Monday, August 25, 2008

Trio of Tough Times

Why is it that bad things always seem to happen in threes?  I was floating along having a great beginning of the school year.  It's been busy and full with two weeks of in-services, but they have been worthwhile and I'm grateful to my district for making the effort.  Life was grand when we went to bed on Wednesday night.

Thursday morning I noticed that Zeda's eye was draining and when I cleaned it up with a cloth, it didn't look like she even had an eye.  Basically she didn't .... it ruptured and the eye couldn't be saved.  So we now have a one-eyed cat who has no clue she is handicapped in any way, shape or form.  That part is good.  She's still alive and basically healthy .... just a little goofy looking.

We went to Longmont this week-end to help move Marissa to college.  We spent the night on Saturday and I came home early Sunday evening and Mardell rode back to Longmont with Mary to stay for a week.  I picked Zeda up from the vet and went to The Evil Empire for essentials for my classroom (aquarium, guinea pig food) and some cat food so that I wouldn't get eaten alive when I entered my humble abode.  They are funny about wanting to eat each and every day.  I've tried to explain the gray fuzzy morsels with the long tails that run about, but our dear cats seem to be pickier than that.

Chip was frantic when I pulled in.  I just figured he was happy to see me.  Allie met me as well and all seemed well.  I went and checked on everybody.  All the dogs were fine but frenzied.  Once again I just chalked it up to them being left alone overnight.  They are quite spoiled. 

Went out to check my goats and Sheeza came running.  That should have been a clue.  He's quite aloof.  I bleated (yes, I know, I am weird) for Riley and waited for my answering bleat.  There wasn't one.  I bleated again and Sheeza answered me.  This never happens.  Only Riley answers me. 

I begin looking and find him mutilated and torn apart.  There isn't a speck of blood on the dogs, so I'm guessing it was coyotes.  When I drove down our road, our neighbor was riding her horse and I had stopped and visited with her.  She had asked if I had heard the coyotes the night before and remarked that they sounded extremely close.  Well, I'm guessing they were. 

So now I'm in the market for another pygmy goat to keep Sheeza company.  I can't have just one .... it isn't fair to the goat .... but I hadn't planned on getting more until next spring and then I was going to turn them into a weed crew.

Needless to say I didn't sleep much last night.  I kept listening to the coyotes howling and I must have gone out and checked on Sheeza a dozen times.

This morning I was headed into town to go to one of the elementary schools to lend a helping hand to some fellow teachers.  Their school has been closed until today because the district was putting air conditioning in.  Last spring each teacher had to remove everything from their rooms:  books, tables, chairs, desks, supplies, etc.  The rooms were absolutely bare.  They are just now getting into them to get them put together, so teachers from all of the other elementary schools have been helping.  Anyway, Vicki and I were heading in when my cell phone rang.  It was the tenant for our building.  It had been broken into over the week-end and could I please come right away and deal with things?  Of course.  Do I want to?  No, but I'll be in.


Whoever broke in knew exactly what he/she was looking for.  They stole a minimal amount of cash and left.  In the process they cut themselves up pretty bad and bled all over the place.  Fortunately no one was hurt (other than the intruder), the intruder didn't ransack the place and nothing other than the cash was stolen.  It was just another hassle that our tenant and I didn't need.  Fortunately she took care of everything.  I just had to arrange to get the window replaced again. 

Someone had kicked in this same window about six years ago and we had replaced it with heavy duty glass ... hence the serious cut and bleeding.  Serves the **#&$^ right.  Now we're going to have metal grates placed over the basement windows.  That will keep them from even being able to break the windows.  The police officer said it was a very secure building otherwise.

So how has everyone else's week been?

4 comments:

SisterTwo said...

Your poor cat. A one eye cat, I think you need to take Shooster to help her get around okay.

I'm truly sorry about Riley. Dang coyotes! I think you need to take Shooster maybe she would hold the coyotes off! Or least eat her instead of your wonderful goats.

So someone broke into your building and all that was taken was money. That kind of tells who it could be....they knew that money was there. All those Christmas decorations, trees, etc. They didn't feel the need to take any of that stuff. They probally opened the door to warehouse, took one look, closed the door and ran like @#*!. That's when they tripped and cut themselves. If Shooster wast there gaurding the place, it probally wouldn't have happened. I think you need to take her back. I do.

Anonymous said...

I guess I shouldn't go away for a week...that's when the God's get crazy.

Anonymous said...

I'll trade you Shooster for two smelly, neurotic guinea pigs and a very lonesome goat who wants desperately to be a dog because apparently coyotes don't eat them. Sheeza has almost gotten into the house twice now. Mind you, he has never been in the house (unlike my other goats) and he has never shown any interest in the house. Crazy, huh?

SisterTwo said...

So very tempting. I could always let the guinea pigs loose outside and the goat wouldn't be any trouble. Very tempting.

Seriously, if you know anynoe that wants a very big maine coon cat, who is very nice, let me know. I can't handle two dogs and two cats. The other cat spends most of her time outside. But when I stick Shooster outside she just sits by the door crying. Both our dogs aren't long for this earth, as one is over ten and the other has a cancerous growth. So I'm trying to clean house so to speak. So if anyone wants Shooster, please let me know.