The Old Folks Home

[perchie.girl]

.....
Imagine that! A mouse in a house in the country.

These were city people who had no concept at all of rural life. I told DH that I was almost sorry we wouldn't be around the first time they had a raccoon climb up the side of the house or had to remove a snake from the garage.

I swear my Cherokee Great Grand ma's ancestors had the right idea. When the horse manure got too deep, they pulled up the teepee and moved. No fussing, no cussing and best of all no closing costs,

LOL... love it.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Oh MY GAWD thats funny.... some where I read that contrary to popular belief a cat bringing you a mouse is supposed to be an honor.... its actually more like "you need to learn to hunt stupid and I guess I will have to teach you...."

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

We have 5 cats and 5 dogs. We didn't intend to have that many, but like chickens, they just sort of happened.

Yes the cats do their fair share of barfing, usually hairballs and usually it seems as though they really do aim for the important contract that is laying on the kitchen island. However nothing tops the disgusting scale like the morning the dog came in the house and upchucked the rabbit she had caught and eaten when DH let them out earlier.

I swear I'm pretty much gag proof but that one had me dry heaving for a half hour at least.

Our cats usually leave their mouse offerings in front of the fireplace where they know we will step on them when we add wood to the fire.

Bwahahahahaahah...

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I went to a historical "walk" a few towns over today.

It started at the Union Meeting House in Readfield, Maine. It is decorated inside with a pain job called trompe l'oeil (to fool the eye). The walls are all flat. Even the glass is decorated - not stained but stenciled and painted. Due to paint mixing differences and the not easily controlled conditions within an actual fired oven, some of the glass survives better than others. The meeting house is not in great condition - the arch in front (not original) wasn't made correctly and has caused the walls to shift and crack. That is being fixed, now.

This is an entirely flat wall, all is painted on. Look at the amazing job with the shadows to make it look dimensional.








We then walked about a quarter mile to the cemetery where the founding fathers of the area were buried. A lady did a history walk to the graves and talked about them. I honestly didn't enjoy this part very much - while I love history I have no idea where or what the places she was talking about were. I ended up leaving early (I didn't want to be rude by leaving the group and exploring the cemetery that we were all in) and heading a few miles down the road to a small cemetery on a hill that I had noticed driving in that looked like it had really old stones. I was rewarded, greatly.





There's a few cemetery tours in Portland coming up. I really want to go to the civil war one, but now after attending this one I'm not so sure I want to make that drive. I know about the same amount of Portland's history as I do Readfield. While I do know a great deal about the civil war, I'm not sure I want to drive 90 minutes each way to attend. I'm hoping my town will be doing a few of these - I at least know the buildings in my area that they'll be discussing who built and had what businesses in them.

 

[ronott1]

I went to a historical "walk" a few towns over today.

It started at the Union Meeting House in Readfield, Maine. It is decorated inside with a pain job called trompe l'oeil (to fool the eye). The walls are all flat. Even the glass is decorated - not stained but stenciled and painted. Due to paint mixing differences and the not easily controlled conditions within an actual fired oven, some of the glass survives better than others. The meeting house is not in great condition - the arch in front (not original) wasn't made correctly and has caused the walls to shift and crack. That is being fixed, now.

This is an entirely flat wall, all is painted on. Look at the amazing job with the shadows to make it look dimensional.








We then walked about a quarter mile to the cemetery where the founding fathers of the area were buried. A lady did a history walk to the graves and talked about them. I honestly didn't enjoy this part very much - while I love history I have no idea where or what the places she was talking about were. I ended up leaving early (I didn't want to be rude by leaving the group and exploring the cemetery that we were all in) and heading a few miles down the road to a small cemetery on a hill that I had noticed driving in that looked like it had really old stones. I was rewarded, greatly.





There's a few cemetery tours in Portland coming up. I really want to go to the civil war one, but now after attending this one I'm not so sure I want to make that drive. I know about the same amount of Portland's history as I do Readfield. While I do know a great deal about the civil war, I'm not sure I want to drive 90 minutes each way to attend. I'm hoping my town will be doing a few of these - I at least know the buildings in my area that they'll be discussing who built and had what businesses in them.

Looks like a nice trip!

