Good night Pebbles

Pebbles is one of our 14 rescued cats.  She came into this world fighting for life.  She was the only kitten born of a litter of 4 to a domestic gone feral cat.  The cat brought this tiny fighter to the feet of my husband's aunt, then walked off.

My husband's aunt was 86 years old at the time. She was known in her small Oregon town as the "cat lady." If you had a cat you did not want to be responsible for drop it off at her place.  She fed over 27 cats and kittens daily. They all lived outside except her pet cat and this tiny little kitten, she named Pebbles.  She fed these strays morning and evening seven days a week, while living on a small fixed income.

Pebbles was dear to her.  When my husband's aunt went to the hospital, never to return home again, she asked us to rescue as many kittens as we could and find them good homes giving them an opportunity at having a good life.  We managed to catch 3 feral kittens, along with Pebbles and brought them all home.  The remaining cats and kittens at his aunt's house were all captured and killed.  We were heart broken to hear this was done.

Our goal was to get these four sick kittens healthy and find them homes.  That goal in part happened but the home they got was ours.  Pebbles was very ill with parasites.  We gave her medicine along with all the kittens, as these parasites were transferable. She was in quarantine.  I put a stuffed toy in the room with her. It was Mike from the movie Monsters Inc. Mike was almost as big as she was. Every day I moved it and every night she dragged that stuffed toy into bed with her and slept up against it. After a month of many Vet visits, shots, medication and a couple of good baths, Pebbles was freed from her quarantine.  I remember the day we let her out of her quarantine she marched down the hallway like she owned the place.  She was a small cat, that never weighed over 8lbs. She was always bony, but the Vet assured me she was just right, weight wise. Pebbles was the smallest cat in our herd of eight cats,(at that time).  Our biggest cat is Oreo. He weighs in at 22lbs, but not considered over weight.

Pebbles was a determined cat. She knew her mind and her wants.  She hated dry food and only ate wet food, but not any old wet food.  We went through many brands finding the wet food she liked.  She demanded her food in the morning, would like it at noon and again at night.  She did not get her wish. As I always pointed out, there was plenty of dry food.  I would catch her eating dry food now and again.

Pebbles started out in Oregon,  then moved in with us in Seattle and moved again with us to Texas.  She was a loving cat in her own way.  She had a routine for the first six months of living with us. She would jump up on my lap in the afternoon and curl up and go to sleep.  She would do this each day. She would sleep for a couple of hours or until my legs went numb from not moving.  After the six months, she no longer needed that companionship, except when she was in the mood.

Pebbles was furiously independent and would take on any cat, if she needed to. Thankfully that was not necessary.  She loved to sit in the windows and soak up the sunshine.  She would greet me in the morning demanding her breakfast and remind me in the evening that it was her dinner time.  She taught the others to do the same.

Pebble fell ill Friday evening. I took her to the vet on Saturday and after extensive tests the only thing they knew was she could not regenerate her red cells.  The "cause" was unknown. Without being invasive with surgery, we tried some medications that would help her. Sadly, she only got weaker and stopped eating last night.  This morning she and I sat curled up together in front of the fireplace warming ourselves and reminiscing about her life and saying our goodbyes.  I let her go around noon today.   She was 9 or 10 years old. We are not sure of her exact birth date, but figured her closer to10 years old.

She is laid to rest along side Molly our rescued Lab, Tommie our first rescued cat in Texas,  Scamp the brother of Oreo and Winkin chicken.

Here are two pictures I have of Pebbles. She is the black cat in the photo. The other cat is Vinnie. He is our oldest rescue.

Good night Pebbles.   I will miss you every day.

COYOTES AND SNAKES AND SKUNKS, OH MY!

Winter is fast approaching.  Shorter days, cooler nights.  There has been some light rain. We are most grateful when it falls.  Our fields are planted.  But best of all: The snakes are finally taking their dirt nap, literally!   I still cautiously move wood or any object a snake may hide under or near. Best to keep your guard up. But at long last, the snakes are napping!!!  I kind of sing like they did in the Wizard of Oz, "ding, dong the witch is dead. " Only I sing, ding, dong the snakes are gone, not nearly gone, but really gone, ding dong the snakes are really gone!.... Yes, a bit over the top, but such relief, for a few months anyway. The chiggers are gone too, but that is another story for another time.

Coyotes pass through our fields and what little woods we have. We maintain a healthy respect for each other.   When our ducks and chicken are out playing, I am out with them.  I got too comfortable and yes lulled into a non-existent security that the birds would be safe alone outside all day.  That false security was ripped off like a bandaid off a hairy arm!  Our drake Rouen, Opa, Oma's mate was killed and taken.  I came outside to find the others screaming, yes birds do scream, at the top of their lungs. They were huddled together, pressed up against the coop.  I looked all over for Opa. He was gone. Not a trace of him anywhere.  It was done quickly and stealthy.  Oma cried for days.  She called and called for her mate to no avail.  She would not leave the coop for days. She was a mess.  Since then, I do what I can to protect our animals.  What does this have to do with coyotes,  you ask?

