Adventure cat in training?

What is it that they say?

"Life happens when you are busy making other plans..?"

I think that should be changed to "Work will always be the biggest pain in the you - know - what when you are trying to make plans.."

I would say that I feel the same way about my job that a lot of other folks do. Some days I can really immerse myself in my duties and actually enjoy them and other days the frustration (for a variety of reasons) makes me want to go home and not come back.

Today was definitely the latter....

If a disagreement in policy with my boss wasn't bad enough, the arthritis in my knee and ankle seemed to be on the fritz today.

I had hoped to spend the evening with Griffin with plans to do a short ride with the bareback pad, a bit of hand grazing, and a long groom session.

......but when I left work, all I wanted to do was to get off my aching legs. Even the stairs leading up to my apartment provided a teeth - gritting, painful, experience.

Most of the time, my job involves a mix of both standing and sitting duties, but this month has me in the rotation that requires the most standing. My body was in full protest at the end of my shift today.

Admittedly,  there are days and times that I feel strong and able to stand and walk all day (and then some), and other times I feel like a 100 yr old lady who should be in a wheelchair (pushed by a sexy young man) instead of on my feet.

....and even though I do like my job for the most part, there are days that resentment grabs me in it's clutches and I find myself wishing that walking/standing time could be spent on the hiking trail or with my horses instead of at work.

Unfortunately,  that won't change anytime soon since it's work that pays the bills.

....but enough of that already.

Since I'm feeling cheated out of an evening with my boy, Griffin,  I thought I'd talk about my adventure cat in training.

You've most likely already read about Simon in earlier posts, but here is a photo of him from our stroll around the block last night.

When I first adopted Si, it wasn't long before I realized he was one of the most outgoing cats I had ever met.

When I introduced him to a harness and leash, he took to it more naturally than most puppies do.

He was eager to follow me just about anywhere.

.....and so our walks around the block began.

Nowadays, if I so much as pick up his harness, he is eagerly waiting by the door in anticipation of a kitty hike.

I still find it amusing when a passer by or a motorist does a double - take at us strolling along the sidewalk.

I was once asked by a teenager on a bike if I was "walking my cat."

I had to resist the urge to say  "Nah, he's a tabby Labrador who prefers to purr instead of bark."

I've always known that people put cats on harnesses to go outside with them or take them a short distance in the car, but never for an actual WALK.

Before Simon came into my life, I probably would have been doing the same sort of double take had I seen someone walking their cat.

 

Out of curiosity,  I started researching harness trained cats and somewhere along the way, I discovered this website.

http://www.adventurecats.org

(once I add photos, I haven't been able to figure out to share the actual link on my phone).

It seems that folks not only walk with their cats, but also hike trails, camp, and go on boats with their cats.

Is this cool or what?

If you enjoy looking at that site, I also urge you to check out this blog!

http://www.boltandkeel.wordpress.com

In short, the blog is about 2 (VERY) adventurous young ladies who take their two young cats on all their outdoor trips with them. They do hiking, camping, kayaking, and snowshoeing....and yes, their feline friends do it all with them.

Amazingly cool!

 Simon has yet to do anything more than walks around the block with me, but he does find some interesting places to hang out during our strolls.

Since I don't boat or even swim that much, I have no current plans to introduce Si to the basics of becoming a water cat, but I DO want to teach him to do short camp outings with me. In the future, we could perhaps do one in the spring and one in the fall.

With summer's high heat and humidity,  I would feel more comfortable avoiding that time of year (especially with the increased threat of fleas and heartworms as well. Yes- cats (and humans too) can get heartworms.  They are not just a dog parasite).

I had hoped to do a maiden voyage with Simon this year with camping, but I just haven't felt quite ready to take that plunge yet.

My mom and sister are planning a short, camp outing around the Labor Day Holiday. I am sitting this one out due to lack of vacation time (their dates are during the week following LD) as well as having to work Labor Day itself for the nice pay it provides.

Even though I won't be camping, I thought this might be the purr-fect  opportunity to introduce Simon to campsite living and a campfire. We may go for a visit one night after work!

In addition,  there are some other things I want to work out before Simon spends his first night in my tent.

I need to create a small, portable litterbox with a cover for transport and easy emptying capabilities (as in being able to empty very frequently as needed).

