Simba's Antics

Thankful Thursday

2012-02-02T08:15:00.001-05:00

We are thankful round here for the warm weather over the past few days. It even reached 60 degrees F here! The weatherman says it has something to do with Jet Streem. How he can make it warm at our house, I don't know.

Dad took us on the deck for a while yesterday, it was so nice. We are very thankful for that. But he didn't take pictures.

I am very thankful for my Messy Blankie. I think this picture shows nicely while it is called MESSY blankie. Mom will pull it over her on the couch while she watches tv, then fling it back and I will nestle in the mess made by that, or snuggle up next to her while she is using it. It is SO soft and comfy. I am sure you have already seen it in countless pictures, because 82% of the time in the winter, that is where Mom will find me. Not easy to get pictures of me doing much else!

It was actually crocheted many years ago as a Christmas gift from my human grandparents to my human brother, who is now a big man. Since he can't use a twin size blanket, we get to keep it! At least for now. Mom says it washes amazingly well, and it doesn't "pill" at all. She washes it often to rid it of the cat furs. I don't know why. Aren't they a necessary part of any blanket?

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

Spying on Sunday

2012-01-29T07:09:00.000-05:00

Audrey here with my 009 badge on (figuratively speaking of course). My humans brought some of my old toys back from my first Mom's house when they visited and here I am spying on my ball. I am hiding behind the cord for the computer so the ball can't see me sneaking up on it. I am real good at spying on it because the ball didn't move or roll away at all.

Photo Hunt - Fluffy

2012-01-28T02:17:00.000-05:00

MOL, Spitty the Kitty asked if we had been eating since Wednesday so hadn't had time to post!! Actually, the Mom is to blame (isn't that always the case) - in the winter with things being so much darker in the house, she doesn't take so many pictures of us, so she has been uninspired. But you can imagine that when we realized today's PhotoHunt theme was FLUFFY, we had to come up with something!

These pictures are from last October, in fact, when Mom was following us around and trying to get some good "tocks" shots. But the first picture really helps to show how very fluffy my tail and back leg pantaloons are:

I am doing my incredibly annoying stroll across the laptop, but I do have to show Mom who is in charge!
And we don't want to leave Audrey out, so for comparison, here are her "not so fluffy" tail and back legs!

The Royal Canin Picky Cat Food Taste Test

2012-01-25T17:32:00.001-05:00

In December when I was the winner of a drawing held by Cathy Keisha to get a sample of Picky Cat food by Royal Canin, Mom was very glad, because I really am a Picky cat as far as my food is concerned, and Mom had actually almost bought a box of the food samples to try. First of all, it was really exciting that the food came by Fedex one day and was addressed to me!!!

Inside the FedEx package was a box of Picky Cat food, as well as a coupon to get a bag of my favorite food of the three possibilites. The idea behind Picky Cat is that some cats choose their food based on how it smells and tastes (Selective Aromatic), some based on how the food feels in their mouth (Selective Savor ) and some based on how they feel after they eat the food (Selective Protein).

The instructions said to put out three bowls with equal amounts of the different foods in each bowl and to feed me only that for a whole day. So Mom did that and I went straight to the Protein food and ate it up. I would not touch the others. It was so obvious I only liked the one, that Mom fed me my regular food the rest of the day. About a week later, she tried again - the first time, she put my food in the bathroom where I usually eat to keep my food away from Miss Vacuum Sweeper, but the second time she closed Audrey in the kitchen and presented me with the three bowls in a straight line in the front hallway (see photo below). Once again the only food I would even TRY was the Protein variety. She switched the positions of the bowls, and again I went for the Protein. So it seems like a no brainer.

What surprises Mom about this is that she is pretty sure, because I would not even try the others, that the only one I liked the smell of was the Protein. Yet that food is not supposed to be preferred by cats based on Aroma at all. And I couldn't have known it would make my tummy feel best later when I ate that one, because I knew from the beginning it was the only one I wanted.

So you can guess which of the three foods the humans will use the coupon for!!

Now how about Audrey? Well, Audrey likes everything that can remotely be called food. Mom and Dad have never seen her not eat anything she was given. Never. Never.! So they have not tried her with a taste test, because they are pretty sure that, even if she had a favorite, she would eat up everything in all three bowls right away, and then probably barf it back up due to an overly full tummy!

