Showing posts with label Riordin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Riordin. Show all posts

Friday, September 8, 2023

And it's Friday

Finnegan at the new Starbucks
Tequesta, FL
August 30, 2023

 I'm not even sure why I know today is Friday, except that it is on my watch. 

I've been aware of the excruciatingly uncomfortable weather in the Northeast. While we are seeing 90 degree days here, the humidity is finally down and we once again enjoy being outside. I am happy to be away from the 50-something degree days of the PNW and Alaska and back into the warmth of South Florida. 

I hope that things begin to settle a bit now that we are back and have addressed the elephant in the room, that being Riordin's failing health.

And then there was one
Finnegan, Makayla, Riordin
Tequesta, FL
February 11, 2022
In an anthropomorphic moment yesterday, I felt as if Finnegan knew something serious was afoot as we carried Riordin, in his carrier, out of the house for the trip to the vet. He made an unusually extraordinary effort to accompany us. Chris had to physically restrain him from charging out the door. I believe he knew something was happening. 

Even after we returned home, Finnegan was strange. He examined the empty cat carrier and immediately began searching for Riordin. It was sad to watch this small dog look in all of the usual places for his pack-mate. He continued looking through bedtime and even made some small noises trying to get Riordin to respond as if they were playing a game of hide-n-seek. I wish there was a way to help him understand. I guess it was easier with Makayla, since she died in my arms at home and both Finnegan and Riordin were there at the moment she passed.

I guess it is the circle of life!

Will there be another cat or dog added to the household? Right now the answer is a solid no. I have the memories of two great friends to sustain me and I always felt bad leaving Riordin alone when we traveled. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Thursday, September 7, 2023

A sad Good-bye to Riordin

Riordin
Elkridge, MD
May 12, 2014

 Riordin, my roughly 16-year old cat, crossed the rainbow bridge this morning. He was at peace and free of the debilitating asthma which had destroyed his body and quality of life by making each breath a struggle.  

We knew he was not well when we departed on our cruise vacation, but we had worked with the vet to try one last treatment which showed some promise. However, he quit eating shortly after we left and was waiting for time to run out. 

Riordin
Tequesta, FL
March 9, 2023
Riordin was the most unique cat I have ever had the pleasure of being associated with. He was loving and liked to crawl into bed at night and curl up with me and just purr until we both went to sleep. 

He was a man's cat. He loved men. We were told this when we adopted him at the age of about 2 years old. He was not a cat that shied away from people, but he instead he loved to interact with our guests--sometimes a bit too much and we had to lock him in a bedroom. 

People sometimes ask me about his unusual name, but that was the name he had when we adopted him and I did not want to turn his world upside down any more than losing his first home by changing his name. In reality, in addition to Riordin, he also answered to Puss--it was my special name for him.

Me with Makayla and Riordin
Elkridge, MD
August 12, 2013

Upon arriving home from our cruise Tuesday evening, we could see that he was not doing well with the new treatment regime. He had lost a lot of weight and it was clear that he was near the end and struggling for each breath. As much as it was so very hard, we gave him the honor of a dignified departure from this world instead of gasping for his final breath. He was at peace and loved as both Chris and I were stroking him as he passed. 

I will miss him very much. He is not the kind of four-footed friend that can be replaced. 

I note since moving full-time to Florida just a year ago, our pack of two dogs and one cat have been reduced to one dog. It has been a tough year with the loss of Makayla, during October, and Riordin, today. 

It is just hard. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Riordin Update

 Amazingly, the cat who once came back after being lost for six days, came back once again.

Riordin in the Pelican Room
Tequesta, FL
August 13, 2023
Riordin spent the night at the St Francis Animal Clinic. The vet called yesterday and told us that he had recovered from the massive asthma attack and was eating and drinking and doing the functions that eating and drinking cause. He was perky and ready to come home.

