I know that cat!

 

Rufus and I were out for our evening walk yesterday.  The sun was over the horizon and the temperature was cooling from the triple digit high of the day.  We came across a couple who were sitting behind their RV, and, of course, Rufus thought they were there to see him.

I asked if it was OK that he came towards them, and they both welcomed him.  He got some pets and neck rubs, then sat down while I visited with the couple.  (He's used to this routine.)  Nice people and we had a pleasant conversation.  The lady asked if she could take a photo of Rufus... "Sure."

Rufus and I walked back to the motorhome; he got a treat, and Joan and I were just settling in to play some Monopoly cards.  There was a knock at the door.  It was the couple I had visited with... they explained that they sent the photo to a friend of theirs who loves cats and their friend said, "I know that cat!"  She sent them back a photo she had taken of Rufus this past winter when we were in Buckeye.  (The boy gets his photo taken frequently.)

They showed us the photo... "Yep, that's Rufus!"

"Were you in Buckeye last winter?"

"Yes, we were - first time we stayed at that park because this one was full."

There was the "small world" conversation.  I told them about the woman who came out of their motorhome in this park two years ago to take a photo of Rufus... she said, "I've only seen someone walking a cat on a leash once before and that was in South Dakota last summer."

I asked her, "Was that at Hart Ranch?"

Yep, it was Rufus that she saw that summer.  Another "small world" encounter.  

I tell Rufus that he needs to be on his best behavior when we're out walking because people will remember him.  He's a good boy, so he's always on his best behavior.  Well, almost always.  ;-)

 --------

On the agenda for today: meet with another landscape company.  We all enjoyed our 2 hour visit with our new friend Robert.  He used spray paint to mark out where things would go in the yard...

He started out front, measured as we walked down the narrow side yard (for access), then visited with Steph and Dan regarding what they wanted.  It was a pleasure to watch him listen to them, confirm what they had in mind, then mark it out on the ground; it gave us the opportunity to see and walk through the space.

Like Steph and Dan, Joan and I have specific wants with the landscaping on our part of the yard.  Seeing the space marked out made us reevaluate what we wanted for the sizing of a pergola (it grew, considerably).  Robert was very helpful and gave us some things to consider as we worked through it.

He will have a bid for us in the next two days and would be able to start within a week of when we take possession of the house - a definite plus compared to the timing the first landscape company offered us (sometime in mid-January).  He gave us suggestions for placement on the hot tub and griddle areas.

Now to see where each of them come in on price.

When we were done with that task, the four of us went out for supper, then back to Steph and Dan's place so Joan and Steph could work out some financial details.  It is important to talk about all this stuff so everyone knows what to expect.

Steph and Dan's rental is compact - I know they are very excited about getting into a bigger place.  They secured this rental, knowing it would only be for a few months, between their house selling and the new place being finished.

From there, it was back to another development close to them that has a model with the same floorplan as ours.  Joan wanted to take some measurements so we could nail down TV sizes and what we want to add for bathroom storage.

Each day gets us closer.  Paperwork on Monday; we get our keys and take possession on Wednesday; the garage storage install is scheduled for Thursday, along with additional interior painting, and the water softener/purifier install; the moving pods are scheduled to be delivered on Friday.  Saturday, washer/dryer delivery and install on Steph and Dan's side (ours is already in) and their TVs.  Whew!

It was well after dark when we got back to the motorhome; Rufus wants to know why we are gone so much these days.  "Soon, buddy, you will get to see the new house."