Disclaimer: We received thre Picky Cat sampler pack free of charge from Royal Canin, as well as the coupon, but that has not influenced our opinion of the food, or Mom's reporting of the experiment.

Few Words Wednesday

2012-01-25T03:00:00.000-05:00

Doing the Royal Canin Picky Cat Food taste test.

Yawny Monday

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Tabby Cats are posting about yawning and lying around over on the Tabby Cat Club Blog today. Here's an extra Yawn picture for here:

It is a bit dark, but, yes, that shadow is all the inside of my mouf!!!

Snowy Saturday

2012-01-21T16:21:00.001-05:00

It is unconscionable that our Mom has not posted anything for us since Wednesday!! Her excuse is that she had put the hard drive with the Photo Library on it away when they went on their trip. Not Good Enough.

So today we have snow - our first real snow of the season, not counting that ridiculous storm in October that ruined so many trees. About 2-3 inches. It has been a good day to stay inside for the humans, and for us to catch up on eating and napping.

This is an interesting shot of how the snow looks on the deck - it has formed a pattern where some fell or melted through the spaces between the diagonal boards.

The snow always seems to attract more birds to the bird feeder, especially the male cardinals:

Audrey demonstrates the good passed out napping technique - also quite appropriate for today's PhotoHunt theme of Bliss.

Wordless Wednesday with Simba

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Humans are Home

2012-01-16T03:30:00.001-05:00

Hi, kitties. The humans got home on Sunday afternoon. Fortunately that gave us time for Simba to get over his hangover and for both of us to clean away the evidence of the party before they arrived. We were acting very nonchalant when they came in through the door.

They showed us some pictures of Audrey's first Mom and her husband and OMC, Audrey's first Mom has a fat round tummy. They accuse AUDREY of eating too much, but that tummy is out of control! And they told us it is going to keep growing until MAY! I don't understand why they don't get her an automatic feeder and restrict her portions like they do with Audrey.

Simba has been Partying Too Much

2012-01-14T11:00:00.001-05:00

Audrey here, still going strong with the party. I have energy for hours and hours more of nip sniffing and house trashing with my friends. But Simba has had his fill and is showing the effects of his nipover:

Friday Fun

2012-01-13T14:41:00.000-05:00

Having a bit of fun with some nip, here, kitties. Anybody interested in coming over and getting nipped up and trashing the house? Gotta move fast before the humans return!

Checking In Thursday

2012-01-12T18:27:00.000-05:00

Hi, kitties. Just checking in with our friends. Sorry we have not been visiting and commenting. Mom and Dad took a short trip to see my human sister (Audrey's first Mom) and so we have done a lot of THIS:

This is actually the picture we posted for New Year's except there were lots of streamers and party hats and fireworks added to that one!
We don't usually choose to sleep on the same chair or sofa, but sometimes when we do, nobody feels like they have to move.
Our cat sitter has been taking care of us and our humans will be back real soon.

Our New Numbers

2012-01-10T16:24:00.002-05:00

Many of you may recall that when Simba first got his town license last year, he was awarded the license number 007. When Audrey came to live here, she got her license and her number was 013. So only Simba had the special "00" number.

Now we have had to renew the licenses and our new tags arrived today: kitties, Simba is 008 and Audrey is 009! So we will be able to do super duper secret spy stuff together!! And it looks like a promotion for Simba!

Edited to add: Sparkle asked "Are there really that few kitties in the town where you live, to only have a three-digit license, and you two in the single digits?" Well, the answer is that we think that since the registering of cats only started last year, most of the people with indoor-only cats are not registering them. It is pretty surprising, though.
Regarding not being 007 any more, we also thought we would keep our numbers from year to year. But the new tags have 2012 on them, and it looks like they are given out in the order people come to register their pets for the year. 007 was James Bond, but there were other "00" agents with special licenses to kill (mousies?).
Oliver and Elliot, see you soon!

Oh, and could you go and leave some purrs for Fin's Mom Meg? She fell down and hurted her head and has a black eye. We bet she would appreciate a visit.

Mancat Monday

2012-01-09T09:00:00.007-05:00

Kitties! I did something SUPERMANLY on Sunday! Mom went into the basement (where I like to lie on a LOW window ledge and watch Squirrel TV in the back yard), and found I had somehow gotten all the way up on the high window ledge of the small window! See how close to the ceiling it is? (apologies for the warped ceiling tiles).

Here's a closeup!

After Mom took the picture she saw me get down, but she still doesn't know how I got up there!

