Especially if your name is Alfie.
As you may or may not remember, a few years back (prior to the pandemic), we took down the door that leads to our garden in our outside entryway. It was already in place when we moved in, and had simply rotted to the point that there wasn't much left of it.
Now this wasn't really a huge problem in the grand scheme of things. It did mean there was slightly less privacy if we were in that area of the garden, but the biggest issue was that if the cats were outside in the garden with us, they could just stroll out onto the street, which is less than an optimal situation. So we knew we needed to replace it, but at the time funding was extremely low. And the garden was seriously full of mosquitoes, so we didn't spend any time out there unless we had to.
Over the past few years, we've been able to make some headway cleaning things up, and though the mosquitoes were still in force, at least the garden wasn't a complete mess and eyesore anymore. And once our mortgage was paid, we suddenly had some available cash to make some of the repairs and improvements we'd had to delay.
The first few things that were the most necessary were taken care of, and so now we could move on to thinking about other projects that had been waiting. I was "assigned" by The Tim the project of getting the garden door replaced.
Of all of our most recent cats, Alfie was the one who insisted - no, NEEDED - to go out into the garden whenever we went outside, even if for just 5 minutes. And then he would immediately run out onto the street as part of his routine. That is of course dangerous for any cat, but Alfie has only three paws, and is declawed. And let's just say his reaction times to things are not in the top 5 percent. It drove him crazy that he could not go out, because as far as he is concerned, he is a Nature Cat. I kept promising him that we would get a new garden door, and his dream has finally come true.
I was finally able to find someone to come and give us an estimate, in the first place, which was no easy feat. The person was just one of those people you can tell are the real deal when you meet them, you know what I mean? And he was very fond of Alfie, which of course Alfie assumes everyone is. And so this past Monday, one of the guys who works in the company came and both built and installed a new garden door!
Going into the garden (yeah, a weird angle because the entryway is very narrow and this is the best way I could take a photo):
And then if you are leaving the garden to go out onto the street:
It's a nice, solid, cedar wood door and it took the person about 5 hours from start to finish to get it all accomplished. The handle is a simple latch, which is nice. Now you may be saying, "Aren't you going to install a lock on it?" and yes, we could, but in order to get into the entryway where you could then open the door into the garden, you would have to get through a wrought-iron gate. And frankly, if you can figure that out, a simple lock isn't gonna hold you back. So for now, we're leaving it alone. This coming weekend, The Tim is going to put a cedar finish on it, for weather protection and aesthetics. But it's finally in place, and Alfie and I ventured into the garden yesterday, and he was the happiest cat in Philadelphia, I'm pretty sure.
As soon as I finish this post, I'm heading downstairs to go into to the garden - with Alfie, of course - to water the plants, replenish the birdbath, and fill the bird feeder. I have found a mosquito repellent "system" that seems to be working pretty well for us, so now I don't need to put on long pants and long sleeves for those activities, which is nice. So it's actually nice to be out there. I'm hoping that we can spend some time there this weekend and into the fall, since during the heat and humidity of the summer, none of us has much interest in being out there unless we have to.
But Alfie would like you to know that after waiting SO long and hearing promise after promise, his fondest wish is now a reality. He can truly enjoy his role as Nature Cat of the Outdoors. So remember that if you just wait and hope long enough, perhaps your dreams can come true as well! 😊
*****
No major plans here for Labor Day weekend. As I said, The Tim is planning to work on putting the finish on the new door. In a pleasant turn of events, he may not have to work on Labor Day like he usually does. So it would be nice if the long weekend would be a long weekend for him for a change. I'm on a bit of a decluttering spree, so I'll likely spend at least some of the time working on that. But it sounds like it will be a good few days for walking, bike riding, and just generally being outside, so I'm sure we'll find a way to take advantage of that.
Here's hoping that your Labor Day weekend, or just your weekend in general since - GASP! Everyone doesn't live in the U.S. - is a good one, and that you can enjoy it however you like.
As the song says, "See You In September."
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