There’s a limited pet food recall going on – if you use anything manufactured by Mars Petcare, give this a look.
Okay, the Crooked Acres house tour is up, beginning here.
If you’d like to see it in the future, over there in the right-hand sidebar, under the “about” heading, there’s a “Virtual House Tour” link. Click on it, and it’ll take you to a page that lists the house tour for this house and our two previous houses, as well as the “before and after” renovation tour.
It took me hours and hours of work to get this house tour up and running. But I did it ’cause I LURVE YOU.
If you have a question about anything you see, or you’d like to see a close-up picture of anything or there’s something I didn’t get a shot of that you want to see, feel free to ask.
Now that the hatching is over (we ended up with 17 chicks from an original 24 eggs. That’s pretty damn good!), Fred moved all the babies out to the brooder in the garage (along with the older chicks we got last week), and put the camera out there.
Check out the Brooder Cam.
I spent all day – ALL DAY – Saturday cleaning the house. For the first time in ages I did a deep cleaning of the foster kitty room. I was in there almost two hours, moving stuff around, vacuuming everywhere, vacuuming the cat tree, scrubbing the litter box and refilling it with clean litter. The whole time, Kara would sit and watch me, run off when I ran the vacuum, then come back to see what else I was doing.
I cleaned all three bathrooms, I dusted (dusting being the one chore I hate above every other chore in existence), I vacuumed, I went around with the canister vacuum and vacuumed the cat tree downstairs, the set of carpet-covered steps near the window in the computer room, vacuumed all the cat hair off the couch and couch cushions, then flipped and rearranged the cushions. I even moved the couches and vacuumed underneath them (there was surprisingly little dust, but I did find a petrified okra pod under one couch!).
It took me ’til dinner time to get the house cleaned, and I swear to god the house doesn’t look any different at ALL.
Since I worked so hard getting the house in order on Saturday, I spent Sunday doing plenty of slacking. I had thought that I might rake up all the leaves and bird seed on the ground outside the side door, but it was too windy for that, and then it started raining. So before it rained, I went around with the long-handled clippers and cut down the branches that have been hanging too close to the ground so that next time I mow the lawn (next year, at the rate things go around here) I won’t have to keep ducking under them.
And then I read for a long time, and then I took a nap, and then I read some more, and I finished up the afternoon by making a late lunch/ early dinner of crockpotted ham roast, green beans, and corn on the cob.
YUM.
Except for one trip to Closeville for dinner on Saturday, we didn’t leave the house, except for the trips Fred made to the corner gas station to fill up our cars. He paid $4.09 per gallon on Saturday morning, but when he was there filling up my car, there was a woman inside telling the owner that a few cities away, gas was going for almost $6 a gallon. Lordy.
So, Friday wasn’t much fun at all. I left the house around 10:30, to take Zoe and Kaylee to the pet store. Adoptions were starting at 1:00, so I wanted to get them in their cage and settled and have a few hours to adapt to their surroundings.
They’d only ever been in a carrier in a car once before, and that was when they went to be spayed, so they were less than thrilled about the trip in the car. They both burrowed under the lap quilt I’d put in there, and whenever I had to stop at a stop sign or red light, they’d pop out, meow at me, and burrow under again.
At the store, I let them out into the kitten room while I got their cage ready, and they both did that low-and-slinky walk that cats do when they’re nervous and scared. I gave them a lot of kisses and cuddles, but eventually I had to either put them in the cage and leave, or take them home with me and face a divorce.
(Fred outranks cats, if you were wondering. But just barely. I’m not sure I outrank the chickens, though.)
They did NOT want to be in that cage, and they weren’t even interested in sniffing around, they just sat there and stared at me like “Okay, ha ha, very funny, let us OUT.”
I went outside the cat room and watched them, and they sat there waiting for me to come back, which is when I got seriously teary-eyed, and had to go out to the car to compose myself because I had to go back IN and buy bags of cat food for our cats. The cat food our cats eat is not, of course, available at Wal-Mart or Target, and 9 times out of 10 when I do my Thursday morning stint I’m home before the store even opens.
So I went back in and got the bags of cat food and peeked down the aisle at the kittens, who had given up on waiting and were sniffing around their cage. Zoe even batted at a toy mouse. That made me feel marginally better.
‘Til I got home and Kara gave me the wide-eyed nervous look of “I can’t find the kittens anywhere, I think I lost them!” and then proceeded to spend the rest of the weekend running hopefully toward me every time I went upstairs only to look disappointed when she saw no kittens in my arms, and coming down to look around the downstairs often. I gave her a lot of extra attention and by the end of Sunday she seemed to be back to her usual self, so maybe she’s dealing with the loss. I hope she is, anyway.
Poor Kara.
Imagine my surprise Friday when I went across the back yard toward the chicken yard to check for eggs, and realized that among the greenery in the back yard where the cats (especially Tommy and Joe Bob) like to hang out, is a Rose of Sharon bush. I’d been planning to cut down that greenery over the winter, but I’m going to be leaving that Rose of Sharon bush alone. I think they have the prettiest flowers, and I especially like the flowers on this one.
On the Rose of Sharon bush, a bug. I think it’s an assassin bug and I’ve heard they have painful bites, so I left it alone.
Hopefully the cats will leave it alone, too.
All the expensive cat beds and cat condos in this house, and they’re fighting over this one damn box. There’s always a cat in the box, looking smugly at all the other cats like “Ha ha! I have claimed the box as mine, and from here on out, it shall be known as The Poo Cave!” (Or the Boog Cave or the Tom Cave, etc.)
Ingrates.
Previously
2007: No entry.
