You're Not A Cat!!!

Bette and Aphy are resting nicely up in the back yard. It's been a little strange around here without them actually. We miss them both and in their memory we've taken up a new hobby...... TRAPPING!!! Our recent cool snap came to a screeching halt with a high of 92 day before yesterday, so with the AC on, we took that opportunity to gather our remaining kitties and lock the cat doors. This created 4 very confused and somewhat pissed off cats. They had experienced freedom and they wanted more, so I just put out a big bowl of catnip and got 'em stoned. Currently they don't know if they're in or out.... LOL!! Now I would have a chance to set the live trap and find new homes for all the strays that insisted on sneaking into the house and spraying. That's right..... the damn strays are coming in the house....... and spraying. First they beat the hell out of and then chased Bette off, so they could devour her food. When we put Bette down I removed the feeder from outside in hopes the stray colony would go back home.... .No Luck. I set the trap that first night with chicken bones. Within an hour some little black and white kitten had removed the chicken and was sitting on top of the trap eating it. He even let me pet him while he was eating it..... I could have captured him and "re-homed" him the next morning, but the little fella was so hungry and had so carefully avoided the trap, I left him to finish his well deserved dinner and went to bed. The next morning I'm upstairs scrubbing the floors and walls trying to get rid of the smell of cat urine, when I spotted the Evil Momma of the little evil kitten that attacked Steve. I hid next to the window with the cat door and waited....... She slowly approached and as soon as she would touch the window I would be ready to bang on it scaring the hell out of her. I needed some sort of fun while cleaning up cat piss. She tried the cat door and well.... I guess in my excitement I tried too hard to scare her because now I have a broken window to replace..... damn-it. I finished cleaning up all the broken glass from the floor I had just scrubbed and went outside to reset the trap. Evil Momma Kitty was going somewhere else. Sure enough... within an hour I heard the trap slam shut. Giddy..... I was Freakin Giddy! I raced up behind the shed to taunt her evilness and discovered I had the big black kitty. OK, I can still enjoy my triumph. A couple hours later Big Black Kitty was successfully "re-homed" and I even stopped the Jeep while doing it!!! OH.... those of you wishing me bad karma....WHATEVER!!!! Throw stones at someone else. If your heart is so damn big for ferrell cats, call me... I can deliver. The second night of cat trapping didn't go as well. This morning the trap was hissing rather loudly when I got to it. "You're not a Cat", I said. Little Baby Opossum was pissed. He was kind enough to let me take a picture though!!! Dash was like... let me have him.... I can take him.... awww come on..... let me at him!! I propped open the trap door and we left him alone to find his way out and back home. I'm NOT "re-homing" this one!! What a beautiful morning it was..... Cool and breezy.... the sky clear and the sun bright. I could almost feel Fall coming and it's August. Somewhere a fire had scented the air, waking a memory from last winter that I thought had been buried deep. Accompanied by a small flock of geese passing that very moment, I was transported briefly to another view of the Ferry. Soon we would be seeing the fall colors seeping back into the forests. Fall used to make me sad. Being such an outside person, I viewed it as the end of things. Not anymore though.... I'm not sure if my view of Fall has changed or my attitude toward death.... but whichever it was it has improved. This year may actually be a good year for fall color considering the amount of rain we've gotten. I would like to see good color this year. A walk through the woods when the leaves are brown isn't as enjoyable as when they're all the shades of Fall. Besides, Dash just looks better in the woods when the colors compliment his coat!! My Brave Dash.... The lower town guard dog. Always on top of things keeping a constant lookout for anyone or anything that might need...... well....... licked!! Such a handsome boy, probably the most photographed dog in Harpers Ferry by now. From his little window he looks down on the town.... amusing most, scaring a few and well the others we don't really care... LOL! It's his window!! After releasing Mr Opossum this morning I took an opportunity to shoot a few seasonal pics of the homestead. It always amazes me how much the slightest change in lighting can alter the look of our home. It's many faces have even graced camera Ads, not to mention the thousands of tourist albums it lives in. People just love our home. I'm looking forward to having the balcony porch rebuilt. A rapidly decaying floor will soon give way to open air if we don't fix it soon. It'll be nice to spend more time out front this Fall!! If only we could frost the cone of silence!! Maybe two-way mirrors around the porch could be approved??? LOL! I guess I should just learn to put on that Harpers Ferry Smile.... you know.... the one where you smile and grit your teeth at the same time!!! :) Next door we feed the birds and this year we've had a surplus of volunteer sunflowers. This is thanks to all the Grackles who so eagerly emptied the feeders each time they were filled. Beautiful Sunflowers they are... and loved by the bees especially!!!!! (see pic) There's never a dull moment around here, and truthfully... why should there be? Though often, I find myself saying things are of no importance just to try and keep it simple. Fact is..... we can't stop the energy flow around us and I sometimes I get real tired of everything being an event. Unfortunately it just happens that way and I should get over it. We're puppy sitting for Turk and Beau this weekend. Dash loves the company!! He always mopes around after they've been here. He REALLY needs a more permanent playmate!!! Steve is taking a week of "Home Improvement" vacation time, next week. We've got a list a mile long to take care of in 10 days. Wish us Luck!! I just see the two of us as Laurel and Hardy with ladders!! I'm off to bait the kitty trap!!