Getting back to "normal."

I caught Horton this morning, and he was none too pleased about being captured. I'm assuming he cut his nose on the cage trap, although he also has a fairly large wound behind his right ear that definitely wasn't caused by bashing around in the trap, so it's possible he had this before I caught him.  

So he'll go on antibiotics (for the ear wound, not the nose scratch) and I'll call tomorrow for a vet appointment for him. When I put him in the cage and opened the den door, he immediately rushed straight at me to get out, instead of trying to get through the wire. He's not a stupid boy, by any means. He knew the door was the only way out. However, once he realized he was confined, he retired to the den as most ferals do. Thank goodness. Some sit on top, and the whole point of the den is to be able to shut them inside to clean the cage, without danger of escape.

I didn't catch anything else today, and there were no more new tracks, so I left some dry food and pulled my trap until I have time to trap again. I emailed the Realtor to see if someone could put food out this week, and I'll try again as soon as possible.

I had a wonderful weekend...the first "normal" weekend in a long while. Saturday I got my butt moving to load up the truck and take trash into the transfer station in Barton. I had to make sure I was into Ithaca before noon for banking, and then started trapping in Newfield. At 5:30 we went out to dinner at Maxie's with Nancy and Tom, who had gone down to New Orleans this winter to help with rescued animals and who have just trapped a big tom cat at their own house. He's tame, but has an aggressive streak when confined, so at this point, they can't adopt him to anyone else. I brought them a shelter as well, which is only fair, because they helped build most of them last year!

After dinner, I drove again to Newfield to check the traps one last time.

I went out early to trap this morning, caught Horton, and drove to the local country stop-and-shop for gas (half tank; I'm broke) and a coffee. Being early Sunday morning, the place was deserted, and it was nice to banter for a second with the owner. The coffee, which was pretty horrendous, nonetheless tasted wonderful on this bright snowy day, with the sun starting into the sky, and a cat safely in the back of the truck.

It was a gorgeous morning drive. At home, Mark was making breakfast, and we suddenly both went on a housecleaning blitz.

Mark went into town to shop for groceries. For once, when he asked me what I wanted, I didn't say "I don't care. Whatever." We went through the cupboards in a lively haste and came up with a few suggestions for dinner for the week. And I actually cared. I haven't cared one way or another for a long while. After he left, I finished up in the house then went out to the barn.

Alden came by to visit the cats, so we chatted for a short bit. I put hardware on a cat shelter, and took that into Ithaca to Sarah (to whom I had promised one eons ago). I got to meet her indoor cats and see the house she is renovating, and we went for coffee. I also dropped off some low-cal cat food for Charlie and Pat, who are fostering Rocket (formerly "Marcia"). Rocket apparently is getting a bit tubby. No one was home, so I left it in their bench.


 

I also stopped on South Hill to feed James and Gillian, but Mark had already fed them. The bowls were full, and his tracks were in the snow.

I also returned some email (friends and past adopters, who must have wondered if I would ever respond), completed some paperwork for my dad's care, and even sent out a few thank-you notes.

Amazing.

I should've taken a cage to my niece in Syracuse for her friend with the shy cat who needs some work, and I should've taken Rocket for April and her family to visit (also in Syracuse). But I ran out of hours.

So it's dinner from a bowl on the couch while I blog, then out to the cats to tuck them in, and upstairs to work for a few hours before bed. Yes, I should have worked more this weekend. But life doesn't wait, you know?