The Daily Storm

I am starting to feel that our valley is like poor little Joe Btfsplk: it has a permanent thunder storm overhead. Yesterday we had a storm for hours, and lost electricity for a large part of that time as well. I didn’t feed the horses until 8:00 because I kept hoping the storm would move off before I went out. I’ve lost count of how many times we have lost electricity in the past week. The more expensive electronic gear is all on uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) outlets, and I trot through the house shutting down systems when UPS boxes starts beeping.

It is getting very old.

Sheila

In the two decades since I last lived with kittens, I had forgotten what it is like. Very early this morning, I looked up and saw a big fat bug clinging to the outside of the screen in my office window.  A small slender cat was clinging to the inside of the screen. Since the screen is old and presumably fragile, I carefully detached the cat rather than finding my camera to take her photo.

And then there is the box of (biodegradable) packing peanuts which is now all over the storage room floor, also courtesy of Sheila. Picking them up is on my to do list this morning.   I should have done it last night, but the electricity went out during thunderstorms for the third or fourth time this week, and I didn’t feel like doing it by flashlight.

Guest

August 14, 2007 – Click on image for higher resolution version.

We are kitten sitting for the next two weeks. I am used to the “bring cat to new place and not see it for a week” variety of cat. Sheila (pronounced “Shayla”) is of the “get into everything and be apparently fearless” model. Mia, the Dalmatian, is fascinated by her. Lody, the Collie, wants to know where we put her food and litter box. Both dogs have obviously been nailed by a cat during a formative stage. It was hysterical to watch two dogs, the smaller of which is forty pounds, ooze out of the way of a three pound adolescent cat.

Changes

Last week, I expanded my hours slightly at the part-time job I started in June.  I am now working 24 hours a week, six hours a day on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  I like having one less commute a week, as well as a chance to ride Lily on Wednesdays.  This time of year it is difficult to plan on riding in the afternoon, since thunderstorms are likely to occur about the time I get off from work. 

Scarcity of Blood Donors

I was shocked the other day to read the other day that only 38% of Americans could give blood if they wanted to. The CBS article Number Of Americans Eligible To Give Blood Overestimated By 60 Percent  explains why.  When I started donating in college, I think they asked potential donors about seven questions, including about how the donor was feeling that day.  I think there were several dozen questions that I answered to today before I donated.  Without working at a place with a regular visit by a blood bank, I hadn’t donated in four or five years.  With my new job, I now drive past a hospital with a blood bank four days a week, so I decided to schedule an appointment there.  I am pleased to report that the juice and chocolate chip cookies were very good.

Dog Tricks

The little Yorkie at I Do Dog Tricks obeys me much better than my dogs do. And right now there is a mare (Magic) screaming because I took her Best Friend Forever (Sassy) home this morning. I hope she quits by the time I go to bed. Updated 8/2 to add Magic seems to have adjusted to just being turned out with Rags. And it makes feeding time go more easily, since they both get the same amount of horse chow.