A great deal.  I have some stories and pictures to share with you.  Coyotes are stealthy and determined to get their prey.  They usually get what they go after. Coyotes are common place here in Texas. The coyotes howl at night from one end of the property, while the answering coyotes from the other end of the property.  Some times you feel surrounded, which most likely is true. Now to be standing outside in the dark when this happens, will raise any and all hair you have on your body.  Our dogs will stand in the back yard/front yard and howl too.  There is quite a bit of chatting going on between them. Our dogs have a five foot high fence surrounding their enclosed area. They have the backyard and part of the front yard. This way they can see everywhere.   If I am outside when the coyotes start howling, I hustle, (not the dance step) indoors.  I cannot see them, but I know they see me!

One February morning around 10:00AM, I saw these dogs in one of our fields.........no, coyotes!!!  One was either mom or dad with a young pup. How can I tell? The pup is jumping and playing around. The adult is tending to business.  As I watched, the adult was teaching the young one how to hunt for field mice or whatever moves.  The pup would mimic the adult, then get distracted and bounce around.  My thought is what are they doing out there this late in the morning???  Second thought: Where is my camera???

They started in our north field, crossed another field then our driveway into our southeast field out of my line of sight from the kitchen......Armed with my camera, I head outside, (no, not crazy).  I have a zoom lens on my camera hoping to get some pictures from a safe distance, or however close I can get.  I move as close, (really, not crazy), as I can without frightening them, (remember they are looking for food).  Now our dogs were in their enclosure out front watching them too, not barking, just watching.  I am feeling pretty safe.....kind of safe.......sorta safe......maybe safe.........don't think about it safe.

I got some pictures! They are not the best, since I was keeping my distance.  But I think they are pretty good.

You are looking at the mother/father with the pup. The pup is looking around, the parent is searching for food.

 Parent has pup's attention on the matter at hand.  Kind of like the parent saying, "look at me when I am talking to you!"

Parent is on the move to find food. Pub sitting and watching.

This is the pup looking my way.  So cute.........yet, a little unnerving. (the object in the lens appears closer than it really is)

Mother/father got something, I don't want to know what it is. ( I think a poor rabbit)  The adult is taking off. The hunt is over.

The pup, as with all children, does not want to miss the meal. "Hey wait for me!" They went off into the woods. 

I am always so thankful for these up close opportunities with wildlife!  


We have a dog we rescued named Sarah.  Everyone that meets her asks us the same question, even the vet when he first saw her: Is she a coyote?  I thought so too when I first found her, but it is somewhat now believed that she is part shepherd/husky mix.  But even the coyotes are confused by her.  In the winter, she would go out before dawn each morning. The other six dogs, yes six,  would not go out until after 8:00AM, (too cold).  Imagine a coyote seeing this beauty out there by herself. Of course, she was behind a fence.   Here are two pictures of Sarah. That is Dora, another rescue, in front left of the picture.

 

There was a coyote that showed up on the front lawn out by the kitchen door looking for Sarah. This was usually around 9:00A in the morning, when Sarah came indoors.  I was so surprised to look out the kitchen door to find this coyote looking and pacing around, like he was suppose to be there to meet someone. This happened for 3 days.  I think he finally got the hint. She is not available.

As you know, we put cat food out at night for the critters.  Last winter during the coldest nights, a young coyote showed up and ate what was left of the cat food.  I use to watch it from the kitchen door. They are very, rightly so, skiddish. It would grab a bite, then run off a little way, come back, grab another bite run off a bit. It kept repeating these steps until the food was gone.  This past week we had a couple of 30ish degree nights.  I looked out one evening and there was  the coyote from last winter!  The other critters were no where to be seen! Once the coyote left, the critters came out from hiding.  As winter brings the cold, frozen dampness, or for us dryness, with less food supply, I will see more of the coyote looking for cat food to keep it going.

Here is another oddity that I got to witness this past year.  I opened the back door one afternoon to let the dogs come in. There on the security light pole out back was a buzzard!  How cool!!!  I grab the camera heading out the back door.  This is no ordinary buzzard. This one has only one leg!  Unbelievable!  I snapped a few pictures of it resting on the pole.  Once in flight, you would not know it only had one leg.

From coyotes to buzzards now skunks.  I want to update you on the skunk family.  They still come by from time to time.  Fearless, one of the babies, is the first one out to eat. He/She is there when the darkness is just falling.  They are growing and becoming more adult each time I see them.  But one night, I managed to video the mother and children eating together! It is rare to see them together these days.
It was so cute to see them all together eating.  Enjoy!

As you can see, a lot happens outside my kitchen door.  There is always an adventure unfolding just outside!