Si needs to spend some actual time in my tent so that I can be sure he is comfortable and I am not overfacing him with too much strangeness too soon.

I want to develop a way to carry Simon on hikes so I can do long ones with him and I will be able to carry him when he is tired. I've considered both a backpack and a diagonal carrying sling for this purpose. I need to experiment to find what works for us. Simon enjoys rides in cloth bags (and my laundry basket), so, that's not an issue.

I also would like to get Si a new harness set up. The one he has is a bit small for his chubby frame and I want something he can sleep in comfortably if necessary. It also needs to be safe and secure.

The final aspect of all this, and the hardest thing for me to address in all of this is this...

Simon's adopted brother,  Lukus.

While I continue to work on Lukus' s confidence in all things, I highly doubt he'll ever be a camping cat.

For the most part, Luk prefers a life indoors. The world outside just holds too many scary variables.

....and I'm 100% fine with that.

Lukus is my Smitten kitten. He's my sweet cuddler and is playful to the max.

As long as we're inside.

At this point, I have no desire to take Lukus along,  but leaving him home alone without his brother and best friend creates a dilemma that pulls at my heartstrings.

I need to find something special for him so he isn't feeling left out -- and create a situation that works well enough so that he gets something FUN out of the times that Si and I go camping.

This situation is probably the biggie in what is holding me back from taking that first trip with Simon. 

BOTH of my boys are just that special to me.

....and even if our camping trip never quite makes it to fruition,  Simon will still enjoy his walks..

because.....

A worn out, fat, cat is a HAPPY cat! 

(and yes my apartment has ugly, worn out carpeting.  I haven't won the lottery yet to move to a fancy, log cabin in the woods *winks*).

Wordless Wednesday: My Feline Soulmates

♡♡Simon♡♡

♡ ♡ Lukus♡♡

A Sunday well spent....

I'm playing a little catch up tonight...
Dishes, laundry, and a bit of cleaning...

It has been one of those days when the weather isn't good for much of anything. The temps today only reached into the mid to (slightly) upper 80's, but the humidity was terrible.  Being outside for any length of time and just standing still is enough to make one uncomfortable. 

....and tomorrow will be more of the same.

Ugh.....

....so  with that in mind, and a loyal Simon taking up residence in my lap, I thought I'd talk about my ride on Sunday.

On Tuesday of last week, Vickie sent me a text message asking me if I wanted to go riding at the Castle Rock Horse Trails on Sunday.

Without missing a beat, I responded back  that I didn't have any plans on Sunday and I was all for it.

A short spell later, Vickie texts me back asking if I was ok if someone else picked Tex & I up (I have access to a truck,  but my financially, poor self does not own a horse trailer). 

She wrote that our mutual, barn friend, Brenda knows this gentleman as she has lent Morton to him for trail rides with his friends/family.

His name is Brian and he does roping & team penning with his horses.

Vickie, herself, only recently met him...

Vickie also mentioned that if anyone else from the barn wanted to go, that he would also have room for another horse.

At the time, all I could think about was getting out on the trail with my wonderful lease partner and having a nice ride. The forecast for Sunday was supposed to be gorgeous! 

During this text exchange back and forth, I had been out enjoying the evening doing some fun activities with my sister, Gayle and my niece, Fiona. For the moment, I agreed to go and filed it away mentally that I would have plans for Sunday. I then proceeded to enjoy the remainder of my evening with my sister.

It wasn't until the next day that the warning bells started to go off in my introverted brain.

What if no one else from the barn wanted to go? 

Would my shy self be able to make small talk with someone I don't even know for the 1+ hour ride over to the Castle Rock Horse Trails? 

What if we decide right off that neither of us likes the other?

What if he decides to do something crazy and dump me in a ditch somewhere and run off with Tex? 

....my mind has a tendency to think bizarre things when I let it wander too long without a leash! (perhaps I've watched 1 too many Cold Case files on TV).

The next afternoon, I approached Kris about coming with. My barn has very few trail riders and Kris was the only one at the moment that I could think of that might have Sunday free to go along. 

As it turned out, Kris was about as enthusiastic as I was at the prospect of hopping in a truck with someone she didn't know (in addition to her horse being hauled in a strange rig). It ended up being that she decided to pass on going.

