Early Start

Good morning, my friends. Our chat is starting a little late this morning. We crated up the kitties this morning and took them to the vet to obtain their Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. As you might guess, they whined and howled all the way to the clinic. The paperwork took about half an hour, and so we loaded them back into the car and headed to McDonald's for our beloved Egg McMuffins. We went through the drive-through window and ate them in the car. In all of that, we heard not a peep from the kitties, and they were quiet all the way home.

Now their vaccines are up to date and documented, and they've been given the once over to check for any health concerns. There were none. So their papers are in order, and they are ready for traveling. They are light packers: food, toys, catio, quilts, human laps. That's all they take with them. Oh yes, and Smitty brings his harness and leash. He can't wait to sample the grass in the areas he'll be traveling: Pawshington, Catnada, and Alcatska. Phew! Another much-dreaded waypoint complete.

Backing up to yesterday, I started the Kitty Lover's Redwork piece. There isn't much to do on this, and so I should finish it easily before we leave. If I run out of things to stitch, I'll start on the first design for Raggedy & Friends, which is my take-along project.

There were some things to do in the kitchen yesterday. We started some Burnt Ends in the Traeger. I had a yen, and we won't be able to do them on the road. They're so good, and we'll have leftovers for another night. The burnt ends are a little spicy, and so I served it with a Tangy and Creamy Macaroni Salad. The macaroni salad helped cool our mouths when the spice got to be too much.

When all my kitchen chores were finished, I went to work on the quilt binding. Now I've turned the third corner.

There's just this much left to do...I'm estimating two thread-lengths. I should have no problem finishing this today.

It's been chilly and rainy for the last several days, but I took advantage of one of the rain breaks to check on the peonies. Every time I look at them, I find a scintilla of progress, but nothing has opened yet. There are at least a dozen buds looking like the one below, and at least a dozen more that are very close to opening.

We're expecting some warmer weather later in the week. I'm really hoping I'll get to see them before we go, but hope is fading. 

The biggest chore on today's to-do's is already finished with our trip to the vet complete. I'll do some more stitching on the redwork piece, and I'll finish my quilt binding. I spent some time yesterday doing inventory and organizing in the camper. There is storage in our dining chair seats. I opened one to find a tangle of various cords for charging electronic devices. With Mike's help, I was able to get rid of about three-fourths of them that were either obsolete or duplicates. Every square inch of space freed up seems like a victory when space is at a premium. 

Also, I've checked all the spices and other condiments that are kept at room temperature and found a few that need replacing. And all of that to say that today will be a pretty easy day. There's not much more I can do in the camper until we do our grocery shopping tomorrow. Our list is short, thankfully.

So off I go. Slow-stitching and more coffee await. I've been enjoying hearing from those of you who are coming with. Remember to pack lightly. Think like a kitty.