Gramto6 April 3 Share April 3 (edited) 4,970 steps yesterday. Rather quiet day. Switching clothes and doing laundries of things that are getting put away for the season. Not sure what is on agenda for garage today as it is drizzly and cooler. Plus my friend usually needs a day to recoup from her day at the TRN. Still a lot to be done in the house so I'm sure I'll find things to do... Edited April 3 by Gramto6 4 Link to comment
Sandy W April 3 Share April 3 44 minutes ago, Absolom said: Plans to trap the unfixed kitties? That's going to be a challenge to identify fixed vs not fixed when rounding up. Maybe get as many as possible and mark the fixed kitties with a harmless food dye. Link to comment
Gramto6 April 3 Share April 3 1 hour ago, Absolom said: Plans to trap the unfixed kitties? 13 minutes ago, Sandy W said: That's going to be a challenge to identify fixed vs not fixed when rounding up. Maybe get as many as possible and mark the fixed kitties with a harmless food dye. When the garage is finished we will begin trapping the cats again and putting them in garage. The ones that have already been fixed have had their left ears tips clipped off so it is easy to tell who has been fixed and who still needs to be done. The already fixed ones will stay in the garage cat house while the others will be fixed and returned to the garage. Once all the cats have been trapped and fixed everyone will be allowed outside again. There will be feeders and waterers, toys, climbing/playing areas poop boxes, coolers and boxes for them to hide and sleep in while living in garage. Once they are again out in the wild, a cat door will be installed in to the garage where they will eat/sleep/play whatever they choose. I won't have to have several feeding stations on the porches and have to worry about shoveling snow to clear the porches for feedings in the Winters. 3 1 9 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 4 Share April 4 5,090 steps yesterday. Damp rainy weather is slowing us down on cat home painting, too humid. The LED overhead shop lights arrive today so if they come early enough, that may be today's project.They will make the painting much easier once installed. The time off has really helped my aches and pains get better. But now, I'd like to see it done so we can start the trapping again once the weather clears up, and hopefully catch all the ones that slipped by last time. 9 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 5 Share April 5 5,557 steps yesterday. Drizzled all day, so not good for painting. Lights didn't arrive, so no installing them. Just a tiny grocery run and load of laundry. I'm hoping the lights get here early enough that we can at least do that today... 6 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 6 Share April 6 5,204 steps yesterday. Drizzled all day yesterday. I did some sanding of window sills in garage. Lights arrived late afternoon so my friend will install them today. Spent a lot of time shopping online for cat trees/scratchers for the garage. Man are the trees expensive for a decent one! And I want a couple at least! Made no decisions. Drizzly again today, supposedly it will be drying out some tomorrow leading to a fairly decent week next week. I hope so, I really want to get the garage done so the kitties can go there to get out of the weather! Then we have to figure out an entrance that the cats can access but not the skunks and raccoons!! Have to go out today to pick up my taxes at H&R Block. Glad to have that done! 7 Link to comment
ginger90 April 6 Share April 6 @Gramto6 there are cat trees on clearance on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cat+trees+on+clearance&adgrpid=94821817897&hvadid=631614752348&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9007017&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=11175864614676319954&hvtargid=kwd-314533490088&hydadcr=11120_13568216&tag=hydsma-20&ref=pd_sl_4sn92atpym_b 1 2 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 7 Share April 7 9 hours ago, ginger90 said: @Gramto6 there are cat trees on clearance on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cat+trees+on+clearance&adgrpid=94821817897&hvadid=631614752348&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9007017&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=11175864614676319954&hvtargid=kwd-314533490088&hydadcr=11120_13568216&tag=hydsma-20&ref=pd_sl_4sn92atpym_b Thanks for the link! That is what I have been pouring over for 2 days now. It is hard to decide, several are already in my Shopping List along with a couple cat beds too. My friend is looking for her cats too. Lots of choices not enough $$ to get them all at this point. But I will be getting at least 2 trees in the next few days!! 5 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 7 Share April 7 6,353 steps yesterday. Hopefully did last of refreshing kitties' box shelters with new straw on front and side porch. Hoping weather will improve and not be as wet... Ran to town for taxes and quick grocery store was only other activity. This darn dampness is settling in my bones and I am achey all over again. Today is going to be a rest day if possible. The LED bar lights look great! So much brighter than the aging fluorescent ones originally in garage! 