another litter have all found homes since last i wrote

Had a few more trips to Homer. It's easy and beautiful there. Adjusted my schedule to hit some low tides. The trip after I last blogged, I was texted by animal control with another litter. I took in Amora and her 4 adorable kittens. dropped them back off when I was headed for the next trip to Homer. 

It's been a cooler year with rain or clouds often in the morning. Some clearing by evening. The wildflowers are popping out, and even the fireweed is starting to grow. The lupine and many other flowers are a bit behind schedule. 

The crew was so cute, and a few were especially snuggly. The mom immediately got diarrhea and vomiting. Got right on them, and the shelter staff even gave me instructions and supplies to do SQ fluids. Amora looked thin and was thin.   3 days of SQ fluids and she did start to perk up. A few kittens also got some fluids. Just tiny Clubbies was slightly underweight when I took them back, was headed to Homer again though. Clubbies got a home first, and the others soon followed. Amora, the mom, had to have her milk supply dry up so she could get spayed. She found a home within a few days, though. So sweet. Great to have success with these litters. You really get attached fast. Miss Clubbies and Bondii both wanted to eat solids from my lap for the longest time.

Named the kittens after a TV show in Australia I've been watching reels of. A reality show about the lifeguards at Bondi Beach.

Always love my Homer low tides. This last trip, we took a water taxi over to explore a new spot to beach comb.  Lots of seaweed but still fun to see new stuff and explore a bit. I was nervous about loading and unloading the dogs as the first boat did not have a front loader. We arrived at the beach, and they pulled out a ladder. Sunny jumped off the bow onto the beach. Ivy is a bit older and has bad knees. The owner of Mako's had joined us and he kindly got Ivy safely to ground. The return boat had a front loader, so we could just walk on.

Usually get 15,000-20,000 steps a day on these trips. 

Tomorrow I head to Valdez for a few nights. The little cabin i love at the KOA wasn't available, but we will stay in a big tent already set up that has cots. I've done that before. Not as good as the little cabin, but it's just 2 nights. The week after I will make another run to Homer for another low tide.  Maybe we will do the hike to the glacier or go to Seldovia to walk. we shall see. depends on tide times

Should do some bigger adventures, I think. So far this is working. it's all pretty. Fun to just get out and explore. 

Work, well, I'm always pondering when to retire.  The health insurance is my biggest concern. They put me in ICU again. When I asked the staffing people, they said I had been removed from the ICU list. They returned with putting me with step-down patients. The next night, CSU. The next week, back in ICU but now with "stable" patients. The thing with that is that if those step down or ICU patients become unstable, they will not trade out assignments. It's too difficult, as you'd have to move patients around in that unit. If I transfer out a step-down patient, I will be expected to take whatever ICU patient comes. In the meantime, the last time I worked there was in December, I think. It stresses me out to be guilted at 5-10 minutes before shift starts to take assignments i am no longer comfortable with. It feels like bullying at some level. The unit already has your name to come help, and now you are putting everyone in a terrible position at the last minute. It's not fair to me or to them. 

By morning, I had a tension headache with nausea. Called out. These units are literally making me ill. I wrote a note at like 3 am to the management team. Hoping this helps.

I wish ICU had not become a source of such stress, but I am hypervigilant when I am there. I do fine, but at what cost, really. At this time, the cost is mine and somewhat my coworkers, who have to support me more than they should. Do not wish to stay in ICU longer than i should and have to be made to leave. I've seen that happen. ICU is just not a place where you can be less than 100%, and I do not feel 100%. I simply do not work enough hours there to stay confident and skilled. No amount of healthstreams can make up for lack of time at the bedside

Having worked ICU for over 20 years, I do believe I've earned a break from it, and I also believe that I can still be an asset.  I may still just retire if I can find reasonable coverage. Sadly, this nation values its workers so little. Values all its people so little. the corruption and greed is so out of control. 

We just had 250 years this fourth. I did nothing to celebrate really. It was fireworks for 2 nights in a row until well after 1 in the morning. Ivy stayed close, but poor Sunny Boy was panting and clinging tightly to me. Last night he tried to fit himself in a small space. I got him back on the bed and under the covers to snuggle.  Nothing to celebrate in my mind. We are headed in a terrible direction. white supremacists gathered in DC to celebrate and protest. 

