Updates: cats, electronics, deer, new well pump

Snow falls, Daisy and Dorah have taken over Sady's bed in hubby's office. Dorah was watching the birds go by. It was so cute as he head whips this way and that. This is the feeder outside the office window with black sunflower seed.

 

I liked the photos without the flash, but I was giggling at her antics. It was like a tennis match.

 

The deer

The deer are having a hard time in the deep snow. We had quite a crew on Tuesday, 17 I counted. Wednesday morning, the same thing. The crowd from neighbouring winter yards have moved in, as they do.

I spotted one buck with a small antler Tuesday, so I have another trek to do. I'll see if I can find it!

My Trailcam hasn't picked up any critters. I don't know where the coyote is. It traveled across the beginning of the wetland several times before our deep snow.

The cats are somewhat housebound. Buster and Buster II (Daisy) sit on the front deck in the sunshine, but it has been bitterly cold. The others have been happier indoors.

Annabelle

Parallel play

Kay L. asked how Annabelle is faring. She has been glommed on to me. She is easing her way into the family, but thinks she is the alpha cat. She'll spot Bambi out front, and being used to fending for herself, she'll growl at the deer. I laugh so hard.

She has taken over our bed at night. It used to be Sady, and after that the twins, Daisy & Dorah. Then Buster, until he was accidentally locked in the closet. Then Sady took over again. Now, Annabelle.


She is a mushy little girl. In the wee hours, if I'm not up in time, she'll come to me and nuzzle my face, purring and making dough. She truly isn't a barn cat, where they found her. She did have a loving mother, I'm sure. She knows to mush for food.

I'll be on the couch reading, and Annabelle will come along and snuggle, even if she isn't hungry, although, she is always hungry everytime we go into the kitchen! They are very close to playing with her, but since she was very defensive the first day, they are on guard, too. Sady is the worst, but she is ill. Buster will play with all of them. He's pretty calm.

our rental

Electronics and repairs

Our car is back from the body shop, I didn't even ask the total cost. We had a rental for a week. Since their paint machine broke they covered the cost of the extra time. Thank goodness for that. Hubby has dispatched Meals on Wheels Mon/Tu./Wed. this week. His back is hurting from the rental car.

Meantime, the snowblower is frozen. I have to get out the hairdryer and work on it. It happened last year, too.

The new well pump

Drip, drip, drop

The new pump system was leaking. I was up every three hours to bail buckets until they could come the next day.

They sent Mike, and he took care of it
 for me. The pipe had worked itself loose. All is good, I hope. I can't do the driveway, but the snow tires make all the difference.

In the meantime, the sink tap is leaking. I simply could not face it yesterday. I don't know if it is a washer or what. It has happened before and it was a loose nut. I kinda feel like a loose nut.
My client cancelled today, and I will have time to shovel the driveway, fetch wood, and do my physiotherapy exercises! Next week hubby has a colonoscopy. This will be appointment number XXXIII in this long journey.

Heckuva time with electronics!

It's been a heckuva couple of weeks. Between electronics, appliances, car, and all.

1. The stove electronics locked the oven door shut last week. We replaced that.
2. Monday
 Hubby dropped the car off in Ottawa. The car is in the shop being straightened and repainted. We rented a car, which they delivered to the repair show. Only issue? The trunk is too low for hubby to pick up his Meals on Wheels out of without hurting his back. He can dispatch, but not deliver. Also, it has 4-season tires. Slippery on the end of the driveway.

3. Wednesday

Waiting room sillies

We had to go in to see the Urologist to check on hubby's cancer. The good news is that his PSA level has gone down slightly after going up in a steady upturn. It was 0.79 three months ago, and it was at 0.77 this month. With his prostate removed it should be 0. He's set for another PSA test in 3 months, as well as a colonoscopy. After this appointment at Ottawa Hospital, the plan was to pick up the finished car. Cannot do that. Their paint machine died and got the shop behind. We drove to our favourite restaurant, the Twisted Lizard, and it was closed. Forever! We went to another spot and drove home safely.

4. Wednesday night
The well pump wouldn't shut off. The tank in the house wasn't filling. We had to turn it off; I could hear it losing its prime. Not good. We phoned our company, and left a message.
Curtis phoned first thing 8:00 a.m., and promised he'd show up and help us out. "It won't be cheap," he said. "But, it's only money, and you can't take it with you!" I took photos to show the kids where our Line of Credit will be drawn on today!

Thursday

I worked on Josie's dress

They spent Thursday uninstalling the rusty machine and reinstalling a new one. Curtis, the new franchisee, turned out to be a distant sort of a cousin. A younger generation, of course. He brought 2 guys and another truck with him by the afternoon. All of Perth didn't have a replacement pump. He drove to Kanata.
Hubby brought me home a Subway for lunch. Having spent a day without water, I was ready to get it back. Do you know how many times you go to the tap in a day? And then how many times I did it anyway, and suddenly remembered, there was no use!
There was a hole created by rust, in the intake in the bottom of the well. No wonder we lost prime. It was getting darker, the snow started to fall. They had to chop off the top of the fake well cover. It was so sad! You should have heard the cheer when the dang tank finally decided that they had primed it enough. We paid the bill, while his peeps packed up the two trucks!



5. Friday
It took me 45 minutes with the snowblower on the 100m driveway and we made it out of the driveway. The lousy tires on our little rental is terribly slippy in the snow and ice. We had about 10 cm (4") of snow last night. I knew we'd never get out of the driveway unless I cleared it. I began at 7:30, after only one coffee, and no breakfast, ran inside, got out of my sweaty clothes (no time for a shower) and into Carleton Place after a 45 minute drive.
Our naturopath, Dr. Jenn, was waiting for us. We were a half hour late. There were OPP with flashing lights and an ambulance, slipping on the fudgy snow in the intersection at highway #7 and Carleton Place. Pretty scary.

Towers of power

Dr. Jen has great nails!

The supplements seem to
be holding the PSA at bay.

Next, off to the physiotherapist to work on my Achilles tendon. Steve worked on my ankle, which is improving!

Then, brunch at Moxie's next door. The server didn't seem real keen on serving us. Slow, not so eager. We were disappointed, but the meal was good and hot. I think the cute young men at another table were claiming her attention!

On the way home I spotted a Snowy owl. Poor hubby turned the car around, despite the crummy snowy shoulder and back I went. It was freezing, with a bitter wind, but we did it!

Home, and I tackled the front step, ignored in the rush to get out the door. The overnight Trailcam did not reveal anything other than falling snow and morose-looking deer trudging across the wetland!
Dishes are done, and I should wash sheets. It's wonderful having water again.