5 2 1 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 7 Share April 7 The other side of garage where my car will go after Yard Sale 8 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 8 Share April 8 (edited) 5,987 steps yesterday. Kind of a lazy day. I did laundry and puttered a bit tiding cat shelters outside. Then again looked for cat trees on Amazon. So many choices, so many bad reviews....decisions, decisions. One company even showed how to "upcycle the box" to help the planet. OK..... So I put their pattern to work on a Chewy box and it is kind of neat. I put a cut up blanket inside to cuddle. I will wait until it is dry outside to see if the cats like it. Mama Millie so far is not impressed... But I think some of the outside ones will really like it. The flat part of the roof is open space that is why I covered it with plastic. So they even have a skylight!! This would be a Summer house...LOL Edited April 8 by Gramto6 7 2 Link to comment
precious pupp April 8 Share April 8 1 hour ago, Gramto6 said: 5,987 steps yesterday. Kind of a lazy day. I did laundry and puttered a bit tiding cat shelters outside. Then again looked for cat trees on Amazon. So many choices, so many bad reviews....decisions, decisions. One company even showed how to "upcycle the box" to help the planet. OK..... So I put their pattern to work on a Chewy box and it is kind of neat. I put a cut up blanket inside to cuddle. I will wait until it is dry outside to see if the cats like it. Mama Millie so far is not impressed... But I think some of the outside ones will really like it. The flat part of the roof is open space that is why I covered it with plastic. So they even have a skylight!! This would be a Summer house...LOL I like it. I wonder if my kitty would? Next time I get a box from Chewy, I'll give it a whirl. 3 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 9 Share April 9 (edited) 4,921 steps yesterday. Pretty quiet day. Just puttered around, some Spring cleaning, some seasonal clothing switching, some refreshing cat coolers, and some online looking for cat trees. Nothing too exciting. My friend worked at home on cutting wood for dividing wall in garage otherwise not much happening here. Thanks @precious pupp! LOL, you wonder if a cat would like a box? 😸 😂 The boxes are easy to make and you can leave the top gap open. I just covered it in case of sprinkles when it is outside. I'm going to make several more for the cat home under construction now. Edited April 9 by Gramto6 added on to post 6 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 10 Share April 10 5,467 steps yesterday. Quick run to PO, grocery store and to put gas in car. The rest just chores at home. Today I go for a blood draw to check liver functions to make sure the addition of Metformin and the continued use of Meloxicam aren't messing with the numbers. Then to Tractor Supply for poultry fencing which will be at the very top of divider wall in garage. Today is TNR day for my friend but Thursday will hopefully be wall assembly and maybe even some painting. The grass is beginning to green up and trees are just beginning to bud, can't wait for the lilac bushes to bloom!! The only thing that is not so nice is when the Cottonwood trees start dropping all the "cotton", so messy! That is the only time I tolerate the wind as it blows that messy stuff away! 4 Link to comment
precious pupp April 10 Share April 10 2 hours ago, Gramto6 said: 5,467 steps yesterday. Quick run to PO, grocery store and to put gas in car. The rest just chores at home. Today I go for a blood draw to check liver functions to make sure the addition of Metformin and the continued use of Meloxicam aren't messing with the numbers. Then to Tractor Supply for poultry fencing which will be at the very top of divider wall in garage. Today is TNR day for my friend but Thursday will hopefully be wall assembly and maybe even some painting. The grass is beginning to green up and trees are just beginning to bud, can't wait for the lilac bushes to bloom!! The only thing that is not so nice is when the Cottonwood trees start dropping all the "cotton", so messy! That is the only time I tolerate the wind as it blows that messy stuff away! My area has a lot of lilac bushes where I walk. We have a white one on the north side of our house. I love smelling them. 5 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 11 Share April 11 11 hours ago, precious pupp said: My area has a lot of lilac bushes where I walk. We have a white one on the north side of our house. I love smelling them. I have 4 large lilacs, planted before I moved here 20 years ago, they are all the lavender ones, I'd like to plant a couple white ones in between...maybe this year if it isn't too late already. One is right outside my bedroom window so when it is in bloom even my room smells wonderful!! 