On Tuesday while in my last set of abs exercises at the trainer's studio, my watch started jiggling like mad. I did a quick wrist flip, and sure enough it was a phone call. From the brick mason. I finished my workout and called him back from the parking lot.
I probably mentioned the brick guy coming out in April to estimate the work. He would do it in mid to late June, he thought. Time passes. End of June I called to make sure I was still on his list. At that point the time became "mid August". I didn't even mention that I had surgery scheduled for then, figuring it might slip again and it would not be worthy of mention.
Surgery came and went, and so did Labor Day. On Tuesday I got home while he was still matching up mortar shades and taking a small brick sample to head out in search of replacement bricks for the ones that would indeed need to be replaced. I asked him about what more I needed to do with "Sleeping Beauty's Forest" for it to be ready for them to access and work on the house. He showed me.
So on Wednesday, after I got back from a breakfast outing, I filled 3 more tubs with brush and vines and volunteer saplings. The weather on Wednesday was much cooler and easier to work outdoors in. But I stopped after 3 tubs to pace myself. There will be no trainer workout on Thursday as the trainer is putting on his race director's hat for the weekend ahead. That leaves me Thursday morning to continue to work on the foliage!
Regardless of temperatures, the time and the angle of the sun tell this old lady that Autumn is in the process of arriving. So all our cleanup projects best be either planned or underway.
Wednesday afternoon walk with kid sister was indoors, due to the AQI of 160. We mall-walked. It was louder... echo-y with mall music, but we moved!
Thursday morning I got out again, as I don't know when they'll be coming back and there's a lot to clear out. Frau Hackenbuscher is at it again!
There is clearly more to be done, but I'm having to pace myself. It's still smokey out there!
The brick around that window needs to be accessible for the brick guys, and all that vine needs to come down. I have to admit to loving the vine covered fence and walls, but it really is not good for the longevity of mortar.
Thursday night as I was brushing my teeth, the phone rang. I had to call back my neighbor as I didn't get to the phone in time to answer it. He found Rubia's body in his yard. So at least I have closure. Her remains would seem to indicate that she didn't actually expire until sometime today. I'm grateful she wasn't disturbed by a predator. But sorry that if she was suffering, she was lingering for over a week.
One thing is clear, dealing with her little body: she no longer inhabits it. She is free of the limitations of the recent past.
Life is good, but at times sad. Spark on, anyway!
Well, glad that the brick man got back to you. Love it . . . Frau Hackenbuscher! LOL
ReplyDeleteGood to pace yourself with the bad air quality. Glad you and your sister were able to walk, albeit in the Mall.
Ohhhh, so sad to hear about Rubia. ((HUGS)) RIP, little Rubia. You were a good girl.
HUGS
Barb
1crazydog
I'm grateful for the closure, even while sad that her life was so short. Air quality alert got extended to noon today (Friday).
DeleteHuge hugs and yes, I am sure it is better to have closure and know for sure. I had two cats that went away and it was so hard to face that they were really gone for the longest time.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty much what my son said last night. His last cat ran off and they never did find out what happened to him. In some ways it simplified son's life, as his GF at the time (now his wife) had bad cat allergies, although now she seems to be aging out of them. Still, one less reason for her not to be able to be in MY house with one less cat.
DeleteSympathy and hugs to you, Barb….not the outcome I wanted for Rubia and you….but, if it had to be, it’s better knowing AND knowing that she wasn’t a victim of another animal. Eissa7
ReplyDeleteThanks. I am glad that I know. It sets me free to be appropriately sad and not feeling like I'm "giving up hope", if you get what I mean.
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear about your kitty . I became allergic to kitties along time ago . We had them and I took allergy medicine for 2 or 3 years while we had them . We lived in the country , and we think we lost him to a coyote . I know that Kitties give us a great listening partner . I'm glad you still have one to talk to and tell your secrets to . It's me Rosesareblue .
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm glad, too, that the Prisoner is still around to talk to. He is 12 years old now, which is 4 years older than Rubia was, but he seems much healthier and stronger than she did toward the end.
DeleteSorry about your allergies... those buggers are slippery... you can "grow out" of them, but you can also have new ones crop up as you pass through the years! My DIL seems to be growing out of her cat ones... we're not going to go nuts about it (she was epi-pen serious allergic as a child). So being careful about introducing exposures. She spent 3 hours in a bookstore that has two resident cats for an event last week with only a little reaction.
Hope you have a good weekend!
Oh my heart breaks for you, Barb. You gave her a wonderful life. I'm so sorry, but like you said you have closure now and nothing got to her body. (((BIG HUGS)))
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteRIP Rubia. ((HUGS)) to Barb & Prisoner. It's a good thing that you got closure.
ReplyDeletePHOENIX1949
Thank you. I do feel better knowing than I did just "assuming".
DeleteHow very sad. Gentle hugs. 🤗💕
ReplyDeleteThanks! (( hugs & good weekend ahead ))
DeleteI’m so sorry for your loss, Barb😔
ReplyDelete-RunKeeper Dee
Thanks, Dee. She was ready, even if I was not.
DeleteI'm saddened about Rubia's end, even when expected it is hard. I hope that you and the Prisoner have many years yet.
ReplyDeleteMy older cat is at least 16 years old, maybe older and this past year she is starting to really show her age. I have been trying to steel myself for the inevitable as she falls into the ancient category for cats.
Prisoner is older than Rubia was, and one of his actual litter mates passed a couple of years ago (adopted by a co-worker same time I adopted Prisoner). So you brace yourself, but you're never quite ready.
DeleteThanks for the kindly thoughts and words. Same wishes for you and your geriatric feline!
(It’s Val, for some reason my iPad likes to preserve my anonymity!) but belated condolences on your loss of Rubia. One of my most heartbreaking losses was Shamrock-kitty - we rescued her from the Shamrock station as a “teen mom” (recently weaned a litter), but lost her to kidney failure at 8. Undoubtedly she had a rough start in life, but I loved her dearly for the short time we enjoyed her company. I remain disappointed that Lucius remains standoffish with dear sweet Gloria-kitty, but we hated to lose Severus as a middle-aged 10 yr old
ReplyDeleteIt's always a blow, isn't it? No matter how long or short our companions walk by our sides, they enrich our lives, and we mourn their moving on before us!
DeleteThanks.
Ace here, iPad keeping me anonymous too. So sad to know Rubia is gone, what a sweet girl. The closure and permission to grieve are good. 💔 🤗
ReplyDelete(( hugs ))
DeleteSweet Rubia. I remember back in Sparkworld days when she came into your life, as well as Prisoner's adjustment to having to share your attention with another kitty. We know from the beginning that their time with us is limited, but that doesn't make it any easier to say the final goodbye.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Good to see you here. Sparkworld was a special place that made connections oh, so easy. It's a lot harder these days to hunt people down to say "hi"!
DeleteBarb, so sad to hear about Rubia.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI also remember her entrance into your world. Hugs and stuff. Interesting how they want to be alone...
ReplyDeleteEight years is so short!
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