I was in shock. But he was great yesterday after we arrived home with him. He ate like he was starving--which he was and he drank lots of water to rehydrate. He is on a new steroid treatment and we no longer have to give him the albuterol treatments in the torture chamber. I call it a torture chamber but in reality he actually has adopted it as one of his favorite places to hang-out and sleep.

It was nice to have my cat back at a near normal level. I am worried, however, because during the night he began to have some difficulty breathing again, but that has settled and we will see how he does after his morning dose of steroids. 

It is good to have Riordin back home!


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

The Long Road

 

Riordin
Tequesta, FL
August 22, 2023

Welcome to Hump Day!

Oh wait, that's right, I'm retired and I don't really celebrate hump days any more. Sadly. I always kind of enjoyed helping coworkers over the hump of the week. 

My mid-week is going to be filled with preparations for travel. The reservations have been made and we even selected the food we wanted on the plane. It has been a while since I flew on Alaska Airlines and they allow food to be ordered and paid for in advance. Since it is a six-hour flight right through the dinner hour, we need food. 

I will also be determining the future of Riordin. He spent the night in the animal hospital and is not doing well. They are trying a "Hail Mary" treatment for his asthma to bring him around, but I was told the chances were slim. He lost about 15 percent of his body weight while we were in New York last week and has stopped eating and drinking.

It could be a sad day by the time it ends. 

But, when I looked into his eyes yesterday before deciding upon the treatment option, I saw he still had fight in them. 

Regardless, tomorrow will begin a new adventure!


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, August 11, 2023

Friday - Riordin Update

Riordin Relaxing
Tequesta, FL
August 11, 2023

 And so the weekend is almost here. 

Wow. 

The week has passed so quickly.

Chris and I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon at the vet's office trying to get Riordin's asthma under control. We have been giving him daily albuterol treatments, but he didn't seem to be getting the asthma under control. The vet reassured us that the treatments are working and that his lungs are clear, but asthma is going to be the new way of life for Riordin. The vet gave him a steroid shot and a B-12 shot, which really seemed to have helped. 

We had noticed that Riordin was beginning, again, to become a solitary cat. He normally likes to be around. The shots seem to have helped, as he was more normal last evening. Fortunately, he continues to eat well. We have a lot of travel coming in the next weeks. We will be gone three of the next four weeks. I am hopeful that the people we have watching him will be able to keep the treatments going. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Torture Chamber Arrived

Oxygen/Atomization Enclosure


 OK, so it really isn't a torture chamber, it is an oxygen/atomization enclosure. It is supposed to allow me to deliver asthma medicine to Riordin.

He thinks it is a torture chamber.

The problem is that it arrived without instructions. After a lot of trial and error and with the help of an image that Chris found on-line, I was able to get everything functioning and Riordin received his first treatment. I'm not sure it did anything other that antagonize him. Being in the box for 20 minutes was a bit more than he could tolerate.

I will give him a second albuterol treatment today and I hope it will go a bit better. The enclosure is large enough for him to be comfortable and move around. 

Cat asthma is tough. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Saga of the Cat

Riordin on the Laptop
Elkridge, MD
January 5, 2012

 Yesterday wound-up being devoted to our recently diagnosed asthmatic cat, Riordin. 

Riordin had a scheduled appointment with the vet. We made it to the appointment without incident and by indecent I mean that Riordin did not puke. We are now at exactly 50 percent, 2 of 4, for trips to the vet with puke. And the appointment went well. He received another steroid and B12 shot for his asthma and we discussed nebulizer treatments. 

We were finished with the appointment and after leaving less than $200 with the vet, we headed home with Riordin looking good and seemingly feeling good.

Not so fast!

About halfway home, Riordin began panting and breathing rapidly. He was in respiratory distress. My initial thought was let's get him home and quiet and do a breathing treatment. As we grew closer to Tequesta, the vet is a 35 minute ride away, Riordin's distress became more severe. Chris called the vet and instructed us to return, which we did. Unfortunately it took almost 20 minutes to get back. 

