Enjoy life while you still have one

The last ten days have been very busy.  I of course have my next batch of foster kittens, this time only two, but two very cute little babies.

One girl and one boy, very similar in markings but not from the same litter, both dumped.  The little girl they didn't think would survive her first night but she did.  These two are consuming a lot of my time which I don't mind in the slightest, I have plenty of it to give.  Such a rewarding thing to do with my time.  Oh and Oscar has fallen in love with these two as well.

Official name is Pingu but we are calling her Jerry as in Ms Hall.  She has been on oral antibiotics for a week and eye cream daily, with another week of this to go.  She loves being cuddled and has stopped growling and  hissing so we are on the way to making her into a lovely cat.

Picachu or Tom as we know him is all fluff and whiskers.  He has come down with cat flu now and joined Jerry today on the antibiotics.  She is at the end of her snuffles and he is at the beginning.  I even gave them a Eucalyptus bath this afternoon.  Just like having babies with croup!!  Give me another week and they will both be healthy, I shall love them back to good health!

Have a sneak peak into the cat lounge at the SPCA.  They have apartment style living, plenty of room, activities and they all seem pretty content.  There are couches for people to sit on and spend time with all these available cats that are all in need of forever homes.  But the kittens are still arriving in, and most people want the babies.  

My first week of photographing the new kids on the block.  So funny because they all kept moving and you have to read their name tags so you get the right cat on the list.

This week I took my big camera and this lot were all sleeping making my job much easier.  All aged from about 6 months to as old as 10 years.   I have gone and  fallen in love with one big old boy, just working on TOF now.

Known as Biggy and they think part Maine Coon.  About 10 but in such good condition and I so want to bring him home.  Maybe I will take TOF to check him out this weekend.  Isn't he beautiful?

Anyway it isn't all about cats around here.  Autumn is in full swing and our city is looking lovely.  We have a lot of parks and most streets are tree lined.  Well carpeted in leaves.

The big old trees by the Hamilton East Cemetery are shedding their summer leaves and they make the ground look gorgeous.  But I bet the council dudes that have to deal with the gardens don't agree.  Makes good mulch!

 

Hamilton Gardens are looking stunning and I had a wander around Turtle Lake.  The reflections in the water were beautiful.

I didn't even know there was a little waterfall!  You can follow the boardwalk around the edge of the lake and then into the gardens.

 There is still the odd burst of colour in the form of flowers

if you care to look for it.

I even found some Caterpillars munching their way through leaves before hanging in a Chrysalis waiting to grow into a Monarch Butterfly.

Any day is a good day to go wander around a garden or park.

My wandering occurred as I was out picking up some things I had purchased off Trade Me.  Like a stone crock for $10 (the one on the left) a gorgeous plate for $1 and the best ever drop side tea wagon with a draw for a mere $75.  Perfect for my laptop!

I also had one of those moments where I bought myself a gift, a to me with lots of love from me.  Well after all I did have a birthday, another year older but none the wiser!!  This silver locket opens and you can put  charms inside, so I got the camera for my love of photography, New Zealand for my love of my country, and a family of three which represents TOF and the lads.  On a long chain so it hangs in between my boobs!

I gathered the very last of the veg from our garden and found a couple of eggs.  Good news, they seem to be laying in their house again, must be due to the drop in temperature of late.  How lovely do the Hydrangea heads look in my sari basket?

As you can see we have had rain, but to tell the truth it has not been cold.  We are 12 days into May and still wearing light weight clothes.  When the cold stuff turns up we are going to die.  Not literally.  But we are going to be cold!!

Last Sunday was Mothers Day here.  The Heir was in Auckland for the weekend but the Spare took me out for lunch.  Later that day we took the dogs to the dog park for a run.

We arranged to meet his bird and her mum there with their dog.  The park is awesome, a huge open space with plenty of big old trees all dropping there leaves!  A cobbled path for the humans to follow and plenty of fresh air and nice views as it is river side.

Oscar made plenty of friends and Sheba chased every ball that was thrown to any dog.  Note to self: take a ball for Sheba next time.  Loads of well behaved dogs sniffing bottoms and playing, what a fun time they all had.

Monday was my birthday and the best gift ever was my sister coming over to spend the day with me.  Yay for having a big sister you love and get on with like your best friend!!!  I dyed her hair Raspberry and it looks fantastic!

There was no cake, I don't need cake but there were a few attempts at a family selfie later that night.  Next year I am going to get someone to take a proper family photo, but in the mean time I get a good laugh from these ones.

Words of Wisdom time:

and

Book me a room, but make sure it has a view

Thanks for your comments re those bundles of fluff, they were pretty groggy when I picked them up from their ops on Thursday.  They were supposed to be kept quiet and rested, well all I can say is GOOD LUCK with that!  Complete with over sized cones they managed to fumble about and pull the off the shoulder look quite successfully.

