Flying High

 My thoughts are st ill whirling. The lovely thing about visits from friends is that you get to rehash it all over in your mind for days! The hard part is saying goodbye. This is best done quickly and then is less painful. Lucky for me I had to go to town and Jim decided to help with the “Evolution of Miracle House” again. So instead of sitting around missing my buddies, he and I went to work on the porch that we had not finished before their arrival. The biggest part of this was taking out a window to put in my second big kennel as we are going to clean up that corner where it was) outside soon. He said later he was dreading that but it all went well and I had done it before. The kennels are so large they won't fit through a door but one porch window is big enough. BUT, first the wire that prevents cats escaping had to be pulled off and then the window removed and then we could manhandle the cage through and all the way around to the other end of the porch. The kennels are light being fiberglass but very unwieldy and cumbersome to deal with. Luckily skinny Jimmy could get into places my butt will not allow me to go and all went well. At one point we paused for a drink and suddenly Jim realized we had not seen Otis for awhile and now the window was open! Could only find fearful Opus, so I wasted no time grabbing a bag of Temptations and walking around calling for him. He must have heard me inside the house and came out and Jim finally got my attention enough to tell me the cat was found. Well actually he was never lost! Typical of this nutty Animal House that revolves around cats and dogs and only a few people. Of course Jim being Mr. Clean everything had to swept and sorted and organized and you would not believe the difference!!

I must make apologies to Sandi and Dusty for telling everyone about the small altercation Dusty had with Teko. It was no big deal and only mentioned cause I prefer adding animals stuff into my little notes.

I awoke this morning worrying about that(although Sandi tells me I worry too much) and then I started thinking about all S had done to come here. First she had to wind up appointments for her husband and get him all set to batch for a few days and give him instructions on feeding and caring for her other pets(everything from turtles to lovebirds and sometimes a really different frog) Then she had to pack up stuff for her and Dusty and travel all the way from Olds,Alberta. She spent a night in her vehicle in Golden! Then she walks in the door with all sorts of wondrous groceries!! After that she puts up with me running out for a cig every fifteen minutes and pacing in between. She and Ann both brought me presents (which everyone knows I LOVE!) My friends are all important to me and I wanted everything to go well. I had not seen Ann in almost ten years except for when she came with some others and it was such a short visit it hardly counted. S. on the other hand has faithfully come to see me as often as possible but last year had the door come off her trailer so did not stop by.(I was disappointed) As mentioned before, Jim was here when the gals arrived and simply could not handle us. He says I was right “WIRED” and so I was, for days and the party for retirement just heightened that! Oh I am so blessed! Throughout this “holiday” that wasn't, S. was an angel and cooked and did dishes and finally sorted out my china cabinet. I avoid all these things like the plague and she says she likes sorting and organizing. I guess the fates have given me the friends I need? Now if I could just find someone for weeding and stuff. Oh! And to that end I had Pete in and he did a bunch of whipper snipping that looks fantastic now. I guess I need to patient and it will all come together eventually?? Ann was no slouch either and before she set foot in the house had packed an old computer screen downstairs for me and then attended to the lawns and the lawnmower as well as installations of several shower heads and stuff. All was a great benefit for me and in the end S .conributed to the Yukon fund as well. Am I fortunate or what!!! I think I am!p.s. Sharon G. if you are reading this I am coming to see Wildwood in June-will let you know more later!!

A Party and Dogs still.