When we made it back to the vet, they put him immediately into an oxygen tent and told us to come back in 2-2.5 hours. So, Chris and I headed off to lunch, got some gas at Costco, and did some shopping at Home Depot instead of driving all the way back to Tequesta only to turn around and drone back to the Vets office in West Palm Beach.

Evening Thunderstorm in Tequesta
July 24, 2023
I asked the vet about the incident and he told me that asthmatic cats have breathing episodes. The only thing to do is take them to a vet for oxygen treatments. We are going to be providing regular breathing treatments and have purchased a small enclosure designed for oxygen and breathing treatments. It is amazing what can be found on Amazon!

We did make it successfully home after the second vet visit of the day. We were concerned that Riordin was in the beginning stages of another incident, but he made it home and is doing fine. He is eating and drinking and being his old general nuisance--which is why I love him.

By the time we were settled at home it was Happy Hour and time for the evening thunderstorms.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Cat Saga

Riordin Sleeping
Tequesta, FL
March 9, 2023

 Riordin, our tabby cat, is beginning to show his geriatric side. 

Apparently, after yesterday's $300 visit to the vet he is being diagnosed with asthma. At least that is one possible explanation for his coughing fits. Although, the vet did put him on antibiotics for some unspecified reason. 

The Gang of Three
Finn, Makayla, and Riordin
Tequesta, FL
February 11, 2022
Riordin is one of the two surviving members of the gang of three, Makayla, Riordin, and Finnegan, with Finnegan being the youngest. Makayla passed during October, an event which traumatized me. I may have PTSD from it.

We will see where it goes, but geriatric cats generally do not get better although we can support him and hopefully keep him from getting worse. I was encouraged when the vet weighed him and he had not lost anymore weight. 

It seems there is always something happening.

We will have to see where this goes.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

The Drive

Chris and Finnegan Driving
South Carolina
May 15, 2023

 Chris and I completed another successful trip from South Florida to Maryland yesterday. 

I decided not to try and publish Monday Musings because I had a car strapped to my bottom for roughly 16 hours. 

The trip began at 11:58 PM on Mother's Day and ended at about 3:40 PM yesterday when we made our first stop to drop off Riordin, our cat, who is bunking with Jeremy while we are here in Maryland. I will endeavor to visit him almost every day. It took him almost two weeks to get back to normal after he stayed alone with only daily visits from a friend while we were last in Maryland. 

Both Finnegan and Riordin were great travelers on the trip. Riordin only asked to be out of his carrier on one occasion, to relieve himself, and then was happy to curl up inside of his safe place for the remainder of the trip. 

We made only four stops during the trip. Two were for gas (my truck has great range), one was for lunch, and the other was at a rest area for a break. We stocked the car with snacks and beverages to assist in minimizing stops. I figure the four stops totaled about an hour and we lost another hour from Northern Virginia around D.C. and on I-95 to Elkridge. Even in the early afternoon, traffic was snarled.

Well, the trip is done and we can begin the business of being here in Maryland to visit family, friends, wineries, attend graduations, baseball and whatever else comes our way. We are here until mid-June when we will make the trip south. We are considering a two-day return trip and if so, I want to stop near Exit 102 in Georgia for the night to visit the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.


-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Friday, May 12, 2023

Vet Fun

 

Riordin in the Cupboard
Elkridge, MD
August 27, 2022
It is, of course, an oxymoron. There is no way that going to a vet can be fun. In fact, it was almost catastrophe. 

Riordin, our cat, has been coughing and Chris and I were concerned that he might have a respiratory infection. He had been to the vet a month ago and had a non-specific infection, for which he was prescribed antibiotics. He had a cough then and it seemed to get better, but now it had become more annoying.

