8.1.26Locked InWe took Myrtle to Locke Coffee in Newport, and she sat next to Ashley with gigantic puppy dog eyes while we drank our lattes.

8.2.26Division DetailsWent back to John’s fixer-upper to get some additional detail shots, and this stained glass is truly something else.

8.3.26Sniff TestFood inspector threatened to shut my whole grilling operation down if I didn’t pay the sausage tax.

8.4.26Nightmare Ended?They started building a gymnasium up the street from us several years ago. It just finished construction this summer, and then road crews dug up our street to lay a new water main. Then they dug up the street again to connect our homes to the new water main. Then the storm drain had to be dug up and replaced. All of this to say: it’s been a nightmare dealing with constant road work for the last few years, and in particular the last few months.Today, they black topped our street to finish everything off. As annoying as it is to not drive on this, I’m happy everything’s finally done.

8.5.26Photo StackWent out to New Richmond to photograph New Richmond Tavern for Single Batch. They did the shelving behind the bar, so I made sure to document it in full detail. I did a photo stack using Helicon Focus and it turned out great.

8.6.26FloorlessThey successfully dug out the floor at the Observatory. Some items have been discovered, such as broken shards of old teacups and various bones (non-human).

8.7.26The Weird ‘50s SkylineI’m not sure why Skyline renovated an old Frisch’s into a 50s-style diner, but they did. The place looks good, the service is better than I thought it would be, and the food is what you’d expect. 10/10 no notes.

8.8.26BelleWe found a stray kitten in our alley this morning. I gained her trust by staying still and letting her come to inspect my hand. Once I got her into a box with a blanket, we took her down to AcutePet to get advice on how to care for her. The technician there said she was a girl and about 8 weeks old. Ashley went to PetsMart to get food and supplies for her while I took her up into my office and let her roam around indoors for the first time in her life.She was immediately curious about everything—me, the furniture, my cameras, my bag. She was cautious at first and hid behind the filing cabinet, but then she loosened up and started wandering around freely. She wasn’t scared of me or Ashley, which tells me that she’s so young that she hasn’t had a bad encounter with anyone or anything yet.Ashley brought home a pen, some toys, a litter box, and a whole bunch of stuff. Our cat-obsessed friend Chelsea came over to see her, too. Since the little girl was covered in fleas, we managed to give her a bath in the sink while Chelsea managed to pick the bugs out of her fur. Afterward, we wrapped her in a towel and blow dried her fur, keeping her warm and safe. She fell asleep almost immediately after the bugs were gone.When she woke up hours later, she ate food and played hard the rest of the night. We basically just sat with her for the whole evening while she went full kitten mode.I didn’t want her to feel like she was alone, so I brought the couch cushions into my office and slept on the floor with her all night. Our goal right now is to find a home for her as we cannot keep her due to Ashley’s allergies.

8.9.26In LoveI once again spent basically the whole day playing with this kitten. She’s much more lively today than she was yesterday, and she’s learned how to use her claws to get out of the pen. The baby gate at the door is useless, and she’s learned to scale furniture to get up on my desk. At this point, the only thing stopping her from wandering into the rest of the house is a closed door.Myrtle isn’t happy with this setup. She desperately wants to see the kitten and play with her, but the kitten (who we’ve named Belle for now) hisses at Myrtle behind the gate. Myrtle then refuses to make eye contact with this tiny little baby out of fear.I can’t accurately convey how hard I’ve fallen for this kitten, unfortunately. I know we cannot keep her, but her personality and innate cuteness has melted my heart completely. Our search for the perfect home for her has wrapped up, and I managed to secure a place for her in the home of a couple who really want her. She goes to their home tomorrow, and while I know this is the absolute perfect place for this perfect kitten, I will be heartbroken when she leaves me.For now, I am going to soak in these last few hours together and sleep on the floor again so she has someone to snuggle up to.

8.10.26FarewellsBelle was up all night running around my head, climbing on my face, laying across my neck, and doing zoomies over every horizontal surface in the office. At one point she did lay down on my pillow for a nap, but it was short-lived. I managed to clock about 2 hours of sleep in total, I think.Ashley had to take over for me for the majority of Monday as I had work to do outside the home. She said kitten was playing almost the entire time I was away with a brief break for sleep.When I got home, she learned to scale my body and sit on my shoulder like a parrot. She actually fell asleep on my shoulder for about 30 seconds at one point, too.This is the final photo I have of her in my house. She was staring down Myrtle as if to say, “I know you were here first, but I’m the boss. Don’t you forget me when I’m outta here.” For three days, this little kitten did, in fact, rule the roost.We took her to her new family and they welcomed her with open arms. They’re thrilled to have her, already have loads of toys and items for her, and will be sending us updates from time to time. I am gutted that she’s no longer nuzzling my nose with her little whiskers and mewing in my ear, and it will take time to feel better about leaving my precious baby, but I am so happy she’s found a place as a princess in a loving family’s home.

8.11.26DerechoA derecho blew through our area today, knocking out power across the city and felling loads of mature trees. This one fell on the public steps right by our house. Thankfully no one was hurt and no one’s property was damaged. I shudder to think how long it will take the city to clean this up and repair everything, though.

8.12.26Rainy DayIt’s been raining all day. I have the TV tuned to the Bob Ross channel on PlutoTV. The window is cracked to let in the sounds and smell of fresh rain. Myrtle is sleeping in the lounge chair by my desk. I am thinking about the kitten a lot, but I am feeling increasingly better about where she ended up overall.