Lucky

Stripey Cat has a new name, Lucky. He came to visit us today and I snapped some pictures. (click on them for full size)

Below---I put him on the lawn chair because he wouldn't stay still

You are not seeing things---the centers of his eyes are just as green as the chair he's sitting on!

Gold eyes with teal green centers! Awsome!

We are SOOOO glad he has a good home.

Kitty Update

Stripey Cat (I thought adding the "e" made it look more like stripe-ee and not strip-ee) must be happy next door. They haven't turned it out. The former owner was across the street this morning. Didn't even show her face, or even look for it, or even miss it. What a shame. Glad it has a new home. I will try to find out if "it" is a he or she.

Stripy Cat

Aww I hate it when people dump animals!! And no we didn't take it in---can't with three older cats.

I know who dumped the kitty, too, because she had it with her and her children when they were visiting across the street. Because I know her she came over to talk and brought the kitty with her. She told me how much they loved this kitty named "Precious".

Today little silver and black striped cat Precious was meowing at our door, but I didn't see the owner and her children anywhere. I brought the kitty water but couldn't let it inside, not with my upset kitties peering out the window at it. For hours dad and I watched for the owner to drive up, looking for kitty, but they never came (we have no way to contact her). Finally dad broke down and said we should feed it, although that means they never leave, and we can't take it in. He said to set the food over by the gate, away from the porch, so our kitties couldn't see it.

Stripy Cat came bounding over with joy when it saw the dish in my hand. I called it over to the gate and set down the food. Just then our next door neighbors came home. They came over and asked if that was our cat. We told them no and who owned it. The son (who was playing with the children of Stripy Cat's owner) said they didn't want it anymore and just left it. The mom said it was at their door this morning and they let it in, but turned it back out when a call to the landlord wasn't promising. She told her family if it was still around when she got home from work she was going to buy a litter box and food and take it in anyway. She said they always had cats and she wanted to give this little one a home. I was so happy to hear they were taking it in. I gave them an extra bag of cat food.

So Stripy Cat Precious is living next door. Dad and I are relieved because I would have been in tears if this had gone on much longer. Dad said it's a smart little cat and if it wasn't for our own kitties we would have taken it in. Maybe I'll get a picture of it sometime.

Rocks!

I was looking through my rock collection, and I decided it was time I unravel the mystery of these milky white, waxy smooth rocks we (my parents and I) found in the desert back in the later 1950's or early 1960's. The larger rock on the left looks like wax, and both of them have a smooth, bubbly surface. They both can scratch glass (hardness of 7) and appear to me to be made of quartz. (Click on the photos for a closer look. I think three of them will do that. I don't know why one won't)


The biggest surprise comes when I turn them over. The smaller rock on the right has a crystalline cavity suggesting a broken geode. The rock on the left is a mysterious bunch of drips.



Here is a closer look at the crystals. They are very tiny. I love the milky patterns that look like cirrus clouds. The parts that look darker are actually more clear, allowing the brown background to show through.

And now a closer look at the "drips". I am amazed at how something like this could be formed of rock. I am guessing that it must have been molten.

I searched my rock books and the Internet for an answer. Finally I found a forum headed by a geologist. After posting pictures I found out my rocks are Chalcedony or "white agate", which is a form of quartz. I still don't know how such an unusual pattern was formed.

Fishing

A few months ago I was blessed with $150 worth of Cabela's gift cards and today we finally got around to using them. It was like Christmas in July. Dad and I both got fishing poles.

This is mine. It's very light so my wrist won't get tired. I like how the reel is below the rod, yet it's not open-face, which often tangles for me. It's easy to hold in my right hand and turn the knob with my left, which is good, since I had the surgery on the left I can't over-work it.

Dad wanted the pistol-type grip for his arthritic hands, so he bought his rod and reel separate.

Dad said he always wanted to learn to tie flies. He hesitated at picking up a $30 book but I insisted since it was FREE. I think I want to learn, too!

In addition I talked him into getting a small fly tying tool kit. We opted not to buy materials at this time.

Can you believe it---all of the above and we got a quarter in change back! We also found out the Cabela's has free fly-tying classes and a discount on supplies at that time. By the way, dad has a fly rod, and we have a tackle box in the garage. We're going to be all set to go fishing after we move :-)

Packing

I've been going through everything, sorting, tossing, packing, giving some stuff away on freecycle. Tried a few things on eBay, some interest there but not great.

Dad said he hasn't seen the Milky Way since he stood in my mom and dad's back yard in Arkansas, about 1984 (?) it would have been before 1987. I saw it when I went to the Midland Reunion in 2005. We're going to find us a place where we can see the stars.

Stuff

Been running the A/C but have the house open now, 75 degrees, not bad, although I'm getting whiffs of someone burning. There is always someone burning. How can you have a campfire in the city without it blowing into some one's house?

Had a tooth pulled today. I decided against a root canal, which would cost more than twice as much as a bottom partial, which would be nice, so I can chew again, on both sides. I hate the shots. Not shots in general, Novocaine shots. They're horrible. I would rather be knocked out for the procedure.

Our tomatoes are blooming! The peppers are still small but the radishes are almost ready.

Is anyone actually reading this? Just wondering....