6 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 11 Share April 11 8,520 steps yesterday. Even with the driving to dr and town I did much better than expected! That Tractor Supply store is huge!! I walked a lot in there! Then in the evening, Millie decided she was going to make a break and go outside. It was late and I kept getting up and calling her to no avail, then just when I had given up (she has been an outside cat for years) and started turning outside lights out at 10:30PM, there she was at the door now ready to come in! She doesn't know how close she came to spending the night outside...or did she??? Today the plan is getting the divider wall up and maybe some painting. Today's forecast is 63°/41° with some clouds but mostly sunny. Good weather for working in the garage! 7 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 12 Share April 12 (edited) 6,251 steps yesterday. Working in garage, and some clothes organizing inside before that. Pretty achey this morning, but we have to finish painting today. Work in progress yesterday, first photo: First coat finished yesterday. We originally planned to start dark on bottom of wall and then lighten as went toward top. We didn't like the look, so today we will do 2nd coat in all one color. Edited April 12 by Gramto6 added on to post 8 Link to comment
MaddyMaeboxerbabe April 12 Share April 12 A lot of hard work, but it is shaping up nicely. :) 3 1 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 13 Share April 13 (edited) 6,345 steps yesterday. I am really feeling the work in my hands, back and knees. Pushing through it though as we need to get at least to a point we can contain the cats that are fixed and the newly fixed ones until all are finally done. Final coat of paint: The last photos are a bit dark, color is most like the first one. On to the divider wall today! Edited April 13 by Gramto6 added on to post 6 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 14 Share April 14 5,812 steps yesterday. It was a good day to work, but we were both so sore we took yesterday off, not sure about today either. My hands are really hurting! There always seems to be something that keeps me from scheduling the surgery. Always something to finish first...I really need to just do it! 3 6 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 15 Share April 15 6,060 steps yesterday. Ended up being another "rest" day. We both felt it was better to not push as much as we have been and take another day off. When the Fedex guy delivered some of my Chewy order on Friday he was looking at the cat house (he's a cat guy!), he saw some of the things I have set aside for the yard sale and said he wanted some of them!! Biggest one was the roll top desk! He has to figure out how to get it to his place though. I got sad news last evening. My friend/neighbor passed away on Saturday. I knew she was sick, she had confided in me she had cancer but asked I keep her secret. She was the friend that drove me to all my dr appointments after my bad fall in Dec. '23, while I was in the back brace. She also took me grocery shopping. She was a good friend and very sweet. Saddest part is she was just in her 50's. 6 7 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 16 Share April 16 ,980 steps yesterday. No garage work yesterday, my friend worked at home getting parts together for divider wall. Nothing much left here for me to do in garage. Yesterday 2 big Chewy boxes came so they needed to be unloaded and supplies/food brought inside. Pretty soon they will just go into the garage!! No more hauling around in the house! The cat stencils I ordered for the walls came yesterday. Today's chore will be doing some research about types of paint and means of application for the stencils. I haven't done any stenciling before, so a new craft to learn about! 4 Link to comment
Absolom April 16 Share April 16 That’s going to be the fanciest home for stray cats I think I’ll have ever seen. 5 1 1 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 17 Share April 17 (edited) 5,440 steps yesterday. No garage work other than one little stencil to try it out. Had to go to several places in town to find minimal stencil supplies. Got some chalkboard paint which will be fun for some of them. There is a Hobby Lobby in the mall by my dentist so will go there tomorrow to get fully supplied with paints and applicators. Not a place I would normally go these days, but new skills require new supplies... Will try a couple more stencils today and that is about it. Here is the small test one I did yesterday. It is the chalkboard paint and I kind of like the result: I have larger ones that will go around the windows and various places on the walls. A fun part of putting all this together!! What is cute about this one is the angle of the cat's head makes it look like the left ear is clipped, just like all the fixed cats have! ETA: Yes the seams are rough...this is a garage after all, and "cat house", they don't care! 