Four days old and they are already developing personalities. This little gray one that I’m thinking is a boy is called “Huckleberry.” He loves to eat!
As soon as I took the picture above, he did this…
The Mendota Five
A few weeks ago I wrote about a stray cat that had joined the feral cat that we have been feeding. He hates my cats and terrorizes them. However, for some reason, he took up with this little black and white stray. He’s a neutered male, and he’s sweet in a completely dysfunctional type of way. When I pet him, he arches his back to be petted yet hisses at the same time.
I thought the black and white cat looked pregnant so I made her an appointment about ten days ago, but we had something go awry here at the house, and Mike could not take her for the appointment. We missed it. It’s an ordeal to take a cat to the vet because as we drive out, they always are frightened and always are sick from the car ride, so it’s not something we just do — we plan it. But we didn’t get there. We had our own doctor and dental appointments, cars that had to be taken for service, and so on and so forth. We didn’t get to the vet. How irresponsible is that? But, at any rate, last night she had five kittens.
I knew something was amiss yesterday. She…I call her Lilly after a saloon girl in an old tv show, was very clingy to Muffin, the gray feral. She wanted to lay with him on his pillow, but he wasn’t really about sharing that pillow so she sat on the edge of the chair. Muffin has filled out quite a bit since I wormed him. He’s due another round. I want to get him to the vet but I haven’t figured out how. I can’t imagine riding in a car with Muffin in the cat carrier. I can’t imagine getting Muffin in the cat carrier for that matter. If there are any vets wanting to go kayaking, I’ll cut you a deal if you’ll come up and vaccinate Muffin!!
Last night, Lilly was so tired. She curled up in her bed and seemed completed exhausted. So much so that I slipped her little bowl in with her so she could eat. I suspected that the kittens were coming. By 11:00, I went out and she had one kitten. An hour later, there were FIVE kittens. Did you know each kitten may have a different father? My goodness, Lilly, what and who did you do?
I decided to embrace these kittens. I love kittens, but I never allow a cat to have them for obvious reasons. However, these are here, so I’m going to enjoy them, socialize them and hope I can find them good homes. If not, well, I’ll be the woman with NINE cats. Here they are. They can “mew” very loudly.
I”m thinking where I can put these kittens in the next few weeks where they can develop, socialize and not be harmed. My biggest fear right now is that Lilly will lie down on them and smother them. They sleep about 90 percent of the time, and I go out and check to make sure no one has gotten smothered. So far…so good.
I’ll keep you posted. They are my new fascination.
Liar Liar Pants on Fire
Are you having a marvelous 4th of July? I didn’t even get a red white and blue wreath up!! We anticipated this being a really busy time for our paddle sports business, and then, the rain came. And it came. And it came. On the upside, the river should be great for kayaking and tubing for the next several weeks.
So while everyone else was blowing up fireworks, we took our “off day” and blew up tubes. See that blue tube that is in front of the blue and white tube? Which would you prefer? Most will say the Intex River Run. It’s a commercial tube, and it should be good, but we’re having trouble with them. Maybe they don’t like our river?
They lose air. Do you think you could float very far on this (pictured below)?
That’s why we’ve purchased a whole bunch of these blue ones like the one I am sitting on. We had about a dozen which we’ve been testing, and they’ve done well, so we ordered a bunch more. And I just want you to know that the camera really does add 10 pounds and my hair looks terrible. If I’m going to work in the tubing business, I have to figure out a way to not have horrible hair due to the humidity. I think I’m going to grow it fairly long where I can put it up in a twist; it looks good up, but it falls down. I’ve got to learn to put it up and keep it up. I’m going to get Viagra for my hair. That’s a plan.
Oh dear…as I write this, it’s pouring rain again. We may never reopen at this rate. We may go in the ark business instead. I’m using this time to think ahead a little bit. We have company coming in July. I have to get this house together. What better way than to start working on a chalkboard window for the mantle about summer?
Mike, who has been working every day since May 2 when we opened, came by and looked at the chalkboard and said “that is a dam darn lie….followed by “liar…liar …pants on fire!” But I like it anyway, and I will put it up tomorrow.
By the way…have you ever seen so many life vests? These will be handy for all the new kayaks, the tubes…the ark!
And more…
And more…I swear…they are like Walmart bags. They are breeding when we’re not looking!
Happy 4th of July!
