Winnebego Journal

thoughts of the month: feb06-"just a few more weeks to go to get through winter -am gettin' pooped" jan06-"cardboard and duc tape have become my best friends where the winnebego is concerned!" dec05-"celebrating 4 yrs helpin' the furkids - the best is yet to come in yr 5! nov05-am so sad, my Mittens passed away, he was a gift from my grandson, a treasure of a character for 3 years in his short life, now a memory in my heart :>( oct05-need to rebuild and move things around, winter is comin and it's cold - my helpers r' still afraid to come around. Sept/05 IT didn't take long for the vandalizing and harrassment to start again!

About Me || Picture Gallery || Creative Corner || Journal Archive Stray Update: Feb 20th/06 When I really think of it, it's been an unusually warm winter for southern alberta and then again, with the Tusami(s) the weather has certainly changed across Canada. As unusual as the weather is, I couldn't be more grateful. It was pretty cold the last 4-5 days (a cold snap) a couple of the nights were down to -40 with the wind chill factor and bringing in the litter boxes from the winnebego to clean - refill and lug back out, is no fun in -40 weather. I can't lug buckets of hot water out there either, it only creates steam anyway and besides, the last thing I need is an accident with water when it's this cold out - then it's boots on, boots off, coat on, coat off, warm up then coat on, boots on, clean boxes in hand and charge back out as fast as I can so as not to cool down the house. I like to do a late run to check on things around midnight, but in the cold I did my best to be done last rounds in the Camper and Winnebego by 10 p.m. so as not to open the doors and let in cold air. The camper is heated on propane, but there wasn't enough time to get the heater in the winnebego looked at so I won't chance using it since it rained in there for 10 years. I've already been through one electric heater and I can't afford another heater right now. I don't want to over-work the one that's in there, it's still the loaner from a supporter but he needs it back for work soon. If I can't function in there, then it means it's too cold, so the heater is much needed. The camper warms up real nice and the gang stays nice and warm in there. It's backed into a nook, so it helps keep cold off the door. Now Dash is the last of the crew to collect from that bunch. He sure does alot of talkin' and hissing like Big Tat did when I feed him, so in the next storm, I'm taking the trap and I'll try and lure him in. I got in a large ski jacket that was reversible. The inside layer was thick fleece so I cut the back piece off and sewed the sides. I folded it in half so it was double thick (4 layers) and went to Dash's hideaway and put it inside along the length and up along his sleeping entry to block off more cold when he sinks in. I worry about the gaffer, he may be feral but he's just a timid soul and quite lost with all the changes in his life after we left and went across the village. After we "disappeared", he was chased by people - this broke the bond I took a year to build. He lost Baby Girl (who's with us), he then lost his brother (& we fear the worst), then Big Tat (with us), Fred (with us) and Lady Coon - who literally followed me back 3 weeks ago and posters have been up since but no calls or inquiries have come in. So Dash is the last on the list and he's not fond of wet food (for some reason) and will be hard to lure away from his house he already has for the past few months. He doesn't venture far from it either, not hard for me to find, just very mistrusting still. Soon, I'll try when the moment is right. About Me || Picture Gallery || Creative Corner || Journal Archive Will Winter End? Feb 25th 06 I keep telling myself that there's just a few more weeks to go to get through winter -am gettin' pooped. Feb has been a funny month weather wise. Chinook winds come in from the west coast bringing warm air (it's so cool to see in the sky, there's literally a streak miles long of blue sky amidst thick columbus grey clouds) and then suddenly during the night, it gets cold and the next day blows in -20 weather. Point is, with the change of hot and cold, there's been moisture from melting snow, only 2 small leaks are creating havic and I've had to change the cardboard along the floor 4 times this month. What a chore that is atop all the rest. Jessica, has so unfortunately broken her both arms, doing a stunt off the swing!! Six stitches to her forehead and both arms in casts! She has a long road ahead of her to heal (and she was the bit of physical help I was getting) so now I am really solo to do all the chores. She stops by now that one of her arms has been rebroken and reset (*ouch*) so she can at least move her fingers a bit. She comes into the camper with me and pats the gang while I do their boxes and feedings. There's too many in the winnebego for her to handle at the moment. They'll swarm her and if she bangs her arm or they happen to jump onher expecting her to catch them, well, that's not really possible at the moment so she can at least give the guys in the camper pats and not be overwhelmed. IT helps!

Stray Update: Feb 27/06 - Strays and Safe Houses It's been getting down to -27 and a bit during the night, so I've been feeding Dash around 5-5:30 the latest so he has time to digest, do his business and settle in for the night. I'll be making room for him in the camper. I've just gotten Fred into his new condo, so now I can work on Dash's new accomodations. I pondered trying to get his outside house in the camper and adding a cage front, but I think it's too wide to get in the camper door. Too bad, because I've noticed that the outdoor strays feel more secure and settle faster when they have their "safe houses" to use when they are brought in. It's something familiar to them and it has their scent, as opposed to new surroundings, smells etc. Big Tat, still uses his - faithfully during nap time and if something spooks him. (big tat's safe house was a large plastic storage container that I insulated with thick solid packing styrofoam and covered and tucked in - by a full size "real" wool blanket to hold his body heat. It worked and still is in another sense) Lady Coon, brought in 4 weeks ago, is now inheat and even though there's no funds at the moment pending the circumstances, to have her spayed, she will not be having any babies this heat. Little LAdy Coon is safely locked into a real (not home-made) 3' plastic cage with a stainless steel spring lock door. I give the little lady about 6-7 months old - woulda been a shame for her to get pregnant! Now Fred on the other hand, didn't have an outdoor safe house. He was living under a porch, however, he had a plastic cage when he was first brought in in Dec/05. Since that time, I had to put Fred into a temp cage that was smaller and he wouldn't eat. I have yet to see how he likes his new condo - I'll add the second story on in the next few days, I was more concerned about him not eating and wanted him in his new cage, asap.

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