Cat cave

Raspberry is very cozy, and Max is snoring directly above her in the loft, both very content.

The rain has ended and there is a golden afternoon glow surrounding the house. Today is the anniversary of a very dark day in our little household...

Sixteen years ago we and our beloved home suffered a catastrophic oil spill(not our fault) at the hands of our oil company. My grandparents had used that oil delivery company since the late 1920s and we continued the contract. Unfortunately, they turned out to be real lowlife bums after their terrible mistake. They filled our tank that October day, when in fact it was already almost full from their last spring delivery. The 275 plus US gallon(they never would reveal the true amount) spillage changed our lives for 11 months and beyond. We lived those long 11 months in a 60ft mobile home parked in our driveway. The house was raised just a bit on cribbing while they removed 15 feet of oil and soil from underneath and around. It was a nightmare, every moment was fraught with some new impending and impossible to imagine calamity. We actually rode out an autumn hurricane in the mobile home with the help of lots of wine and friends. When all was said and done, we changed to gas heat. We spent those long months fighting tooth and nail to save our house and belongings. The two of us outlasted the blunderers who were not going to let uppity women maintain control of a terrifying tangled mess without a fight. In the end, at great legal expense, we saved our Dogcorner Cottage and came away stronger. I wish I didn't remember it all like the horror film that it really was.

For the Record,
This day came in dark and rainy. It was tough to get up, it's so dark in the early mornings now.

All hands healthy.