Category Archives: rural doctor

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leaves

I am working in Grand Junction, Colorado. There are not as many leaves here as at home, but the leaves are still hiding my cat! I am mad at the leaves and sad. Elwha is still missing and it’s been a week. I have had food and the carrier out for him, put up posters on Facebook, contacted the shelters and vets, and searched and searched.

The carrier failed and the door popped off when I put it down. Elwha ran. Sol Duc was still in it, so I put the door back on as fast as I could! Then I left the carrier and went after Elwha, but could not find him. I kept going out and searching, including at 2 am.

Maybe he will show up at home. It’s only 1215 miles by car.

We had another cat who disappeared and we thought was gone. The hardware store called us a month later and said, “We have your cat.” She was thinner and scared to go outside. Elwha only goes out in carrier or with leash and harness. There are prairie dogs and a canal with low trees and bushes behind the building here. I don’t think he’s there, but I am still putting food out. There is another stray tiger who now comes out to study me from a distance.

Anyhow, I wish the leaves would send him back.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: leaves.

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Long way

I am a long way from my ocean and from home.

I looked for a job close to home and then the temp company mentions a job in another state. “Where?” I said. They told me and I said, “I’m interested!” We started the process. I always forget what the process is like. It is hella annoying. There is miles of paperwork. We had a delay from the state, because I need a license for each state and they weren’t meeting until after the start date and then they said, “We’ll let you know in two days.” and THEN they said, “We’ll let you know in two days to two weeks.” So I had three weeks of being half packed and trying to just flow with it. I finally got word, yes, ready, two weeks ago Monday. By Friday morning the cats and I are in the car and headed out.

Now I have worked for a week here. The US currently has 500 different electronic medical records and I supposedly learned my 8th (or 9th) on Tuesday. About six hours of training on the computer and my brain shut down after four. However, the support on Wednesday was good and I started seeing patients. I was careful to say, “If I look grumpy, it’s at the computer, not you.”

So far mostly good. Except, one cat got out two days after we got to our destination. He is chipped and I am still walking miles and calling. The local lost pet group is trying to help. I miss him quite terribly. The door popped out of the carrier when I put it down. I feel like a cat mom failure, but things happen. Elwha is big and strong and I may yet get him back. Sol Duc was sensible enough not to run, but I had to secure her before going after him.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: flow.

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Comfort?

Mother says we are at a Comfort Inn, but I don’t think so. I am NOT comfortable! Mother packed things for days and took them out to a car. Not the usual one! We don’t like it when she leaves, but this time she kept taking OUR things out. Our privy! Toys! The playtube! Our crate! We wondered if she was giving them to Other Cats, horrors. But then she put our harnesses on and put us in the carrier and in the new weird smelling car. The car went with us trapped inside! And it went and went and went.

We objected. Mother had a net between the front and back, but we both outwitted that easily. Sol Duc went under the seats. I sat on Mother’s lap. She stopped and explained that this was not safe. I knew that! Cars aren’t safe! She put us back in the carrier and moved things around and then we rode in our crate. We had food and water and our privy. We could see Mother and the horrible terrible trucks around us. We complained some but at least we were in the crate. We slept sometimes.

At last Mother stopped and put us in the carrier again. It smells very strange outside and we are NOT at home. She took us in to the Comfort Place. I refused to leave the carrier. She took the top off, but I can hide under the top.

We really do not know what will happen today. Mother can be very crafty. We outwit nets, but the car is more difficult. We do want to stay with Mother.

Last night we used the harnesses to make new art. We are crafty too.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: craft.

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Tree dreams

Tell me, tall one, what do you dream of in the night? What do you long for in the early rising sun? What messages come to you on the wind, through the rain, through the soil? Your tall branches catching dreams and catching the rays of the sun, some slipping through to me. I send you love and dreams of joy, however that looks to a tree.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: dreamcatcher.