Sunday Funny Stuff

2012-01-08T09:16:00.002-05:00

Our humans received a Kliban Cat calendar for Christmas and we thought it would be fun to share the picture for January with you. Credits, of course, to Bernard "Hap" Kliban.

The humans here are completing the Christmas takedown today. Yeah, around here they like to keep the tree up, feeling sad to put everything away seemingly so soon.

Sad Saturday

2012-01-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

We are sad here because the sweet kitty of some friends of my humans has flown off to the Rainbow Bridge. We don't have a picture to post, but her name was Peepers. She was a very sweet black and white girlcat, about 12 years old.

Mom wanted us to post about this because of what caused her to die. Peepers developed breast cancer. She had surgery but the cancer had metastasized. But it is important to know what the v-e-t said: cats who are spayed before they ever go into heat have a very low chance of developing breast cancer. Once thy have had one heat, the chances go up a lot and are highest for unspayed females. So in addition to other reasons, this is a very good reason to have female kittens spayed. If you have a female cat who had kittens and was then spayed later, her chance of developing the disease is quite high. Apparently this is especially the case for Siamese cats. It would be good to examine her nipple area for lumps frequently. We can think of a couple of our girlcat friends who may be at risk. The age it most frequently develops is after age 10.

Fly free, Peepers. We will see you again one day for sure.

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-05T07:23:00.000-05:00

We are thankful for the toy mousies we got for Christmas. Or at least Audrey is. Simba is more interested in watching Audrey play than actually playing with them himself!

Sorry the picture is a bit fuzzy. But not as fuzzy as THIS action one!

Wordless Wednesday - how to beat the cold and still go on the deck

2012-01-04T07:46:00.002-05:00

Toxic Plants? Tuesday

2012-01-03T07:31:00.002-05:00

When Dad purchased Mom a pretty white poinsettia just before Christmas, she admired it and immediately put it into the off-limits living room so there was no chance we would chew on it. She had heard poinsettias were toxic for cats. But one day she got curious and did some searching on the web and found a web site that she wants to tell you all about. It is called Pet Poison Helpline and their url is http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com. They also have an 800 number for the USA Canada and Carribbean (800-213-6680). There is a charge if you call them for help because they do not have public funding. But the website is free.

This is what we found out about Poinsettias and other Holiday plants and flowers:

"Though they have a bad rap, poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) plants are only mildly toxic to cats and dogs. Mild signs of vomiting, drooling, or rarely, diarrhea may be seen. If the milky sap is exposed to skin, dermal irritation (including redness, swelling, and itchiness) may develop. Rarely, eye exposure can result in a mild conjunctivitis (“pink eye” secondary to inflammation). Signs are self-limiting and generally don’t require medical treatment unless severe.

Far more worrisome are holiday bouquets containing lilies, holly or mistletoe. Even bouquets brought into the house by holiday guests should be thoroughly inspected, as lilies are the #1 flower often used by florists. Just one or two bites from a lily can result in severe acute kidney failure in cats – even the pollen is thought to be poisonous! Other yuletide plants such as holly berries, mistletoe, and rosemary can also be toxic to dogs and cats. When Christmas or English holly is ingested, it can result in severe gastrointestinal upset thanks to the spiny leaves and the potentially toxic substances (including saponins, methylxanthines, and cyanogens). If ingested, most dogs and cats lip smack, drool, and head shake excessively due to the mechanical injury from the spiny leaves. As for mistletoe, most of us hang it high enough so it’s out of reach of our dogs and cats – nevertheless, it can also be toxic if ingested. Thankfully, American mistletoe is less toxic than the European varieties of it. Mild signs of gastrointestinal irritation are seen, although if ingested in large amounts, collapse, hypotension, ataxia (walking drunk), seizures and death have also been reported."

Mancat Monday

2012-01-02T11:31:00.000-05:00

Dad tried to be clever with the camera on Christmas Day and got this picture of me under the coffee table in the living room. Note that I was on the "fancy rug" that I almost threw up on a few minutes later. But, really, it was all dad's fault - he had bought Mom some pretty roses a few days before, and they were on the kitchen table. I couldn't resist the greenery with the flowers and had myself a nice little snack of it while they were chatting on the phone with my human brother. All their fault - right?

Fortunately we left the white poinsettia on the coffee table (just slightly visible) alone.

