Easter Weekend Part I: wherein Dave's brother should get a medal

After an exhausting day at work Thursday, we went for a walk with my parents and the dogs, and left with with cats for the weekend (that's right, pickup service from FREE cat-sitters!?), and we frantically packed our things and headed for Windsor for the weekend to see friends and family.

I'd tell you about the four hour drive down but I slept through about 75% of it. As soon as we were through Toronto I was out like a light until we dogs,r un, stopped in Woodstock, where I was awake long enough to run bleary eyed into the service centre, use the facilities, wash my hands (unlike some people who made ungodly noises and smells in the stall beside me and left WITHOUT WASHING! Aaaahhhh!), ate a Boston creme from Timmie's (mmm dinner) and was asleep again almost before we merged onto the highway.

When we arrived in Windsor, we made up the pull-out couch, let the dogs out, and promptly slept like the dead.

The next morning I went for a run (8k is easier sans dog), and we headed out to the P-A-R-K (because that word can't be said out loud without frenzied jumping of two 100lb dogs) where the dogs found (read "scare the living bejeebus out of") a tiny stray cat. Anyone who knows me knows what happened next.
Once the little kitten was happily situated in Dave's mom's bathroom with food and water we asked around to see if she belonged to anyone. No one we talked to knew anything of a missing cat. There was no lost report with the humane society, or the local no-kill shelter either. She had a weird collar, but no tag, and, after a car ride she didn't exactly love, we found out she had no microchip.

She wolfed down food like she hadn't eaten in weeks and it quickly became evident she was a really sweet-natured cat. She was around 8-10 months old, and completely adorable.

I knew we couldn't take her home, no matter how much I wanted to. We already have two HUGE dogs and two cats in our tiny house. But knowing that and actually not bringing her home was tough. I polled everyone I knew and, despite their best efforts, no one could find a home for her. I should admit that all weekend I kept telling Dave that I loved her and wanted to bring her home and name her George but he played the tough guy and saved me from the certain insanity that bringing another animal into our house would lead to.

Thanks to Dave's brother, this story has a happy ending. I think we've weaseled him into keeping her. He has almost as big a soft spot for animals as I do and I think she wormed her way into his heart. It's great to know she'll be cared for and loved. I'll help with vet bills to get her spayed. What an awesome guy to take her in!

Dave wasn't fond of George as a name for her and suggested we call her Gobi. She has a grey and sandy tone to her coat so I figured it was perfect. Gobi quickly learned to follow whatever human was in the bathroom and jumped in the shower with both Dave and I. She loves running water and ignored the bowl of water we gave her in exchange for a great romp in the sink whenever the tap was turned on. She drank from the tap at a fevered pace.
This is a video of her, narrated by an especially dorky me. Don't say you weren't warned about just how dorky I am.

We also took the dogs for a walk along the Detroit River. I'm completely amazed at the difference traveling a few hundred kilometers south makes in not only the weather but how far along spring is there. The grass is much greener, the tulips and daffodils are in bloom (or about to burst), the magnolia trees are flowering and it feels like summer. I'd guess they are easily 2-3 weeks ahead of things here. Friday definitely felt like an early summer day and we were really wishing we'd packed shorts and t-shirts instead of jeans and long sleeves (and coats!).

We enjoyed lunch at my favourite Thai restaurant (and I got my Thai iced coffee!) with Dave's brother and his girlfriend. Being a former regular it was nice that the owners recognized me and came over to say hello. We even managed to hit an Asian market and find tamarind candies (they're SO good). If you ever see any of these pick up a package, you won't regret it.

We're off to see my grandfather in hospital now; he was seriously hurt on the farm a couple of days ago and I've been wishing we were closer so I could visit all weekend. I come by my love of animals honestly, and it's mostly from him. I'm not ready to blog about it until I know things are going better. I'll finish blogging about the weekend later.