Photo Hunt - Square

I am so late for posting for either Thursday or Friday that I am going to put up my post for tomorrow now. Mom has not been a very good secretary, because she is still recovering from her virus, and also been having to take care of Dad who caught it from her. She has been going to work some days, but it takes a lot out of her. But she is definitely on the mend, as is Dad. We will try to do better with posting.

When I have a chance to be out on the deck, I like to go under one of the small square tables. It seems I like the shade it provides from the sometimes bright light, as well as feeling secure under there. Here is a picture from last summer, when my humans set up a small table inside my Feline Funhouse to try to convince me it was nice. I was happy to go in there, but didn't like it if they zipped the Funhouse closed.

Although we did not have any tornadoes, we did have some pretty strong storms yesterday. (Where my human brother lives they had hail as big as softballs on Wednesday night and tornadoes nearby!)At one point the rain came down so hard for a while that we had a lake in our back yard. And hereabouts we do not need more rain. The rivers are already at flood stage.

Wishing you all a sunny weekend.

Wordless Wednesday

Honoring Sweet Praline

I hope Mom Paula doesn't mind me borrowing this wonderful photograph of Sweet Praline for my post today. So many kitties and their humans throughout the cat blogosphere are very sad because Sweet Praline has not been well for some time with a tumor, she was no longer eating, and her dear Mom Paula and her vet helped her to the Rainbow Bridge this morning.

Dear Praline, we will miss you very much, but are glad in our hearts that you are able to run free as a kitty angel. To your Mom, our deepest condolences. We have been so impressed by the wonderful dignity of your last two posts about your beloved kitty. Know how many are surrounding you with love today.

Happy Easter

Mom was trying to explain to me that Easter really isn't about the Easter Bunny at all. It is about the Resurrection of Jesus. I didn't understand so she asked me to remember last August when we had some caterpillars that turned into butterflies. She said that might help me understand, and I think it does. Anyway, it helps HER understand.

Sorry the butterfly pictures aren't in better focus.

Have a wonderful Easter, everybody!

So, Mom, what's the deal with the bunny?

Well, Simba, I think it is because springtime and Easter make us think of New Birth, baby bunnies, baby chickies and so on.

But Mom, the caterpillars were in AUGUST!

Photo Hunt - Dusty

I accidentally posted on today's theme last Saturday. you can read my entry here;

http://simbasantics.blogspot.com/2011/04/photo-hunt-dusty.html

Definitely NOT dusty here today. We have rain. My human sister's airport had a tornado last night, and is now closed, and they had to go in the basement of the church during church service, due to a tornado warning. Crazy weather. So be safe!

Whisker Post

Kitties,

A little while ago, I was chosen as the winner of the "Whose Whisker" contest that Wally Ernie and Zoey of The Island Cats had. As my prize they sent me a great box of toys and treats. Look at my stash of balls, a fishie, a mousie, some treats and a HUGE nip-filled Dynomite stick.

If there were to be any doubt about how thrilled I was with my prizes, just check this out:

Thank you very much, Wally, Ernie and Zoey!

Now actually, I have some interesting whiskers myself. I have three black whiskers in among the white ones: two on my right side and one on my left side. Can you see them? It was hard fro Mom to get a very clear closeup. It might help if you biggify.
Please excuse that extra whisker down the picture - it must have just fallen out and was levitating.

Mom thanks you for your kind purrs and wishes while she was sick. Fortunately for her, it was a virus that has mostly run its course, though sometimes when she coughs I have to run far away! Her doctor has given her some amoxicillin and it is helping. Now the Dad has caught it, unfortunately. Me, I am fine.

One Word Wednesday

Turkey-and-Gravy-hungry!

Word from Beyond

Just popping in to quickly let you know what is up here - I am being a nurse cat to my Mom who has been down with a flu-like germ since Saturday. Cough, fever, throat. Yucky. We drag ourselves out of our stupor every now and again to read some blogs and comment a bit, but won't be back to full speed for a couple of days.

Photo Hunt - Dusty

These pictures are from last year.

We have a lot of places in our yard where the grass is very thin, or not there at all. The trees make a lot of shade and also drink a ton of water, making it hard for grass to eke out an existence in some places. Here is one such dusty place under this evergreen tree: even the tree is having some issues! Look at those lower dead branches that Dad needs to get to trimming.
In the hotter weather the driveway can get pretty dusty too and it is great if I have a chance to roll in the dirtiness. I don't do this often!
Mom apologizes for not helping me visit and comment on all my friends' blogs - we have been rather sporadic. She either has a bad cough and cold, or a bad case of allergies, she is not sure which. Either way, it is making her feel very draggy.

Oops, looks like we accidentally posted about next week's PhotoHunt theme!!!!

Have a great weekend all.

Thursday in the Garden

Early this morning Dad called us to look out the window at these three turkeys. Two of them seemed to be fighting, the one with its beak in the other's mouth, going round and round. The third one seemed to be trying to break up the fight.