Bears are in the neighborhood. It was tipping trashcans and pooped in my front yard, brat! I'll put his poop at the top of my trash in the can. I tend to layer my trash. Anything that smells interesting to a bear gets layered under cat litter or yard clippings or dog poop. I also have a bungee cord that I release before they do their pick up. Hoping that bear leaves the garbage tomorrow. Trash bears are often killed. not a good habit. Saw one a week or so ago strolling down Tudor Rd.  

I need to do more packing. I've done so many trips over the years that I generally can toss stuff together fast. Texted Bill at the glacier. Haven't heard from him. may have to just call. Always love to stop there at the Matanuska Glacier to let the dogs play in the kettle ponds.

Lots of lawn mowing. Things grow crazy fast up here in the summers. I have many lazy feeling days, but I do get walks in. Try to head to different trails. Yesterday I headed to Powerline to explore the flowers.  Last month I checked out Barbara Falls in Eagle River and Thunderbird Falls. I kept hearing about Barbara falls but I finally located it and went to see it. will have to add it to the list of good spots.

Went to Potters Marsh yesterday as well. There is a pair of Sandhill Cranes that have a little baby there, called a colt. I did get lucky and caught a glimpse of it. Will have to look on the big camera. The swans also have 4 babies, called cygnets.

Rainbow with my flowers in boots. So cute.

The dogs do not actually care where we go.  Often we just go to Campbell Airstrip or the dog park at University Lake.  As long as we get out walking, I feel good. It's easy to get lazy. In the summer, friends tend to scatter. It can feel a bit lonely. Be lonely and do it anyway. feel uncomfortable and do it anyway.

You do get more used to not being invited, never fully used to it though. Feelings still get hurt at times. That is the trade off. In general, I'd say single life has worked out well for me. I suspect there are far more people who are surrounded by people who they feel lonely around. Having a spouse and/or kids is no guarantee that you won't feel lonely. 

As a kid i was surrounded by people and felt so alone. Its worse to feel overlooked. 

Sweet Amora.  

She got pretty thin and weak. It was getting tough for her to feed these little guys. So happy we were able to get her feeling better.

I turned 62 in May. There were no plans made, no cake. My Birthday often falls on/near the Memorial Day holiday so over the years it's eclipsed. Better this than Christmas, I'm sure, though. Spoke with people who called. It's just a strange thing, Birthdays. I have no idea how to deal with attention directed at me. Never really learned to embrace that. It just felt abnormal. A Birthday feels like some obligation. 

You really do want to be noticed, to get that attention, but you have no clue how to enjoy it. It just feels awkward. 

A few are starting to talk of planning vacations here next year. Until tickets are bought, I generally wait a bit. Alaska is one of those places people speak of going to, but when it gets closer, there are things that prevent it. We get enough patients in to see that health is not always a hindrance to travel plans. Come die in Alaska. It happens. You may as well leave the planet doing your dream trip rather than leaving it wishing you had tried to take that dream trip.

Everything is green. Missing my kitten time already. They tried, I think, but I have little trips planned in the summer. It was never my intention to give those up for kitten care. You have to set boundaries for yourself in life. All aspects. I really appreciate that the shelter doesn't try to guilt me into skipping trips. They have tried to work with me. 

Look at these sweet faces! 

They change so quickly; it's so fun to watch their skills improve. 

here is Clubbies hitting 1 pound. 

my cat is well over 1 pound. 

kittens are the best!

Work the next 3 weekends to get that Homer trip in. A bit of driving.  The roads seem to have been especially dangerous this summer. be careful out there.

Clubbies had extra toes. 

Saw this mom with her calf near Kincaid

In other news, the Element has moved to a new home. As much as I loved the car, it deserved to be given the love it needed. I'm not wealthy enough to keep up on the maintenance an old car needs, nor am I capable of doing the work myself. She is getting spruced up. It just didn't make sense to have her anymore. I think I understand my Dad selling his 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang more now. Probably in the same boat. How it works for me is you are either making a car payment, or you are spending money repairing an older car. I'd rather have a newer car that I can depend on. 

She was a great car and I hope she makes her new humans happy.

Chappo, really got into his feeds. 

Tamarama, Bondii and Clubbies.

i'm sure i missed stuff. that is the latest catch up.  grateful for A. these fast summers and all the changes week to week. B. another successful litter C. another fun trip coming up. i better run prep!
 

a year of kitten fostering...