At this point, I texted Vickie back and told her I was getting increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of riding with someone I didn't know.

Vickie texts me back "Brenda says you've met him."

Whaat?? (This was news to me)...

....then Vickie, being the ever-faithful  riding friend she is -- told me that if I wasn't comfortable, then she would drive out and pick me up (which takes her farther out of her way).

On one hand, I was happy that we would still go, but on the other hand I felt like a wimp. I should just suck it up and take a chance at meeting someone new (arguing with my stubborn, introverted self).

I decided at that point to text Brenda and find out more about Brian. Brenda, of course, was working (sadly....as always) and could not join us either. I remember her loaning Morton out to a friend, but did not recall meeting him.

In my text conversation with Brenda,  she did, in fact remind me of another instance in which we had gone to his place to look at a horse he was going to give to another friend who boarded at Tammy's farm at the time (that's a whole other story that would take too long to get into here).

At any rate, I might have spoken with him for about 5 minutes.  I still didn't feel like I "knew" him.

Brenda assured me that I had nothing to worry about and that Tex and I would be in safe, capable hands. She said that she had just been with Brian the previous night to cut his hair (Hairdressing is one of Brenda's many skills). She said that he had asked about me as well.... (probably wondering if I was some crazy, Axe wielding, Lizzie Borden sort of chick)....

Smiling,  I just texted back and asked if she told him that I was a fat, overanxious person who wraps my horse in bubble wrap?

she didn't respond to that (*laughs*)..

After talking with Brenda, I felt somewhat better about the idea of riding with Brian. All of my insecurities at that point had to do with me and not the situation.

As expected, Sunday brought along some beautiful weather. Sunny skies and warm (but not overly hot) with little to no humidity.

 

I got to the barn early.....about an hour or so before Brian was due to pick us up. I used the time to do a thorough groom on Tex and bond with him a bit.

When Brian pulled in shortly after 9 am, we were ready to go. I was still nervous, but told myself to focus on the one thing we surely would have in common;  horses.

Brenda was correct that I needn't have worried. Brian was the perfect gentleman through and through.

Tex shared a stock trailer with Brian's horse, Rudy and the two horses rode well together. I immediately noticed that his truck was immaculate and was dually impressed. I guess I expected well used and Dusty (not that it would have mattered as I don't judge folks by what they drive).

We got to the horse trails about a half hour or so before Vickie was due to meet us, so we took our time chatting and getting the horses ready.

I really enjoyed being able to take my time getting set to go instead of feeling like I needed to rush and hurry up out onto the trail. I'm somewhat pokey by nature, so this suited me very well.

Tex (left) and Rudy (right) waited patiently while we waited for Vickie to arrive.

Once Vickie arrived, I played "hitching post" for Dusty so she could get ready without tying him and in no time at all, we were off on the trail.

We rode for the better part of the day and had a lovely ride. 

Surprisingly, the bugs were not bad at all (they have been so bad at the farm, Tex and I have been working mainly on arena stuff as opposed to our usual rides in the woods and fields).

About halfway through, we rode over to the Ukarydee Campground and took a little break. This is a horse user's campground that is connected to the Castle Rock Trails. It was nice to get off for a bit and hang out in a shady spot. There was water access there and bathrooms which were nice to use.

 Camping there with Tex is on my list of future "activities I want to do."  I also found that the break gave my arthritic joints a much needed rest and definitely improved the quality and longevity of my ride.

This makes the 3rd time that Tex and I have ridden at Castle Rock and I still haven't seen all the trails yet.

I guess we need to go more then....

 

I wish I had gotten more photos of our ride.  I came away with only a handful of blurry, snapshots and there were many pretty views to be had on the trail. Tex and I need to work on our tripod skills!

We saw gazillions of mushrooms in a variety of colors (purple,  red, and orange among them). We also saw a couple of deer in 2 different spots. Unfortunately,  neither of them would have been easily photographed.

A blurry shot of Vickie & Brian. I need to teach my man, Tex that a good tripod will hold still.

Brian and myself. Dusty has superior tripod skills to Tex because Vickie 's picture is more clear.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. I was tired and sore and dragged my sorry butt through work on Monday but it was 100% worth it!!

