100 Posts

I realized yesterday that I was writing my 99th post, so that this one would be my 100th post. How did THAT happen so fast?

I would like to thank all my blogging friends for their visits to my blog and for their comments. You are the BEST! I never knew that it would be so much fun to become a blogger!

Yes, I know there are only 70 pictures shown above - I left out ones that were not of me, and Mom refused to take the time to locate ALL the pictures from my 99 posts.

Saturday Snow Check

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday, Dad took many hours to get the driveway and walk cleared of snow, and today the temperatures were in the 40s and a fair amount of it was melting. Dad cleared a couple of areas on the deck and I asked to go outside for a bit to check out the snow and the sights and sounds. Due to the melting, the deck was actually a bit wet, and I was shaking my feet to get the water off! I only walked on the snowy parts when I absolutely had to - most of the time I carefully stuck to the bare parts of the deck. I was glad to come in after about 10 minutes, but it was still fun for a bit.

Friday Weather Report

UPDATE 2:30 pm Friday: It has been quite a challenge for the birds in this storm. There is thick snow on the branches of the trees and also finding food, unless it is provided by humans, is tough. We have a feeder and Dad and Mom also threw seed out onto the deck under the table and chairs so the birds could get to it. So our back deck area was quite popular this morning!

Looks like we have about 18 inches.



We interrupt our previously scheduled programming for a weather update. This picture is from 3 pm on Thursday. We will update later in the day as possible. Falling tree limbs cut off our power for about 5 hours yesterday evening - it was eerie to have no computer and no tv! Mom suggested to Dad that they play CARDS by candlelight. What is that?

Thankful Thursday

I am very thankful that Mom has this hand-crocheted blanket that I call Messy Blankie because is is the most comfortable when it is in a messy pile on the couch. She actually takes very good care of it, and it is really on the couch because she snuggles in it when she watches tv. However it is also my favorite blanket to snuggle in. I am very thankful too that it comes out as good as new whenever it is washed.

Here she folded it and put it on the back of the couch so as to keep the cat hair off it. Hah, Mom!

Wordless Wednesday

Great Backyard Birdcount - Results

My Dad and I participated in the Great Backyard Birdcount last weekend and here are the results we reported for February 14th, when we watched for 30 minutes. These are maximum numbers present at the same time for each type.

Mourning Dove - 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Tufted Titmouse - 2
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Dark-eyed Junco - 2
Northern Cardinal - 2

We also watched on the 13th, and then we saw 7 Doves and 14 Dark Eyed Juncos, but no cardinals, and not as many types of Woodpecker. One day later in the week, we actually had FIVE Cardinals hanging out waiting for Dad to throw some seed out on the deck - a combination of a mommy, 2 daddies and 2 juveniles! The Doves basically hang out near our feeders most of the time, too.

This picture was taken a few days earlier, during the height of our snowstorm, but it shows both a red-bellied woodpecker and a juvenile male cardinal at the feeder together, which is pretty unusual.

Catolympics - High Jump

First, I really have to acknowledge and thank Fin for organizing the whole Catolympics competition. I am having so much fun!

This will be my third and last entry. Cats in Maryland are hosting the High Jump contest. Here are the rules:

1. Provide a picture or video of you jumping high. If you want to be judged simply on how high you jumped, you should also if possible provide a second picture of the area with a yardstick or something in the shot so we can have some point of reference.
2. There will be two competition categories: technical high jump and artistic high jump. Technical high jump is just on how high you went. Artistic gets points for a mix of height and creativeness of the jump (where you are when you jump, silly expressions on your face, silly paw movement, etc).
3. No photoshopping except cropping and basic cleanup.

Well, I am hopeless at Photoshop, so #3 is no problem.

I am entering the artistic high jump category with my photo of jumping at the storm door going out onto my deck. I can jump pretty high, but my folks have not actually measured how high it is. But I think my artistry is shown by the way I am seeming to levitate next to the door, as shown here. And I certainly have a silly expression with my ears back.

Thanks Cats in Maryland for hosting the High Jump!

Balance Beam - Catolympics

Fin's blog has introduced the Balance Beam competition of the Catolympics. Unfortunately Fin was disqualified in the Balance Beam event - see her blog for the details.

In addition to Synchronized Snoozing, I am also entering in the Balance Beam category. Here you see me working my way along the narrow beam on my belly. This is trickier than it looks because in order to advance along the beam, it is necessary to walk through the center of the planter of impatiens flowers, risking the planter tipping and causing me to be flung thirteen feet to the stoney ground below. Fortunately, I have always made it through without mishap.