Then Dad sat outside with me with his coffee - he really is very good to me! It was chilly so he covered his legs with a jacket. You can see that it was raining overnight. This was pretty early! We have some forsythia blooming and our neighbors' weeping cherry tree is blooming too.
Later Dad went on the deck with me again, after lunch. This time I was very quick, and hopped over the fencing to get out. Dad came and grabbed the camera and followed me at close quarters. One picture he got was this one of me by the woodpile. It is very interesting, with lots of smells, and possible small animals.Then I was good, and came back in.

Few Words Wednesday

Helping Dad paint the ceiling

Shabby Monday

Our friend Alfie has declared that today will be Shabby Chic Day. The idea is to show ways in which you have helped to shabbify (decorate) your home.

I certainly have made my share of vomit stains on the carpeting, but Mom and Dad have done reasonably well at getting them out with Stain Shot, or the Bissell cleaner machine (though not completely). I don't have front clawrs, so haven't been able to decorate a couch in that way, but my presence is keenly felt on the family room sofa by the presence of one or more blankies.

This blue and white one often resides at the end of the couch and I get it nice and furred up. This is a great shabby chic decorating touch, both the blanket's presence and the furring. When Mom washes it, the fur doesn't all come off, but forms little balls of fur that stick to the blanket. I think you can see a few in the picture, but believe me, there are many! She tries to pick them off, but never gets them all.

Now actually, my humans have had this couch for nearly 19 years, so I don't actually see how what I do can make it look any shabbier!

Mom said she thought the crossed pawsies were a nice touch. Crossed pawsies for all the humans and animals who aren't feeling tip top to get better soon.

Photo Hunt - Trees

This photo from early last summer shows part of our deck and impatiens, but it also shows the kind of trees in our yard and our neighbors' yards. This is actually looking towards, and mostly, our side neighbor's back yard. All up and down the street, the houses have lots of very tall Pin Oaks. These kind of oak trees don't branch outwards a lot, but they keep growing up and up and stay fairly slender. The have deep roots, and also sway in the wind. Mom remembers when they first moved into this house, when my human brother was a baby, they had the remnants of a hurricane pass over and it was quite un-nerving to see the trees swaying back and forth in the wind. She is much more used to the way they can do that now.

Audrey and some Advice

So a little while ago, I dropped a hint that my cousin Audrey might be coming to live with us. You see, my human sister is getting married in June and her fiance is allergic to cats. So the plan is that after the wedding, my humans will bring Audrey back to live with us. But here is the thing: they will have to do that on a PLANE, and Audrey has never gone on a trip before, and my humans have never taken a cat on a plane before. They can get a booking for her to go in the cabin with them in a soft carrier, but they are asking for anybody who has had some experience with traveling by plane with a cat to please give them some input about what to expect, and how the experience worked for them. What did you do about the cat needing pee or poo during the trip (from the time of leaving the first house until arriving at the second house, including time at the airport - they estimate this will be a total of about 6 hours if everything goes off on time). Did your cat cry on the plane? Did it freak out? Did you sedate it?

Thanks everybody!

Thankful Thursday

I can't really do a Gardening Post today, because it is rainy and also Gardeningly Boring round here (we have a scrap of forsythia and nothing else going on). So today I wanted to tell you about one thing I am very thankful for: my Dad and the Brush. He sits in his big stuffed armchair, I sit on the arm of the chair, and he brushes me with a small regular hairbrush. I think you can see how I like it. Mom is not so good for the Brushing because she tries to sneak in too much side and tummy brushing and that I Do Not Allow. So I put the bitey on her to let her know I don't appreciate it. Dad never tries to take advantage.

Tag on Tuesday

A while ago I told you how I had to get licensed and get a tag this year? Well, Mom tried quite hard to get a photo of me wearing my tag: she wanted it to show the 007 number. This is the best she got because of my furs. But she says she thinks it looks like tiny red heart. I don't wear the collar all the time, because my humans don't want my neck fur to get thinned out from it. But Mom has given Dad strict instructions to put the collar on me if ever they go on the deck, in case I escape. I wouldn't want to be breaking the law and be considered to be a feral kitty!

Easy Sunday

Sunny here, 50ish. Maybe it will warm up enough a little later for a spot of deck time.

Ginger Jasper's Mom posted a pretty picture of a Cactus bloom, and so did Marg of Marg's Pets. We also have two cactus blooming plants, one of which is a plant that originally belonged to my Mom's Mom, and the other which was purchased in honor of her sister. The paler of the two plants has been blooming these past couple of weeks, presumably because it got just the right cool climate in the window. So in honor of mothers and sisters everywhere (it is Mothering Sunday in the UK) here are a couple of pictures Dad took:

Photo Hunt - Closed

I think many kitties who feature Photo Hunt on Saturdays are posting about closed doors today. This is my version from a couple of years ago:

On the other hand:

April Fool's Day

It looks like the weatherman/lady played an April Fool's Day trick on me by telling me we were going to have a lot of snow. The temperature has stayed above freezing, and so far it has just been rain! There may be a little snow later but now he/she is saying there won't be much accumulation.

Happy April 1st, everybuddy!