House guest

We're having our third cold day here in SW Oklahoma, wintry mix of
snow and sleet, with today's high forecast below freezing. The roads
are so bad that, for the third day now the radio is announcing a long
list of closures. It's actually so cold this morning that Sammy, who
is forever trying to dart out the door, slammed on the brakes in the
doorway, turned around and came back inside.

As usual, my neighbors left Frank outside. He spent several hours
warming up inside yesterday, then wanted out about midnight. At about
three o'clock this morning I woke up to a banging on the bedroom
window. When I looked out there was Frank, standing on his hind legs
banging on the screen to let me know he was COOLLDD and wanted IN.

Here's a few pix of the houseguest. The one's with Little Bit glaring
at him for getting in HER chair are from yesterday. From this morning
are one of him in the chair by himself, and one of Princess keeping a
close eye on him from above. http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8

OT note: Yesterday afternoon when I went to take out the trash I fell.
The parking lot was wet and, as I discovered covered in ice. It left
me with a skinned knee and bruised hip, but could have been worse. I
caught myself on the way down on a truck, not sure what I caught
myself on, probably the bumper, but it ripped the sleeve cuff off my
jacket.
--
Steve Touchstone
Little Bit, Sammy, Spotty, Princess, Furby
and Rocky (RB)
Pix at http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8
Vids at http://tinyurl.com/4yb6nj

Steve Touchstone wrote:
We're having our third cold day here in SW Oklahoma, wintry mix of
snow and sleet, with today's high forecast below freezing. The roads
are so bad that, for the third day now the radio is announcing a long
list of closures. It's actually so cold this morning that Sammy, who
is forever trying to dart out the door, slammed on the brakes in the
doorway, turned around and came back inside.

As usual, my neighbors left Frank outside. He spent several hours
warming up inside yesterday, then wanted out about midnight. At about
three o'clock this morning I woke up to a banging on the bedroom
window. When I looked out there was Frank, standing on his hind legs
banging on the screen to let me know he was COOLLDD and wanted IN.

Here's a few pix of the houseguest. The one's with Little Bit glaring
at him for getting in HER chair are from yesterday. From this morning
are one of him in the chair by himself, and one of Princess keeping a
close eye on him from above. http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8

OT note: Yesterday afternoon when I went to take out the trash I fell.
The parking lot was wet and, as I discovered covered in ice. It left
me with a skinned knee and bruised hip, but could have been worse. I
caught myself on the way down on a truck, not sure what I caught
myself on, probably the bumper, but it ripped the sleeve cuff off my
jacket.
--
Steve Touchstone
Little Bit, Sammy, Spotty, Princess, Furby
and Rocky (RB)
Pix at http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8
Vids at http://tinyurl.com/4yb6nj



Sending purrs that your hip is,not damaged. Dry ice falls can be
devastating (from experience). Best wishes. MLB

Steve Touchstone wrote:
We're having our third cold day here in SW Oklahoma, wintry mix of
snow and sleet, with today's high forecast below freezing. The roads
are so bad that, for the third day now the radio is announcing a long
list of closures. It's actually so cold this morning that Sammy, who
is forever trying to dart out the door, slammed on the brakes in the
doorway, turned around and came back inside.

As usual, my neighbors left Frank outside. He spent several hours
warming up inside yesterday, then wanted out about midnight. At about
three o'clock this morning I woke up to a banging on the bedroom
window. When I looked out there was Frank, standing on his hind legs
banging on the screen to let me know he was COOLLDD and wanted IN.

Here's a few pix of the houseguest. The one's with Little Bit glaring
at him for getting in HER chair are from yesterday. From this morning
are one of him in the chair by himself, and one of Princess keeping a
close eye on him from above. http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8

OT note: Yesterday afternoon when I went to take out the trash I fell.
The parking lot was wet and, as I discovered covered in ice. It left
me with a skinned knee and bruised hip, but could have been worse. I
caught myself on the way down on a truck, not sure what I caught
myself on, probably the bumper, but it ripped the sleeve cuff off my
jacket.
--
Steve Touchstone
Little Bit, Sammy, Spotty, Princess, Furby
and Rocky (RB)
Pix at http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8
Vids at http://tinyurl.com/4yb6nj
Frank is one lucky kitty to have you looking after him!! He's
beautiful!!! We're sending purrs northward for your knee and hip. Take
it easy...We're just starting to get what y'all have had in the way of
winter weather the past days. We stayed home from work today (thank
Bast for vacation days!) and Eric is laying a fire and I'm brewing a
second pot of coffee so shortly we should be under the blanket in front
of the fire with cats, coffee, and books. Every day should be so good!!!

Take it easy, Steve
--Eric, Kim and the Chigger Ranch Crew

I have seen my share of ice this winter but now it is mostly snow. I
have a pair of "spikes" that fit over my boots for when there is ice. I
don't take any chances since I have osteoporosis in my right hip.


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

"Steve Touchstone" wrote in message
...
We're having our third cold day here in SW Oklahoma, wintry mix of
snow and sleet, with today's high forecast below freezing. The roads
are so bad that, for the third day now the radio is announcing a long
list of closures. It's actually so cold this morning that Sammy, who
is forever trying to dart out the door, slammed on the brakes in the
doorway, turned around and came back inside.

As usual, my neighbors left Frank outside. He spent several hours
warming up inside yesterday, then wanted out about midnight. At about
three o'clock this morning I woke up to a banging on the bedroom
window. When I looked out there was Frank, standing on his hind legs
banging on the screen to let me know he was COOLLDD and wanted IN.

