It's time to revisit the idea of Pumpkin becoming smaller. Zellie, however, is less smitten with the idea of counter-top eating than she was in the house in Ferndale, so that is out the window. I came across the feeding cage idea on the Internet and it seems to be working so far. I got a small cage and made the opening a little smaller by using a piece of wood that is wired to the bars of the cage. Giselle can get inside and eat anytime she wants, but Pumpkin can't. I was surprised at how narrow I had to make the opening -- a hungry and determined Pumpkin can make himself rather small. At first I was worried that Giselle would eat all of Pumpkin's food, but I rarely see her eat from his dish anymore. Both critters seem happy with the arrangement.
Craftiness, cats, food, nature, miscellany, and being married to the best guy ever.
28 September 2008
21 September 2008
National = Impressive?
We also visited the herb garden and the bonsai exhibit.
18 September 2008
It's time to cut the ribbon
I can't believe that only five months ago I was part of the 8am parade of Michigan-plated Audis and VWs wandering to work in a building that was only about 25% finished. Now the building is totally done, everyone has found places to live, and most of us have Virginia plates of one kind or another. And this week there were people with large scissors there to cut the ribbon.
16 September 2008
07 September 2008
Saturday showers bring Sunday Quilt Shows
I want to go back sometime when there's not a quilt show to see more of the history of the place. It was built in the late 1700s.
01 September 2008
Richmond
This weekend I fought the Labor Day traffic to visit Richmond, just because it's there. I took this picture from the grounds of what used to be a large Confederate hospital but is now a Visitor Center in a neighborhood that has seen better days. It reminded me very much of Detroit. I want that house on the right that is in the middle of being renovated. And hey, there's the Beetle! Show off your new plates, little Beetle.
I didn't do much, but I drove around to see what was there. I did visit the Tredegar Iron Works which used to make many things in its life (flour, wool, railroad parts), but is most famous for making cannons for the Confederacy. Now, while the upper two floors are dedicated to displaying boring relics of the war, on the lower floor they produce ... couch potatoes.
Outside there was a massive 1,000 ton press! It was made in Toledo, which made it even more exciting. This was used to make railroad parts. Look -- that's where all of the squishing happens.
The building itself looks very distinctive from the outside. The bottom floor is the original construction from the early 1800s when it was a mill, the middle floor is from when it was reconstructed as an iron works, and the top floor is a different color because it had to be rebuilt after a fire in the late 19th century. Very neat. Again, I was ready to move in. They're kind of attached to it though.
Not shown: it was really freakin' hot out. We finally got some rain, thanks to tropical storm Faye, but that just made it even more humid. Autumn can't come soon enough for me.