I've seen the Momma cat around the last couple days. I guess the people I encouraged to adopt her didn't. That's a shame. I've got to catch her and get her off the property. I'm walking around looking for her now. There she is! Out near the cars! She's not coming to me. She's more skittish than she's been. I wonder what happened? I sit down on the asphalt and wait, while calling her. That did it. She finally came to me and let me pick her up.
OK. Now I have a feral kitten ensconced under the bathroom sink, and a friendly momma cat walking around in my living room. What the heck am I going to do?! One thing's for sure. I have to either find a home for her or send her to animal control. I can't let her out again.
I guess the first thing to do is give her a flea bath. That way I'll feel better about having her in my apartment.
I'm bathing her in the kitchen sink. This time I remembered to put dish soap in the water to break the surface tension and drown the fleas. I'm using flea shampoo too (Magic Coat.) She's not happy about getting a bath, but is putting up with it. Her ears are pointed back a bit, showing her displeasure. The bath water's turning dark. She definitely needed it!
The bath's over. I'm using a flea comb on her. I'm still finding live fleas. I don't think the flea shampoo did any better than just giving her a bath in soapy water would have. I guess I shouldn't have gone with the cheapest one!
Well, since I'm in "the mode," I should give the kitten a flea bath. I've been procrastinating that one.
I've got the bathroom sink filled with soapy water. I'm wearing a long sleeved top and my gardening gloves, both to protect me from teeth and claws. I'm ready for the flea bath! I don't like the idea of grabbing him out of the bath salt box, he feels safe there and that could make it so he doesn't feel safe any more. However, I want to do the bath now, while I'm prepared and that's where he is.
He wasn't hard to get. He didn't try to bite me, just kept scrunching down farther into the box. Poor little thing!
Giving the kitten a flea bath with gardening gloves on isn't working. I have to take one of the gloves off to do the shampoo. He isn't trying to scratch or bite me. He is occasionally trying to slink out of the water. Cats have this way of doing that, somehow thinking you won't notice. It's still too awkward. I'm taking off the second glove now. As I'm holding his body underwater, all the fleas are trying to head for "dry land"... which is his face. I'm using the flea comb to pick fleas off his face and then dunk them in a mug of soapy water. It's not easy. Sometimes I have to try 3 or 5 times to actually get the flea in the comb. But, I want those things off! He's not happy with the process, but is putting up with it.
We got through that OK (well, I did anyway, I don't know that he would say the same.) I'm forcing him to sit here, on top of a towel on my lap while I dry him and use the flea comb, checking for more fleas. He's fed up and just wants to get away. I let him go. He goes back into the cabinet under the sink and hides, licking himself, drying off his way.
I need a break. I meant to check out the Cerritos farmer's market today. I wonder if I should go. They're going to close soon and it'll take me a while to get there. It turns out the bus I had intended to use to get there doesn't run on Saturdays! You know, I don't need anything, except lemons. I could stay home. On the other hand, it would be nice to see what kinds of things they have so I can plan for shopping there in the future.
I've still got Charles' bike in the garage and still haven't done any actual rides with it. I've been too worried. The last few times I've ridden a bike my knee's ended up really hurting. I don't know if it's a knee problem, or a problem with the bike (I gave that one away), or just the fact I was trying to ride it in the desert. Charles' has been frustrated that I haven't used it. So, maybe it's time. The farmer's market isn't that far away. Also, I don't *have* to go. If my knee starts hurting I can stop and walk home. I'll do it!
I grab my hat, a few fold-able bags and my new backpack (because it's the empty one), adjust the straps enough to be able to wear it on a bike and head out to the garage for the bike.
I'm almost to the farmer's market. I forgot to wear a bike helmet! I hope I don't get in trouble for not wearing one! My knee's doing OK. The bike is really uncomfortable though. The seat is hard and hurts, and I have to stretch more than is comfortable for the handlebars. One thing I'm realizing is that the scooter is fun for me and the bike isn't. I wonder how I make it fun?
I'm at the farmer's market. It's a lot bigger than the Norwalk one! I forgot to bring a bike lock. So, I'm walking the bike around with me. My knees aren't all that happy with walking. I assume that will wear off as I walk around. While the farmer's market is bigger than my home one, it doesn't seem to have as many organics. There are a couple of stands with organic fruit, but I don't see any that has only organic vegetables. I buy tomatoes, lemons, and some nectarines.
All my purchases are in the foldable bags (much easier than trying to load the backpack while purchasing.) After I leave the farmer's market, I sit down in the shade and pack everything into my backpack, adjust the straps correctly then head off for home.
One cool thing about the bike, compared to the scooter is that large bumps or height changes in the concrete don't mean anything to the bike. I just went over a 4 inch change in the concrete height. I hadn't noticed it till the last minute. To the bike it was nothing. If I were using the scooter, I could easily have wound up on the ground.
I'm home, but exhausted. I turn on Beakman's world and lay down on the couch to relax for a bit. The Momma cat lays down near me on the floor.
Wow! I've spent all afternoon sleeping! I hadn't known I was that short on sleep! I'm still tired too. I'm heading off to bed!
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