Never having retired before nor even have I gone to someone elses party, I have little to compare my party with, but I thought it was great. Friends here hatched the idea and it quickly grew. I'm sorry if I missed anyone that wanted to come and please don't feel bad. I was somwhat overwhelmed by a lot of things and if this is retirement I am all for it. I hve been awfully busy and when two good friends decided to attend from Alberta—well the “cake” was doubly iced! Speaking of cake! Teresa May did one up for me that looked just like the little Jack Russell I fell in love with about a year ago- Max-a-Million! Anyway there were abvout twenty people that showed up and I felt somewhat humbled by all the well wishes etc. Although the invitations asked for no gifts-people got me stuff anyway besides bringing finger foods etc. It was all more than enough to simply blow me away and as friend Jim declared ”You only retire once (whereas birthdays come every year. “) All I can say is my only kick at the can was a great one and I thank everyone that worked towards this and all who attended! 
My two alberta buddies arrived within about twenty moments of each other. Sandi came from Olds, Alberta and drove up in her Expedition SUV. Ann followed with her big truck she drives for Bison, having left the trailer in Grande Forks. This all happened on the Wednesday before the party, all three of us were immediately on a high, not having seen each other for at least two years and Jim quickly bowed out and asked for a ride home. I didn't think adult women could giggle and laugh and talk so much all at once, but we certainly did! Small adventures occurred in no time the first being with poor Ann trying for a shower.She specifically asked if there was “anything she should know” about the shower, and I said no. Unfortunately the holder for the hand-held thingy had broken a few weeks ago and I had taken to just hanging the shower head over the curtain bar-in this case facing the wall! You guessed it! Water from hell to breakfast before she discovered the problem and for once the floor had already been washed. Sandi needed the washroom and said when I returned that Ann was certainly having a long shower. In truth she spent more time mopping up the floor than anything else. I was sorry about that but knowing Ann's sometimes ill-fated luck, I laughed every time I went in there after that and still do! We arrived at the Legion in time to greet most guests and proceeded to have a good time and my Alberta friends finally met some of my Kaslo friends and can now put a face to the names I spout stories about. They do however still have a hard time sorting them all out. Ann had been in Kaslo before and worked here for a time so she knew more people than Sandi did, but they are caught up now! Being a working gal Ann had to leave the following day and climbed into her high truck and away she went!! Sandi stayed until this morning and left to return home laden with boxes of videos I wanted to get rid of and and old table of my Moms that she liked-oh yeah and a rusty little antique ttrunk thingy she liked. She is a sorter and would have liked to have stayed and rearranged my kitchen cupboards for me but has appointments to go to and a husband that misses her and other pets as well. She did however do a great job on my china cabinet! Thanks Sandi for so many things and mostly your company! I miss you gals and even the dog Dusty!
Now its back to a normal kind of day, and I have Pete here hacking down some dingleberry bushes.I took some plastic off a kitchen window and can't believe the light that let in! Now maybe it can even be cleaned once the bushes are gone and no fear of breaking ones neck getting there! It would seem Miracle House is going through a transformation in many ways, not just the kitchen!
In between. the pet-sitting business continues as well, with a day visit with Inga and an overnight with Mattie! Both good dogs and repeat guests that know the ropes and were no problem at all. I had wondered how Sand'
's Dusty dog and Teko would get along but wasn't worried about Teko as he is pretty easy going. We enjoyed a couple of times at the park and all seemed hunky dory until Teko got too close to Dusty's food and she took a round out of him. Fair enough and Sandi was right on it and poor Dusty was on the “dirt?” list for awhile. For a dog that cannot see well and can't hear all that good either, he does very well and is around 14 I think. Sandi educated me on having a little dog and informed gentle goes a long ways and managed to get his feet clipped for me and his tail.Whew! That was a Godsend in itself and something I have been wanting to get done for some time. He looks great and we may even bath the little guy one of these days.Thats all for now folks!

Reno's and Retirement

 I have been pretty busy of late and there are many things happening in my life. But through it all the Reddings remain much the same. As it has warmed up they have a reluctance to come into the house until it is dark and not much to see outside. They have enjoyed some wondrous sunny times, working on their tans and actually do look a darker orange. I have finally hit on a program that doesn't make Otis upchuck his meals. I switched to Purina car food and also feed smaller amounts three times a day. That way Opus is assured of getting his rightful share and Otis doesn't pig out to the point of pukedom! I, for one am happier with this method.

Friend Jim has been back working on the kitchen again. The floor is done and now he has progressed to some painting of the doors and framework. It all looks good and I am most pleased. The house and its age have given us more than a few surprises, but sometimes we have just had some very good uh- “outhouse” luck so to speak? I can see this all progressing to a full paint job of the kitchen and may need to get some other help in. I am sorely lacking in knowledge of remodeling or even matching and picking colors, for that matter and although Jim is not a professional either he has a lot of common-sense and has been clever enough to figure out some of the houses' idiosyncrasies and work around them. If nothing else it has been a learning experience. Nothing seems to be straight or square and the floor rolls like the ocean. Knowing what we know now, we never would put laminate flooring down but we did and it has made a vast improvement to the overall look of the kitchen. The laminate flooring is made to “float” and snaps together. Great idea but you really need to have a proper FLAT floor. No matter, we needed to fudge a bit here and there but its all good now.

My back went out at the beginning of the week and so I have been no help whatsoever, but wasn't doing an awful lot anyway. Jim seems to like working on his own and says I am most helpful staying out of his way and doing puzzles on the computer-fine by me!

Teko seems to have come to like Jim an awful lot and Jim pays him a lot of attention. Same old story dogs just want to have someone with them 24-7 if at all possible. The cats are too undisciplined to have in the house when you are trying to do anything and indeed it has only been Otis that has spilt things on the floor at all. First it was a partially filled coffee cup and just the other day he actually managed to get a large beer glass out of the sink and knock it to the floor- without breaking it! I am sure he couldn't hold it in his paws so must have used his teeth. And as I have said before”Its always Otis!” At least when he is getting into trouble like that he is not pounding on Opus, and I am sure Opie appreciates that.

The biggest thing the near future holds is a party some friends are setting up for my retirement. I was looking forward to it and then two friends from Alberta have said they would attend and that was really great to hear. Now I am doubly looking forward to it as my friends here and the ones in Alberta have never gotten together really. If this is the beginning or retirement I am all for it!!

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