Happy New Year to All Our Friends

2011-12-31T08:50:00.004-05:00

Have a safe New Year's Eve, Kitties and Humans. Wishing you the very best in 2012!

Me and my Friends Friday

2011-12-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

I hear these guys are only out for a short while. But we are firm and fast friends. Till next Christmas, buddies!!

Pee Ess: Simba almost bomited all over the "Precious Rug" on Christmas. The humans got distracted with a phonecall and he consumed some "greenery" he was not supposed to get into. During gift unwrapping, he started to ............. (barfing noises) and the humans shot into action. Simba dashed out of the Living Room and did his bomiting in the hallway, Thank COD!! Whew, was that a close call!

One Word Wednesday

2011-12-28T08:06:00.003-05:00

Caption?

*****************

And we want to add how sorry we are about Sweet BB having to run off to the Rainbow Bridge. She was with her Mom for 10 years and they were very close to each other. Please go and leave some purrs for her Mom.

Liebster Blog Award

2011-12-27T16:33:00.002-05:00

Scarlett and Melly, and Hannah and Lucy both nominated our blog for the Liebster Blog Award. We have been a little slow getting to post about it with Christmas and everything.

Thanks very much for this honor, girlcat friends!

"Liebster" means favorite or beloved in German, and this award helps to draw attention to blogs that aren't too well known.

Here are the rules for this award:

Upon receipt of the award, one is to:

1) Link back to the blogger who gave it

2) Paste the award on the blog

3) Choose 5 blogs to pass this award to (they must have fewer than 200 followers)

4) Let the recipients know about their nomination by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Here are the five blogs we are passing the award on to:

We hope you will enjoy participating!

Easy on Monday after Christmas

2011-12-26T10:20:00.002-05:00

We liked Bugsy and Knuckles' idea of posting Easy on Monday this week, with Sunday being Christmas and all. Actually, this picture was taken yesterday, but Audrey is doing the same thing today. And, yes, the humans did remove the tag!!

And here is Simba's version:

So today we each have a favorite sleeping corner in different rooms.

Later today Mom will try to post about our Liebster Blog Award. She has been too slow about it with everything else going on.

Meowy Christmas

2011-12-25T08:18:00.002-05:00

Merry Meowy Christmas to all our friends in the Blogosphere. Peace, Love and Joy to all.

I guess we have to exercise some of the Peace Love and Joy here because we have to SHARE this toy! (Mom bought a Supah Kitty from Casbah kitten before they closed their shop and saved it for Christmas).

Christmas Eve Photo Hunt - Surprise

2011-12-24T08:10:00.004-05:00

Mom and Dad let us into the living room for a short while yesterday and look what SURPRISED us:

Mom and Dad themselves are older than dirt, but some years ago Mom collected a few of the Macy's stuffed Christmas animals and she keeps them packed away except for at Christmas. Those are Paddington, Snoopy, Babar and the Grinch. Also there is a cute Hallmark teddy bear and a Raggedy Andy a close friend made for our human brother (cough cough) years ago. Audrey gave them a good sniff and stayed for a very short while for a photograph.

Wishing all our friends an excitement filled Christmas eve. We are reading your blogs even if we don't have time for comments.

A Feline Friend on Friday

2011-12-23T07:36:00.000-05:00

Kitties, we want to introduce you to our cousin, Katie. She belongs to our Auntie M, who is the Mom of Flossie, who flew to the Rainbow Bridge last August. We posted about Flossie here at that time.

For quite a while, Auntie M had no kitty, but she missed having a furry one to share her life and earlier this year she adopted Katie from a shelter. Katie's previous owner had to give her up when she moved to a nursing home.

Here Katie is enjoying snuggling in a fabric shopping bag! This will be her first Christmas in her new home.

Do You Believe in Santa Paws?

2011-12-22T13:40:00.001-05:00

Kitties, we have no photographic proof. It all happened so fast. But this morning we were glancing out our back window when nine (yes NINE - Mom counted them!) deer went through our back yard and quickly into the yard behind our house. Now Mom had to check on Wikipedia just to be sure but this is what she read:

The names of Santa's reindeer are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen,Comet, Cupid, Donder (or Donner), and Blitzen. They are based on those used in the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, arguably the basis of reindeer's popularity as Christmas symbols, where Donner and Blitzen were originally called Dunder and Blixem respectively.

The subsequent popularity of the Christmas song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has led to Rudolph often joining the list.

