Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. As in “Look! It’s ME!” and not literally what my cats have been dragging in, which lately, has been mice. Thankfully not dead ones. We’ve been re-stacking firewood and weed-eating and generally disrupting the entire yard and the little creatures that have been habitating there. The mice, in terror, have been fleeing the tall grass and setting up camp…indoors. Never a good decision. And my two high-maintenance, never-been-outside, “oh look, something to play with!” cats have been thoroughly entertained with the little toys running around for their enjoyment. I’m pretty sure they think we put them there on purpose and bless their little hearts, neither one of them have a clue what to do with them. Butters bats it around like one of the battery-operated animals we set out for her, waiting for it to get stuck in a corner and unable to turn around like her toy chicken does. It’s short-lived fun for her, but minutes of hilarity for us. Tigger just very succinctly lifts a giant paw and holds the nuisance in place with a great sigh and an elaborate eye roll. Then very gently picks it up in his mouth by the scruff of it’s neck and brings it to us, without so much as tweaking a small little mouse whisker. He’s pretty sure he’s done a great and noble deed by saving the life of some unknown abandoned baby and fully expects to be rewarded for it. Imagine his disgust when he’s greeted with shrieks and assorted four-letter oaths. Although, I’d never tell him this, but he does look pretty adorable sitting there with a teeny tiny (albeit flailing) mouse grasped in his teeth, thinking he’s the hero for the day. I wish I had pictures to share, but as I am usually the one standing on a chair or huddling in a heap on the kitchen counter, this circus goes unphotographed.
But I digress…
If you’re still reading my blog, I thank you. From the bottom of my tourist-stricken heart. I knew going into this blogging endeavor that I would be an absent blogger for the better part of the summer, and yet I chose to do it anyway. I won’t even lie and tell you I had good intentions of trying to blog mid-summer, amidst the chaos of chugging trains and thousands of visitors from all over the world. Straight up, I dismiss all ideas of quilting and blogging during the busy tourist season. And now, as September comes to a close, I find myself not only itching to dig out my sewing machine, but also to dust off the blog header and dig in. I love this time of year, when the changing of the guard brings all the excitement of fondling fabric, ripping out errant seams and flipping lazily through quilt magazines.
But before I let loose in the sewing room, let me recap my summer and catch you up on what’s kept me from the computer for the past few months. Trust me, it's fun and exciting!
June brought us the usual chaos that comes with a big move. We signed on our house and got the keys June 1st...one month into the tourist season. Moving was quick and practical. Load it in a box, move said boxes to new house, pile boxes in corner of living room. Repeat. We had about fifteen people helping us that morning and it went fast. Two moving van loads later, we now reside about sixteen blocks further North than we did before. Skagway is twenty-two blocks long and four blocks wide, so we basically relocated to the other end of town. It's nice up here. We're closer to the train shops, which means we wake bright and early to the mournful tune of vintage locomotives starting up for the day. We're closer to the base of the mountains, which means we also see a lot more bear action. Immediately after moving in, a big black bear helped himself to my bird feeder on the back deck, standing up on his hind legs to tip it over and dump seed all over the deck, and then settling in to lick it up. At least he cleaned up after himself. Since then, almost nightly, we have bears sniffing about, helping themselves to our pesky neighbors' unprotected garbage cans, snacking on my nasturtiums, or riling up the trio of weenie dogs who live in the house behind us. Life is noisy.
I was curious how the cats would react to a new place. I thought for sure Butters would be prowling about, in and out of every nook and cranny, while Tigger cowered in the corner with his food bowl. No sirree. Butters wanted nothing to do with the new place. She hid out in her litter box for the first week we were here. Seriously, she burrowed herself in there and wouldn't budge. Not even when Tigger needed to...do his thing. He would dance around the entrance with this frantic look on his face. "Mom! She's in there and won't come out and I need to go!" Until he just plowed on in there, shoving Butters in the corner and did his deed beside her. I'm not gonna lie. This whole process was hilarious and I stood there watching and laughing, not offering up any condolances to either one of them.
We knew when we bought the house that we had a lot of remodeling in mind. Pulling up carpets, installing wood flooring, painting, refinishing cabinets. The list was long and varied. The problem occurred when I thought I could actually start on these projects mid-season. Hah! It took a meltdown rivaling a two-year old’s temper tantrum to force me into defeat. I called uncle, threw in the towel and stacked the cabinet doors in the corner of the dining room until this fall. So what I’m really getting to is that we haven’t unpacked the majority of our belongings. I can’t see unpacking and settling in, only to repack it all up and move it to the other room while we remodel in October. At first, this really stressed me out. I’m totally Type-A and this is the kind of thing that sends us Reds into panic. But once I accepted the fact that my house was going to be a mess for the summer, I got over my bad self and started breathing again. It’s a new beginning. Temporarily.
To be continued...
So glad you are "back in the saddle".
Hey, keep your camera posted by the back door so you can share a bear shot with us! How amazing!
Hope the dust continues to settle and you (and the cats!) find a new normal.