😸 Edited April 20 by Gramto6 typo 9 2 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 18 Share April 18 (edited) 5,060 steps yesterday. Dentist appointment today. But I will be doing some shopping up in town so steps should be good, despite the drive and sitting at dentist. Edited April 18 by Gramto6 6 1 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 19 Share April 19 7,209 steps yesterday. Well, there it is, haven't seen that number in a while! But I am paying for it today. I had things to do that needed doing while I was in town.... 49° was the high yesterday, sunny with just a few gusts of wind. Nowadays, every time I write wind, I think of my friend I just lost, whose chosen name was Wind. Her graveside service was yesterday. I couldn't attend because of dentist appt (very difficult to reschedule) but they did record it I and watched before bedtime. Beautiful service. I didn't realize recording services for online viewing was a thing these days. I was glad to see the recording of the service of a member of my diabetes forum a few years ago, but thought that was a special circumstance as he was a popular opera singer. I was sad to watch my friend's service but it did appear to be mostly just family so I probably would have felt out of place. I did order a tree to be planted in her memory though. 7 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 20 Share April 20 (edited) 6,907 steps yesterday. Quick run to PO to pick up mail Rx, then dash into grocery store. Worked in garage painting divider wall and some stenciling. Chores inside in evening...it all added up to more than I expected. I was surprised this morning when I looked at the count! Progress report on the cat home: A new stencil on fuse box: Partial wall and storage shelf construction. Poultry fencing not metallic will fill in open space between shelf bottom and top of wood wall : There will be a screen door between sides in opening at the end of wall in photo below, by brown door in photo below. View from other side of wall. It will be painted to match, when I decide if I am also going to upgrade car side of garage: Bookshelf is attached to provide extra support on car side. Edited April 20 by Gramto6 added on to post 10 2 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 21 Share April 21 5,705 steps yesterday. Today will probably be fairly high even with the driving, to town to deliver the desk. We have several stores we need to visit while in there. My body will probably pay tomorrow!! 5 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 22 Share April 22 10,159 steps yesterday. I knew it would be a lot of steps yesterday, but this really did surprise me! Clearing out space to get the desk out and load on truck. Walking all over Home Resources (it is a hughe lumber yard looking place) in search of a door, window trim, plastic bins for litter boxes, etc. theonly thing we got was 2 large plastic bins that will make great litter boxes for a total of $2! Then searching Pet Smart and Walmart for other needed items. An entirely exhausting day!! Today is working in the garage... Tomorrow I have an appointment at the DMV to renew my driver's license. Ughhh! Here in MT you have to renew again at age 75 regardless if you had gotten a new license the year before. sigh... I turn 75 this June.... 6 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 23 Share April 23 6,696 steps yesterday. Boy did I feel those 10,000+ steps!! My friend did too! We didn't get started until mid afternoon yesterday because of all our creaks and aches!! Today I go to DMV in an hour and while I am in town there (this town is south of me and haven't been there in years) I am going to poke around a couple thrift shops. Then home for some kitty house work... 6 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 24 Share April 24 4,866 steps yesterday. It took longer to drive to the DMV than I spent there renewing my license!! Sooo different from the same experience in CA!! I guess one reason is we are small population wise, 1,132,800 people in the state in 2023. That is one of the things I like about here!! I was the only person in the office for 10 out of the 15 minutes or so it took. One person came in just before I left. I remember the hours it would often take when I lived in CA!! Turned out to be a rather lazy day all in all and I think I needed it! No heavy work today either, it is my friend's day at the TNR shelter. I may do some stenciling... 7 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 25 Share April 25 6,432 steps yesterday. Kind of a lazy day. We have a goal of finishing the garage enough for holding the cats that have been fixed by Sunday so we can begin the trapping. I really need to get it done before babies start coming. I made some shelter boxes to put inside so they have places to hide and sleep. I've been gathering blankets to put inside them since they won't be exposed to the weather they will work fine to make they cozy. It is going to be a busy next few days! I will sure be glad when the kitties are all fixed and construction is done! Life can settle back into normal...whatever that is!! 😸 6 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 26 Share April 26 5,136 steps yesterday. Gathering blankets and getting them ready for the "houses" in the garage and making 4 more box houses was about the extent of what I did yesterday. My friend was working on the supports for the storage on top of the wall and some painting. Today the green fencing will go up and then we have to find a door for between the sides of the garage. She said she may have something usable in her "collection" of building stuff she has accumulated over the years with her business. We're getting close to an almost "finished", just enough to start trapping.Hoping that by Sunday we can start! 7 Link to comment