I am hoping Brian will ride with us again...and even more so-- that Brenda will join us. They have known each other for quite some time but have never ridden together.

Horsey camp outing anyone?

A Little Catch Up...

My family and I just returned from our July camp outing. Saying that makes it sound like we went hours away.....

In reality, it was only another short trip to a nearby state park. This time we stayed at Mirror Lake State Park.

Mirror Lake isn't as popular as Devil's Lake, but it's still a nice state park with decent campsites, easy hike trails, and a small, shallow beach.

We stayed for 3 nights this time, and...unlike last time, it didn't rain the majority of the time. We only had one night in which the storms found us. Unfortunately,  the humidity on this trip was about the same as last time, and just like on that stay, my hiking was only minimal.  *sigh* 

I am hoping my weekend outing at the end of August will be better in terms of weather and will afford me some good hiking.

My sister,  Gayle, bought herself a larger tent and this was her first time using it.  Her sleeping quarters were some of the largest I have seen yet. Her tent is Colossal (with a capital "C"). It has dividers to make 3 rooms and is plenty big enough for herself,  Brendan, Fiona,  and Winston (their Husky Lab X).
.....and I think they'd still have room in there for another 2-3 people and all their STUFF. My sister seems very happy with her tent.

We spent the outing mostly visiting, doing some very small hikes (mostly to the bathroom *giggles*), and goofing off with Fiona. There was silly string, water guns, and giant purple Frisbees involved. Fiona and I also had a rather engaging game of glow-in-the-dark horse shoes.
.....mostly that involved her handing me the horse shoes and telling me how to throw them. Sometimes Fiona is just too smart for her own good! 

On the horse front, I haven't been getting a whole lot of rides in with either horse. We seem to get a handful of nice, comfortable days and then a couple of real hot, humid, and sticky numbers that make me feel like I am a rainforest dweller.

I don't do a lot of riding on days like that, because frankly-- I just don't enjoy it.  With that said, however, I DO love just hanging out with my equine boys and so we spend the scorcher afternoons hand grazing, doing pampered grooming,  getting cool baths, and a lazy walk here and there.

The spring and fall months are my favorite times to ride and that's when I get the most rides in.

My phone is being a bit of a pain at the moment in letting me get all my photos attached, so I just have a few to share today with no real captions added....

I'm Back. Updates?

It's been awhile.

...but at least this time, I didn't give up, erase my blog, and then "start over" yet again.

I can think of a million excuses why I haven't been blogging.....

For one thing, Facebook is easier to just type a few words and be assured that my closest family and friends will read it (they don't do anything except FB, for the most part).

and yet....

I hate Facebook.

I often find it filled with negativity, drama, people attacking each other in interest groups (over the most INSANELY, stupid things I might ad)....   ...but,  I stick to it because it's easy.

Blogging should be easy, but since I don't own a computer, I find it a bit more challenging to update than Facebook.  When I start to write a post, what  I'd like to be just a short snipet about my day generally turns into a novel.  As a result, that novel ends up taking a LOT more time to write then what I had alotted for time to write in a day.

Well, I need to make more time to write -- because it sincerely is something that I enjoy.

So here goes another effort in redirecting my efforts away from the senseless drama of FB and more towards myself (i.e writing). 

I won't promise posts as interesting as some of the other blogs I enjoy reading (which are quite a few), but I am going to try to share the ups and downs of my life again with anyone with a mind to read.

I will use this post as a brief catch up to where things are in the varies aspects of my world.

Griffin
Ahhh.....my old Standardbred boy....
He's still here and so far, doing well.  His Cushings Disease seems to be under control at the moment and he seems healthy.  He shed his winter coat this spring far faster then he has in probably the last 7 or 8 years (which makes me wonder how long his Cushings went un-diagnosed).  At the moment were are getting in 1 or 2 very small, walking only, rides per week.  We hack around the arena a bit and the barnyard area.  He is still asking to go towards the woods and still showing signs of frustration when we don't.  I handwalk him down there occasionally, but he thinks we should ride there also.

