Off The Beaten Path

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Georgia, United States
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same.

Tuesday, November 13

Thanksgiving Travel or Not

We are having the strangest weather............75 DEGREES. The other night it was 26. Most of my tender flowers froze. And now it is back up into the 70's. And I thought the weather in Louisiana was unpredictable......hah.

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and I am supposed to go to Texas for the baby's christening on the 24th. I haven't worked out the details, do I go the whole week, or do I leave right after Thanksgiving and just spend a few days. Decisions, decisions. The problem isn't so much the being gone, it is the trip. I have not been feeling well enough to spend time on a plane. And I certainly don't feel like driving. It is at best a 16 hour drive.

Much to think about. AND Nick has another Science project. It seems that unless I am here to hammer at him, DO YOUR HOMEWORK, seldom does it get done on time. He is a very bright child, but unless he does his homework him grades do not reflect his intelligence. It only reflects he is a bit lazy. Makes it hard for a parent to evaluate her child's learning curve. So there is more to consider than just taking a trip.

And then there is the cat, unless I stay home to protect him, all the cats in the neighborhood comes onto my back porch and beats him up. They literally knocked the poop out of him last time and ripped his ear. I had to board up the kitty door. This wasn't an issue until two years ago when the lady across the street moved in with her three cats, none of them fixed, and then just turned them loose to breed. One of the females has had a batch of kittens just as fast as nature will allow, and now the street is overrun with feral cats. All of which have found that they can get inside my house using the kitty door. I have sat in my chair watching TV and observed one of those cats cross right in front of my face heading for the food dish. They have become quite bold.

I am talking myself into staying home, I think......

25 comments:

Queenie said...

What about one of those electric passes and then another one for the owner of the 3 cats!!!!!
I really lose my temper with people who own pets who do not consider other pet owners. Calm Queenie calm, Happy thanks giving Nea...

Neoma said...

Hi Queenie, I wish I could put a collar on him, with one of those electronic passes, but the problem is he climbs trees.......my last cat, I put a collar on, and she got hung. So I decided that I would never put a collar on an outside cat. If they could imbed it under his skin, like one of those homing devices, but I don't think they are tiny. I have tried everything I can think of including sitting on the backporch with my beebee gun, while he is outside. The only problem, they are no longer afraid of a beebee gun either. There is really no power in a beebee gun, so at most it just scares them, besides I have never aimed at one, even though I am very upset with them, I love cats, so I can't kill one. Or try to hurt one. When I go to the vet this next trip I will ask if there is anything that they can think of. I even got this pepper stuff that you sprinkle around your yard, it is supposed to keep animals out, it worked for about three days. Supposed to work for a month. But it doesn't. My cat is out right now, and I can not go to bed until he has come in and is curled up next to me.

Anonymous said...

Nea -- get your neighbor fixed .... I detest irresponsible people. A pet is a life one is responsible for. If one doesn't want to be responsible, one should get a Teddy Bear!

Neoma said...

Hi Quilly, I completely agree. She is the type who isn't responsible for anything. Her cat has had four batches of kittens now, and she has dumped them all on the neighborhood. That is about 12 stray cats that we must content with, and the female is pregnant again. It isn't the cats fault.....I would love to spay the woman....and her cat. haha

She has a for sale sign on her house, and I know when she moves she will just leave them all. They are too wild to catch. I called animal control, they came out and she wasn't home and that was that. grrrrrrrrrrrr

Chris Beason said...

I agree with Quilly. Trap her cats and leave a teddy bear on her front porch. If I lived closer I'd take care of your cat for you while you were gone!

Bill ~ {The Old Fart} said...

Nea

If I lived near you I take care of Purdy for you. You are lucky your neighbor is having babies as quick as her cats are. What you need to do is put out a bit of "Salt Peter" this could fix the cats. I guess we can't blame the cats, they are only doing what nature designed them to do. What you need to do is fix your neighbor.

On a different vein, take your holidays for the Christening you sound as if you need to get away.

Bill ~ {The Old Fart} said...

neighbor is having babies that was supposed to be neighbor isn't having babies ~ I could only imagine your street if she had babies as quick :)

Queenie said...

Nea, a friend of mine used Lion poo around her garden and it did the trick, I know that some local zoos advertise selling it. Just a thought!!!!

Dr.John said...

Don't you have some kind of animal control to pick up the loose cats?
Stay home.

Libby said...

nea, you're tired of travling for now, arent you? it kinda shows...it'll probably be best for you to stay home and protect your kitty anyway...

Neoma said...

