*HISTORY: Don and I
have two cats: Kat is 6 years old, and
Scooter is about 8 months.
Scooter
Kat
We have an
outdoor condo for our cats and they can enter the outdoor caged space from the
living room window.
Our cat condo
One evening in
September, Scooter managed to climb the wall and knock out a tile from the condo to make a great
escape.
Of course, panic set in as soon
as I discovered that he was gone.Nightfall
was approaching so I dutifully set out a couple dishes of good smelling cat
food to help lure Scooter back home.A
while later, I looked out the window and saw that we had attracted four darling
little hungry kittens devouring the food I had left out for Scooter.
Oh no!As a devoted
cat lover, my heart broke to see these starving little adorable kittens at
large.They scattered and ran off into
the night when I tried to approach them confirming that they were indeed feral
cats.
Scooter did come home that night. We heard him scratching at the window wanting
to come in.
The next morning there were four sets of pleading little
eyes staring up at me when I stepped outside.
How could I resist.
I just looked at them and thought "now what??" If no one does
anything to help this little furry family, I knew they would soon grow up and
have litters of their own. We need and
appreciate the feral cats in Palm Creek as they keep the rodent population in
check but can also become overpopulated if not somehow controlled. I recalled the charity dance held last season
to raise money for spay/neutering the stray cats in the community so contacted
Juliana Crispens who I hoped would have some guidance.
Juliana suggested I keep feeding the cats to keep them in
the neighborhood. In about a month they
would be ready for her program. Then she
brought over four cages which we loaded with food every day until she arranged time to take them
up to Mesa for the procedure. We actually set the traps and within a few hours
had all four cats trapped safely in the cages.
Juliana drove them up to the clinic in Mesa on Monday
morning and brought them home that night.
They received their operations, vaccines, and even rabies shots. Two other dedicated volunteers kept the cats overnight to make sure they were okay. Then they brought them to our house for release. All appeared happy and healthy to again enjoy
their freedom. They are now old enough
to begin their vigilance at surveying the area for rodents and the myriad of
insects they also devour.
The little white kitten (aptly named Casper) has become Scooter's best friend. They play together through the condo cage...even sharing toys that Scooter pushes through the grate. They were so happy to be together again after the release.
Some residents deny the need for feral cats because they
haven’t seen any rats in the neighborhood.They’re here though.Through
living here for 19+ years, we can attest to rodents becoming a problem.With all the trash receptacles placed around
the park and the fallen fruit from citrus trees, there is plenty of food left for
scavenging rodents.And sometimes they
get into a house and make quite a mess.
Feral cats are skilled hunters and typically eat small
animals like mice, birds, and insects. Yes, they will eat crickets and
scorpions. They're opportunistic
feeders, so they'll also scavenge for food in garbage bins or eat whatever they
can find, including scraps and leftovers.
It’s fascinating how adaptable they are!
Here is information provided by the AZ Vet Direct agency
that assists with the program:
Our spay surgery cost estimate for a cat is: $110. Our
neuter surgery is $85.This cost is for
anesthesia and surgery only. The cost of pain medication to go home is
$15-30. You may choose an injection for pain control instead for $20.
E-collars are $15 and are optional for cats.A rabies vaccine is required for all patients 12 weeks of
age and older for $20.
The cost of this program adds up in a hurry! Juliana and a group of friends created a fund raising program last season by sponsoring a karaoke event and bake sale. Plans are underway for more events this season. Mark your calendar for January 18 from 1:00 - 5:00 at the north pavillion. Details will be available soon.
Saturday, November 16, is the first official patio sale of the season. One gracious seller is offering special items at special prices....or free for a donation drawing. Stop by site 1020 on Cole Circle. Also, raising funds for the homeless feline trap-spay/neuter-vaccinate-foster/release here at PC. Four kittens need our help. Everyone giving cash gift gets to go in for the gift draws - good gifts!! Ask for Miriam.
SITE 1020
Miriam says she'll be ready at 9 am. Plan on coming on by, introduce yourself! She has a FUN “gift drawing” 🎁for anyone who buys something or puts $1 (💵or more) into a collection, to be given to the PC volunteer group who helps felines 🐈⬛🐈without homes, trap-spay/neuter-vaccinate-foster to home or release.
Another great place to explore and shop:
HUGE PATIO SALE: Friday the 15th 12PM to 4PM Saturday the 16th 8AM to 12PM At Site #612 Cole Circle/Parlo Verde in the non-pet area.
Golf club sets-bags-many golf balls, golf cart, drill, small kitchen appliances, dishes, wading boots, seated walker, TV, bedspread,
A block long of tables filled with goodies.
Come and check it out Sponsored by Kathy Payne
Looks like we had a great crowd to visit the first Market Place craft fair of the season. Such talented artisans! It was pleasing to see a good number of Palm Creekers displaying their talents.
Georgi Davis has been busy creating all these lovely bags of assorted sizes. Very colorful selection!
I only see Joy at the card tables so had no idea she was into this diamond art! So many pretty items!
Jim and Linda Rainer were present with their CBD products and fresh honey products. (That CBD rub soothed my sore knee muscles and got me back to sleep last night.) I'm a loyal customer. 😉
LOL....our son (Anton and Hannah) moved to Colorado Springs recently. Anton says the snow machine is broken as it won't shut off. The neighborhood squirrel usually approaches their feeder along a fence line but now it has to act as its own snow plow! They sent this cute video:
BISTRO: I haven't seen any recent postings from the Bistro but business seems to be booming. All reports are boasting of the GREAT food.