Posted by: Brooke | 09/18/2011 at 07:54 PM
Congratulations on your new house!!! Nice to hear all is well!! Looks like everyone likes the new "digs"!!! :-)
Posted by: Linda | 09/18/2011 at 07:59 PM
Glad to see you're back! I blogged about you yesterday: http://scrapsbystephanie.blogspot.com/2011/09/skagway-in-afternoon.html. So sorry I missed you when I was there!
Posted by: Stephanie D | 09/18/2011 at 08:37 PM
Hi Alison, I knew you would be back after cruise season. I would be freaking about the mice. Lots of interesting things around your house, black bears and train siren alarm clock. The quilting may be delayed because of remodeling. I'm so glad to hear from you again.
Posted by: Carol | 09/18/2011 at 09:14 PM
Love your cat (and other random animal) stories! I visited Skagway once (sorry - I was one of those noisy intrusive train-riding tourists...) and really really liked it. My dad's dad was in Skagway some time in the early 1900s for the gold rush. Haven't quite tracked him down yet. Love the beautiful scenery you show. Good luck with the remodeling and hope all the mice find new homes somewhere else.
Posted by: Pat C in Washington | 09/18/2011 at 09:55 PM
Welcome back!! I check your blog everyday and was pleasantly surprised to see you wrote!!! The scenery pics are gorgeous. The bear and mice stories are not so much fun. Well they make good reading but not good experiencing. Looking forward to seeing remodel pics and quilting pics.
Posted by: Christine Thomas | 09/19/2011 at 05:30 AM
I am glad to see the cats have adjusted well...and that you are back to blogging! Happy day for me! (although it'd be happier if you'd come on down south already)
Posted by: Chamaine | 09/19/2011 at 07:49 AM
HOORAY!
Posted by: Erin (your Skagway friend) | 09/19/2011 at 08:14 AM
I agree - glad to see you back. I check at least once a week to see if you have a new post because they are always so interesting to read. we sometimes have to deal with mice as well - but it was the snake in the bathroom this summer that put me over the edge! my husband's daughter said snakes are good for catching the mice (thanks but no thanks!!) never did find the snake again. maybe i scared him to death! looking forward to your next post!
Posted by: sissa | 09/19/2011 at 10:06 AM
Hi Alison! I knew it was tourist season there and that you were in full glory of the job you love. You have really had a crazy summer with tourist season and the move....time to breath I'd say! I'm looking forward to hearing more about your home and surrounding area...because of you I keep telling hubby I want to see Alaska and he wonders why all the sudden I have interest there. I tell him about your photos and stories of bears and such! Hugs...
Posted by: Mary Flynn | 09/19/2011 at 11:28 AM
Hi Alison - great to see you back...I kept checking in all summer...just in case! I can't imagine having bears snuffling around my house all night - wow! I LOVE the sound of Alaska....one day I'll make it there!!
Posted by: Helen in Switzerland | 09/19/2011 at 11:49 AM
It's great to see you back, Allyson and your pictures are wonderful! Best of luck with that home remodeling. I'll be out here lurking and waiting to see this winter's quilting (and some remodeling pix as well). Don't suppose you can just put those pesky mice out on the deck by the bird feeder - maybe Mr. Bear would like a little protein? Oh, yuck, now that I've typed that I am doing a full body shiver :o)
Posted by: Nancy Anne | 09/19/2011 at 05:14 PM
That's a very full summer, cats, trains, bears, boxes, birdseed, and remodeling. I can't fault you for not throwing blogging in there too! Hope things get sorted soon and you can return to your regular programming :)
Posted by: AnnieO | 09/19/2011 at 07:44 PM
I'm so glad you're back! I really enjoy reading your blog - you have wonderful humour in your writing. It sounds like you've had a busy and full summer. Moving to a new house is such an adventure! Just take it one day at a time now and all will get done.
Posted by: Donna | 09/20/2011 at 03:06 AM
Glad you are back! I missed hearing from you :-) Your posts and pictures are always wonderful. Happy new house to you!!
Posted by: Michele | 09/21/2011 at 02:35 PM
I wish I were there to help remodel...a lot of work, but so much fun. I can't wait to hear more about all your projects.
Posted by: Alicia | 09/25/2011 at 07:07 PM
Glad that you are back .....
Hubby and I were in Skagway once (arrived on the ferry) and caught the train up the pass to continue on our voyage.
Bears and mice .... yikes!
Posted by: Rose Marie | 09/27/2011 at 07:56 AM
Oh, goody. You are back. I've missed you all summer. Can't wait to see your remodeling projects and hear all about your new digs.
Posted by: julie in the barn | 09/29/2011 at 05:55 AM
I have to admit that I have been checking on this on a regular basis...nice to have you back. Your writing is so wonderful...I chuckled at the image of Tigger with the mouse in his jaws, and I could just picture Butter defending the entrance to the litterbox! I figured you had taken a summer hiatus from writing...and especially with a new home too, it's a wonder you even had time to feed the cats.
love and hugs from Sitka...jane
Posted by: Jane Seesz | 09/30/2011 at 07:43 AM
OMG that is terrific! I love your work! Guess I am not as contemporaneous as your regular subscribers! I swear I have fallen in love with this blog... Breathtaking writing! You're an outstanding and talented person, keep up the individuality :)
Posted by: Hugo | 10/05/2011 at 01:15 AM