Hi Annette, I am glad for any advice. I don't know how to trap cats, really, I have thought about it, these are not tame cats. They would fight if you tried to catch one. I have thought of some kind of trap, if I trapped one on the porch, I am sure they would tear the place apart trying to get out.

Thank you for the offer of watching my cat, I would do the same for someone who has a cat, I have done it before, but the person whose cat I watched moved away now, so can't ask her. :):)

Neoma said...

Hi Bill, I know that you would watch purdy, you are sweet......but that is a long way to come to babysit for me, haha. But thank you for the thought, I do appreciate it. He is no trouble, he would hide under the bed the whole time I am gone. haha

Neoma said...

Bill, truthfully I often mix up the things that I say to the point they don't mean what I meant them to, but what I meant was, the lady moved in, brought three cats with her, and then turned them out and let the cats breed at will. She has not had any of them fixed, the males fight, the females breed. One female cat has had four batches of kittens since she moved here. The is about 12 or 14 cats added to this little neighborhood. The cat fights are beyond belief, and Purdy has been attached at least a dozen times. he has had two very bad abcesses from those attachs, has a badly bitten ear, had bled from the rectum, and has had his hind foot bit twice to the point he could not walk. That doesn't take into consideration the many scratches and abbrasions. I actually go outside when he goes out to protect him. My neighbor calls me Annie Oakley, because I carry my BB gun. I wouldn't shoot another persons cat, but I shoot in the trees in that direction, and cats run. This morning THREE were in my yard just ready to pounce on my birds and squirrels. Luckily Purdy was on my bed asleep. If he had been out, oh my gosh....

Neoma said...

Queenie, I will look up the number and call and see if they have any lion poo for sale. It can't smell worse than cat poo....and I sure have a lot of that in my yard these days. haha

If it works it would be worth it.....

Neoma said...

Hi Dr. John, I guess there really is no control here over cats. I have called them and they came out and the lady wasn't home, and that was that. No one else will call them because they "don't want to cause trouble." But they also don't have the cat problem I have, because they don't have water out, nor do they feed the birds. They come to my yard looking for food and water.

Neoma said...

Hi Libby, I am just tired to the bone......I ache all over, and personally my kids DO NOT understand. They want me there to cook, and I don't feel like cooking. I am not being selfish, I am just to tired to spend a week away from home and my own bed. When they get old they will understand. I know family is important, but it is also a two way street.........and lately it seems that it is a one way road. If you know what I mean.

Anonymous said...

Nea - call animal control back and ask if they have humane cages available, then ask them if they'll put some out in your neighborhood. Then keep a very close eye on your cat!

Neoma said...

Hi Quilly, I will do that, wouldn't that be something, if the only animal that got caught was my own. haha. Well, my cat doesn't leave my yard, he goes out into the woods, but I have never seen him over at the neighbors. But would you blame him when there are really mean cats all around us. I try and keep him in when I can't be out there with him, but he drives us crazy when he wants out, he cries and cries. he came from the pound, and he never got used to using a litter box, he will use it if I refuse to let him out, but he wants to go outside to do his business. And he is pretty insistant. Then he goes out into the woods, he must be shy, haha.

Akelamalu said...

Can't you report your neighbour to the RSPCA (or equivalent) if you have one there. Could they do something about picking up the feral cats too?

It would be such a shame if you miss the christening. :(

Louisiana said...

HEY-I miss you...

i think i agree with you. you are talking yourself out of going but then again, that might change as the baptism dates approches.

your son, sounds like one of my kids. smart as heck but just not discipline enough to have own motivation. lets hope this all changes for both and our sakes.

your cat problem is horrible. poor kitty of yours...pet hime for me.

the weather in Louisiana is weird eh? lol...yeap i agree!!!

did i already say i miss you...oh friend we need to have a cup of tea or two...yeap..and then, world watch out for you and i together will kick it's butt, lol..

hope you are well. hope your body is behaving, tell her she has no choice!

my heart, my love..hugs...

Cindy said...

Has Purdy ever traveled? I'd like to call the SPCA myself on that dippy neighbor of yours. People who aren't responsible enough to care for their pets shouldn't have the privilege of having pets. They make me furious. What would happen if you sat out on your front porch with a hose and soaked those meandering cats when they got to your porch?

Neoma said...

Hi Akela, I guess I need to do some more research and find out. I couldn't even find the animal shelter phone number for awhile, I looked and looked. We have three different phone books here, and it was only in one of them.

I have taken it up to now, not wanting to cause trouble in the neighborhood, but when my cat can't even reside on its OWN porch in safety, I have to do something. My cat is tiny, he probably had his growth stunted, he was a pound kitty, so he is an easy mark for them. Plus he has been fixed.

