Goodbye June...

 

This is it for June 2025.  I can't say it was a great month.   The weather hasn't been pleasant & we lost another cat.   No, this wasn't a fun time.

I wish I could say something more positive about this month but I don't have the words for that.  It wasn't the worst month, but there are so many ways it could've been better.  Maybe that just doesn't happen anymore.

The back crepe has finally started blooming, the side crepe looks to soon.  I haven't seen any dragons or hummers.  We do have what appears to be a resident groundhog.    I see it in the mornings & evenings.  We don't have a garden, so there's nothing for it to hurt.  They're cute in a pudgy, squirrel kind of way.

That's all, goodbye June.

Cya...

Sticky Sunday...

 

The final Sunday of June is going to be hot & muggy.  It's already very warm & humid.  Of course the season couldn't ease into into things.  It went from dark & awful to sweltering.  Like most things around here, the weather sucks.  

There isn't much going on today & I hope it stays that way.  This week will be the 1st of the month & a holiday.  That'll make things cramped.  

That's it for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Last Of June...

 

June is almost over.  This is the last weekend.  It wasn't the worst month, but it had a lot of unwanted surprises.   The worst of which was Machen no longer being here.  It's the 3rd day since he made his last trip to the vet.  Like so many things, he was beyond my ability to help any more than I did.  

For as long as I can remember things have rushed through my life without regard for me.  So much of it was out of my control.  I thought that would lessen as I got older.  I was wrong, the chaos increased & I have even less ability to influence any of it. I'm tired of being the rock in the sea of chaos.   It's exhausting.

Enjoy your last bit of June.   Take care.

Cya...

National HIV Testing Day 2025...

 

It's National HIV Testing Day again.  You can find more info & sources at HIV.gov's page for Testing Day.  NIH also has a lot of info.  These sites have the hows, whens & wheres for you.  Give them a look & pass the info on.

That's all for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Adapting...

 

The house is quieter.  There were no random messes.  Some things have returned to where they used to be.  The place is slowly returning to what it was pre-Machen.  We altered a lot for him.  He could be a challenging kitten.  It's weird to not see him.

He's not the 1st cat that we've lost.   But, he was the youngest.   The vet said worse things about to happen to him.  I'm thankful he didn't have to go through that.  

This is about as much of a post as I can muster this morning.  Take care.

Cya...

Machen, Who's Machen...

 

Machen came into our lives on November 21, 2023.  He'd been left outside our home & was soon part of our life.  I've posted about him some here.  He wasn't the smartest cat.  I don't think he ever learned his name.  He was easily our most obstinate cat.   He had a lot of qualities I was hoping he'd grow out of.  That won't get to happen.  

I feel like I should've noticed more, but I didn't.  Several months before, he stopped playing as much.  I put it up to him leaving kittenhood.  Then got weird about where his food was.  He wasn't as social.  Lately he'd developed a lot bathroom issues & just seemed off.   We called the vet & made an appointment.

The vet thinks he was most likely inbred & suffering from neurological issues that would only have gotten worse.  She asked about seizures & said if he hadn't them, it was just a matter of time.  She noted his eyesight was going.   He'd had a lot of small illnesses in his short life & a serious incident that we took him to the vet for last September.   Considering all this, the vet thought it best for Machen to be put down.   When she tried to administer the final meds she couldn't find the kidney on the left side.  He may have missing a kidney & that would've been more issues sooner than later.

When it happened, Machen exhaled a final breath & was gone.  I know this was for the best, but I hate this.  He wasn't even 2 yet.  He would've been 2 on October 11, 2025.   This was the best option, but it still sucks.

Machen you will be missed.  You were loved.  May your next life be joyous & secure.  I'm so sorry if we could've done more & didn't know to.  Best journeys my grey & white cat named Machen.  May you get a name you can learn.

The 1st pic is from a day or so after he got here.  Here are his final photos.  He was only in our 583 days, just a little over 19 months.   He made quite the impact.  I was the 1st person in our home to hold him on 11/21/23 & I was the last person to hold him on 06/25/25.  I'm glad I was there for you as much as I could be.

Leaving the vet's office with an empty carrier is the worst thing about having a pet.

PS - Please be kind to strays & ferals.  They didn't ask for that life.  People did that & only people can help reduce the numbers of in-need animals.  Whether a stray is 4 legged or 2, if you can't be kind at least don't do them any harm.

Last Wednesday In June...

 

This should've been a normal midweek for us.  The trash would go out & we'd run a couple of errands.  I still need to go by the pharmacy & check the mail, but there's been an addition.   The boy cat has to go to the vet.  It's not good.  I might know more later.  For now, I have to get around.  His appointment is soon.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...