I made a promise to him, that if he does well over the summer (and doesn't hurt himself AGAIN -- see previous posts), we could try a hack into the flatter sections of woods closest to the farm by this fall.  As with everything else that we do, I have learned that everything is a day at a time.  I count my blessings each and every day that he is with me and I don't have any expectations from one day to the next (and believe me that IS HARD to keep in mind).  When it comes to my animal family, he truly is my number one priority. I'd really like to see him enjoy each and every day of his golden years that he has left.  At 28years old, he as already lived a pretty good life and I want to keep giving that to him for as long as I possibly can.  Next year will mark out 20th year together!!

Tex
The situation with my lease horse, Tex, has grown into something far bigger than I ever thought it would.  Originally, I was only supposed to (part) lease Tex until June of this year (next month).  His owner was leasing another horse (that she really wanted to buy), for the year and when his owner was recovered from an injury she'd had -- she would start riding him again, and my friend would take Tex back as her sole, riding horse.

As things started to unfold, the friend's recovery did not go as rapidly as hoped and resulted in her questioning how well she would ever be able to ride again.  In addition to this, other factors in her life made her question just how much involvement she truly wanted to have with horses. Logically, she decided to sell her horse & trailer to MY friend (who wanted to buy him in the first place).

My friend, Vickie, now owns 3 horses.  Dusty (her newest mount), Tex (my lease horse), and Apache (her retired CTR horse).

Vickie knows that I would buy Tex from her in a heartbeat.

If I could afford 2 horses.

...but I can't, and Griffin must come first.

So, Vickie very kindly offered for me to continue the lease as we have been for as long as I wanted (or could). She has stated that she is not interested in selling Tex (although she would offer him for sale to me at a later date, if I was interested....which I am).

At this point and time, I am moving on with what amounts to roughly a 3/4 lease on Tex.  He is boarded at the same farm Griffin lives at and I have a horse to do longer rides and trail with.  Vickie will use him for occasional rides/trips as a backup horse for friends as those situations come up (she already has a 2 week camp trip planned with another friend in October).  I don't mind the sharing part, as I still must also make time for my old man.

I am very happy with this arrangement for a few reasons:
1)- I have a horse who is a SOLID trail horse that I can enjoy riding with friends....and even go out with alone.  Tex is a laid back, more whoa than go sort and he is truly a dream to explore trails with.
While I have lots of experience riding in arenas, showing, and doing arena involved patterns (from my youth working with other people's show horses), I have very little experience as a trail rider. I love trail riding and no longer have even the slightest desire to go to a horse show. Ever.

2.)- Because is not actually my horse on paper, I don't have the anxiety I might have trying to own owning 2 horses and dealing with funds for a major emergency should it come up (and that is not limited to just the two horses, but my personal life as well).  I still plan to have as much involvment as possible and to care for Tex as though he were my own -- but in the back of my mind, I don't have to worry about hanging onto a horse should I not be able to afford it if something major popped up in my life or that of my own animals.

3.)- I have someone to go horse camping with!!
I can't stress enough that if you are ever going to lease a horse, doing so with someone who shares you interests (...and goals) really helps.  Vickie is an incredibly experienced trail rider.  She has done Competitive Trail, Trail Trials, ridden all over the state, and camped in the mountains.

...and she is willling to let this Chicken, Novice trail rider wanna be accompany her.

Not to spoil a future blog post.....BUT
Next weekend we are camping at Wildcat Mountain State Park. It will be a couple of fun filled days of campfires, riding, and more riding!!  I have ALWAYS wanted to do this....and while there is a part of me that is saddened that it's not Griffin who will carry me on the trails -- I am excited to be able to have the opportunity to do it at all.  I have a horse I know I can trust, who I've started to bond just a little, and a friend who has the experience and knows the ropes of it all!!.....

Simon & Lukus
My cats are doing quite well and have become an amazing part of my family at home.  They are my biggest comfort when I am under the weather or feeling sad.  They make me smile.  They make me laugh. Every. Day.  I find it hard to believe I've had them almost 4 years now!!

 Lukus will be coming up on his 4th birthday at the end of the month....and like a crazy cat lady, anthropomorphic, mom, I want to do something special for him. I just dont' know quite what that will be yet.

Simon has turned into quite the lap cat and is nonstop with his purrrs (2 things that were definitely NOT a part of his personality when I got him).  I am also thinking he will make his first camping debut with me possibly next month!  Si loves being outside on his harness and he is certainly ready to be an adventure cat and test the camping waters!! 