I was out in the cold and rain last night with a flashlight searching for him until I found him last night, if I let him stay out all night, I can't even sleep. He always wants to go out in the middle of the night, after he is done then he comes back in and sleeps on my bed. Then I can sleep. It has caused me many sleepless nights when I can't find him.

I tried to keep him in last night because it was terribly cold and wet, and he cried by my bed for over an hour......a pitiful, mourful cry.......can't sleep with that either, haha. People who have a cat who has never been out I don't think know what it is like when a cat who has been raised outside, WANTS out. They are pretty insistent.

Neoma said...

Hi Louisiana, haha, your weather a bit tricky lately also, haha. Yeh I know, I know.......we woman are often accused of having temperature changes that are a bit unpredictable...haha

Yeh, Nick is a hard one, he is the last one, and I am kind of glad of that, I am really to old for this raising kids thing these days. he is my baby, and I couldn't imagine life without him, but I will be so glad when his schooling is over, it has been a real struggle. It is kind of the school systems fault though. he actually wanted to go to school until he actually got there. he came home crying and said all of the teachers were mean and they yelled a lot. And he was right, they did, and they do. I have tried and tried to get him teachers that were patient and calm, but it doesn't seem to work. I asked him one year, what teacher would you like, and he said,"it doesn't matter, they are all mean." I have been down at the school, he is mostly right. This year he has two male teachers, and they are both better than the females. It seems that here in the south, women are pretty inpatient and high strung.......I don't remember any of my other kids teachers yelling like they do here in the south. sigh.

So how are you doing Chana, sorry I haven't been in touch, I have had a few really bad days. Makes it hard, really hard.......I have just been maintaining. No extras.....and the Holidays approaching. Yikes.

Love and hugs to you.....we will get in touch one of these days on messenger. I am not sure I set it up right, because I don't see you there. I think I need your handle or something to list you.

Neoma said...

Hi Cindy, haha, I was thinking about sitting on my front porch trying to "water" a cat. And the water police come by and give me one of their $250. fines. We aren't allowed to turn on our water outside right now for anything. I suppose if I used that excuse they would just laugh at me.

Yes, Purdy travelled with us to Texas last trip, I refused to leave him home. For one thing he would have been eaten up by the time I got back, for another, he thinks I am his Mom. He is very temperamental, and when I am gone he sleeps on my clothes to be close to me. We all went last trip, so I had to take him, a week on his own he would have died from heartbreak.

But if I go alone, there is someone here to feed him, but no one is going to go out in the dark with a flashlight at 2am and make sure he is in and safe. And I just can't go off and leave him to the "elements". There are no less than eights cats now prowling my yard. Three are extremely mean. Three are teenagers, semi mean, and one comes right on my porch, attached purdy while he was sleeping on his rocking chair. He was bleeding from so many places I couldn't tell where he was injured. And he literally pooped all over the porch, the attach was so violent. I probably could have killed that with my bare hands if I could have caught him at that particular moment.

Some of my neighbors who don't own cat, don't see or care about my cat problem, they either don't like cats, or think that cat fighting isn't a big issue. A cat will kill another cat if they can.

Margaret said...

Here in Savannah they also say we're in a drought, although not nearly as bad as the Atlanta area. I look all around me and see no signs of it here. In fact, we have two water springs just bursting up and flowing in two places on our property.

Anyhoo, I haven't stopped by since Dr. John stopped having blog marathons - but am today to remind everyone:

"Roasting Dr. John Comment-athon".

It's nearing Dr. John's birthday and this year it falls on Thanksgiving! (November 22nd)

Last year we Roasted Dr. John and I've been thinking, what would be the perfect Birthday present for him this year?

COMMENTS!!!! Lots and lots of them! From those he knows, to those he doesn't know. From all over the world and throughout the blogosphere. Let's fill his inbox with Happy Birthdays.

How to do it: Be creative, he loves creativity. Post a blog on his birthday (Thanksgiving 11/22) dedicated to Dr. John and wishing him a Happy Birthday. Make Dr. John your "link of the day" and encourage your Bloggy Buds to stop by and leave him a comment and a Happy Birthday wish.

Perhaps, even getting them to join in on the fun! Create your own Pigeon Falls photoshop as you imagine it, a post on trains, design and describe the perfect fortress or dare to post your entire blog in Finnish.

Leave a linked PS note when you visit other blogs this day to guide peeps over to say Happy Birthday to a super fantastic guy.

Use your imagination and have fun with it. See 'ya next week!