On Friday en route to visit Dawn I stopped off at a couple of charity shops and a divine bakery.  But I didn't make it out to Dawns place as my car decided that it didn't want to go.  My engine light had been flashing on and off the last few days and my car was booked to see my mechanic later on Friday. YEAH RIGHT!!  My car chose to stop at a set of lights and not start again. So with my hazard lights a flashing I kept trying to kick her into life again.  Next thing I hear a siren and see red and blue flashing lights in my rear mirror, CRAP, it's the FUZZ!!  Actually it was a lovely policewoman seeing if I required any help, bless her. About then my car decides it was time to start, thanks!  With a slow drive to my mechanic with a car full of goodies I set off.  Turns out the engine light means SOMETHING IS WRONG, no shit batman!  Home I came and parked the car up all weekend as it was now booked with an Auto Electrician for Monday (today).

 

 

 

Borrowed from google images

At least I managed to find some pretty good stuff while out shopping and managed to console myself with a delicious lunch meant for two, sorry Dawn.

I found three hand made patchwork hangings that deserved to be rescued.  All priced between $1 and $2.50 each.  Hard to believe someone threw out something so beautiful and this is my style of patchwork.  I scored the best ever Jester like teapot cosy for $7, again beautifully handmade and in dyer need of saving.  Another scarf, as a girl can never have too many scarfs can she.  Or shoes?  Or.......well anything she desires when she shops second hand!!

On Saturday TOF left at sparrows fart, 4:30am, to go on a fishing trip, the Spare headed off with a mate for a surf and I was at home with no car to drive.  The day was a beauty, the sort of day that required to be seen through my  Macro lens.

I was fascinated by the amount of bugs living inside the Nasturtium flowers. In fact some had entire families residing in the brightness of the petals.

 A Beautiful Big Bumble Bee was dancing about the last of the flowers.

Decaying and going to seed,

humans never look this good at either of these!!

 

Bugs were hiding everywhere!

TOFs old garden spade got pimped with flowers.

 This has to be the last Sweet Pea.

 Budding Lemons!

We seem to have quite a few of these wasps in the garden, pretty as this one is they are not kind to the bees.  If I can find the nest I will get TOF to deal to it.

The sunshine was playing with the shapes.

 I love my world in close up.

That handle so needed pimping don't you think!

I found the builder of that web.

Saturday night was the girls last night in our home, and they put on a special show of cuteness and togetherness.  Yeah the resting was working a treat.  On Sunday I returned the little darlings to the  SPCA.  Gypsy the tortie was going to be held for a lady that knows Sue W, and I am sure someone will fall in love with Miss Pixie.  I thought it would be hard to say goodbye, but it wasn't.  My job with these babies is done and I collect my next lot on Tuesday, pretty exciting!!!

With no kittens to distract me I ended up cleaning the house! I know?!!  We have a dining table top again!!  The lounge got changed around slightly as it is getting close to needing the gas heater at night.  I hung the patchwork wall hangings on branches from the garden and used braid from my stash.  The dogs look confused?  Missing the kittens? No I think they are wondering what the hell is wrong with me, they know I HATE HOUSEWORK!  Generations of Daddy Long Leg Spiders got sucked up the vacuum cleaner.  There are only so many of them you can handle watching you take shower or use the loo, they were the reason for the cleaning.  While TOF baked I then went and mowed the lawns!! Mind you he was smoking fish outside from the previous days catch, he had plenty of success and we dined on fish for our dinner.  We will again tonight.

With no kittens to cuddle and Oscar had deserted me for the evening I snuggled under my vintage eider down.

One walk with the Spare and the buggers hung with him all night, traitors!!  But they are mine again today, I FEED THEM!  Who do you love??

I dropped of my car this morning to the Auto Electrician.  I was about half was in my walk home when it suddenly dawned on me that my house key was still in the car. CRAP!! Not again, will I ever learn?  Do I turn around and go back, or do I hope like hell that I have left the back door unlocked.  We all know what happened last time I locked myself out.  Thankfully the door was unlocked so I fell into the comfort of a chair on the deck.  Oh and yes, that too got a sorting.  Plenty of sheltered sitting for chatting, reading or just drinking, tea of course.

After my efforts around the home and my walk this morning I rewarded myself with one of TOFs treats he had made.  I doubt very much any of it will last very long.  Maybe this is why I couldn't fit through the pet door last time?

Look what I got!

PS: Considering the option of hiding a house key outside, but what are the chances I won't remember where it is hidden?  Might be time for that room with a view!!!