Camping
So far, I have 3 confirmed camping outings this summer and I'm currently working on a 4th.  All of them are at nearby state parks with family with the exception of the horse outing with Vickie.

My little niece, Fiona (who is almost 3), has already developed an affinity for the outdoors.  I have a feeling the future will hold MANY camp outings with her and my sister.  She just received a new, made for her (in terms of safety) airbed, that she will be trying out on our June outing.  She has quickly outgrown the Pack N Play and is now ready to take the next step learning to be an experienced camper!

Work
It's the same. Enough said (yes, I just had to include that).

...and that's about it -- I will try to keep updates coming as often as I can....and with the summer I have planned, maybe a good adventure story or two!!

Thanks for reading...  :-)

Happy (Belated) National Cat Day!

So yesterday was National Cat Day.

It seems only fitting that I dedicate a blog post in honor of my sweet, feline family members (even if --sadly-- I am a day late).

For those of us cat lovers....

Our cats are best friends. They make us laugh, love, and bend over backwards daily to win their adoration...

It is said that dogs have masters and cats have staff..... ( Yes, that's true)..

Amusement aside, however, there is nothing quite like winning the affection of a cat. ♡♡♡

So....

Here's a few photos of my boys in honor of National Cat Day.

Top pic is Simon (in pursuit of a bug on the wall).

Second photo is my "Smitten Kitten" Lukus. This is one of my favorite photos of him...

...and lastly, but NEVER forgotten...my beloved Cisco. I still miss you every day. ♡♡

Cat tree drama that ends well...

Last week, the boys and I had some "Kitty drama" on Wednesday morning.

I have often joked that my downstairs neighbor must think I have elephants running around my apartment.

One of my boys' favorite play times just happens to be when I first get up in the morning.  They run and jump and wrestle like wild children and they often have a blast doing it!!

Simon and Lukus have a great adopted, brotherly relationship,  so there's really never any sparring type issues.

What they do like to do is just have FUN!

At any rate, they were having one of their wild mornings on Wednesday.  At one point Lukus was hanging off the top of the cat tree, upside down and Simon was underneath, perched on the top of the "house" part, batting at Luk.

It must have gotten a bit too intense, because the top of the house part caved in!! Simon went with it, but it didn't faze him. He simply hopped out and continued his paw war with Lukus from the side.

I was standing at my dining room table,  wrapping a few presents for Fiona when all of this transpired. Since I was in the middle of my wrapping, I didn't think much of it. I just assumed that the lid would fit back on the house and maybe need to be glued or something. I thought I'd just throw it back together before I head out to work.

Little did I realize that it wasn't that simple. ..

When I was ready to leave, I want over to the cat tree and discovered that the top was actually held in by 2 inch staples pounded in sideways!!

YIKES!!!

I can't say enough how glad I was that I was home when this happened!!! Visions of my boys tearing themselves to pieces were not pleasant thoughts!!

So upon discovering this, I texted my supervisor and informed her that I would be late to work.

I got out a hammer and proceeded to reverse pound all of the dangerous staples out of the top of the circular base.

Without a (safe)way to fix the lid, it too, got thrown out.

I wasn't too bummed about it because my cats rarely lay in the bottom. Very occasionally, only Simon would curl up inside for a nap. I figured if nothing else, they might have more fun darting in and out through the top.

Well, it seems the top doesn't matter because I snapped the photos below just a few minutes ago.....

♡♡Serious cuteness♡♡

Adding Insult to Injury and a few cat photos...

Yesterday was a pretty long day. I was at my folk's place most of the day and into the late evening. I have a close relationship with my parents, so we spend a lot of time talking.

As I mentioned,  my back has been getting better. My body must have thought it needed a new way to injure itself.

So as I was leaving...... (keep in mind that my parent's house is in the country, so except for a few lights on their pole barn and the front of the house,  it is PITCH BLACK outside)....I stepped outside the side door of the garage to walk out to my car and tripped on a plastic, dog dish that was laying next to the sidewalk.

My mom had rinsed it off (or something) after our last camp outing and set it in the grass next to the garage. It simply hadn't made its way back into her camper yet. Me, being me...I moved it to mow and then tossed it back where it was (which was in the grass right next to the side walk). I really should have just put it back in the camper......

