What did I go and say that for?

The answer to a previous question is... at least once more.

I came home this evening to the smell of skunk in the yard and a russling at the end of the driveway. My heart froze. The garbage was knocked over. (I think tomorrow we'll get a new garbage bin that locks.)

Back to stepping out of the car... and I can see russling... I walk around the back of the car and around the other side to the doorstep. Then I see the black and white of the skunk, its tail towards me... thankfully running away.

Unfortunately, Darla was less fortunate. She went out earlier with Robin and spotted the skunk at the end of the driveway, right next to the front door. A face off began as Robin tried to call back Darla, but it was too late, she was set upon chasing the skunk. Again. Her "prize" was a "facial."

Robin washed her up quickly, and Darla smells okay again (a hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap mixture works wonderfully!), but the house reeks of that chemical scent again. And I had just gotten rid of it!!

Darla, on the otherhand, always has a beautiful clean coat lately.

Quick Update

Darla doesn't smell like skunk anymore. Woot! It is raining today, so if she was still smelly the moisture would bring it out.

Fenwick is still largely in hiding, although now she moves between the office and basement. Movement is good, it means change, which will eventually lead to free-roaming... then whining to go outside with Gryphon. Oh no! Maybe I should let her hide. I was worried for a while because she's still not okay with Darla and Gryphon (although they have been very good with her presence), but friends have reminded me how long the process can take. I know Fenwick is a wonderful cat and that she will adjust and be happy here!

Robin has yet another shift-bid coming up and may finally get a decent 9-5 (or 8-4) weekdays shift with weekends off.

I'm slaving away at proposals and applications. I'm actually excited about scholarship applications this year because I think I actually have a chance! Still dealing with some students from this summer and immersed in the new TA job (which is actually a former job revisited, thus making my life a little easier).

Weather has been fabulous! Perfect autumn weather. Pouring rain today, and the plants love it. We had two great weekends for local Pagan Pride Day events in KW and Hamilton. Much fun was had by all. As an added bonus, I espied some great potential candidates for my research interviews and know how to contact them.

And to top it all off, there is Pez in my dispensers. mmm. original Pez too from my special collection. The last of it... When I say original, I mean the candies actually made in Austria instead of whatever thrid-world country they come from now. The recipe changed when they moved production. This was years ago...

TTFN

Skunk - not again!

How many times this summer must Darla find a skunk and chase it??
How many times will I have to bath her in soapy, baking soda and jydrogen peroxide?
What is that raven? Nevermore? Thank you!

I just thought I would share my woes with y'all.
Darla's all clean, but the scent lingers in the air outside and through our windows. Another stinky evening.

In other animal news, Fenwick has been venturing out of the office. Today she encountered both Gryphon and later Darla. Things were not exactly amicable, but I never expected them to be on first contact. Actually, these were second crossings... Gryphon saw Fenwick on my shoulder yesterday when I carried her downstairs to find a brush and Fenwick made her own way down to the basement (unbeknownst to me) last evening and sat at the base of the stairs watching Jesse and Darla. She's a brave one on her own terms.
Fenwick "flipping out" on the carpet. I told you, she's another Gryphon.
Gryphon is on the top and left (incase you couldn't tell).

I thought I would add some more photos, including composite images of Gryphon and Fenwick side by side for your comparison. The different lightings don't adequately highlight their differences. Fenwick is considerably lighter and is a tortie, plus her tabby markings are stripes (mackerel) whereas Gryphon's are spotted.
And yes, I've been camera happy since Fenwick arrived.
Also, I have learned that her name means "from the dairy farm in the fen". Must be where she gets her CREAMy colour from. (hahaha, I'm so CHEESY! hahahaha)
Fenwick likes my jokes. She's purring away beside the laptop screen.

Fenwick says hello

I left Fenwick hiding in my office yesterday. After taking the last photos, she found her way to Gryphon's hiding spot inside the sitting-chair. Gryphon learned from his previous cat-mates (chez Tasha) how to make a hole in the bottom of furniture so that he can climb inside.
I "dumped" her out of the hole this morning by tipping the chair on its side. Picked her up and she was quite willing to join me on top of the chair.
I have discovered that Fenwick is a female Gryphon!
Yes, she twisted and flopped all around me on the chair. I can pick her up, and even though she is nervous and uncertain, I can hold her however. She loves attention. Already she will come out of hiding when I call - after just one cuddle session. She loves being brushed, and like Gryphon, she keeps moving and twisting. It's a good thing I have a fabulous zoom-groom rubber brush for these cats. Between being nervous and this being a shedding season, I gathered a lot of hair from Fenwick! She has a wonderful soft coat like Gryph too.

Fenwick is not declawed, but her foster mom says she does not scratch furniture and that she's good at using a scratching post or the cardboard type. I bought her (and Gryphon) a new toy - a ring with a ball in it and a scratching-board center.

Here is the first good photo without a flash so that you can better appreciate her colours.
Being a brown and caramel tabby-type, she is quite similar looking to Gryphon, but her tortie mixture makes her stand apart. She's also fluffier, although she is still short-haired. Most significantly, whereas Gryph is long and lean, Fenwick is short and squat. When I first saw her I had thought she might be overweight, but now that I've been able to pick her up and check her out a lot, I agree with her foster mom that this is just her build. She has a bit of a saggy-skin belly that hangs, but she is definitely not overweight. She's surprisingly light actually. Also, her foster mom mentioned that because of her short legs, Fenwick does not jump up on tables etc. I may have to reconsider the feeding arrangement since I feed the cats on a table. On the other hand, this is good - it means I don't have to worry about her being where she shouldn't be. I hope she's not a plant eater...

Given that she is similar in temperament to Gryphon, I'm confident that she will fit right in here. Gryphon is very laid back; go-with-the-flow. He's also fun-loving and cuddly.
I carried Fenwick on a little tour of the house (to find the brush). Darla is on a walk with the boys (Robin's friend Jesse is visiting) and Gryphon is sleeping by the sliding door. Gryph saw Fenwick on my shoulder, but didn't move or react (typical of him). I'm not sure if Fenwick saw him. I will introduce them soon, perhaps tomorrow.
Day two is looking good!

Fenwick

Meet the new kitty in the house.
Her name is Fenwick.



I just picked her up this afternoon from the KW Cat Adoption group.
She's quite shy right now.
But her foster mom says she's a cuddler. I look forward to getting to know her better.
So far she's being kept separate from the other "kids" in my office - much to Darla's dismay. We hope she will be comfortable in our home. However, in case she just can't adjust, we are on a 3 week trial adoption.
You can expect more photos and updates (will she stay?!) to follow.