So, my furry friends, that totals NINE reindeer! Of COURSE Rudolph must be included!

Now we have to admit these were White Tail deer, not reindeer, but surely it cannot be a mere coincidence that 3 days before Christmas they were hurrying through our yard!

Make of it what you wish, but tomorrow morning we are looking for a man in a red suit!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T08:37:00.000-05:00

Our Christmas Card

2011-12-20T10:46:00.000-05:00

To all our friends, furry and human:

Please take a copy for your blog. Thanks very much to Ann of Zoolatry for doing it for us. We really like it!!!

Sunday at the Movies - Audrey and the Feeder

2011-12-18T07:04:00.001-05:00

Kitties, you see, Audrey actually has a little PIGGY living in her tummy. She is a total food hound and when she first came to live here, Mom and Dad tried 2 or 3 regular meals a day, but she was still always pestering them for food. And she would wake up very early in the mornings. So the humans got her the same kind of automatic feeder she had at her other home and they have it dispense a small meal of dry food with some water on it at 12 noon, 10 pm and 5 am. So when it gets anywhere near "feeder time" she lies in her beddie in the kitchen and waits for it. On this occasion, Mom picked up the camera just before lunch and thought she would film Audrey's reaction when the feeder whirred to provide the lunch. But here is what happened. We think Audrey has psychic powers. Have your sound on.

The label on top of the feeder is the instructions for our cat sitter for the one weekend the humans were willing to leave us. It is quite complicated!

Tabby Cat Club on Friday

2011-12-16T11:15:00.000-05:00

We have posted about waiting for Santa by our Christmas tree on the Tabby Cat Club Blog.

Farewell Sweet Admiral

2011-12-15T12:32:00.002-05:00

Oh, kitties, we are feeling very sad today because we just got the news that our dearest sweetest friend Admiral Hestorb had to fly off to the Rainbow Bridge. Her Mommy's heart is understandably broken. Please go and pay a visit to her.

Admiral, fly high, fly free, be always well and happy! One day we will meet at the Rainbow Bridge, for sure.

This is our favorite picture of Admiral, borrowed from her blog. It shows the brilliant color of her lovely eyes, and her gorgeous creamy chin and bib.

Not at All Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-13T19:30:00.003-05:00

Mom said she would feel guilty if she just posted a picture for me today, since she has NOT been posting every day, and has been seeming to pick days when it is simple, like Easy Sunday, Wordless Wednesday, etc.

Here is a picture of me napping next to /"on" Audrey's "snuggler" - I really don't know WHAT its name is, but it is like a sleeping bag with a stiffened opening. Audrey has not gone in it since she moved here, though the fabric is nice and soft. I like to partly lie ON it, like I am doing here. I like the feeling of the soft fabric, and I enjoy the fact that the humans have put it near one of my favorite napping corners.

It has been getting much colder here, and so if we DO go on the deck, it is only for a short while before our toes start to feel cold and we come back in. Winter is HERE, kitties!

The humans have our Christmas tree up in the living room (mostly Dad's work) and we can see it through the french doors but we have not been in there yet. The LR is "off limits" for cats most of the time. Mom does not want a cat to barf on the rug or the sofas in there. And most of the "very precious items" reside in there ('cause Audrey would chuck them off anywhere else in the house as soon as she became just the slightest bit hungry, which is one hour after she has had a good meal. She even pushes the water spray bottle off the counter in the kitchen, the one Mom uses to keep her in line occasionally. She is telling the humans "that's what I think of your SPRAY BOTTLE!")

Easy Sunday Audrey Style

2011-12-11T09:04:00.000-05:00

Here is another picture of Audrey taking advantage of the space between Dad's arms when he sits at the kitchen table. The last picture showed Dad asleep with Audrey but this time Audrey is keeping Dad company while he is reading his emails on his apple iTouch. She will soon be fast asleep.

Finally Friday

2011-12-09T10:38:00.002-05:00

Kitties, Mom can't post my picture about it now, but I HAVE TO TELL YOU that yesterday my humans hauled me off to the v-e-t place!! Oh, my, did I sing songs on the way there. AND Dad did not warm the car up beforehand, so it was halfway there before the car was even semi warm (it was a super cold and windy day).

Here it may look like I was talking, but I was actually PANTING for a short while. STRESS will do that to you, kitties!