Absolom April 26 Share April 26 I hope the remaining kitties needing surgery are easy to trap and that you don't get any new colony members. 7 1 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 26 Share April 26 19 minutes ago, Absolom said: I hope the remaining kitties needing surgery are easy to trap and that you don't get any new colony members. Thanks! You and me both!! Being Spring, they have really increased their ranges. As meal time here brings them home, they will find traps with sardines inside waiting for them. Once fixed they go into the "cat house" to wait with the already fixed. And when no more come to eat...hopefully all will be well with my colony. 8 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 27 Share April 27 4,559 steps yesterday. Raining most of the day yesterday, both my knees were really aching from the damp. Didn't do much myself, but my friend got the mesh up. Unfortunately breaking a window that was probably cracked by a bird that flew into garage a couple days ago. I'm worried about pieces of glass in the grass outside as that is one of the cat trails they use to get around the yard. Not sure we are going to make tomorrow's start day. Lots of clean up needed in cat area and then set up beds, food, litter boxes... 3 4 Link to comment
Absolom April 27 Share April 27 Sorry about the window. Good luck getting things finalized and don't stress too much over a day or two. What you two have accomplished is impressive. 9 1 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 29 Share April 29 Late to post, got busy and forgot. 5,797 steps yesterday. Lots of tidying up in garage and last minute tweaks. All I need now is a door between the two spaces. Hopefully my friend was able to put something together that is serviceable for now. And replace glass in window. Almost done, enough to hold TNR cats. But my friend hurt her arm yesterday so no work today. Still just lacking door and window. This is what it looks like now with the mesh up and walls all finished: This shot is from the car side, it shows the mesh the best. 4 5 3 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 29 Share April 29 4,830 steps yesterday. Not much going on yesterday, my friend hurt her arm Saturday so couldn't come over yesterday. Today, if not better she will be going to dr. Probably won't be able to start trapping for another week. I did do a couple of stencils in the cat house, gathered garbage and did a laundry so had some low keyed exercise. It was probably a good thing for me too. 6 Link to comment
altopower April 30 Share April 30 @Gramto6, you are AMAZING! I've been gone for a while but just now caught up with your garage work as well as your steps, and I'm so impressed! Looking forward to seeing it finished :) 7 1 Link to comment
Gramto6 April 30 Share April 30 (edited) 5,733 steps yesterday. Garbage up the road and a grocery run. No work on cat home yesterday, my friend's shoulder is really bothering her. Old injury from falling off a roof when she had her construction company. Rest and ice she says will fix her up in a few days. Can't say that the rest isn't good for me too, my hands and back are so sore the rest will do me well too. Just hoping the cats take a rest too!! 17 hours ago, altopower said: @Gramto6, you are AMAZING! I've been gone for a while but just now caught up with your garage work as well as your steps, and I'm so impressed! Looking forward to seeing it finished :) I have been thinking about you and worrying some too! Have missed your posts, glad to see you posting again! Thanks it has been a very hard project and both of us are feeling it. the end is near for at least to start trapping. The trims and final detailing can wait till later. Edited April 30 by Gramto6 added on to post 5 Link to comment
altopower April 30 Share April 30 8 minutes ago, Gramto6 said: I have been thinking about you and worrying some too! Have missed your posts, glad to see you posting again! Awwww, thank you! I've just been over my head busy with a project for my senior living community, where I'm chair of the dining committee. We have a new menu project going on and I designed all the menus without any experience, just a lot of time available. Not what we're serving, but the actual physical menus. Hit a big milestone this weekend. I'm now down NINETY (90) pounds! My BMI is down 16 points, and I keep changing sizes. It's a good problem to have, though, so no complaints :) 3 11 Link to comment
Gramto6 May 1 Share May 1 That's great!! You are AMAZING too! You've done a lot to get where you are now! 7 1 Link to comment
Gramto6 May 1 Share May 1 5,467 steps yesterday. Quiet day, didn't do much. Scheduled appt with my Broker to sign some papers after my dentist appt tomorrow. Put together some things for cat home and did some browsing on Amazon. The break in work is helping my body that is for sure! 8 Link to comment
Absolom May 1 Share May 1 I'm getting excited for the kitty home to be done to see how fast the trapping goes and how well the kitties do staying inside for a bit. 11 Link to comment
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