SHARE social and Ghost

Today was our holiday potluck social at SHARE. I made my offering last night after spending about an hour trying to find the main ingredient, pearl couscous, which is really a form of pasta, not a grain, so I don’t know why they call it couscous unless it’s because it’s round. There are two grocery options in this town, HEB (the Texas chain) and the Evil Empire (aka Walmart). A few years ago the HEB here upgraded adding a larger variety of goods, so they told us. However to do that they had to discontinue other items which invariably were the things I buy. So because I had previously bought pearl couscous (also called Israeli couscous) in the pasta section at HEB, that’s where I went. Guess what, it wasn’t there. I used the phone app to see where else it might be in the store. Guess what, nowhere. So off to Walmart and not in their pasta section either but then I thought to look with the rice and other grains and voilà, success. It’s a fairly quick little dish, cook the pearl couscous, add chopped cucumber (sans seeds), chopped green onions including the tops, chopped dried fruit (I used cherries this time but also have used dried apricots), toasted slivered almonds, and this time I added chopped parsley as well and a little salt, then mix in Newman’s Own classic oil and vinegar dressing (that's what I use but I suppose you can use whatever you like). Quantities whatever you feel is enough (I don't measure anything) and really you can use whatever ingredients you like.

Another cold front blew in yesterday afternoon putting an end to our few days of warmer weather. One minute it was still and the next a very strong wind started blowing immediately dropping the temperature and continued to blow for the rest of the evening. Currently 46˚ and dipping down into the 30˚s tonight but they are promising temps in the 70˚s and high 60˚s for a week starting Wednesday. It was so windy I was surprised to see the two plumerias and the pink trumpet flower in pots by the barn still upright this morning.

Robin and I have decided that something has to be done about Ghost, well, not some thing but a thing in particular. 

Ghost needs to have his little balls clipped. When he first showed up he would hang back by the back of the shop until the other cats had eaten and dispersed before he would come eat what was left. Then he would wait by the front of the shop. When we started putting out food for him as well he hung out by the shed and would submissively come join the other cats. Over the months he has gotten bolder and bolder and now he is well fed, has shelter under the house, and while he still won’t let us touch him and hisses when we try, he lets us get within touching distance. The problem is that now that he’s confident that he has a place to live and food he’s getting aggressive with the other cats. Lovey has never accepted him and hisses at him but Twin and Handsome were more accommodating. Not so much now. Handsome will hiss at him and I’ve seen Ghost attack Twin, who of the three is the most timid, and Handsome and all three now keep a wide berth between themselves and Ghost. The three would take shelter under the house but not now that Ghost has moved in. I see Ghost come out from under the house but not the other three, not anymore. They hang out in the front. And now Lovey has basically moved across the street over to my house much to Cat’s displeasure, only going back when I feed them. We think he spends the night under our house now as he is always here when I open the garage every morning. I don’t mind except for the fact that it upsets Cat, they face off and snarl at each other, and she doesn’t want to go out when he’s here. 

So we have a plan. I’m going to borrow my neighbor’s live trap, call the local organization that helps with the cost of spaying and neutering feral cats and get a voucher sent to the vet and make an appointment. Lovey and Handsome will voluntarily go into the screened back porch and I’m pretty sure Twin trusts me enough now to get him in there and I’ll feed them in there and bait the trap with food for Ghost. The problem before was getting the other cats isolated and Ghost being untrusting but that’s not a problem now. Hopefully Ghost will fall for the ruse and I can take him to the vet before they close for the day.