Anyway, when I left that night, I must have briefly stepped off the narrow sidewalk in the dark and of course my feet found the stupid bowl to trip on.

I literally went flying through the air and face planted hard in the grass. I didn't loose my wind, but I felt so stupid, I just layed in the grass a few moments thanking god that it was dark and no one was outside to witness my idiotness...

When I finally got up on my feet, I went back into the house to turn every available outside light and the garage light on to locate my car keys which had flown out of my hand and now had turned into a treasure hunt in the grass.

My knee hurt and so did my elbow. Just Grand!! *Insert Sarcasm.**

Going back into the house before failing to brush off all the grass, my parent's entryway now looked like I had been bailing hay in there....My mom, being the Saint she is, said not to worry, she would sweep it up....

Thankfully I found my keys without succumbing to the desire to ask my mom for assistance in my little treasure hunt and proceeded on my way home...

This morning, after my flying lesson without a pilot, my knee is swollen and bending my elbow to do certain things like brushing my hair is a challenge.

....and I was looking forward to rides on both my horses today after being unable for a whole week because of my back.

So, while I sit here and ponder a few ways to still make that happen,  I'll share a few photos of my Feline boys (because they always help to make things better)♡♡.

A "Duh" Moment and the camp outing that wasn't. ..

My back felt a little better today.

Unfortunately,  It still wasn't good enough for me to risk doing something I would enjoy (like taking one of my equine charges for a ride).

I had also hoped I'd get done with work to split a little early and use a vacation hour or two.

...that didn't happen either. *sigh*

Because I was having a "duh" moment on Wednesday when I was at the barn, I had to drive out and take some more grain out to put in Griffin's feed bin (Griffin eats senior feed which I provide). On that Wednesday,  I had stopped at Tractor Supply to pick up some horse treats that we were out of.  For some crazy reason,  it never occurred to me that Griffin's feed receptacle needed refilling also..

So here I am, 2 days later,driving out to the farm (35 min, one way) for the expressed purpose of ensuring my old man has his grain (which is also necessary if I intend to get  ANY of his medicine into him).

Because my back still wasn't up to par for riding, I only stayed long enough to refill grain, Griffin's single dose, medicine cups, and give some treats and rubs.

On my way home, I got to thinking how I had almost planned an impromptu,  camp outing for this weekend. 

One of my dad's hobbies is showing his 68' Ford Pick up at car shows.  It just so happens that he and my mom are attending a car show this weekend. 

Car shows generally mean Jerseydog spends a lot of time with me (so she isn't crossing her legs all day waiting for someone to let her out).

What a perfect weekend for a solo, camp outing with my Jerseydog. 

Or not.

Visions of the winter blanket I have yet to buy Griffin worked their way passed the "duh" triggers in my brain and reminded me that I needed to save my pennies instead of spending them on a camping reservation. 

....Enter in my stupid back issue

...and a Noah ' s Ark sort of weather forecast for tonight (flood warning and rain by the bucketfuls).

...and my camp outing wouldn't have happened.

With nothing much to do and  a recovering, bum, back muscle, I decided it might be nice to just take a drive through my closest state park and just have a gander at how many folks ARE braving the impending rain to camp (not to mention taking in a nice whiff of a campfire or two)...

I stopped at a gas station and grabbed an iced coffee and then headed over to Devil's Lake SP,  which is practically in my backyard.

Hanging out by the beach for a spell,  I savored my coffee and enjoyed the feel of nature around me. The first two photos below are shots looking out over the water. Those bluffs on either side have spectacular views if you have the stamina to hike them (serious uphill trails not for the faint of heart). Speaking from personal experience, however, the view is 100% worth it!

Before I left, I took a little cruise through 2 of the 3 campgrounds.  Somewhat surprising, they were pretty full.

Even though Devil's Lake was not my intended camp spot for this weekend,  I thought about which site I would choose if I WAS camping there.

Hands down, one of my most coveted sites is in the Ice Age Campground which is farthest from the beach. It tends to be the least popular because it doesn't really accommodate anything larger then a Pop Up camper. The majority in this campground are tent campers. It's all in the woods...and I LOVE it.

Site 428 is on my list of favorite possibilities for  a solo outing.