Synchronous Snoozing - Catolympics

The Island Cats are hosting the Synchronized Snoozing competition of the Catolympics. Although I don't think these photos qualify because my brother Rusty went to the Rainbow Bridge several years ago, he is the only other cat I have ever snoozed with, so I decided I would take this opportunity to show you these pictures of us snoozing together. Sometimes I miss you, Rusty Boy. I bet you spend all day hunting chipmunks and exploring at the Rainbow Bridge.

You may notice that in each of these two pictures, taken on different occasions, we are on my favorite Messy Blanket. Rusty loved it too. However, you will also see that I was barely on the edge of the blanket. Rusty was definitely the boss - I had to scrounge what I could in terms of blanket space.

Oh, and Rusty and I were completely unrelated cats, obtained by my family 10 years apart. He had short fur, vs my long floof.

Making New Friends

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Inigo of Rumblebum has made up a new award, called the "Hi My Name Is" award. I think it is a wonderful idea, and just in the right spirit for Valentine's Day. Here are the rules:

This award must be given to two blogs that you have not visited before. Once you've found two new blogs, you need to post in their comments:

(1) a big hello and something that you like about their blog
(2) that they've won this award from your blog
(3) a link back to your blog so they can collect the award and pass it along to two bloggers, who will then pass it along to two bloggers, etc, etc.

This way we can meet all kinds of cool new cats and doggies and humans!!

I have chosen the following two cat blogs that I had never been to before, and as soon as I have posted this I will go and post in their comments according to the rules.

1) The Monkeys - Samson and Delilah look like they would be great to get to know. Samson is a tuxie who is very floofy like me, and Delilah is a gorgeous tortie girl. They live in Montreal, Canada, and it is a great idea to make friends with Canadians now during the Winter Olympics.

2) Noll's Nip Noll and his brother Tiggy have a great story about how they were found and both have ginger genes in them like me (Noll is much lighter in color than Tiggy and I think there is some meezer in them too).

Thanks Inigo for the idea!

Birdcount

For those of you in the USA or Canada who like to watch birdies, I have an important project for you to pawticipate in this weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday). It is the Great Backyard Birdcount. All it has to take is 15 minutes of your time (or longer if you wish) and some sharp eyes. And you can count in your front yard if you wish, or the doggies can count on a walk! You may need some help from your Mom or Dad to count the birds of each species you see at one time, and to identify them. For example, if you watch for 15 minutes, and sometimes you see one Canadian Sparrow, other times you see 5 at the same time in your back yard, you would report 5 Canadian Sparrows as your count.

Here is the website to get all the information. It is all part of Scientific Research, which is something my Mom and Dad hold dear to their hearts.

http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/howto.html

This picture of a male Cardinal is intended to get you interested in taking part, or if you don't want to, just look at his fat little body and think whatever you like!

Wintry Wordless Wednesday Afternoon

Toesies on Tuesday evening

I am crossing my paws that we will get done with all this snowy weather and have Spring come. And also I am crossing my paws for every human to have a furry Valentine in their life this weekend.

Sweet Friends Award

Thank you Inigo and D'Artagnan of Rumblebum for nominating me recently for the lovely Sweet Friends award. Mom is finally getting around to helping me with my post.

The Rules for accepting the Sweet Friends Award:

1. Copy the image to your blog.
2. List 10 things that make you happy and try to do one today.
3. Tag 10 bloggers who brighten your day.

Ten things that make me happy are the following:

1. Being on my Deck in the warm weather.
2. Friskies Gourmet Grill, or Whitefish and Tuna, or Turkey Dinner (all with GRAVY)
3. Sitting up and begging for my Temptations
4. Lying between the keyboard and the computer monitor while Mom is using it
5. Being brushed by my Dad (NOT by Mom)
6. Being carried around like a big fluffy baby by Mom
7. Lying on the big window ledge in the basement and watching everything in the backyard
8. My fleece blankies – especially sleeping on the couch on one while Mom snoozes there
9. Sleeping between Mom and Dad on the big bed
10. Reading my furry friends’ bloggies!

Ten bloggers who I will tag to receive the award are ( it is hard to choose so everybody who hasn't received this award yet can consider themselves chosen!):

Raymond and Busby
Cat O' Nine Tails
Poppy Q
Herman
The Island Cats
Cat with a Garden
Cheysuli and Gemini
Derby
Clif and Olivia
Gracie

Thanks so much Rumblebum!

Freaky Featherwand Friday with Floof

This could be a wordless Friday post. I think the picture speaks for itself.

Wordless Wednesday

PS Mom has been really busy so she hasn't been able to help me blog as much. But she did take some new pictures.