Cat haters - look away now.

Sith

Minerva

Thank God, not one of mine.

Over the last forty years I have not been without a cat for long.

Not a pedigree among them. However, I do think the colouring, therefore the breeding should be taken note of.

Tabby females are the best. Intelligent, loving, independent and most importantly calm.

Ginger cats are very tolerant, totally laid back, and a bit stupid.

Black cats border on neurotic.

At one time we had seven cats, never to be repeated given the choice. We had four of our own all ginger. We then rescued/rehomed an abandoned tabby female who had taken up residence in an unused rabbit hutch. We then got landed with two gingers from my father in law. All lived in total harmony in a small semi detached.

When we moved to Greenbrae we had the tabby female, Katya, and two Ginger neutered toms, Toby and Jigsaw. Who continued to live in harmony until they died. Three nice shrubs mark the spot(s) of their graves.

So, for a while, we were without cats. I then got talked into getting two kittens from the Cats Protection League, where, indeed, most of my previous cats had come from. Along came Sith and Minerva. Sith is black and Min is a tabby. And then along came Puzzle, also black via my daughter who had moved into a flat which did not allow cats. Well - its been one hell of a life since then. Puzzle is one weird cat. He is a stalker. And makes Sith's life a misery. He did stalk Min for quite a while but she just ignored him. Sith does not. Puzzle has been to the vets so many times after Sith has 'had enough'. I constantly have boiled water with salt in it to bathe Puzzles wounds and still he carries on. Indeed, I have been near the point of having him rehomed as he would obviously prefer somewhere where he was the only cat. And then and then another daughter beseeches me to take on her two - yep they are black. I think this could be the third world war just about to start and I really don't think I can take it. And not sure they could either. One things for sure - I am going to be taking slashed cats to the vets almost daily.

And remember the aim is to move to a smaller place than this, smaller than the semi which housed seven cats, who all got on and what we have now dont get on. So in my retirement I may well be building a shed in the garden in whichever house we move to for me or the cats. Or a blood bank, or get the vet to move in with me, and a hell of a lot of tranquillisers.

Oh dear...

Have got details today of a house that ticks all the boxes, and more.
But there is nothing I can do about it.
Bum.
Any suggestions?

What a difference.

Same view. Honestly. Isnt nature wonderful! Without any intervention from man or woman the cycle of life goes on. Okay, lots of nettles. Soup! Very tasty. Also home to bugs and butterfly eggs. Bugs feed the birds. In the nest box I have now seen some gaping beaks. Still mainly covered by a mound of duck feathers. But Mum and Dad Tree sparrow zooming in and out at regular intervals.

Very busy on the b&b front now. As it should be! This morning I ironed for two hours, cleaned and remade beds in two rooms. Reset up with homemade biscuits and clean crockery.

In the afternoon I went out to shop. Wow. Trip to Donalds Emporium for some replacement napkins and tea towels. One could get really excited.... hmm. Have I told you about Donalds? It is amazing. Tucked away at the back of Peterhead, a not very alluring shop window, in fact there isnt a shop window - but within -wow! Crockery, bedding, electrical goods, carpets, lino, oh I give in, anything and everything you can think of. Stacked high. Everything you could ever want. And when you go to pay they ask, "On account?" So far I have resisted that one. Also did Morrisons, no account offered there!

So tired, no Rotary tonight for me. Glass of wine and a bit of tele. And early to bed.

And still havent done the minutes for tomorrows meeting of the Best of Banffshire and Buchan Bed and Breakfasts meeting.........Ho hum.

Grumpy Old Woman.

This is how I feel today.

Cleaned and set up two guest rooms, cleaned everywhere else, baked biscuits, ironed.

Phone call from Alliance and Leicester in Mumbai or somesuch, I couldnt understand him and he decided not to understand me. As he wanted to speak to the Business Manager I said I was the cleaner.

Then a phone call from someone wishing to speak to the catering manager (?)

And finally someone wishing to speak to the Managing Director. Would I help with a survey for the Scottish Government. Beginning with, "How many staff do I employ?"

At least I know our web site is coming up on a search.

Oh, and the catering tonight is by Zanres Fish and Chip shop....

Nature report.

This is a tree sparrow. Different to the house sparrow, note the brown head and cheek markings. Suppposed to be on the rarity list - but not round here. Chestnut Johnnies was one description from one of our senior locals. Anyway, twas one of these who fought off the blue tit to take over the nest box wherein is the camera. Which then sends pictures to my t.v. Unfortunately the nesting habit of these is that there is such a mound of (duck) feathers we cannot see what is in the nest. Unlike the blue tits last year where we saw the eggs, the hatching, the feeding, the fledging(?) This time round all I can see are feathers. Underneath are presumably eggs, possibly naked chicks, and occasionally a tree sparrow crashes in and feeds or sits and all underneath the feathers. Hopefully at some stage we will see what is going on. Would be nice.

Our other piece of new technology is purely Mike's domain. It is a bat detector. According to him it is very successfull. We havent got any.

Sometimes you have to take a big step.......

First a big apology to our guests this evening. They are from across the pond but a bit further to the North than America. Canadians are totally different to Americans. I know one should not generalise. Indeed if any one asks me have I been to Ilkley Moor without my hat they are dead. Or come across with the "Eee by gum."......
Howsomever the couple we have in this evening are very nice, but for the first time ever since we have done b&b, instead of wandering down to the kitchen, or the sitting room, or the office to find one of us for assistance, all places much nearer to their room, they have headed off in the opposite direction to my/our bed sit at the far end of the house. I nearly had a heart attack when I heard the knock on the door, was it the drugsquad?!
I managed to open the door and squeeze out of its 2 inches gap I allowed and beamed a smile. Hoping no-one could see the 3 foot tall pile of house magazines I am 'sorting', bag of empty beer cans for recycling, clothes waiting to be hung up in the wardrobe, and cats on every surface.
He wanted directions to the restaurant we had suggested. I did wonder what hope he had in finding it as he hadn't found Mike who was crashing around in the kitchen, a lot nearer to his room than me.
Anyway, back to the big step. I hope my grandson gets the dressing up as a Goth out of his system. But then I am sure there will be far worse attire when he is in his teenage years. The way things are going it will be back to the brothel creepers. (Google it!)

Spring has sprung!

Bluebells all around our garden.

Rhodedendrons and my Rogersii - looks like a rhubarb, but it isnt. Apparently not to be grown in the North East of Scotland. Ha ha.

Two remaining hens, not laying no more, having a dust bath.

Ducks in the shade. Who are still laying.x.

What a difference to a few weeks back! No complaints. Although yesterday as the temperature mounted so did the clouds and suddenly there was a downpour which went on and on. (I bet this was just as people were about to light the barbie) Thunder and lightning strikes further North. Today the sun continued to shine down.

I was scheduled to pick up some senior citizens on behalf of Peterhead Rotary to go and have their tea - with entertainment. Unfortunately when I arrived it was to be told that I was not required after all. Two of them had chickened out. Huh.

So, no limit on my shopping time then. New Look, Dorothy Perkins and a few others had me zooming around looking desperately for some clothes that would be okay for an over 60 female.

(Of course it will now snow.) But its either new clothes or I will explode from overheating.

On the home front, we are now finishing off jobs before the surveyor comes to do the update for the home report. Plus I am deep cleaning guest rooms and moving all the furniture around = amazing what a difference this has created, rooms look enormous.

Tomorrow we have our first guests from over the pond...... I very often do want to shove them in the pond, but you never know, Betty Lou and JJ just might be really quiet and peaceful...but I am not holding my breath.