Teleidoscope

Mon, Jun 08, 2009

Basement Door

Posted at 6:56 am MDT to Miscellaneous

Dinah Kitty is freaked out. Her pupils are very dilated and she sort of prowls around lashing her tail.

First we had a guest in the house -- my brother Larry arrived midday Friday and I drove him into Denver Saturday evening for a professional conference he's attending. Then some time yesterday the French doors to my basement were forced open by a combination of wind and a minor avalanche of the dirt that was loosened by the powerline excavations last year.

I didn't notice the door being open until this morning. Dinah had not slept on my bed last night at all, which is very unusual, so when it got light I went looking for her.

When I found the open door I was very worried that she had gone outside and gotten lost or been eaten by a coyote or something: she is an indoor
cat who does not know how to handle herself outdoors. Fortunately, she was hiding in the basement. I'm not sure why she was hiding in the basement when it was something in the basement that was upsetting her, but that's OK. At least she is safe.

I used a spade to clear enough dirt to mostly close the door. It doesn't latch properly (I need to do some more digging to get the second door to close all the way) but the biggest gap is at the top. I have the spade braced under the doorknob to keep the door from swinging open before I have time to work on it some more.

Dinah ate a little of her breakfast and then went downstairs again. Maybe she thinks she is guarding her territory, but I'm not sure how she thinks she can do that from her hiding place in the far end of the basement.

I think the urgency of getting those retaining walls replaced has just increased considerably. I wish I believed there was such a thing as a reliable contractor. Neither my experience nor Nanette's is very encouraging.

They say that there were severe storms in the area yesterday afternoon, including some tornadoes. I don't remember hearing anything here, but I suppose a gust of wind might have helped push the door open. There are more storms forecast for today. I'll have to pay attention to things.

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