Anyhoo, I did NOT want to exit my PTU! The v-e-t and Dad together turned the PTU on end and tried to pour me out, but I hung on for dear life inside. The v-e-t was very kind, though, and took his time, and eventually I came out.

Even though I have lost 0.5 to 1 lb since last year, he said I look healthy and he thinks it is because of the change of feeding routines since Audrey came to live with us. The humans discussed my vaccinations and together it was decided to keep my leukemia vaccine up to date by getting it once a year, but to let my distemper vaccine go for every 3 years, because I really hardly ever am outside. My rabies vaccine lasts for 3 years and didn't need to be redone.

I was very very glad to come home and Audrey didn't even notice the v-e-t place smells on me. In fact, for the first time last night she tried a couple of licks of grooming me!! I was so surprised.

Wordless Wednesday with Audrey

2011-12-07T06:16:00.000-05:00

Giving Mom "The Look"

2011-12-05T21:18:00.001-05:00

Kitties, it is important to perfect the demanding look and the scathing look with the humans. For example:

Audrey: "Get off the computer NOW and FEED me!"

And Simba: "Stop taking my picture and let me REST on this BLANKIE already!"

Sleepy Saturday at the Tabby Cat Club

2011-12-03T06:27:00.000-05:00

We were very sorry to hear the news that one of the Tabby Cat Club's members, Opus, had to go to the Rainbow Bridge on Friday. We want to dedicate our sleepy Saturday post to Opus. Run free, dear tabbycat.

This is a copy of our Tabby Cat Club post for today here. It is fun to see all the sleeping tabbies at the Tabby Cat club blog. Here are two VERY sleepy pictures, one of each of us. You can tell how tightly we are sleeping because we are curled into a ball, or at least a semi ball. And our eyes are tight shut.

Audrey:

Simba:

Funny Photo Friday

2011-12-02T05:38:00.001-05:00

We both like a good quick doze! When Dad sits at the table doing things like making a shopping list, or making phonecalls, I like to snuggle in his arms and "help". I guess dad got a little sleepy when doing that .....................

Please help in purring for our friend Ginger Jasper to get better. He has been pretty sick and won't eat on his own.

Some Words Wednesday

2011-11-30T05:32:00.000-05:00

We love to go on the deck a LOT. Before this recent warming trend, we had some cold weather, but we still persuaded Dad to take us on the deck early in the morning. Audrey got chilly toes and climbed on Dad's lap. She likes to do that! You can see Dad even wrapped his feet up, it was THAT chilly!

Dad lufs us lots!

Mancat Monday

2011-11-28T10:00:00.002-05:00

Audrey got yesterday's post all to herself (and her belly!) so I get today. What fabulous weather we had this weekend! It was up to 60 degrees F (that is 16 C for our overseas friends and relatives). So we talked Dad into a few deck sessions. If I do say so myself, I think this is a rather manly pose. Note the ubiquitous cozy towel, because even 60 F is a little chilly on the wood.

The humans were quite busy with their church, helping out with the Advent Festival. Lots of kids and their parents came and did fun crafts, and people made advent wreaths, decorated cards, made pretty ornaments, etc. Now we realize Christmas is just around the corner. YIKES! Of course WE will do nothing unusual, but we know the humans have to go and get a tree and do cards, and all sorts of stuff like that. And early December is always a big crush for the Mom at work.

Happy Monday, everykitty!

Easy on Sunday, Audrey Style

2011-11-27T07:15:00.001-05:00

Audrey is usually a tidy little sleeper, so Mom ran for the camera when she saw her snoozing away like this. Note the curled back toes! This is something that, I, Simba, may do on a regular basis, but not Audrey.

Have a very relaxed Sunday, everybody. We finally got our delayed turkey dinner meal last night. It was DEEELISCIOUS! So we are still sleeping it off today.

Synchronized Saturday

2011-11-26T05:22:00.000-05:00

Yes, we ARE a bit wimpy with our towels to keep our 'tocks warm. But if Dad is willing to provide them, then why not sit on them?

Happy Turkey Day

2011-11-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

Look who decided to come visiting our garden on Wednesday afternoon:

We took one look at her and both thought "Fresh Hen Turkey!"
She must have heard our thoughts because she decided to make a fast exit through an opening in our back stone wall!

Wishing all United States kitties and their humans a very happy Thanksgiving. We hope you get lots of turkey of your own to eat.

Sigh: lamo Mom. She was supposed to set this to post tomorrow!

