Suffocating Slowly in Salem

Watched Sleepless in Seattle recently. Therefore alliterative titles.

Willamette Valley is one of the worst places for allergies in the world. I'm allergic to cottonwood. I live in a cottonwood grove. In a moldy single wide from the 60's. Damn place is probably older than I am. It will probably outlast me at this rate.

So here's the deal. The place is a total dump, was when we moved in, although it was a freshly painted dump. So we painted again, patched and did what we could. But over the years, it has deteriated. Didn't do much this year to stop it, the year of the Meth House. Hard to feel like doing anything when 10 feet away deals are going down. I don't think I left the house hardly at all last summer. No walks down to the pond when there are slithery people about.

The last of them is supposed to be shuffled off by the police tomorrow. That won't be the end of it. Like roaches, once they get in, they are hard to get out, and Ben keeps letting them come back in to "get stuff and clean up" Yeah right.

They left the 5th wheel locked, so we can't get in. I figured out how to get in. We haven't seen hide nor hair of the Leeches since they boogied two weeks ago. So Camille and Scott show up today, about an hour after I have this conversation with Ben about how I should call the police if anyone shows up down here. So, we call the police. Funny, how no sign of them until we get into the place, then boom! Suddenly we have company. Jerry or Tony? Jerry I hope, he's the one the cops pick up tomorrow. Scott zips by our house at full speed, headed out to the meadow. I'm out at the 5th wheeler when Camille walks up. What a waste. There was potential there once. Anyway, she says they have permission from Ben. I say I don't know that and the police are on the way. Camille says that's fine. I say the police want to talk to Scott anyway because there are things missing. K is in on the phone, so I go in to check with him and see if he's got through to Ben. When I come back, Camille is gone, I think she's gone in the 5th wheel. But nope, here they come, zipping back out (evidently Camille spread the word about the cops coming). Too late, here comes Ben. He talked to Scott for a bit, don't know what was said. Told Ben that they were coming back "to clean" It is to laugh! Then they left. Ben told them they had to have permission if they wanted back in. Well, they know we'll call the cops on them in seconds, so maybe they will stay out. One can hope. Oh, they left food in the sink and a fridge full of spoilables. Not nearly as bad as when Lisa left. 10 pts for Camille. Oh, yeah, I found bits and pieces of my stuff scattered through their junk. For years I'm going to be saying, now I was sure I had that... Oh, and the soulful picture of Jesus (Caucasian version of course) and typical Bible. These people always have more than one Bible.

Well, the chooks are all nesting, 'cept for the trio. They are quieter than usual without the hens to show off for. Buffy the Slug Slayer nested on a blank board, tilted forward. The eggs just rolled off and smashed below. Buffy the SS is not the brightest nugget in the box. I fixed it so her eggs wouldn't roll off, then today made her a nest box. That meant I had to chase her off the shelf. MUCH indignation and noise. The boys gathered round her, clucking sympathetically, and probably they hoped sexily.

As I was rearranging things so the box would fit, all these eggs started rolling out from every where! Poor silly hen! Of course they were all cold, no chickies from them. I put the two freshest looking back in and tossed the rest. I was looking around to see what I would have to do to make the place livable, when white caught my eye. This time it was 8 eggs on this little space, although they had rolled to both sides. No hen. Plus the 4 eggs on the floor. Where did the dead chick come from? My hens are so dumb!

I check on the hens every day, so after this I went back to check on the little black hen in the manger. SHE has a lovely nest, all warm and neat with straw. I sort of lifted up her tail and peeked. She didn't even squawk, I'm pretty sure it's Sweety Bird. She has two tiny eggs. I looked around a bit more, and spotted Lacey. Don't know if she can actually sit on her eggs back there, but no one can get to her, that's sure. Two more chooks to go. I couldn't see if Buffy moved into the nest, but two of the boys were roosting right above her, so I'm sure she was. Guess I'll round up the rest of those eggs before they go bad.

I'm in another big push to get this place livable. Got the water bowl/trash can area cleaned up. Doesn't sound like much, but it was covered with cat fur. Soggy cat fur because Morphy loves to play in the water dish until all the water is out.

No water dish. I tell hubby firmly. But they like it! They can use the drip in the bathtub like they usually do. I'll put the dish under it. (I'd like to live in a house I owned, a nice clean house. We don't always get what we want This time, I'm over ruling the cat.) Morphy thinks it's funny. He attacks the broom with a lover's tackle. Hmm, maybe this means something, like maybe the broom isn't being used enough! Hubby fixing the wet dry vac because he knows I'm going to make him clean the floors. He is totally right too!

So, 2' x 4' patch clean, towel laid down to catch any drips. Doesn't sound like much, and I was gasping at the end of it. But dang it, it's a start.

Back to attack the kitchen. Then I can settle down to felting what ever I want. Or go to bed, which ever sounds better.