How To Clean Your Life Vest
Since I had never been on a kayak until October, 2014, you probably don’t find it surprising that I didn’t realize that a frequently used life vest, now called a personal flotation device, can become really stinky.
You might find it surprising that based on the fact that I had never been on a kayak until October, 2014, I now am a partner with my husband in a small paddle sports business called Adventure Mendota. Can you guess what else we do after you look at this picture? We tube.
Besides doing tubing, I now love adore kayaking, and I own over 60 life vests. All 60 go into the river pretty regularly. On week 7 of our new business, we realized all 60+ had a stinkin’ problem.
Here’s how we fixed that:
Step One: Mix 1 cup white vinegar + 1 gallon water (in our case, we multiplied by 8)
Step Two: Submerge and swish the life vest around for about a minute
Step Three: Mix 1/4 cup of a scented laundry detergent such as Gain in about 8 gallons of warm water
Step Four: Submerge and swish the life vest around for about a minute. Use a toothbrush on any muddy spots that are still there.
Step Five: Rinse with hose.
Step Six: Hang outside until completely dry. This is my favorite part.
The life vests smelled so nice this evening when we brought them in. We want to take care of them and use them for as long as we can, so I’m glad this worked so well.
That’s how we do it out in the country!!!
Everyone Needs Someone…Even Muffin the Cat!
Muffin is our little feral friend who showed up during the coldest part of winter, and we put together a makeshift home for him with a pet heating pad so that he could stay warm. It was an odd looking arrangement. It was a box that was bubble wrapped inside another box with our grill cover on top and all this was heated with a special heating pad for cats along with an occasional hot water bottle on extra cold nights. I put my hand inside it, and it was nice and cozy. I think this cat appreciated it. He had no choice. He could not go anywhere because of the snow and extreme cold.
It’s put away, but Muffin remains. He absolutely hates our cats, Chrissy and Sweetie Pi. They cannot come outside because he terrorizes them. He comes up to the window and punches it with his paw. Redneck cat.
However, he doesn’t hate all cats. He brought one home with him last week. She’s playing hard to get. She’s a pretty thing, but I have a sneaky suspicion that she is in the family way. And it’s not Muffin’s as he is not able to do that.
But love is strange. They remind me of “the Lawman” and “Miss Lilly” who sang at the Birdcage in Western Land television. Our cowboy, Muffin, has fattened up a little in the months he’s been here but he’s still rough around the edges, but he has a sweet spot for someone.
They enjoy a little sip of milk together..
Maybe pull in a little closer. “It’s nice to graze her whiskers.” says Muffin.
Cats are supposed to be solitary, but I have learned by watching Muffin and Lilly. They occasionally lay just close enough to one another to touch. I don’t have a picture, so you’ll just have to trust me. I’ve also seen her lick him. Once.
Everyone needs someone, and I’m glad Muffin has found his Lilly. She’s going to have surgery in a few days unless someone on Swinging Bridge Road reads this and claims her.
And of course, this one…the one that rides around in the truck with us now…is so interested in this whole affair. River has not harmed the cats but if they run, he chases them and a terrible scolding ensues. He’s learning. Still, I think I heard him say…
He is such a spoiled rotten dog.
Bandana Covered Seat Cushions
I have company staying in the guesthouse this weekend, and it has a very nice deck on the back which most people enjoy sitting on and eating or drinking coffee. There is a cute little table out there that is perfect for this.
But the chairs are hard. I usually have cushions on them. But…the cushions are in pretty bad shape. In fact, I had loaded two of them in the back of the truck for Mike to take the waste disposal station. I hate doing that…I have landfill guilt, but look at them…
Ugh. I looked on Target and Lowe’s to see if there was anything I liked that was cheap. It was serendipitous (don’t you love that word) that I read Kari Anne’s blog called Thistlewood Farms because she mentioned covering seat cushions with bandannas as part of her 4th of July decorations. I decided right then that I’d just cover my ugly cushions with the bandannas until I could find another solution.
I went to Walmart and bought 8 bandannas. They are $1 each. I had wanted to use yellow but there were not any. I opted for red thinking that if this didn’t work, my dog, River, would have 8 red bandannas to wear. In the clothing section, these were $1 but in the craft section, they were $.97. Strange.
Step One. Lay the ugly pillow on the new bandanna. These bandannas are 22 inches square.