Our First Post at the Tabby Cat Club

2011-11-23T02:30:00.000-05:00

Hi, kitties! As we have told you, we joined the Tabby Cat Club. The Club's first project is today, when we tabbies are posting about our WHISKERS! So it is Whisker Wednesday!
If you click on this link, it will take you to the Tabby Cat Blog where you can read our post and those of the other tabby members. Just to tease you, here is one of the pictures:

Happy Whisker Wednesday!

Easy on Sunday

2011-11-20T02:53:00.002-05:00

Whew, it has been an exhausting week! Dad has been doing a huge job clearing mountains of fall leaves and of course we have had to snoopervise him (NOT! - we slept!). Anyway, just thinking about all that work Dad has done, today we have to get a good nap in.

And we have joined the TABBY CAT CLUB. Our new badges are on our side bar, and by clicking on either badge, you can go to the club blog. Yes, we know, Audrey is a very "dilute" tabby, but her tail in the picture just above confirms her stripeyness. Calling all tabbies: please join also! Instructions are on the blog page - just email Gracie with a picture. Some of our friends have joined already.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

Man Cat Monday

2011-11-14T08:03:00.000-05:00

This picture was an out take when Mom was trying to get some 'tocks shots back in October. It shows my tail off quite well, I think.

Admiral asked in comments how old a girl Audrey is, because she was pretty frisky playing with the leaves in the video. Mom has back calculated and realizes Audrey is actually ELEVEN and a bit (in Mom's mind she was thinking ten). My human sister got her in January 2001. So she lived with her for more than ten years. Audrey still has a lot of kitten in her. She is older than me because I was born around January 2002. My exact birthday is not known either but my humans got me in July 2003 and were told I was about 18 months old then.

At 6 pm tonight (EDT) we will be trying to remember to join in the Worldwide Moment of Silence.

PhotoHunt - Two

2011-11-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

Here are videos of each of the TWO of us on the deck with the leaves. There is one video Dad took of both of us but it is too big to upload. Mom will have to try to do the YouTube thing some time, so as to be able to post longer videos.

I also wanted to add that the auction for Margs Pets is going to be ending tomorrow. With all the animals Marg takes care of, she has quite a lot of Vet Bills. Marg is always very generous in helping to have auctions for other kitties. This would be a great time to help her out and also bid on some great things. But you will need to do so soon! If you would like to just make a donation, that can be done through her website or through the auction site too. Click here to go to the auction site. AUCTION

11 11 11

2011-11-11T05:41:00.002-05:00

Today is Veterans Day in the United States. Huge thanks to all who have served in the past, and who are currently serving to help keep us safe. We include thanks to all our allies: today is Remembrance Day in Canada and Armistice Day in the UK.

Gardening Post Thursday

2011-11-10T06:35:00.000-05:00

:::meowwww:::

Dad is home! So he let us out on the deck yesterday and we had fun sniffing everything and enjoyed the leaves before he blew them off the deck. Mom is still worried about a dangly branch but Dad still let us out.

He also took some video but Mom has to try some things to get the video uploaded. In the mean time, here are a couple of pictures of us out there.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T05:17:00.000-05:00

Our branches

2011-11-08T13:11:00.002-05:00

Kitties, LOOK at this pile of branches from all the tree limbs that came down in our yard! And there is another one a bit smaller too. You can tell how high the pile is by comparing to the mailbox. The pile is taller than Mom!

Our town is sending some strong men and trucks with chipper-uppers round to collect the branches and turn them into mulch. Mom was super excited because they may do our street first! So maybe by the end of today we will have a view of the street again.

*I* just want to be able to go out on the deck again. But Mom says No, not yet. There is a nasty dangly branch over the deck and she doesn't want it to come down a bash a human or a kitty. We still have much work for the tree "surgeons" to do.

Edited at 6 pm: Branches still here. I guess they weren't able to get started as soon as they hoped. Or some people called the town and said they had not had enough time to get their branches lined up at the curb. Maybe tomorrow?

Jack the Cat - Rest in Peace

2011-11-07T06:49:00.003-05:00

Some of you may have heard the news already. Jack the Cat has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. You can read the full story on the Facebook site here

It is very very sad that all this happened to Jack due to being transported by plane. His human was moving to California and taking her two cats with her. Some will say that people should not send their cats in Cargo, but instead take them on the plane with them. However, as we have said before, currently the TSA make you take your cat OUT of his/her carrier when going through security. The same thing that happened to Jack could have happened if he had escaped from his human at security. Things need to change in how pets are handled when in cargo AND the security procedures.