Riordin in Xray
West Palm Beach, FL
May 11, 2023
During the trip to the vet, Riordin became carsick and puked all over his cat carrier. To make it worse, I had to stop quickly and his carrier rolled off the seat onto the floor and of course the poor cat was now covered in regurgitated ick. Upon arriving at the vet, Chris and I were able to clean him and the carrier. He was not a pretty sight, but cleaned up nicely and dried before we were called into the examination room. We left him out of the carrier and I held him so that he could dry out.

The exam went well, Riordin is a pretty chill cat. Blood was drawn, X-ray taken, and a shot given. Riordin handled it all pretty well. The final verdict? He may have allergies or asthma. There is no infection (blood work) and no mass in his lungs indicating either pneumonia or cancer (X-ray). We were relieved, and also relieved of just over $300, to get that information. When we return from Maryland we are considering having him tested for allergies. We are pretty sure he has allergies since he used to sneeze a lot, but is coughing and we are considering testing and immunotherapy treatment. 

Well, at least we know he is fit to travel. We obtained a mild sedative to take the edge off while he is in his carrier in the car during the upcoming trip. AND, I will secure the carrier so it will not roll off the seat again.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, March 31, 2023

Crazy Busy Thursday

Turtles near the 16th Tee Box
Jupiter Dunes Golf Course
Jupiter, FL
March 30, 2023

 It could be the title of a movie. 

Yesterday was one of those days that once started; charged along and did not stop until well after dark.

Let me explain.

First, since my bike was in the shop for maintenance I thought it would be a lazy morning. Not so. The first thing up was the annual fire suppression sprinkler inspection. This was an all day event with no scheduled time. Chris and I were responsible for not only our home but another home as well. Chris managed to grab the inspector about 9 AM and we completed both inspections by 9:30. 

From there the day began to spiral out of control.

Looking Back at the 11th Green
Jupiter Dunes Golf Course
Jupiter, FL
March 30, 2023
Since it was early, we decided to head to the local golf course for our weekly dose of frustration. Fortunately this course does not issue Tee times, as it is a first come, first served course and is not usually too busy mid-morning. We hit the course shortly after 10 AM and expected to be home about 12:30, which was important because Finnegan and Riordin had vet appointments at 2:30 PM. 

Well, as it would happen, it was one of those slow-play days on the course and we did not finish until after 1 PM. Ugh. So we headed home with plenty of time to change, eat, and get to the vet.

But wait! At about 1:50 PM as I was eating my lunchtime salad (leftover from the night before) and punching the address for the Vet into my mapping program I realized that the vet was not a 10-minute drive away in Jupiter, but a 35-minute drive away in West Palm Beach. And this was after wasting about 15 minutes locating the cat carrier. We were already late. The remainder of my salad was still on the counter when we finally returned later in the afternoon. 

So we launched into the afternoon traffic. Chris called the vet to tell them we would be 15 minutes late. They were OK with that. No problem, right? Wrong! When I was putting the address for the vet, to which we had never visited, into the mapping program I did not notice that I selected S Military Trail rather than N Military Trail which was the actual address. We were in my truck since the plan was to retrieve my bike after the vet appointments. Upon arriving at the address I had selected in the mapping program we realized that I had erred and it would be another 10 minutes before we would be at the location where the Vet was practicing. The exciting part of this particular road is that it is a divided roadway, I managed to accomplish no less than five U-turns (all legal) getting to the correct address. 

The experience at the vet was great. We really like them and did not feel like we had to mortgage one of the vehicles to play the bill. Of course there will be return visits. Riordin was diagnosed with an infection, which explains a lot, and so he is on an antibiotic. 

From the vet we drove back to Jupiter and retrieved my fully-serviced bicycle. They also cleaned the bike and it almost looks new, except for the over 1800 miles it has on it. And my back brakes work now! They had gotten a bit loose and I knew was going to take the bike in for service so I didn't take time to adjust the brake. 

Then it was home for some relaxation, the time being about 5:30 PM. But wait--we invited the neighbors over for Happy Hour! Yup. So when we arrived home it was time to clear the remains of the unfinished lunch and make apps for Happy Hour, which we had decided would begin about 6PM. 