The Wednesday karaoke events have been very successful and well attended.
The park is really bustling with activity. Tonight was the first Bingo night of the season and we had a record crowd for the first day in November. There were 165 players in attendance so extra tables and chairs were set up.
G55 is still an important number.
We had some very lucky winners too! Judy Texley won game 6 jackpot at $231.
Game 12 is a special blackout game. To win the big jackpot, the player must win within 55 numbers. Lucky Harold Liby won on the 55th number and took home $708. Congratulations Harold!!
Be sure to put Bingo on your calendar. Monday nights. Tickets go on sale at 6:00. Games start at 7:00. It takes a minimum of only $7 to play. Feel free to bring snacks and your own non-alcoholic drink. The Bistro is open until 7:00 so you can take time to stock up. They might be selling popcorn and snacks in the next couple weeks once the season gets established.
The Bistro has a slightly different look this season as they work to expand their services. The counter is moved to the back side of the room to get it conveniently closer to the kitchen.
Chef and crew were busy at work.
Here's the current menu. Specialty items will start in November when season officially kicks into gear. For now, we can plan on chicken wings to be served on Wednesday nights for karaoke.
Here's Connie and Greg Von Uebbing
It looks like outdoor patio seating has been expanded and a tent has been set up for the bands and equipment. A dance floor will also be available.
There are some new heaters placed on the patio also to keep us warm at night. Definitely NOT needed yet. Whew! It still remains quite warm for October. We should see lots of fun and activity at the bistro this year.
Meanwhile, the newly planted flowers are showing off their colors!
The golf course has been seeded and the doves are here in droves to gobble up the seeds.
Our October Coffee & Donuts meeting was very informative this morning.
The Bistro opens Monday, October 14. We may have a bit of weather related problem as it is still unseasonable HOT for this time of year with most days still hitting triple digits.
In addition to the six dances that are announced in the ticket book, Melanie Pohl (Activities Supervisor) has been working on more events. A stage has been set up at the bistro for the weekly karaoke events held each Wednesday along with a small dance floor. There will also be various entertainment events on Fridays and Saturdays. They're going to try table service at the bistro so we can just be seated and someone will take our order and deliver to tables.
Hours for the Bistro will be 9-5 except for Wednesday karaoke nights when they will extend till 7:00. The bar will be available. No alcohol tickets will be needed this year as prices are flat. We will no longer have to mess with all the change issue as the sales tax is being eliminated. 😁
The Campbell Brothers and Thaddeus Rose events will occur on various Friday and Saturdays at the Bistro. It will be announced in the monthly calendars. Admittance will be free with no ticket needed.
Our season event tickets will be available from Activities on October 15. The cabaret shows and dinner shows will all be assigned seating, however, all the tribute shows and dances will be open seating. Doors will open an hour early.
Octoberfest on October 18: The show will be open without tickets. There will be a meal available for $25 with a special menu and a drink. The bar will be open as well.
Chef received a huge round of applause from the audience as appreciation for the service we received all summer. He will have some specials available during season as well....including seven different pizza choices. A new panini machine and a new smoker have been purchased to add to the menu. A new gluten free bread will also be available.
It should be a great season ahead. Some procedures and issues are new to us as residents and will be new to staff as well. Be patient.
The newly planted flower beds are rapidly springing to bloom. I especially enjoy seeing the phlox plants aligned along the center of the beds. Such pretty color.
Our mornings are lovely....down in the 70s so Don and I can enjoy that first cup of coffee out on the patio. It's a very peaceful scene with the two cats enjoying their condo space.
We watched quite a few rigs pull in today as we sat in our nice cool air conditioned game room playing Mahjong in the afternoon. We figure that some RVers who are watching the weather forecast might wait a few days before heading south to HOT Arizona. It is still triple digits here on a daily basis.
The new season badges are now available so we summer folk should hurry down before the long lines start to form.
Even though Don and I have now lived here for 20 years, I added WI for Wisconsin as that is our origin.
The October calendar is released showing the last day of service in our beloved 3 Palms Cafe (aka as the ballroom kitchen). We have certainly all enjoyed that service for the past summers! Congratulations to Chef, Bridgette, and Connie for keeping us so well fed. The Bistro is scheduled to open on Monday, October 14. Hours will be 9am to 5pm.
Tuesday, October 15, our event tickets should be ready for pick up in Activities.
*******************
Scooter
We had more excitement at the Hepler home than we cared for this past week as little Scooter managed to knock a tile loose in the cat condo and both cats escaped. He's quite the climber.
Kat is really tame and just walked into the house the moment I opened the door but little Scooter was nowhere to be found. ACKK!! We alerted all the neighbors, posted on Nextdoor, and drove around the blocks a few times to no avail. Friends all say to put out lots of smelly cat food to lure him back home. Scooter didn't respond but every feral cat in the neighborhood sure did. We had three at the same time that afternoon. I laughed and said I hoped Scooter came home soon as I couldn't afford all that cat food! 😒 (Actually, it looks like a litter family as they're all kittens about the same size.)
Our prayers were answered later that evening as we heard a noise at the window and there was Scooter trying to get back in the house. Thank goodness! His little white paws were a dingy gray but he was fine after we got him cleaned up again.
He slept well that evening and probably dreamt of his fleeting freedom.