2006: He shifted position and eyed Fred with bright-eye malevolence.
2005: Maybe I just like to bitch, y’think?
2004: Waiting for Ivan.
2003: No more Benifer. How sad.
2002: No entry.
2001: No entry.
2000: Speaking of N Sync – that Lance Bass is a cutie, but I get the distinct feeling that although the lights are on, no one’s home.
Robyn, I don’t know how you do it? I couldn’t!! Not in this lifetime. I would be that “crazy cat lady” with 100 cats… humph. I would have to choose between cats and my husband too. (He would win of course).
Oh sad little kitties. Poor Kara. That is the part I would have the most trouble with. I would miss the babies of course but looking at poor Mama would be my undoing. I know myself too well therefore no raising of a litter of kitties for me. They would never leave. You are a good woman Robyn. Those babies got a great start in life and will make wonderful pets.
I made those green beans this weekend too. LOVE them. Thanks for linking to the recipe. Yum. I want to make her Crash Hot Potatoes next. Look yummy!
Thanks for the home tour Robyn! My husband and I are having a debate about getting a new front door. I love the one you have, but my husband is a little reluctant because you can still see through some areas of the glass. I see you have blinds put up on yours. Did you put them up? How is the door in general regarding privacy?
Wow – the house tour was awesome! You guys put so much work into it – I’m sure you love it!
the house and yard are absolutely beautiful. thank you so much for sharing it with us!
Why do you call it the poltergeist tree? And is Fred’s bedroom up a further flight of stairs from the rest of the hallway? I went back and forth on those pictures but couldn’t figure it out. And will Fred make me a table to go over my linen chest next to my bed, because I can’t find one online or in stores that’s the right size ANYWHERE, and will you both come out here and build and paint and tractor with me? And can I have a cookie?
I REALLY enjoyed your tour! I appreciate all the effort you put into that.
The tour was wonderful, thanks! I have to ask though, in the porch picture with Maxi, what is that black giant paw looking thing she is partly obscured by? Y’all have done such a nice job in fixing up that house. I have loved seeing all of it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Your house is lovely – were the rest of the cats outside when you took the photos? I was looking out for Spanky 🙂
Thanks for the house tours. Why did you get rid of the first house?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Not my little Zoe! Remember, she’s MINE, all MINE, and one wild and stormy night, after 4 or 5 pins of Guinness, you agreed to foster her until I can come out there and pick her up.
Can we convince Fred otherwise?
Perhaps I’m anthropomorphizing too much (too lazy to check the spelling) but if I were left in a cage at a strange place I doubt I’d like the specter of two gigantic Bengal tigers. Zoe looks like she’s thinking, “WTF? Those two big cats want to eat me. Can you DO something, please?”
Maybe they can post something more kitten-friendly. Little mousies eating cheese, perhaps?
Hi Robyn-
I thought of you this weekend because I was in York Beach, ME (mother-in-law birthday, yech) and we went to Kittery on our way out of town. I wondered if any of the sales people there had waited on you during any of your trips…. we’re connected in a weird-shopping is a feeling-kind of way.
Have a good one! The ocean was damn cold, and gas is $3.65/gal up here.
J
So where do you and Fred eat dinner?
Robyn, Your house is beautiful! I would love to live there and you have it decorated just beautifully! I would also love to have all that property, but I know its alot of work too.
Ok, I took the house tour and I dont “see” the Dollar store, not literally but figuratively, it seems like like you live so far out in the country that you would see nothing but trees and chickens! Oh, and I’m with Fred on the big tv, I LOVE me some big screen action.
The house tour was great! Thanks for putting it up! I have country home envy now – your place is absolutely adorable. I would never leave.
Thanks for the house tour, Robyn. Great house!! I love the rugs in all the rooms too. The furniture goes so well with the house. I would never want to move from there if I were you! How old is the house again? Are you the second owners?
cepet
Oh, whoa. I thought the computer room was on the other side of the house and for some reason seeing pointing at the garage just messed me up. I’m weird, yes.
You guys have beautiful home/farm. Thanks for taking time to post the tour.
Thank you for posting the Crooked Acres Tour!
I’m sad that the kittens are gone, and Kara’s sad about it. 🙁 I figured Fred would cave (or you’d barter getting some goats to keep those kitties!) and the kittens would become part of the Crooked Acres Cast for good. 🙁
Robyn
I can see why you feel in love with this house. It’s beautiful especially with everything you’ve done to it.
whoops…i meant FELL in love with
Hi Robyn,
Great tour. You’ve probably said before, but I forget – how big is your property?
🙂 CA
This is my first comment!
I loved the house tour and feel for poor Kara! It’s so sad to think about her looking for her babies!
I am in need of some cat advice from the expert (and the other kitty expert commenters). We have an outdoor kitty that we “adopted” at our current house. (She was an abandoned cat that hangs out in our backyard.) I managed to gain her trust and now feed her, give her love, and she truly lives here now, but she doesn’t ever come in the house. Not for lack of trying, she just freaks out and cries to leave after 5 minutes. Now we are about to move to a new city. I’m not sure how our cat is going to react. Clearly she won’t acclimate to being an indoor cat, but I’m afraid to let her roam outside in a new city that’s completely unfamiliar to her. I don’t know what to do! Do you have any advice for me?
Thank you!
LOVED the house tour! Thank you!
Hi Robyn,
Thanks for the tour, it was neat! Question which you may have answered already – what things do you keep in your laundry room fridge vs. your kitchen fridge? I see you have two fridges (as well as the freezer) and I would think that all the current, soon to be eaten food is in kitchen and Drinks? Soda? extra milk? is in the laundry room. Except you don’t drink much soda anymore.