It was a great Happy hour on our back porch and since the friends we were hosting live two doors down, they wandered in through the screened porch. It was a fantastic time and both Chris and I actually relaxed with a few adult beverages and stimulating conversation. When our time together ended about 8:30 PM, we realized that the day had spiraled out of control into a crazy busy Thursday, but that it had been busy and fun. 

I hope today is a bit less fun.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL 

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

The Watcher

Riordin On Guard
Tequesta, FL
March 10, 2023

 Riordin, our cat, loves spending time in the garage. He goes there alone and in the dark. He watches for unsuspecting small lizards to run under a crack in the garage door seal. 

I believe, totally anthropomorphism, that he believes he is protecting the homestead from invaders. I am amazed at the amount of time he spends in the garage. To date, I can only confirm one kill--but since I hate cleaning them up, I am happy that there are not more. 

I will soon replace the garage door seal, but I am sure Riordin will continue to stand watch protecting the homestead from the lizard hordes. 

BTW, I really like the low light feature on my iPhone!


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday, December 19, 2022

Monday Musings - December 19, 2022

 


1. The third Monday of December has arrived. There is only one Monday remaining in the year! Christmas is less than one week away!

2. Family NFL Report. It was a rough weekend for the family teams. Collectively they went 1-3, ugh, with the 3 likely playoff bound teams all losing! It was a good week to be a 5-8 team.

  Ravens (9-5) lose a yawner to Browns (6-8), 3-13

  Cowboys (10-4) lose to Jaguars (6-8), 34-40

  Steelers (6-8) defeat Panthers (5-9), 24-16

  Commanders (7-6-1) lose to Giants (8-5-1), 12 - 20

3. I am really upset at the NFL. I was prepared to watch the Ravens game on Saturday only to find that I had to buy a subscription to NFLHD. I am beginning to believe that Congress needs to treat the NFL as a monopoly. I dod not, thankfully, watch the game. It is likely that my TV would not have survived.

Finn, Makayla, Riordin
Tequesta, FL
February 11, 2022
Finn and Riordin
Tequesta, FL
December 17, 2022

4. I had a moment Saturday night when Chris and I were sitting on the patio enjoying adult beverages and conversation. Finn and Riordin came to the door reminding me of a scene from earlier in the year except that Makayla had been part of the pack on that occasion. I still miss my best dog.

5. Travel week is upon us. We will be heading off to the frozen northlands to celebrate Christmas. It will be good to see family and friends to celebrate the holiday. 

6. Congratulations to Argentina for winning the World Cup. It was a fantastic game and although I was cheering for the French team to repeat, I am not unhappy with the results. Unlike so many other championship games the two stars, Messi and Mbappe, one from each team, showed up and gave a championship worthy performance scoring 5 of the 6 goals recorded in the game. 

7. Today in History. December 19, 1998. After nearly 14 hours of debate, the House of Representatives approves two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, charging him with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. Clinton, the second president in American history to be impeached, vowed to finish his term.

In November 1995, Clinton began an affair with Monica Lewinsky, a 21-year-old unpaid intern. Over the course of a year and a half, the president and Lewinsky had nearly a dozen sexual encounters in the White House. In April 1996, Lewinsky was transferred to the Pentagon. That summer, she first confided in Pentagon co-worker Linda Tripp about her sexual relationship with the president. In 1997, with the relationship over, Tripp began secretly to record conversations with Lewinsky, in which Lewinsky gave Tripp details about the affair.



U.K. Companies Tested by Fallout From Ukraine War - The Wall Street Journal

Hawaiian Airlines Passengers and Crew Injured During Severe Turbulence - The Wall Street Journal

How Trump jettisoned restraints at Mar-a-Lago and prompted legal peril - The Washington Post

An immortal World Cup final rewards Argentina’s Lionel Messi at last - The Washington Post

What to watch for during the January 6 committee's final session - CNN

Freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout visits occupied Ukraine - CNN

5 people killed in a 'horrendous' condo shooting in Canada, police say - CNN

Russian 'kamikaze' drones hit Kyiv as Putin heads for Belarus - Reuters

Vatican dismisses Trump-supporting, anti-abortion leader from priesthood - Reuters


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Lizards Amongst Us

 

Northern Curly Tailed Lizard
Tequesta, FL
December 16, 2022

One thing that has taken some time to get used to are the lizards which are everywhere. They range from very small to sizable; however, we do not have any (many) of the large iguanas in our area. With cold weather in the 30s expected next week there will be falling lizard warnings issued. When a large iguana gets cold and falls form a tree it is dangerous to those below.

Small lizards routinely dart across the sidewalks and street in front of me as I bike. I have decided that I will let Darwin determine their fate under my wheels. That are just too many to try and avoid.

Most of the lizards are the common curly-tailed lizards. On occasion I do see one with a brightly colored head scurry in front of me, but they are gone from view in the flash of an eye. 

As the weather has turned cooler the lizards are looking for warm places to reside. One enterprising lizard is making its home in the cover for the smoker. The lizard can be quite startling, as when it actually jumped onto my leg on its way to open land just off the porch. I have to admit, it was the first time a lizard had actually jumped onto me in an effort to escape. Later in the day it was back in the folds of the cover where it seems to be taking refuge from the cold. 

I remember when I first started coming to South Florida a couple decades ago that the lizards were quite an attraction. Now they have become part of the environment and we hardly notice them. Riordin does a good job keeping them out of the garage. I think he believes that he is the great lizard hunter! It gives him something to do. What else is there for an indoors cat to fill its time?


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, December 9, 2022

Friends

Finnegan and Riordin Together
Tequesta, FL
December 6, 2022

 

I love the line from Ghostbusters where the end of time is being described and the character played by Bill Murray says: "Dogs and cats living together."

Actually, dogs and cats can live together and even thrive and like each other. 

Case in point, shortly after our new sofa arrived Finnegan and Riordin napped together. They were trying out the new sofa for sleep-ability. It passed the test. 

Finnegan has been growing into his new role as the primary dog in the house. With Makayla's passing he went from auxiliary dog to primary dog and I have noticed that is behavior has changed. He is more affectionate towards me. 

I can't believe that it is Friday again already. Christmas is creeping up on us.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

From the Sidelines of Hurricane Ian

 

First, an update on my jury duty experience yesterday. I survived and was not selected to serve as a juror on a trial. They released me just before noon and I was able to spend the afternoon at home preparing for the oncoming storm.



On to the storm. Our area of Southeastern Florida is under a Tropical Storm Warning and not expected to experience the full force of the hurricane. We suffered through tornado warnings overnight as the outer bands of the now Category 4 Hurricane Ian passed. Our portion of Florida is where people from the Gulf Coast were directed as an evacuation destination.

It is raining off and on and sometimes very heavy.  We are seeing winds of about 30 mph right now, but are expecting gusts of up to 70 mph as the hurricane makes landfall later today. Chris and I closed the hurricane shutters last night because of the tornado threat and also because we have large trees close to our windows. 

Our area is NOT under an evacuation order and, therefore, we are not evacuating. The truck, 4 wheel-drive, has a full tank of gas with a 500 mile range and is prepared in case we do need to evacuate.

The most difficult part of the storm so far has to do with the dogs. They are not excited about going outside to do their business. On top of that, Makayla has a stomach disturbance which we are treating with Imodium and plain rice for food. Riordin is a bit freaked out and cannot settle. I opened the patio door shutters and he can at least look outside. That seemed to make him happier.

We will ride out the storm. We are fortunate that it is away from us, but we are still getting winds and rain--although not the same as those on the Gulf Coast in the direct path of the storm. The hurricane is expected to pass both west and north of our location.