Step Two. Lay the second bandanna on top.
Step Three. Tie your corners.
After tying your corners, you just need to work the sides a little and your covered seat pillow will look like this…
And doesn’t this table look much more comfortable and inviting with the bandanna covered pillows?
I’ll bet there are lots of things you can do with bandannas. I’m going to Pinterest and find out!!
Happy Graduation Will Gobble!!
Happy Graduation to Will Gobble! Will is our neighbor’s son, and I’ve watched him grow up. He’s now graduating from Gate City High School! Where did the years go?
When we started thinking about Adventure Mendota, we knew we’d need one person to help with the heavy lifting of these kayaks. That person would have to have good customer service skills and be certified in lifesaving. I told Mike that it was a shame that one of Angie Meadows’ sons was not interested as they live nearby!! At about that same time, Will Gobble sent an email saying he’d like to work here during the summer. Will is Angie’s son!!
We told him that we weren’t sure how much we’d need him. He said he was flexible.
We told him we’d need for him to get CPR/First Aid certification. He told us he’d already done that. He is a lifeguard in Kingsport.
We asked him if he had transportation to get here? That was a joke since he can walk.
Did he know anything about kayaking? Yes, he already had his own kayak.
I am not sure what we would do without Will Gobble working with Adventure Mendota.
We are looking forward to good things from Will as he evolves from high school student to college student to young adult. He will enter ETSU in the fall, and his career path is engineering. He plans to stay there for two years and then he will transfer to the University of Tennessee. He said he wants to live and work in this area…maybe live in Mendota because he loves the river.
Between his job at the Kingsport Aquatics Center and Adventure Mendota, he has not had a day off in at least a month.
He’s kind. He loves his dog. And…he suggested that his mother should bring me a Peach Tea from Pal’s! What is not to love about this kid?
Mendota Rising!! Loving Poor Valley!
To me, this is more true today than in quite some time.
Here’s why…
1) I’ve got me a doggy again. He’s a celeb dog.
Rebecca Pepin wrote about him on her blog which I highly recommend you read AND COMMENT!!! She will love your comments! At any rate, River is famous, and you can read about it here! He thinks we are now “Staff.”
2) Adventure Mendota had a fabulous weekend, and our phone is still ringing. We are so excited. Here they are folks…just waiting on you!!
Can someone in Mendota, Virginia bring ecotourism into our part of Washington County? Good, clean fun for families? Keep your fingers crossed!
Kristen Quon joined the Adventure Mendota posse pulling for this little paddle sports business “in the sticks” last week and brought us lots of recognition. I was so happy when I saw her blue WCYB car in front of Adventure Mendota!!
3) Are there people who will remove that beautiful dress from the box or hanger and let Adventure Mendota and Regina Shinall make it memorable again? Heather Faust Bruner did! She trusted this to Regina Shinall.
Regina gave me a couple of very glamourous roles….pull donkey and/or gofer. Heather was having a ball. The river was a little chilly, but she’s a country girl and so long as she wasn’t gray dead with cold too blue, we kept at it!!
4) And the kind words and people who came from everywhere and did a little of this…
and this…
Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage!!!
Adventure Mendota Day One!
We opened and everyone in the country has asked “how did ya do?” Everyone was curious. We were, too! In Mendota, we have never had anything like Adventure Mendota and we’re all wondering “will they come?” It’s not unlike the movie “Field of Dreams!!
This was compounded by our uncertainty on whether we’d be open on May 2. We knew the weather would be nice, but we weren’t sure if river conditions would be suitable.
Our friends showed up and we had fun, but we didn’t have “real” customers. However, if we couldn’t have real customers, we had the next best thing. They called. They emailed. We don’t know whether to answer our phone with “hello” or “Adventure Mendota” because the calls come in at odd times. We don’t care! We love it! Thank you to those who called.
The day opened with a surprise front-page article by Marci Gore of the Kingsport Times News. I am so grateful for Marci! Adventure Mendota in the Kingsport Times News. One thing I’m learning about the media is that they want us to succeed as much as we wish to succeed. Certainly, they are looking for things that readers are interested in, but they also are back at their computers cheering for us. You’ll see more media attention in the coming weeks, but Marci’s article was the first, and it is working well. Following Marci’s article, people want to know how to get here, what days we’re open, and to talk about guide fishing. We’ve had reservations! Woohoo!
