Bugged Out

A painful time slowly passes, and now life goes on.

Richer for having been blessed with eleven years of black and white love from a sweet and bitchy cat with a bunny rabbit's soft coat and the ferocious heart of a razor-clawed rottweiller.  All her pictures reside on the crashed hard-drive of my last laptop, but I shall redouble my efforts to bring that back to life, just to let you see the Queen of all Fatness in her prime.

She was a very special kitty.  And I do miss her so very, very much.

Now, this weekend saw me briefly vacating the New Dawn along with my remaining crew, Harley.  One of the most common scourges of life in a marshy marina is the occassional invasion by various multi-legged vermin.  I don't mind booting the occassional opossum off the deck of a night, nor leading the neighborhood feral cats to their begging station by the dumpster.  One night just over a month ago, I charged a local coyote who was stalking those feral cats.   They're not pets, but they're not pests, either.  And on the subject of pests, believe me when I say that  I do take great umbrage the visitation, quite uninvited, of the accursed palmetto bug;  a.k.a. the German cockroach.

I hate roaches almost as much as I hate jihadists.  It's a close thing, but at least the roach merits a bit of respect; it can't help being what it is.  Still, both must die, and seeing as I have the direct and immediate ability to carry out that wish upon my six-legged nemisis, I have undertaken to do so.

Harley is now safely ensconsed across town in a welcoming and loving home, and I am preparing here on the boat, a most unpleasant surprize for those scurrilous creeping cretins.  For as I leave the boat for work in the morning, I'll leave behind three steel cans, each resting in a heat-proof plastic cup containing an ounce of water, each.

The result will be a cockrauschwitzvellian slaughter of overwhelming intensity. 

Given that the internal volume of the New Dawn would be well treated with one can of Fumigator, the strategic placement of another can in the bilges, and a third under the galley countertop and behind the fridge....well, there shall be no escape.  This stuff isn't your typical weak, aeresol spray.  No, this stuff is smoke, and it does what smoke does best.... permeating everything, penetrating every crack, crevice and corner.  It hangs and lingers in the air for hours.  Perfect, for finding and killing every last bug.

Of course, I shall completely de-power both the DC and AC circuits aboard ship.  There will be no chance nor source of a spark.  Now, I may have to sweep-up a crunchy carcass or two.  Or three. But the New Dawn will be pest free.  Oh, yes....I do treat the docklines quite heavily, too.  Every little bit helps when trying to bring the boat up to showable condition.

And of Harley?  He'll be back aboard Tuesday after work. 

I was remiss in not posting Ariel's pics when I had 'em in the now-crashed computer.  So, here's a pic of Harley from Sunday.  Well....you can see for yourself how well he travels.

Fourteen pounds of liquid loving yellow striped speckled belly'd pure purring affection. 

Take that, Acidman!

And yes, he's quite at home draped around my neck as I sit here n' there aboard ship.  Besides, I'm not into the whole parrot and eyepatch thing.  Arrrggghhh.

So then, I'm off to the master-berth aft.  A busy morning which will come early enough without racing to meet it late into the night.  Even though beauty sleep is a lost cause on me, I still need to get seven or eight hours of snooze before the accursed alarm shrieks it's daily accusation; AWAKE, YE SLOTH!!!

I think I'm gonna take that clock to the shooting range.  It'll be the guest of honor.

Comments

[Rivrdog]

Couple of things, Cap'n. First, bag every piece of electronic gear on your boat in plastic so the fumes don't get to them, they are deadly on such gear.

Second, what does "showable condition" mean? You're not getting ready to sell the New Dawn, are you? If you are, I hope you are getting a larger boat. Two-foot rule is in effect.

Range for me too, but probably not until the end of the week. Tomorrow, I pick up a new carbine and one of the SAPD Glocks which I bought last week and which just came in to my FFL.

Gotta break in the carbine, a Kel-Tec Sub Rifle in 9mm. Wonder how fast I can dump a 30-round magazine down the barrel? Be fun timing all that.

[Libby]

Ah the life of a seafaring man.... Harley is a cutie. Is it me or have there been a lot more cat blogging since we lost Acidman?

[Lisa W.]

Harley is a cutie... you going for the Elisson look with that shirt? :)

[Dana]

Oh Jim. I wish I would have known. I am so sorry about your loss...I know you loved Miss Ariel very much. How is Harley doing losing his beloved life-long partner??

Should you need anything, please call me. Cingular finally worked out the kinks in my cell...so calls should be coming through now.

I am sending you my warmest hugs and love.

[Maeve]

I'd take a Kitty draped around me a lot quicker than a parrot! I'm so sorry for the loss of your beloved Ariel.