Here's a few pix of the houseguest. The one's with Little Bit glaring
at him for getting in HER chair are from yesterday. From this morning
are one of him in the chair by himself, and one of Princess keeping a
close eye on him from above. http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8

OT note: Yesterday afternoon when I went to take out the trash I fell.
The parking lot was wet and, as I discovered covered in ice. It left
me with a skinned knee and bruised hip, but could have been worse. I
caught myself on the way down on a truck, not sure what I caught
myself on, probably the bumper, but it ripped the sleeve cuff off my
jacket.
--
Steve Touchstone
Little Bit, Sammy, Spotty, Princess, Furby
and Rocky (RB)
Pix at http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8
Vids at http://tinyurl.com/4yb6nj


Poor Frank. What a lovely cat. Poor you, too, purrs for your ouchies.


--
Theresa and Dante
drtmuirATearthlink.net

Stinky Forever: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh

Ouch! Feel better soon; I understand cat fur, purrs and kitty tounge licks
help the healing process.
Charleen,
Aggie Marble,
Victor Velcro,
Tiger and Tigger
and Lady Jane.

"Steve Touchstone" wrote in message
...
We're having our third cold day here in SW Oklahoma, wintry mix of
snow and sleet, with today's high forecast below freezing. The roads
are so bad that, for the third day now the radio is announcing a long
list of closures. It's actually so cold this morning that Sammy, who
is forever trying to dart out the door, slammed on the brakes in the
doorway, turned around and came back inside.

As usual, my neighbors left Frank outside. He spent several hours
warming up inside yesterday, then wanted out about midnight. At about
three o'clock this morning I woke up to a banging on the bedroom
window. When I looked out there was Frank, standing on his hind legs
banging on the screen to let me know he was COOLLDD and wanted IN.

Here's a few pix of the houseguest. The one's with Little Bit glaring
at him for getting in HER chair are from yesterday. From this morning
are one of him in the chair by himself, and one of Princess keeping a
close eye on him from above. http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8

OT note: Yesterday afternoon when I went to take out the trash I fell.
The parking lot was wet and, as I discovered covered in ice. It left
me with a skinned knee and bruised hip, but could have been worse. I
caught myself on the way down on a truck, not sure what I caught
myself on, probably the bumper, but it ripped the sleeve cuff off my
jacket.
--
Steve Touchstone
Little Bit, Sammy, Spotty, Princess, Furby
and Rocky (RB)
Pix at http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8
Vids at http://tinyurl.com/4yb6nj

Steve Touchstone wrote:
OT note: Yesterday afternoon when I went to take out the trash I fell.
The parking lot was wet and, as I discovered covered in ice. It left
me with a skinned knee and bruised hip, but could have been worse. I
caught myself on the way down on a truck, not sure what I caught
myself on, probably the bumper, but it ripped the sleeve cuff off my
jacket.

Better a torn sleeve than a broken hip! You have to watch out for those
"wet" pavements where the water covers a layer of ice (or a summer's
accumulation of oil from parked cars).

hopitus wrote:

We in MileHigh sent you the nasty weather but here it snows bigtime
first and very rarely any "freezing rain" (whatever that may
be....

Also know as "sleet" - half-frozen raindrops that sort of meld with the
pavement, so you may not even see it's wet and slick. (Until your feet
go out from under you, of course - or the brakes on your car fail to
hold the tires from sliding.)

On Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:28:46 -0700, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
wrote:
hopitus wrote:

We in MileHigh sent you the nasty weather but here it snows bigtime
first and very rarely any "freezing rain" (whatever that may
be....

Also know as "sleet" - half-frozen raindrops that sort of meld with the
pavement, so you may not even see it's wet and slick. (Until your feet
go out from under you, of course - or the brakes on your car fail to
hold the tires from sliding.)

Meteorologically speaking, freezing rain is rain that freezes when it
strikes a surface. Sleet is frozen before it hits the ground. Water
can be liquid under the freezing point in the right conditions, or the
ground and trees can be below freezing while the rain is near
freezing. Ice storms are the pits. We had a bad one about 10 years
ago and my brother was without electricity for a week. I lost power
for just a couple of days.

Bud

On Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:29:57 -0600, Steve Touchstone wrote:

We're having our third cold day here in SW Oklahoma, wintry mix of snow
and sleet, with today's high forecast below freezing. The roads are so bad
that, for the third day now the radio is announcing a long list of
closures. It's actually so cold this morning that Sammy, who is forever
trying to dart out the door, slammed on the brakes in the doorway, turned
around and came back inside.

I live near Rolla MO, and the worst of the storm is currently centered SW
of me, between Springfield and NW Arkansas ... moving NE. The
temperatures have been in the teens (F) for several days, but at least
some of the cats continued going out until after the freezing mist started
Monday afternoon. The sleet started later and by morning, we had half an
inch or so (the worst of the storm was in NW Arkansas, NE OK, and SE
Kansas). Sometime today, the snow started and it looks like it will
continue and get worse for some time. I missed work today (like a lot of
people who live on country roads) and may well miss tomorrow as well.

Sofar today, I know of only one cat that has gone out today: I saw Snowball
out the kitchen window late this morning, and none have come up to me with
cold and damp fur. I had to chip the ice off the back steps before I
could take the litter scoopings out, and when I did, I took the ice
chipper with me for stability, though as it turned out, the surface is so
cold and dense that it wasn't slippery at all. For those unfamiliar with
ice chippers, the are like graden hoes, except the blade is inline with
the handle. They can be used upright to break up ice and compacted sleet,
and then used at an angle to shove it out of the way.

Some of these cats are not used to being cooped up - they want to go out,
but the lack of any tracks outside and the fact that I counted eleven of
the fourteen at the same time indicate that it's likely that all fourteen
are actuall inside and likely to stay there for some time.

--

T.E.D. ) MST (Missouri University of Science and Technology)
used to be UMR (University of Missouri - Rolla).