...and it just so happens that it wasn't occupied (yet), so I stopped and snatched a photo (bottom 2 photos). Sadly the pictures don't do this pretty site justice...

One of these days, though, site 428 will be mine for a short time. All mine. :-)

My Smitten Kitten

I had a nice post started this morning about my younger cat, Lukus, and it appears that the Internet thought it was a good idea to eat it.

**Sigh**
So here's a much shorter version...

Yesterday was a frustrating day and coming home to my boys waiting for me after work really seemed to soothe my aching brain.

Lukus and I had a nice little play session with the mouse toy (while Simon was off somewhere napping). My silly little dark stripey cat was really able to take the edge off my chaotic day. Cats are so good at that!! ♡♡

When I adopted Luk, I immediately dubbed him my "Smitten Kitten." This came about because I was immediately smitten with his photo & story from the shelter. I knew I had to meet him when I went!

....and he immediately stole my heart.

My good friend Sandy and I have this joke that Lukus belongs in a Popeye cartoon. When Sandy first saw his photo on the shelter's webpage, she immediately blurted out "Look at that face!! He looks like grumpy Popeye. All he needs is a pipe and a can of spinach!"  Picturing my Lukus eating a can of Spinach still makes me laugh to this day.

The truth is Lukus is anything but grumpy. He is a fun - loving, silly cat whose shy (with strangers) personality makes him all that more lovable.

I still call him my Smitten Kitten because no matter how old he gets, I can still see that 6 month old kitten I first brought home  almost 3 years ago.

I loved his photo from the shelter website so much, I asked if I could have it......It's the first picture below (my little Popeye)!
The second photo is a kitten picture from his first week at home with me. The last 2 pictures I took last night after we were done playing.. ♡♡♡

Cat Lady?

While having 2 cats hardly makes me a cat lady, I do have all of the attributes that one generally applies to (crazy) cat ladies.

The funny thing is that if someone had said to me when I was in my 20's that I was going to fall head - over - heels in love with cats, I would have vehemently disagreed with them.

In my childhood & teen years, I was raised a dog person. My dad never liked cats (still doesn't) and my mom wouldn't have really cared if we ever really had pets.  She doesn't dislike animals, but she's not a huge animal person either.

While it's true that I love ALL animals, cats were never on my high priority list as a pet I'd like to have.

.....and now I couldn't see myself living without them.

A sweet cat named Cisco walked into my heart many years ago. I'm going to wait and do a seperate post about him in the near future as he deserves his own special place on my blog (sadly, he is now gone).

My current feline children both came from the Columbia County Humane Society. They are an amazing shelter that truly cares about each and every one of their homeless animals. You can follow this link to their website.

I adopted Lukus when he was around 6 mo's old (brown tabby). Simon (orange tabby) was approximately 2 years old when I got him. I adopted them both around the holidays a month apart. Lukus is now 3 and Simon is 5 (how time flies)!

...and now just a few words about each (you will, no doubt,  hear more about them throughout my blog as they are both very special to me ♡).

Lukus was rescued from a hoarding situation when he came to the shelter (of which I am not privy to the details). He is an anxious fellow who got passed over numerous times, living at the shelter for about 3 months. His story was one of two that pulled at my heartstrings (the other one already had an adoption pending). I knew I wanted him from the moment I first saw him. He literally reached for me the first time I spoke to him in his kennel. While he is shy with strangers, he is quite talkative with me and the birds outside my windows. He loves to chase any type of bug he comes across and is 100% addicted to soft treats ("Nummies").

Simon was at the shelter for only mere weeks before I adopted him. He was a stray Tom when the shelter acquired him. He literally has one of the cutest faces I've ever seen on a cat.....and the roundest eyes....
We introduced Lukus to 3 possible "friends" when we went back to the shelter. Si was the only one of the three that made any attempt to interact with Luk.
...and so it was Simon who came home with us ♡.
Si is my extrovert cat. He blows me away all the time with how outgoing he is. He has actually helped Luk build confidence in things that scare him and the two are best buds.
Simon is also my harness cat. He walks on a harness like a dog (no kidding). He gravitates towards any human when we are outside. He would make an amazing therapy cat if only he would sit still long enough for someone to hold him.

Stay tuned for plenty more cat pics & stories in the future....♡♡