 

of course, no kitten or cat pictures here. it's been another rough week in the foster world. took in a litter of 3 kittens right before the New Year. named them Poppers, Confetti and Midnight. not sure their age but they had battled diarrhea at the shelter and it was felt they were ready to just fatten up. sadly, only Midnight was gaining weight.Confetti gained a smidge each day. Poppers started losing weight mid week. they all ate fair, not great. stools went back to runs. a common kitten issue.

i still see myself as fairly new at this game. it has been a year but each litter so far has been pretty unique. i also know that i am a person that doesn't emote well. meaning, if i'm concerned i may not express it how others do. clearly something i need to work on. 

i recall being in a car in college with friends in Utah.  i was in the back seat. i saw we were going to crash. i very calmly and in a normal tone of voice repeated, "we are going to crash". nobody heard me and then we crashed. it was a fender bender. no injuries, but that is me. i don't panic or scream. in many ways that is good in my nursing job.  i have heard a doctor tell another doctor that if i were to say i was concerned about a patient, he should listen to that calm warning. 

i know i had sent a few texts starting towards the end of the week, but they don't know me well enough to know to ask me more. to prod me. they take me at what i say. i need to get better at expressing concern in these situations. i suspect i also need to be more confident. i thought several times that i wanted to give sub-q fluids, was concerned about dehydration.

it was determined that i would bring kittens back to shelter on Monday. get them restarted on medications for the diarrhea. try a better diet  for them. Monday morning came and Poppers was less active. he ate baby food, dry food and drank water, not great but i figured enough to get to the vet at the shelter. it did not feel emergent, but he had lost weight again.  i returned a bit later to check them before leaving and he didn't run out to me like he always does. i knew where to look, between the trundle beds. he was there but looking limp. 

he was dying. i knew it. i could have tried some karo syrup on his gums or given some sq fluids but i knew the outcome was going to be death. i texted and let them know.i held him and his siblings and gave him all the love he deserved. he purred until he could not purr anymore. he was agonal as i drove to the shelter. 

he is my 8th loss in a year. i had no idea how tough these little losses would be. how attached you can get to a tiny creature in such a short time. also, the amount of guilt i would feel at each loss. this one hit harder. the others were days old and underweight. this guy had made it through a lot of the most dangerous periods, i thought.

my foster mentor and my shelter contact went above and beyond to help me deal with this loss and i am so grateful for that. my friends were also super supportive and sweet. 

last night i went on the internet and was looking up deaths of foster kittens. some statistics i saw were as much as 40% of orphaned kittens do not make it past 12 weeks.  i saw other fosters who spoke of losses. one mentioned she'd fostered for at least 12 years and had around 550 kittens and something over 80 deaths. another said, again years and years of fostering and the last year she had 5 litters and not one survived. 

there is a kitten expert on social media. she did a video talking about how to get more fosters out there. she was going over what prevents people from fostering. she never mentioned kitten deaths. so many out there act like this never happens. this lady has expensive heated isolettes. tube feeds neonate kittens. from her videos it seems they all survive. 

i'm not sure every kitten surviving is really the right answer. these kittens come to us sick. why was Poppers weaker than his siblings? what were their birth weights? were there others in the litter that died before they ever got to the shelter? was it that Poppers never really fully got back to the health he needed after his first bout of diarrhea before the second bout hit? 

i do try and be realistic. i wouldn't want to put kittens through any extra trauma on the off chance i could pull them through. i've seen far too many humans put through horrific treatments in the hopes they survive, even if that means they have no limbs and no quality of life. we do not have to do that with animals. still each loss, each life i take care of is a lesson that teaches me how to do things better or different. 

diarrhea can be from all sorts of things, stress, bacteria, worms, change in diet, change in location, too much food...

the other two kittens are doing well.  i have ordered some books and some probiotic powder that was recommended. i've cried, i've cleaned. i've analyzed, i've done it all. this one just hit harder. 

we  warmed up over 10F finally just so nature could drop like a foot of snow. back on the trails today in -7F temps. thankfully, i brought my snowshoes today. i shoveled yesterday and today and i think the day before. i have gotten my work out in for the day. 

the ice art is going like crazy. with these cold temps they have lasted ages and we all just keep adding more.

peoples photos with them have popped up all over on social media.  does make me happy.

our nation continues out of control with this idiot and his band of ass kissers and cult followers  he attacked and kidnapped the dictator of Venezuela. openly admits it's really just for the oil and minerals. i suspect cheap labor appeals to him. 

a woman today was driving away from ICE agents and a guy stood right by car and shot her. she is gone. there was no risk of death to him.  sadly, all you have to do is go to any right wing site and you will get a totally different story about what happened. they have zero clue what is really happening and most of them have no desire to really know. they have their agenda and ultimately, they are fine with whatever happens as long as their religious views are forced on others through the government.

