up underneath him.

He finally made it to where he wanted to be -- curled up on the carpet next to the heat register. I decided two things. 1. Felix wanted to be warm. 2. Felix was dying.

I wanted to make him comfortable while he peacefully died. I covered the heating pad with a flannel pillow case and put in near his warm spot. He soon found it.

On Wednesday, he staggered out, got a drink, used the box and went back to the heating pad. I'd bought a couple of cans of cat food and fed him a tablespoon or so and gave him some water with the bulb syringe.

On Thursday, I fed him some more of the canned food. Then I went out and dug a hole for the inevitible burial. Then Felix groomed himself. Got more water. Used the box and went back to bed. He really rallied.

On Friday he ate the rest of the can of food. It was no small task -- I'd given up on H's baby spoon and was using my fingers to put food in his mouth. He chewed gratefully, sometimes on my fingers. I made a wooden spoon out of a big popsicle stick with my Dremel. He knew he wanted food -- he just wasn't sure how to get it.

And I have been holding him in my lap at least twice a day, spooning food into his mouth. He comes out to drink and use his box, I guess. I haven't monitored his every move. Every day he is a little more active but he always returns to the heating pad.

Crab and I decided he had a stroke. His left leg still folds sometimes when he moves and he often circles to the right. I looked cat strokes up on the web and see that many cats recover from strokes. So I'm hoping for the best. I don't know how long I can stuff stinky food into his mouth. A hole awaits him if my patience runs out.

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Ch - Ch- Changes

On Tuesday it was 72 degrees. On Wednesday, it was 65. Still great weather for November in Iowa. On Thursday, the rain moved in.


It only looks icy.


But the day after that -- well, this is what I woke up to.


Snow on the Subaru


The most important change happened on Tuesday. I am still basking in the glow even if Barack Obama has rolled up his sleeves and gone to work. I think about the election and our new president all the time. I am so happy. So proud. So hopeful.




Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Can I Take This Down Now?

This has been on the side of my frig for a few years. I'm sure my right-leaning neighbors gagged whenever they walked into my house since the side of my frig is the first thing you see.


Please tell me the party's over!


I think I will save this image in my trunk with the newspapers of 9/11, the floods and Hurricane Katrina. It belongs with the disasters.

Super Happy Funtime is doing her best to keep me posted and upbeat. Click your heels three times... We're almost home....

Is It Over Yet?

There are no results posted anywhere that I have seen. Believe me, I have been checking. The most I've gotten done today is voting, surfing, posting and eating lunch.

To provide substance to this post, I'll add some corn pictures. We are still enjoying unseasonably balmy temps. The farmers are hurrying to clear the fields before (oh, how I hate to say this) the snow comes on Friday. It is 70 degrees right now. On Election Day! Prepare for many months of me complaining about the weather.


Mountains in Iowa




Building mountains, one load at a time.



K Town covered in dust.



It's not snow yet!



Still not snow!



The dust machine.

I Am Beside Myself

I have a fluttery feeling in my stomach. I can't concentrate. I want to start celebrating but am afraid the boogey man will take over all the voting machines to spite me.

I waited until 10 to vote because I wanted to avoid the crush when the doors opened. If you knew my polling place, you would laugh. Here is a short tour of the Greenfield Township polling center:


Click to see the big picture!



The lovely election ladies help Kelcie



Kelcie wanted to try the touch machine.



I used one of the booths to fill in my ovals.




My reward. Well, that and a new president.



Now that I have voted I have time to drive to Chicago for Obama's party in the park. But I will sit, spin and obsess here instead. Tomorrow is a great new day!

Monday, November 03, 2008

Lines


This blog is brought to you by electrical lines.



Flower Lines



Love Line?



Sky Line



Rail Lines


Saturday, November 01, 2008

Gretchen's Big Adventure

I loaded up Gretchen this morning and we went to my mom's, a place she's never been. I've never taken her before because Gretch is conveniently deaf and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to control her. My fears were unfounded. She behaved and had a wonderful time. People, you know Gretchen is my dog, and I am not depriving a grandchild of seeing her grandma.

It was such a gorgeous, wonderful, unbelievable day. This is November??

We started out through the walnut woods. The dense woods around the house are trees that my parents planted themselves.



When we got close to the river Gretchen found the rivulet and wallowed in the shallow, muddy water like a pig. We were laughing so hard I didn't get a picture. Not to worry about the mud, though, Gretchen discovered the river itself soon enough and took a bath.








Mom watching Gretch swim.


Most of the trees they planted were walnut and pine but they did plant a few oaks.


Oak tree


My mom's favorite tree is one that was already there, a hackberry. It has great arms that beg you to climb up and sit on them.




Favorite from afar


We used to go to Mom's to get our Christmas trees but the trees are way to big now. Right before I took this picture, an owl flew out of the pine forest.



I left mom's with a trunk full of garden goodies and a tired dog in the back seat. I'm going to wake the dog up so we can go out into the fields to pick up food for this guy: