I am putty in cats' paws...

Remember me saying "No more cats, we have sixteen cats!" blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda...

BAAAHAHAHAHA! no more cats! BAHAHAHAHA!

Meet Millicent! A crappy photo, but that's all you'll get until she's back from being spayed, vaccinated and microchipped at the vet. 

Sigh.

Do I really need another cat to worry about? Of course not. But this gal deserves a home! Sometime before May, she was abandoned at the nearby farm she was living on when her elderly owner went into a nursing home. An elderly neighbour of the elderly cat-owner-turned-nursing-home patient saw the cat had become a bag of bones and started feeding her every day, but couldn't take her in herself.

This very kind cat-feeding lady is the same one who brings us Cheerios for the pigs, and she also found the awesome used hard plastic kiddy-pool of which Henry is particularly fond. She asked our mutual friend Debbie to see if we would take in this cat, and even offered to pay for neutering.

So after thinking about it for 24 hours, we said yes. And now I'm glad we did. The kind lady's husband had a stroke last Friday morning, so Debbie went over and caught Millicent in a live trap and brought her to our barn that day. We didn't want the lady to have to worry about the cat on top of her hospitalized husband!

Millicent went off to the vet yesterday. Her nose is bashed in the photo from trying to escape the cage, poor thing. But she is a very sweet, cuddly cat. The vet was quite smitten with her. She was a bit dehydrated when we took her in and so is receiving IV fluids for a couple of days. I think she may be spayed tomorrow. She is otherwise in good health, and approximately 1 - 2 years old judging by her teeth.

Gordon wanted to call her Millicent, and I am not about to argue with the man who let me adopt seventeen cats. Plus it's a cute name and I know I am going to end up calling her Millie! I hope to soon have photos of a spruced-up Millicent looking happy instead of terrified.

Speaking of rescue animals, my website for the farm is done! You can check it out here:

www.beemeadowfarm.com

I wrote bios for 60 (!) rescue animals. I am hoping to turn this whole thing into a registered charity at some point in the not-so-distant future, so I set the webpage up for donations, animal sponsorships, etc. It will take time to work out charitable status, though. Meanwhile, enjoy the animal stories on the website! I also put in a section about the amazing people I have helping me here.

And now onto things other than cats...

Sandy needs a haircut, er, a mane cut. This horse is a sweetheart, let me tell you. Just a big pussycat. Ooops, there I go bringing up cats again!

Gordon and I went riding in our new sand ring last night and let me tell you, it was wonderful...

...we even cantered together! Riding is so much fun and we both find it takes our mind off anything that might be worrying us. You really have to be in the moment when you're riding; I find it almost meditative. Lately I have been waking up at 3 am every night (morning?!) and worrying for an hour, so I can use all the meditation I can get.

On Labour Day weekend, we went on a great trail ride with friends very close to where we live!

As per usual, Gordon was crooked in his saddle.

As per usual, Roo was hungry.

Gordon lost in thought!

Most times after we ride in our sand ring, we go for a little jaunt along the grassy lane in our fields.

Meanwhile yesterday we also went to some Hunter Jumper trials at Forever Green Stables in Glen Robertson. There was a fancy hat contest. Naturally, I made a cat-themed hat...

See, Gordon had to close his eyes, it was so outrageous.

My talented photographer friend Deborah Wilson took a better shot of the hat:

It was surprisingly comfortable, if a tad alarming.

It was fun watching all this...

Tally-ho and all that! No foxes were involved in this event. Just lots of riding and jumping and also some trained hounds going after imaginary prey.

Fall is in the air here. I am grateful for some cooler temperatures, but we could do with some rain!