the sun is setting a bit later. solstice has passed. Christmas has as well. i worked Christmas.  pretty much blitzed out of Christmas pretty early. i went to see some lights, solstice trees and the botanical gardens. they should have some great ice work soon there.  while we've been having temps -15-+15, Fairbanks has been in the -40'sF. ice is king this year. 

loved all the videos and photos people took wild ice skating all over the state. beautiful. i didn't make it to Portage. it's covered in snow now. it was glass earlier. that actually kept me away. i'm no ice skater. i have a kick sled but a guy fell with a helmet and still knocked himself out. dragged out on someones sled. 

didn't feel worth the risk.  

the puppies saw Santa and i'm sure their wishes came true. 

steady stream of hearts being made

campbell creek was even totally frozen and people were out there skating/biking. still feels risky being over any moving water like that to me.

not sure what 2026 will bring. more kittens for me. so far i'm sticking with my 0.6 work load. it's really just the insurance. not sure what will happen with my request to not work icu/csu. hoping i will be able to wean out or at least be given much less critical patients. for years they gave me the usual patient load. most resource nurses complain about their step down assignments but i'm requesting those step down assignments. we wean up and i'm not sure why i can't wean down.

no clue what will happen in our nation under this idiot. he's talking about taking over Greenland again. Nato has said they will protect Greenland over us. i endorse this. we have no business taking over other nations. it's all greed. oil, minerals. money, money, money. 

God, can't possibly exist and look the other way at all the suffering and look the other way at all the greed. in the bible this God took his wrath out on everyone. this God is responsible for far more death than the devil is. Jesus was going to return. it's been over 2000 years, i don't think so. i always had alternative plans anytime i had a first date in case they didn't show. my rule was to only wait like 30 minutes. i'm not waiting 2000 years for any man.

Ivy and Sunny kept stopping. their pads filled up with ice. felt bad but the best thing was to keep moving. it was mostly light and fluffy snow. a lot of it though.

overall, life is good. i'm taking each day. taking care of myself. learning still. open to change and growth. so many aren't. i remember thinking as a young person, "once you quit living, you are dead". gotta keep living. today i was shoveling snow and i snowshoed a good 2-3 miles. i am far from perfect. i do try to be kind. i do try t put positive out there. we all fail a little and succeed a little. 

this loss made me think about why i do this. should i keep doing it? am i good enough? i'm always hard on myself.  reading about other fosters, even with a lot of experience and litters, suffering the losses, it helps.  as with nursing. if you aren't a bit scared, if you aren't without emotion you probably should step out. i do enjoy the individual patient interactions most of the time. 

most people don't even try and they have a small pool of foster options. even if i'm less experienced and far from the online  kitten lady as far as success and equipment.  i can still do the best i can do to help this helpless population. i may not be the best but i am willing. often that is more than what most are willing to do.saying yes.

these are all local winter walks, from this past December. 

the snow will be packed down soon. the bikers will show up on the weekend. for now the snowshoes were great. i do love a good snowshoe day.

the ice art will continue another week at least

i've enjoyed this winter. wait, here are some cat photo's. Miss Breezy seems to like her KD, was shocked but happy.

Covi less than thrilled to be out in the super cold temps, which i'm happy about.

my house needs a good clean and my to do list is growing.  need to get on it. 

tomorrow is my last day off of this stretch. will be back to work on Friday.

saw someone i hadn't seen for awhile at the market. she was all, "i almost didn't recognize you" i just said, i'm getting older. i don't recognize myself much lately. this aging thing has it's downsides.

i'm still alive and kicking. not as high as i used to but still kicking. life is about adapting though. keep moving though. always try to keep moving.

a lot more snow on many of the hearts out there. i cleared a few. was going to go further but i was breaking trail out there. the dogs did some trail breaking as well. 

this keyboard drives me a bit nuts.  sticky keys. right out of the box. annoying.

falls along the highway.

fresh sheet day. i really super cleaned the kitten room. fear of panleuk. if one kitten tests positive they will euthanize the entire litter. 2 negative tests, thankfully. 

my heart will ache over little Poppers for a long time.  

grateful for: A. that people like trump do not live forever and that he's already not that healthy. B. the people who fight, resist. that despite this ICE murder, more and more people are coming out. C.kindness. there are a lot of nice people but nice is often that fake thing, where these same people look away. kindness is more active.may we all strive to be kind.