I have just returned from 8 days at the Southwest Region Staff College at Kirtland AFB in Albequerque NM. It was a gruelling & fun experience. We had what are called "swamp coolers" instead of air conditioners. The air is so dry that it doesn't feel as hot as it does in Arkansas. But it was still hot. We were in uniform and in class around 5 hours a day and had projects to work on at night. They kept us pretty busy. I will write more and post some pictures later.
Quazi came back home tonight. We are wondering if her adoptive family has moved. This time I was smarter - I put both the boys in separate bedrooms before I let her in. I am trying to decide where to keep her tonight. I definitely will keep her in the house - just where is the question.
We had 3 inches of snow last night. These kitties act like they have never seen snow before. Hopper paws at it like it is a toy. Ricky leaps through in smart fashion. Neither of them will stay out too long, wind chill is about 6.
Quazi came for a visit Tuesday night. We haven't seen her in a year or so. About 11 o'clock I looked out and saw two little eyes at the back door. I knew both of our boy cats were already in the house, so it had to be Quazi. I let her in and she went right to the food bowl. She was hungy.
Sensing something afoot (or smelling), Ricky came downstairs to find out what was going on. He went right for Quazi. I managed to chase him off and was in the process of locking him in the Cath's bedroom when all of a sudden there was a huge commotion - cat fight- in the rest of the house. Fur was flying and Hopper was chasing Quazi up the stairs, behind the couch, around the den, back down the stairs, around the living room, up the stairs, etc. What a chase. I had an afgahn in my hands and finally caught Hopper upstairs and threw it on top of him. Joe was thourghly awake by now and came out just as Hopper escaped from the afgahn and started another round of chasing. I finally captured him again under the afgahn after taking a turn back downstairs & back upstairs again. I was winded after the late night chase. Joe double wrapped Hopper in the afgahn and he wiggled and squirmed and tried to bite & scratch Joe as Joe carried him to the garage. I got the cat carriers, put Hopper in one out in the garage, Quazi in the other in the house. Then we traded places. Me with Quazi in the garage & Joe with Hopper in the house. I petted Quazi awhile and fed her out in the garage. What a fun night.
Having a relatively mild winter, the pool hasn't frozen over much. I have been scared several times watching as Ricky has jumped out onto the ice and chased leaves or sticks around. He really enjoys it. The sticks fly across that ice like a hockey puck and he skates over to his toy, sliding around on the ice while I have a heart attack.
Saturday around noon we had a gentle snow coming down and the pool was starting to freeze over. Key word here is "starting". I had just gotten home from CAP and the cats wanted out. Hopper took off to the side yard but Ricky........ approached the side of the pool. He took a rocking start and bent over the edge. I opened the sliding door and scared him so he moved back away from the edge. I closed the door and he went back to leaning over the side. I figured this was a better time than most, I was there watching and could easily get to the net to rescue him.
He started his rocking and leapt onto the ice. He had a satisfied grin on his face for about half a second, then.... the ice began to crack and into the drink he went. He couldn't get his paws onto the side of the pool and the ice would break when he tried grabbing it. I flew out the door and ran for the net. The net was not in its usual place so I had to go looking for it. I finally found the leaf basket and rran to the pool, scooped it under him and raised him straight up. I hadn't started to move him toward the side yet but he flew onto the deck, up the stairs, and into the open door.
The floor was sopped and I could see a trail or water through the kitchen, through the living room, and up the stairs. I got a towel and tried to dry him but he was having none of that.
I sure hope Ricky has learned his lesson. I tried to convince Joe that we should also throw Hopper in while we were home to rescue him so he could learn the lesson too. Joe declined.
Seems I can't see my blog. I keep getting "Forbidden. You do not have permission / access on this server". What might this be?
We went to the Razorback Homecoming game today. The poor piggies lost to the Gamecocks 14-10. We just couldn't complete the drive. It was sad.
Joe
Joe, Pat & Ann
Take
a minute
to
take
this
health
test
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Photos from the 115th Composite Squadron may be viewed here:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cap_nighthawk/my_photos
I have been trying to contact friends that were impacted by Rita.
I found out that Keith from Lufkin is without power. They think it will be a week before he gets power restored. He has a generator and is trying to support 25 homes by taking it around to let them have power for their freezers for a few hours each day. He was in Baton Rouge from Sept 9th through the 20th working to help New Orleans after Katrina.
David & Beth - Got hold of David this morning at Incident Command in LA. He and Beth are fine. He doesn't know about his home or businesses in Abbeville. He arrived in Baton Rouge to help with Katrina on Tues. Sept 6th and was still there on Sept 17th. Beth said they planned to go home for 2 days to check on their daughter and then return to Baton Rouge on the 20th to work at the Incident Command Center. They are still at IC helping out. He said AR is sending several pilots but they are in need of some WMIRS input help. Our aircraft left this morning at 6 a.m. with 2 pilots headed to BTR or I would go back to help.
Faye in Lonoke said the tornado missed them. They got over 5 inches of rain and a few limbs down but no other damage.
Still trying to get Henry.
Catherine weathered the storm fine. College Station was in the projected path so classes were called off Friday and A & M played their ballgame Thursday night instead of Saturday. Catherine & Gretchen got their bicycles off campus, cleared the patio furniture off the deck, got a battery operated radio, and prepared for no water or electricity on Thursday & Friday. Then Rita veered off to Port Arthur so they were spared in College Station. Nicole was planning to leave Houston with her family at 4 in the morning on Friday morning to avoid the big traffic jam.
Rita is hitting a whole bunch of the wonderful people I worked with in Baton Rouge. All the Civil Air Patrol members from Louisiana : Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, Gonzoles, Abbeville, etc. & Keith from Lufkin, TX. are all getting tornadoes and flooding in their homes now.