 

[Kusanar]

Quote:
Oh MY GAWD thats funny.... some where I read that contrary to popular belief a cat bringing you a mouse is supposed to be an honor.... its actually more like "you need to learn to hunt stupid and I guess I will have to teach you...."

deb

Yeah, when I had indoor/outdoor cats, they brought dead things, I made them vanish, they were pleased, then they started bringing me mostly dead things (very damaged but alive), I made those dissapear again, they were pleased, then, they started bringing me unhurt live things and got to watch me "hunt"... I'm pretty good at catching birds now... it's a little nerve wracking though when a cat brings you a bird half as big as it is, puts it down and RUNS and you know you have to catch the thing now... Cardnals, bluejays, and mocking birds are NOT pleased to be brought in a house and they are big enough to fight back when you catch them...

 

[Leave a LightOn]

Quote:

I never thought of this! They must be horrified at the dry food we give them and want fresh!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

Oh MY GAWD thats funny.... some where I read that contrary to popular belief a cat bringing you a mouse is supposed to be an honor.... its actually more like "you need to learn to hunt stupid and I guess I will have to teach you...."

deb

Yeah, when I had indoor/outdoor cats, they brought dead things, I made them vanish, they were pleased, then they started bringing me mostly dead things (very damaged but alive), I made those dissapear again, they were pleased, then, they started bringing me unhurt live things and got to watch me "hunt"... I'm pretty good at catching birds now... it's a little nerve wracking though when a cat brings you a bird half as big as it is, puts it down and RUNS and you know you have to catch the thing now... Cardnals, bluejays, and mocking birds are NOT pleased to be brought in a house and they are big enough to fight back when you catch them...

See.... they taught you well....

deb

 

[Kusanar]

Quote:

Oh MY GAWD thats funny.... some where I read that contrary to popular belief a cat bringing you a mouse is supposed to be an honor.... its actually more like "you need to learn to hunt stupid and I guess I will have to teach you...."

deb

Yeah, when I had indoor/outdoor cats, they brought dead things, I made them vanish, they were pleased, then they started bringing me mostly dead things (very damaged but alive), I made those dissapear again, they were pleased, then, they started bringing me unhurt live things and got to watch me "hunt"... I'm pretty good at catching birds now... it's a little nerve wracking though when a cat brings you a bird half as big as it is, puts it down and RUNS and you know you have to catch the thing now... Cardnals, bluejays, and mocking birds are NOT pleased to be brought in a house and they are big enough to fight back when you catch them...

See.... they taught you well....

deb

Yep! The current cats are indoor only. The only thing they can kill and bring me is crickets and maybe the dog...

 

[drumstick diva]

Well I've always lived in either the city or a suburb(surrounded by Forest preserve). Dogs were never out without a leash or in fenced yard or dog runs. They didn't have any opportunity to eat wild animals or upchuck them all over the house. But I doubt that they would have. They were very people oriented. No prey drive.

fed a stray cat that adopted me because I kept yelling "Scat, get out of here." Instead of running away it ran toward me. Of course I figured it was rabid. Once that notion passed, I fed him and left water out for him. NO CAT in the house. I even made him a box within a box, and covered with thick plastic to keep rain and snow out. I put a nice towel in there for him. He took to it instantly. I bought him top brand cat food, and even sardines. When the dogs were walked he 'd walked alongside them. No conflict.

To repay my many kindnesses he left scraps of chipmunk all over the front step, daily. THEN one day when he was entwined around my legs, I reached down to pat him. I never saw the razor blade claws just the bloody furrows.. End of cat experiment. Afterwards if he approached me, I zotzed him with the garden house. He just hid till my mother came home from work and pulled his phony charm on her.

The cat lady next door said she'd drive to the vet so my mom could have him wormed and shots & whatever. He hopped into the car. As soon as neighbor started the motor, he flew around the inside of the car screaming and tearing up everything in sight. She flew out of the car and so did he. Afterwards she said "I should have put him in a cat carrier first." Duh!

Cats don't give second chances. He was a boy because he started coming back with cuts, sores, bleeding areas etc. and also spraying around the perimeter of the house and messed in the flower beds.

One day he just disappeared. I will grant him one thing, he was a great chipmunker and mouser. When he disappeared we realized we had a problem with both. Still not worth taking on a cat.

I DO love dogs. I DO understand their body language and their vocalizations . All dogs are not good companions. I enjoy the company of good ones.