The TV coverage is similar to that for a major winter storm in Maryland. We are getting moment by moment reports on the storm's progress and well as tornado reporting as warnings are issued. 

We are calm and doing well. Thank you for all of the concerns we have been receiving. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL


Sunday, August 28, 2022

Moving - Watching the Action

Riordin in the Empty Cupboard
Elkridge, MD
August 27, 2022

 Pets are very sensitive to the activities around the house. They get anxious when they see suitcases coming out of closets and being filled with clothes. They are even more anxious now, I believe, trying to understand why the house is empty and all of the places and things they were accustomed to are now gone.

The house is very empty, it echos.

Yet, there is a lot of activity and people coming and going. The activity and people also indicate to the furry friends that we live with that something is happening out of the ordinary. That has made the three of them, Riordin, Finnegan, and Makayla anxious. 

Riordin took the opportunity the climb into an empty cupboard yesterday and keep tabs on the activity. Riordin is generally not far from me. Like now, as I write this, he curled up right next to me on the futon. One of the last remaining pieces of furniture in the house. He will likely freak out on Tuesday as the futon departs along with the last remaining coffee table, end tables, and lamps which have been designated for disposal. At that point the living room will be empty.

The time remaining in the house is growing short, but the transition from a home to  house is effectively complete. 

And the pets are just hoping they don't get left behind. They stay close and remind us of their presence continuously. 


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Downsizing--Cat in a Bag

Riordin in the Wrapping Materials
Elkridge, MD
August 23, 2022

 Packing reached a fevered pitch yesterday. The PODS departs this morning for Florida and hopefully we are less than a week behind in making the trek south. The PODS is packed, although not fully, because we are not taking any furniture, save some lamps and a couple small tables. The PODS is full of mostly possessions and treasures intended to replace like possessions already in place in Florida. I expect that I will be actively on Facebook Marketplace once I arrive. 

As we were packing and wrapping the last of the items, Riordin, our cat, decided to crawl into a bag of wrapping material and cocoon himself inside. He wound up napping there most of the afternoon. He loves to nap in warm places and so this was not too out of the ordinary for him. We kept a close watch on him to ensure that is head remained outside of the plastic bag.

At least he found a place to hide out during the flurry of activity. 

Smart cat!


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


P.S. Within a week, I expect that I my daily posts will be from Tequesta! Time in Maryland is drawing short. 

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Fighting for a Spot

When the sun comes out everyone, it seems, becomes excited. 

Louis, Finnegan, Riordin in a Sunbeam
Elkridge, MD
May 10, 2022
It happened the other day when the sun created a warm ray shining through the window onto the floor. Two cats and one dog found a way to share the space and soak up some warmth. Louis, who is back visiting, Finnegan and Riordin all managed to find space--and they were close to each other. 

For a while, all was calm in the house as the three slept together. Sadly, the sunbeam soon moved away and the three animals scattered.

I wish the sun would shine more often. Since the afternoon yesterday the skies have been overcast again and are expected to remain gray until next week. Rain and thunderstorms are the forecast for tomorrow making Happy Hour a potential washout. 


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Curiosity

 

Riordin in a Bag
Tequesta, FL
March 14, 2022
Curiosity killed the cat, or so the phrase goes.

We witnessed how something like that could occur last evening as Chris and I along with family and friends were playing cards and enjoying munchies and wine. Riordin decided to explore an empty bag of chips. Yes, he was on the counter while we were at the table. 

Riordin is an inquisitive cat. A bit too inquisitive. As I have documented previously, he likes to explore boxes and bags looking for strategically important locations where he can curl-up and nap. So it is important to note that he was not interested in the contents of the bag, but rather was looking for a secluded place to enjoy. It did not work quite the way he imagined as the bag was not large enough for him and he was having difficulty getting it off his head. 

I removed the bag from Riordin's head and all was well.

If you are interested in the history of the phrase: Curiosity killed the cat, click the link at the b beginning of the blog.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL 

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