Catapillar repairs!

 When I bought this, it was called a catapillar. You can see why! Pillars for the cats. I've had this caterpillar since 2002. One year I dressed it up as our Christmas tree. This was in our home on Hobart.

JB bought the new catapillar in town around 2009. It used to be in the living room, and had a ladder. The ladder was broken, and it was removed. 

Eventually, I made the top tier larger, screwing a piece of wood and wrapping it with material, and then we bought a cat bed as a topper.

We've two caterpillars. This older one is now upstairs. It, too, is the worse for wear. I shall have to do some work on that.

 The one under repair has been in the basement, where cats like to watch the backyard, or me, during my morning workouts. I switched it up with the smaller one when we needed more space upstairs. We are a little more casual and this is set up for us and the pets! We don't entertain, aside from family, and have never been to anyone's house nearby. 

Note all the toys inside the box. 

 It was in a bad way. The sisal has been ripped off, good cats for using it as a scratching post, and they are now attacking the cardboard underneath. First, I looked for repair materials. The most difficult thing is finding the correct terminology. I began with 'twine' and found that sisal was a better term.  You can Google it, and you will realize that I'm not the only one needing to do repairs! It autofills it for you. 

Step 1 – find sisal

I searched for sisal nearby, and found it at Crappy Tire. I usually print off the item, than give the sheet of paper to JB. More often than not, I forget to tell him which store has the prize! Such was the case. He wisely asked, I wrote it on the paper for him!

Mission accomplished. I should have asked him to buy more than this, but hindsight... 👀  There was one this size↑, and another, much larger one. I had asked for the small one. I tell you it is a crapshoot! 🧊

After this, I found a couple of 'How To' YouTube videos. Some were better than others.  Some suggested staple guns, others hot glue. I went for both. The upper post is fine, and I was able to ignore it. I thought about using it to replace a more used post, but it was easier to simply removed the four lower posts.

Step 2 – Friday 

Undo the bolts with the little hex key. Remove the posts. 

Step 3 

Remove the sisal from the posts. I shall have to think about a recycling for this. Some of it is in awful condition, the rest, not so much. I used to do macrame, but I don't think so!

Materials were ready to go. Upstairs. Back up I go. Cats kept checking out my work. Cinnamon likes the ladder, and usually sits here when I work out. It just didn't look right to him.

Step 4 – figure out equipment

I gathered my tools: glue gun, pliers, hammer, staple gun, scissors. Not in one go, though. It was good exercise up and down the basement stairs for the equipment I had forgotten, or gathered upstairs!

Step 5 – staple, glue and wrap

One post wasn't too bad, and I stapled it at the half-way point, cutting off the frayed sisal. I would get back to it. 

I did my work on the base, happy I didn't follow my first plan to vacuum the base first! 

Step 6 – Monday

Sent hubby, AKA Personal Assistant, back to the store, since the post (above) took up the entire 50 feet! Hubby came back with two packages, as requested.

Step 7 – Tuesday

I thought it's be a perfect project as we had snow, then ice pellets, then rain. Yuck. I went back at it. Cinnamon was on the caterpillar upstairs, and I invited him downstairs to help. He took his position.

Unfortunately, he didn't last. He and I had big walkies in the snow in the morning, and he seemed tired!

All four posts were done. Time to reassemble it. First thing, though, was to vacuum the base. Back upstairs for the vacuum. I remembered that there is a clog in the hose, as I tried to use the hose. No good. The base I vacuumed up with the regular beater, and it looks better. I screwed it all back together. All was well with the world. 

Upstairs again, I looked up how to unclog the vacuum. Video One, and Video two. Dysons are a little tricky, but I love mine and it has lasted me a good while. If you can afford it – it is worth it. 

🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈

Deer, cats, art

 It's another cold one. Happily we saw sunshine on Thursday. The day began with 14 friends out back.

I rearranged some things. The cat TV (black squirrel and red) was on. The cats can't quite see under the feeder due to the snow banks beside the sidewalk. To keep them amused, I put a small stool there. I caught both cats sitting on it. It's a lovely old stool, with nice fabric, and metal design under it.

They like looking out the windows. I put up a little shelf, with the little schoolhouse and log cabins on them, on the wall. The shelf is slightly crooked. I need another set of hands to use a level. Later...

It looks pretty bleak. The snow is deep and the deer trod carefully. I meant to chop down the burdock plant and seeds, but didn't get to it when the snow was trodable. 

I finally put up my two new pictures. They are lovely pieces Art by Choleena.  The sign I found in my dad's effects. I think he was going to put it up on the old barn. He adored his cottage and his Long Lake.

The feeder has been busy. The mourning doves have figured out the tray feeder. They are ground feeders and don't land on the other feeders at all. (They are too chubby, for starters!)

Of course, we have dear friends who visit the feeder! She could have nudged the tray feeder, but didn't quite figure it out. Thankfully!

I'm adjusting my trailcams. This was wild. I keep having to re-adjust the temperature from F. to C. JB from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Cinnamon followed me down the driveway as I fetched the mail. He is curious, and sat at the top of the hill watching me. It was nice and clear and dry in spots.

The trailcam is slow to react. I'll have to adjust both trailcams, but maybe not today! Our 'high' is forecast to be -17 C. driveway from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

 

The day dawns. Here we go...