Painting with the Birds

+

Summer is over and unfortately so is the warm weather needed to finish painting the house.  Hubby and I have spent the last four months working on the outside the the manor.  I have had a very close and personal relationship with a paint stripper that should have a nick name, but doesnt.  I have taken all the paint off of the windows and balcony door.

We have choosen linseed paint as it is environmentally friendly.  It's needs warm weather to apply and leaves a nice luster once three coats have been thinly applied. I am pleased to report that all eight windows and balcony door frame are painted, caulked and ready for the winter. 

While working up with the birds, I have also had interesting conversations with neighbours.  I love how people always ask the obvious questions.  "What are you doing"; to which I reply, "feeding the birds".   But it is a way of starting conversation.  Some people just stop and watch.  And I watch them too.

We have a major street under construction and all that traffic is rerouted past the Wolverton.  I have whitnessed some strange driving habits.  Lots of speeding, three point turns, and one person driving on the sidewalk to bypass slow traffic.  I watch traffic merge from three roads, past our street front and bottleneck onto the main street leading to the downtown district.

Just this past weekend, hubby and I were perched side by side on the top scaffold starting to put paint on the bull's eye window.  I was eye to eye with the bird's and listening to traffic almost 40' below my bench.  It didnt feel right and so I asked hubby to help me down.  He was willing to show me the quick way...not funny.

I have climbed up and down this 'jungle gym' for months like a monkey, but the third level... is for the birds!

Goodbye to Ms Toi

Ms. Toi, b. April 1991, d. Sept. 2010

Today is a sad day at the Wolverton House.  One of our precious family members has passed away.  Ms. Toi will be sadly missed.

It's so hard to imagine that this eight pounds of fur could bring such joy to all of us for almost twenty years.  She was only 2 lbs when we brought her home.  Jordan was the first one to pick her out of a group of twelve fat energetic fluff balls.  We spent an afternoon in a historic home that Hubby and I were actually contemplating purchasing and moving to a residential area for restoration.  It was part of the LACAC (Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committees) properties looking for people like us to restoric a bit of community history.

The kids were entertained by these little critters, while Hubby and I became sidetracked to looks at architecture.  A kitten was finally picked and off we went.  Finding the proper name was not easy.  I cant even remember now what some of the choices were, but Toy was not one of them.  But after 48 hours of this little being making sqeeky noices similar to those of a chew toy,  this baby was dubbed, Toy....later changed to Ms Toi (as it sounded more exautic).

Hubby would carry her in his shirt pocket as she fit perfectly and it was easy to keep track of her when we were walking through the house.  She would often get stuck inside the cabinetry, behine the drawers as she could squeeze into the tinyest of places.  But she grew fast.

Almost a year later from her birth date, Justin Albert Courtemanche arrived.  They became instant friends as Toi would crawl into the crib and sleep on his little feet.  I thing it was more the blankets that she was attracted to.  As Justin grew and became more agressive, Toi found new places to sleep.

There was one day, my 15 year old daughter came to me in hesteria...."Toi ate my favorit sweater".  Yes, Toi, typical bad behavior for siamese, was a wool eater.  She did infact chew a grape size hold in the front center of her new 'Northern Reflection Sweater'.  With such anger, I decided to get rid of this cat... and into the car she went and straight to the humane society.  It wasnt just the sweater she ate, but all the cuffs from every pair of mits and gloves that came into our house.  Toi just loved to eat wool. 

Toi did return home as the office was closed.  Joanne being very relieved and hugging her best friend swearing she could stay with us forever and would never complain again. 

We were very consciencious about this little glitch and Toi did become the best pet ever.  She would scream at Hubby when his voice would escalate...Oh yes, she always took my side.  She would stay close to the children when they were sick in bed.  She would sit at the door when we came home.  She would sit at her dish for food....until it was filled...even when we had to stop everything and go to the store to purchase her next meal.  Like a statue, she would freeze until dinner was served.

And I spoiled her with table scraps...driving Hubby bonkers.  She slept with me, 'spooning' or resting her little head on my arm, but only staying a short while and finding her own space at the foot of the bed.  She loved sleeping in the sun too.

Toi was always happy.  That did change when Bello arrived.   Our oldest son wanted a cat and so we found his the perfect sole mate.  Unfortunately we inherited 'it' when son # one moved home.  Toi did not take kindly to sharing her domain with this big brute of a cat.  Handsome as he was, he had attitude and a force to be reconed with.  Aunty Edna was a house guests when we were trying so desperately to unite Beauty and the Beast.  When Aunty left ,  I am sure Toi would have gladly gone with her.

Five years later the bond began between Toi and Bello. 

Now that we have spent three years at the Wolverton House, Toi has aged.  Her arthritis was probably very painful and it was difficult to watch were creap from room to room and up and down the stairs.  She would fall in motion and at times, tumble down the stairs.  Her thyroid was an issue too.  I though she was seeing ghosts and screaming at them, however it was a thyroid reaction to cry through the evenings.  It was difficult at times with B&B guests to keep her quiet and so I would instantly get out of bed in the middle of night and grab the cat to comfort her.

She is no longer experience aches and will no longer cry pain.  Today we made the altimate sacrifice to wrap her in a cozy fleece blanket, gift wrapped in a beautiful box covered with roses and butterflys.  She now lies quietly close to the river's bank in a sunny patch of the forest.  We have adorned her site with a plaque that reads "Best Friend" and surrounded her with cobble stones so she is easily spotted in the wild flowers.  Next year we will build our little cabin beside her and visit her often.  Toi, we thank God for letting us have you, and we give you back to Him.

RIP