We had some fun! Who doesn’t love DeeDee and Eric Taylor? Rephrase that…who doesn’t know DeeDee and Eric Taylor? If we were in high school, they’d be getting Cutest Couple and Best All Around and Most Popular. I’d probably be jealous.
And Joann came up and ate a hotdog with us and wanted to pretend drive the Fork Taxi…don’t be scared! We didn’t let her go anywhere!
Betty Wood is a good friend. She’s pictured here with Joann. She and Joann are talking about getting a group to picnic on the banks and possibly a Red Hat Float on the Fork. That would be so fun to see!!
Mike…snugging with You Know Who on the job accompanied by Darby Taylor. You Know Who is our new rescue dog, River. River did very well yesterday. He’s starting to settle in. Tomorrow, Monday, he meets his vet and has a physical followed by his “surgery” on Tuesday. Since River is now sharing Public Relations with Darby (also pictured), he doesn’t want to be bothered with doggy testosterone.
River is anxious to be on camera. He’s a natural. Look at that little tongue sticking out! Smarty pants!
Gerald and Eric went out fishing and caught 18.
Eric brought his drone. If you have not been around a drone, they are so cool!! This one has a camera attached. I can’t wait to see the footage.
The battery got low, and the drone returned to where it was launched…DeeDee was on hand to catch it.
This is really making us want a drone. Here! She’s caught it!!
This won’t always be filled with “land” pictures. I am confident. It will take us a few weeks, but we’ll gain more notice each week, and when the weather is hotter, the river will feel so good. Those reservations will be visits, and we’ll all be Floating that Fork!! I went out yesterday with DeeDee. It actually was a perfect day to be in the kayak. The water is still too cold for tubing but in just a few weeks…..we’ll be saying…Live it! Love it! Tube it!
Gratitude
On Facebook in November, I see gratitude posts, and I’m always interested in what people are thankful for. I always intend to do the gratitude journey as well, but I don’t. If I’m truthful, I don’t stay with it long enough to do it for 30 days. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m not a deep person or if my attention which is very gnat-like keeps me moving from thing to thing. However, I am very grateful for many things. Salvation? Of course…it is why and how we now breathe so it’s the basis of all gratitude.
But tonight it is almost midnight, and I’ve been thinking of a few of the “daily” things I’m thankful for. This morning, I did a quick trip to Pal’s to pick up tea and biscuits for myself and two others I work with. I went to pay for my purchases, and they were paid for by the person ahead of me. How nice!
The traffic on the Volunteer Parkway was heavy, and I realized it wasn’t something to be annoyed by, it was something to be thankful for, because the good doctors, nurses, dentists and support staff were busy with a RAM at the Speedway. I pray that those people in those cars are in better shape tonight or following this weekend because of RAM.
Adventure Mendota opens tomorrow, and I have friends and family who are more worried about it than me. I have a sense of peace that people will come. If not tomorrow, they’ll come during the summer. Marci Gore wrote me a note tonight that there was a surprise waiting when I open the Kingsport Times News tomorrow. I’m so grateful for Marci and others who are as enthusiastic about Adventure Mendota as Mike and me. Can we be the first tiny step in revitalizing Mendota? Why not? Optimism! Another thing to be thankful for!!
On a lighter note, this little stinker is something I’m grateful for although he took me for a nice chase this evening. I realized this little guy is my weight loss plan for 2015.
Me: “River…you come here. Don’t you dare take off. I mean it!”
Me: “Pleeeezee…River.” Does he even know his name?
Oh and run we did. He looked over his shoulder and shot off down the road with me chasing him. I’d get relatively close and he’d take back off. Finally, our neighbors at the little cabin up the road stopped and I asked them to help me. Nosy, happy, friendly River had to run up to them and say hello, and they grabbed his collar. Snagged!!
In the coming weeks, we have to figure a way to keep River in his “tiny” six acre lawn. It’s fenced but he can crawl under. At one time there was an electric fence that ran underneath the wood fence which was put there to keep doggies in. I’m not sure if that can be made to work again, but there are other similar ways to keep doggies from running a little too freely. We’ll give him lots of river time, lots of love, and lots of places to run as well as plenty of leash walks, but he cannot take off like he’s trying to do now.
But I’m still grateful for him. Oh my goodness, though, he is farting up a storm as I close out this post. Yikes…something has crawled up River and died!!