Look at this 'Bean.

Look at this 'Bean. He's all nice and chill as long as I'm not busy. But let me bust out the laptop and he throws paws. 😂 Brat.

He's serving face today. 😂

He's serving face today. 😂

I so love this baby goblin. 💕

Look at this dog. 😂😂😂

Look at this dog. 😂😂😂

Pardon the chewed and clawed chair. We've given up on having anything nice with so many fur-kids in the house.

I'm up a little late working on app stuff.

I'm up a little late working on app stuff.

I got me a little Adrian kitty to keep me company. 😊 

She's no longer crying to go to the bedroom, so that's nice.

But remember when I said she's been hissy with the other cats?

Phew!

This little lady said "They might have bullied me before, but the tables have turned! 😈"

She's been going after EVERYONE. Just stay outta her damn way. 😂 She's chasing the other cats, slapping dogs, slapping Kira (with claws!) for petting her wrong... She must be in perimenopause, too, because she ain't playing with NOBODY in this house. 😂😂😂

This old lady is sleeping too cute.

This old lady is sleeping too cute. She got brushed today and she needed it, bad.

I feel so guilty...

I feel so guilty every time I go upstairs and she wants to go and I can't let her. I'm sleeping so much better without her in my room, though. I need this.

She and the other cats are still a little hissy, but I'm hoping everyone will settle... Eventually.

She's always got a funny face going on. She's had a lot of teeth pulled over the years. I think it is due to genetics. Her brother, Toebean, had to have a bunch pulled, too.

My sweet little Adrian. Ugh, this is so hard.

I'm scheduling 2 posts for while I'm on the road...

I'm scheduling 2 posts for while I'm on the road so y'all won't miss me too much. As if I've been on here being sociable at all in the last month. 🫠

On the way to Colorado, Google had my back and took Shaun a different route than he'd planned to go, which took us right by the Colorado Gator Farm.  OF COURSE we had to stop.  Shaun said "This looks like a trap." because it was in the middle of nowhere, but I was like "They'd have gotten me!  Let's go!" 😂

Literally, feed me to alligators. I don't care. That would be an awesome way to go.

Anyway, they operate as a rescue / education center for reptiles.  They had all sorts of lizards and tortoises and snakes and we got to interact with quite a few of them.  They had a BUNCH of Sulcata tortoises that they had taken in because they're not easy pets. Everyone always thinks that turtles and/or tortoises will be easy, but then they find out the hard way that's not true. Even our hamburger-sized little Tort Baby is a bossy/sassy little butt.

We also got to hold a baby alligator and they gave us a certificate that they notarized with the baby gator's teeth.  It seemed a little rude to use his snout like a stapler, but I know it didn't hurt him.  I laughed when they did that because it caught me off guard. Who even thought to do that? 😂

Overall, they seemed really knowledgeable and like they took great care of the animals there. I would love to visit again when we have more time.

Why does he look fake sometimes?

Why does he look fake sometimes? Like there's a puppet just laid out in my floor. 😂😂😂

His lips! 🤣

A little Cub appreciation post. 😊

A little Cub appreciation post. 😊

He's such a good boy. ❤️❤️❤️

Greenhouse update:

Greenhouse update:

The baby birds left the greenhouse last night. They've officially flown away today. The parents were still watchful earlier. I don't know if any of them will be back.

Also, there have been some pretty flowers the last few days.

Watching the younglings.

Out of the greenhouse.

We lost Ashanti this morning.

We lost Ashanti this morning.

I was upstairs asleep and Shaun called and said he needed me. I ran down and we called some emergency vets. She passed away in the car before we made it.

We didn't know what else to do, so we proceeded to the vet to make her final arrangements.

It was awful and agonizing and traumatizing. I will spare you the details, but we will be haunted by this for a while. I still feel like I could vomit.

She was fine last night. She came to eat treats around midnight when I was going to bed. She didn't come for Shaun's breakfast routine and he found her in the cat tower struggling to breathe. Putting her in the carrier made it much worse. I don't think there was any possible outcome where she would have survived.

This is the reality sometimes of having elderly pets. We tried our best, but it was awful and she's still gone. She was 13.

I'm gonna miss her. She was so vocal and always "nagged" Shaun and Shadow. She wasn't much of a lap cat, but she loved to sit on the top of the center console of the couch. She always faced Shaun so she could groom his head, which meant that I got the butt end and the sassy tail slaps in the face. 😂 This was her 2nd favorite place - right next to Shaun on the arm of the chair. She often napped like this.

Two cats in a week. Our hearts are heavy.

I can't believe this cactus is blooming AGAIN already.

I can't believe this cactus is blooming AGAIN already. She's wild!

The babies aren't going back into the nest; they're staying on my table and chair during the day. It was humid today and the greenhouse was stinky because of their poops. We are supposed to have a stormy weekend, but if we don't, I'm gonna do some cleaning.

I'm also going to finally repot the cactus they were nesting in. I might just remove the cactus and put the pot and nest back since the adults have more than 1 clutch per season. I don't want to wreck their plans, but I do need to tend to that plant. It's one of my 300 favorites. 😂😂😂

They're big birds now, up in the rafters!

They're big birds now, up in the rafters!

The babies have left the nest.

The babies have left the nest. They are now on my table in the greenhouse, poopin' it up.  Is this their messy teenager phase? 😂

They spent the whole night on my stand fan in the greenhouse. It hasn't been turned on yet. They got down onto the table once daylight came.

I think their parents are trying to lure them to the window opening above the door. I think it won't be much longer before they leave for good, or at least for most of the day.

I had a bunch of flowers today. Lots of pink and a few yellow. It's very nice. 😊

It's been a big day for the baby doves.

It's been a big day for the baby doves. They're moving around now. Most of these clips are less than a minute long.

They got into my baby Teddy Bear Cholla and got a piece back into the nest. We went and removed it and then moved my cart of nursery plants out so they don't do that again.

Also, there is no water in my bucket. We're trying to minimize danger for them as they get out and explore.

Shaun has been camera-spying all day. 😂

First Flaps:

Big streeetch!

Test flight:

Feeding time!

That was a baby on the table!

They're mobile!

Good parent

Exploring

Tomorrow is my old man's final appointment.

Tomorrow is my old man's final appointment.

We had a pretty good night, all things considered.

Since I learned that diarrhea was inevitable, I stopped trying to prevent it. I put out his dry food, I gave him wet food, and I also gave him treats. I did have to clean up diarrhea a couple of times during the night, but because he had dry food available, he didn't wake me for feedings. He didn't have to feel hungry and I got almost-decent sleep.

Obviously I'm sad to lose my guy, but having a plan and having a couple of days to think things through feels so much better than losing one of them in an urgent way. We have a plan. He's not in serious decline or suffering. He might be uncomfortable, but that's as bad as I'm going to let him feel.

I hope he knows how loved he is. I'm trying to make his last day as great as I can. ❤️

The greenhouse is my happy place. 😊

The greenhouse is my happy place. 😊

I can't believe how fast the baby doves are growing. Shaun checked the camera and said that the parents left the babies alone for about 6 hours last night. It was down to 40°F, but it looks like their feathers are coming in, so I guess it was ok. They're doing fine today. They're starting to move around more. I'm going to have to be extra careful when going in the greenhouse to make sure of where they are in case they're on the ground.

I got a quick video of baby Bear enjoying the flowers. He's so freaking precious. I love my good helper.

Some flowers and baby birds...

Some flowers and baby birds, and a lizard, and my Quasimodo Agave's progress since being removed from growing upside down in the bottom of the pot.