Good Morning California!! The weather could not be more perfect. Cool nights now with warm 70 degree days. I knew there was a reason I still live here.
It was probably in the "plans" so this Kitters could adopt me. She is parked on the edge of the couch, six inches from my face, purring away. If purring is a sign of happiness, this cat is in 7th Heaven!! To make it even better, she has now learned to go both IN and OUT the doggie door in the bedroom. It's a tad bit noisy, but that was the only place in the house to cut a hole years ago. Miss Jessie used it every night. Cooper has NEVER used it.
Anyway ... we got up a O-Dark-Thirty ... now 5:30 according to the clock, to the sound of the sprinklers. I'm guessing I should have run them through the course to see if any were going wonky. Maybe that will be today's job while waiting for the Electrician to come fix those overhead lights that keep falling out of the ceiling.
The first thing I noticed on this day was the chunks of dirt all over the patio. It took a minute to figure it out since I know "I" did not make that mess. Then it dawned on me. I heard all kinds of Mockingbird mayhem going on early in the morning. Around here they are harbingers of trouble and mess. They were digging through the gutters looking for critters to eat.
THIS was the result. Ugh .... it's time to clean out the gutters once again. It's not the leaves, it's the dirt.
Definitely not the most fun job I have to do around here because I've never been good with heights. You are looking at twelve feet here, hanging on to the top step with my toes while I scrape the dirt out of the gutter.
I know ... and I've heard it dozens of times ... get leaf guards. Except ... THEY DON'T WORK. They only keep out the leaves, of which there were maybe SIX in this entire long run.
Oh look ... a GOAT! I thought the neighbors got rid of all their goats four years ago!! Kitters like to visit there every day.
Anyway, THIS is why leaf guards do not work. It's not the leaves, it's the DIRT that is the problem. Remember, this is AG country with lots of discing, mowing, harvesting and discing again. All that dust and dirt has to go somewhere. When it rains, it all washes into my gutters. This pile is almost 2 feet wide and ten inches tall. If I don't clean it out, the weight pulls the gutters right off the roof line. Leaf guards do NOT stop the dirt.
Seventeen times up and down the ladder, moving it further each time, did a royal job on my little body. Maybe it was because of the walking two days before, but I was in bad shape come dinner time. I ached all over. How depressing that I can get so sore doing so little.
Lunch and dinner was exactly the same as yesterday. A not very exciting end to a long day.
I did cut the binding for that veterans quilt, sewed it on and got all of six inches sewn in place. Maybe today I'll get it finished up and can tackle the longarm computer. I still have not turned it on.
Now I wait for the electrician to come and fix my light fixtures. I'm guessing they will all be replaced for big bucks. Yes I could probably do it myself, but those 12 foot ceilings bother me too much, and there are TEN fixtures, meaning 20 wires that I could possibly be electrocuted with. It's better for my health to leave this one to the experts.
Nancy! You should not be going up and down that ladder! Me thinks Kitters hit the lottery when she wandered into your yard, I would be in 7th heaven as well if I was a stray cat!
ReplyDeleteYou are probably right, but there is no one else to do it, so there's THAT!
DeleteThat's one lucky cat. You take very good care of your animals Nancy.
ReplyDeleteLadders are dangerous for us, becareful.
Frances:)
I can definitely say Kitters is a lucky kitty. I do love critters!
DeleteHmmm trained Cat, spoiled doggie! Just sayin'
ReplyDeleteBoy do you have THAT right Norm!!!
DeleteThey do make gutter cleaners that wash out the gutters while YOU are standing with both feet on the ground. Not sure how well they work...but better than falling and breaking a hip, leg, shoulder and/or arm...not to mention, neck. :)
ReplyDeleteI ordered one once ... it was a piece of junk. The problem is the gutters are 12' high! I'll keep looking for one.
DeleteDave, I’ve been telling her about that for a long time but you know the older they get the more stubborn they get they failed to realize Amazon has a liberal return policy Mr. Ed’s said that
ReplyDeletehttps://www.amazon.com/POOPLE-Cleaning-Telescopic-Attachment-Bendable/dp/B0G7CGBGDP/ref=sxin_17_pa_sp_search_
This one looks like it might work. The last one I ordered was a piece of Chinese junk.
DeleteOh Nancy, please have someone with you if you ever tackle the twelve foot ladder again, or hire someone to do this for you. I know it is hard to find handymen to do this, but the cost to your body if you have a fall is worth finding someone. Anyone in the Elks Lodge that you could hire? Take care and be safe.
ReplyDeleteI would be happy to hire someone, but there is no one around here who does this kind of work. I've asked at the lodge and on Facebook, to no avail. The "gutter guys" only want to replace ... not clean.
DeleteThe comment section has spoken. Stay on the ground. Vern
ReplyDeleteYes I know ... big sigh ... I've been calling for weeks trying to find someone who would fix a couple of gutter sections, but there is no one who is willing to do it.
DeleteNancy if you ever fell who would take care of Cooper and
ReplyDeleteKitters ? That is too scary to think about .
Ask your lodge friends if they know of someone young that
you could hire. A son or grandson .
You take care !
Sue
I have asked many folks, but no one has said yes. The only response I got was SURE if you want to REPLACE them, otherwise, we don't do that. I'll keep looking.
DeleteShe is a beautiful and lucky cat. Actually all you animals have been special and lucky to have you taking care of them. That is a lot of mud. Makes me wonder what we are breathing in on windy days. I have to agree with the above comments you need to find someone else to climb up that ladder or at least have someone with you when you do it. Take care.
ReplyDeleteYou got it Deb ... those windy days bring out lots of dust and dirt. More so here where they disc and plow so much.
Delete