Kitties and Pretties

 

Our cute little Esme is getting comfortable. Sasha, the stray outside had become pregnant before we could find her a home. We called vets to see if we could get her in for a spaying, but the wait time was months out. So, yes, she became pregnant. On Tuesday, March 25 Sasha had her babies. I can't see them yet. She doesn't want anyone around her so the hissing and growling makes that point quite clear. 

As I write this, I went out to feed her and make sure she had fresh water. She came out of the little white hut she is in and I was able to get a glimpse into her quarters. She has about four or five kitties, all looking pretty healthy as far as I could tell. They appear to be gray like their mother, with touches of white here and there. I can't wait to actually be allowed to hold them or play with them. Now comes the difficult part of an animal having babies ... finding homes for all of them. 

Beautiful Sasha laying in the hut, feeding her babies. The bed is gross from all of the dirt she has collected while living on the streets. I can't wait to wash that bed or toss it once all of the babies have a home. 

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Moving around town yesterday, I ran into a few trees that I thought were gorgeous. 

The appearance of anything indicating spring is here brings excitement. I love the seasonal changes in Oregon. Winter tends to drag on but other than that, spring, summer, and fall are a transition worth experiencing. Winter is great too, but the rain has been brutal this year. 

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Monday, March 24

Off we go to Eugene to meet up with our family. I picked up Mallory and off we went. The drive was nice, without rain or issues. Well, to be honest, I hate the truckers on the highway. There are many in number and none of them understand their speed limit of 60. Each one tried to outrun us as we drove 65 to 70, and then cut in front of us as soon as they could get ahead. Once they had their "number one" spot in line, they slowed down. Once again, this meant I had to move up and around them one more time. 

I don't care if they are ahead of me but slowing to 60 after they get ahead is ridiculous. Or they pass and then hit an incline in the road. Going uphill is not their forte, for sure. It's difficult to get those monstrosities moving while going up a hill. Why push past traffic when there is a hill coming and you know you cannot gain momentum until you are moving down the hill? Pass me, cut in front, then hit a hill where you are running at about 45 to 50 miles per hour. Again, pain in the butt and unnecessary moving in and out of traffic. It's a good way to cause an accident. 

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We arrived at Jess and Brandon's home. Everyone was there already. Marina had picked up Kaylie from the airport and the visit had begun. 

Their home has several pastures. Previous owners had four horses in the grassy areas, but Jess and Brandon aren't sure what they will do. It's all new to them. There are a couple of pastures out front, which is in the picture, and then a barn with a chicken coop and a couple of stalls inside. It leaves a lot open in terms of animals they can get. 

Barn and chicken coop out back. 

So far they have four chickens. 

The backyard is very large and definitely gives the great-grandchildren plenty of room to roam. Zyrah loves driving her Jeep around the grounds. 

Inside the home is beautiful too. We had a great visit, full of laughter and discussion. 

Marina reads to Zyrah as Mallory listens along. Zyrah isn't focused on the story however, but rather the tales she has to tell. 

Pizza, fruit, chips and dip were offered as lunch. We ate a bit and began to chat. We were missing Brandy, but she had to work and had other appointments afterwards. 

Novalee was looking over at us while eating pizza. She was covered in pizza sauce shortly after she dove into her lunch. 

It was nice to see Kaylie again. She has been attending school for the past few years in Arizona. Now she is getting ready to move back to Oregon, along with my grandson Keenan and his wife, Katie, and their three adorable children. It's a good thing. 

After visiting for a few hours, Marina had to leave. She has a very long drive back home to take care of her dogs. So Kaylie and Marina took off. Dawn had to go as well, taking Kylee home too. That left Mallory and I with Jess and Brandon and the girls. It was time to head home. Several hugs and goodbyes were shared, then off we went. 

Driving up the road to the freeway, I pulled over by the Fern Ridge Dam. These are old stomping grounds for me and I wanted to get a picture or two of Fern Ridge Lake and the dam. The dam was open, releasing a large amount of water that had accumulated because of the heavy rainfall. 

This is the north side of Fern Ridge Lake. Across the lake lies a beautiful camping park called Richardson. Inside the park are hookups, places for tent camping, showers, laundry facilities, bathrooms, and one amenity I thought was awesome ... an outside theater. The camp plays different movies during the warm summer evenings. Films can range from a Disney film to other family movies. 

I used to swim in the lake as a kid, along with many other families. There is a boat dock and the Eugene Yacht Club by Richardson where fireworks are set off each year. The club sets off the fireworks from a yacht out into the water to protect the grassland from fire. 

On the east side of the lake, there are picnic areas, outdoor BBQs and the typical swimming areas. In the park are a couple of places to grab something to eat or drink and a boat rental hut. Fern Ridge was our go-to when wanting to enjoy the summer days. 

Alongside this part of the lake is the dam. 

Today rushing water was slamming against the rocks as it was released into the lake. 

Strong flowing water against the calm of the lake was nice to see. 

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Wednesday, March 26

Today is Wednesday and it is back to Eugene we go. Mallory is taking another trip to Eugene with me and unfortunately we are having to go to Kia again. I need to grab some stuff out of the Sportage that was left before it headed to the shop. We came, we found, we conquered, then off to see Brandy, my youngest daughter. 

We have not seen Brandy since Christmas so this trip was something we looked forward to. She has her three dogs too, a key visiting point Mallory had. Her naked guy, Toski, the new mini pit named Lily, and of course, little Chi Chi who is now 13 or 14 years of age. 

Once we knocked on the door, the barks of all three pups resounded. They are good babies, with protection of their mom and living quarters taking first place in their tasks to be done list. 

Toski is the naked guy with the farmer's tan. Lila is standing on the couch, and Chi Chi is being held so she doesn't get squished while everyone fights over treats. 

We had such a great time visiting with Brandy and playing with the dogs. Toski has quite the personality. Lily is a gorgeous baby with a shiny, sleek black coat and a loving demeanor. Little Chi wants to rip their heads off because they are near her momma. All is fair in love and war after all. 

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We will end the post here. Thank you so much for reading! Terry and I wish you well and hope your week is filled with happiness and love. Until next time, have an awesome week!

Photo by Vicki Macrae