Rest in Peace, sweet Jack. Be free at the Rainbow Bridge.

At least his human does not have to wonder whether he is alive and lost any more. And he died surrounded by love and caring.

PhotoHunt - LIght

2011-11-05T07:08:00.000-04:00

We get great light through our dining room window. Especially good in the winter. This picture is from late last November. Mom is interested to see they gave me fresh nip last November. They didn't bring my nip plant inside for the winter last year, so it must have still been before frost last year.

Finally Friday

2011-11-04T03:41:00.002-04:00

We just got our phone and internet back last night, so we are not in synch with posting for Dona Nobis Pacem today, though of course we do wish for Peace everywhere.

Things are getting more normal here, though our yard looks just dreadful - tree limbs everywhere. Yesterday a dangling branch detached from a tree in the wind and hit the roof and damaged the front gutter some, but fortunately the limb didn't hurt anybody when it came down to the ground. Another limb landed in the driveway, but again nobody was under it. It seemed to only take a mild breeze to shake these limbs free. The storm broke the tops of pretty much all the trees.

We have been doing a lot of THIS: actually though Mom doesn't have a picture, we have BOTH (me and Audrey) been on the sofa napping at the same time. That is a first!!

Yippyyay

2011-11-02T09:18:00.000-04:00

We know it is Wordless Wednesday but we have to use some words to let our wonderfully supportive friends know that our power company came and sorted our street out last night. They took away the trees on the power lines and then strung a whole new electrical line for the street. We have lights! We have heat! Mom can make tea and coffee and toast! No phone or internet yet, but that's not so important.

Thanks to everybuddy for your lovely comments and purrs.

Still here

2011-11-01T13:15:00.001-04:00

No electricity yet at our house. We are hunkered down for the long haul.

Here I am looking out the front door on Sunday morning. Most of the snow has melted now - there really wasn't that much. However the snow clung to the leaves and was too heavy for lots of the branches, so many of them broke. In the middle of this picture you can see our young flowering Kwanzaan cherry tree - its branches usually reach up to the sky, but the weight of the snow on them brought them all the way to the ground. Luckily they are young and flexible so none of those branches broke.

At the beginning of the snowstorm, Mom took this picture of our impatiens on the deck buried in snow. She thought it was rather pretty. That poor window box was smashed by a tree limb that came crashing down on that part of the deck railing, so it just looks like moosh now.

Added to answer a few of the comments: The deck railing held up fine. Dad built it super strong.
We don't expect power till near the end of the week.
No generator (Mom would be scared of one by herself, but wishes Dad was here and that we had one. But Dad says we would need special electrical work to have a generator connected to our heating system, which is gas, but needs electricity for the water pump).
Dad is away on a trip till next week.

Monday Morning Blues/Unhappy Halloween

2011-10-31T09:46:00.000-04:00

Kitties, it was quite some weekend here. We were affected by the storm that came up the east coast of the US on Saturday and Saturday night. About 1 pm on Saturday, even though there was not yet a lot of snow, the weight of the snow on the leaves still on the trees started to cause branches on trees to break, and one of the first ones took out the power line on our street. The yard is littered with branches big and small, and it looks more like we had a hurricane than a little bit of snow. In fact, when Irene passed through we had MUCH less damage than this. The power is still not on. Our temperatures are going down into the 30s at night, and the house is about 50F. We are having to do lots of cuddling with Mom in the dark at night.

Mom is posting this from work for us, as we have no internet at home. Posting and visiting will be sparse till we get our electricity back, hopefully about Wednesday.

Hope lots of you are going to have a fun Halloween. Our will be the quietest one ever.

Photo Hunt - Broken

2011-10-29T07:20:00.000-04:00

Kitties SOMEBODY has been a bit rough with some of the toys.

Exhibit A - the mouse. On the right is an undamaged mouse. On the left is the wrecked mouse.

Exhibit B: The Kong toy.

No toys ever got broken before Audrey came to live here. Just sayin'.

Thankful Thursday

2011-10-27T07:48:00.003-04:00

I am doing Thankful Thursday today, not Thursday in the Garden, because it is rainy outside here today, and also my Dad is away on a trippie and took the camera with him! So Mom has to use older photos.

Today one thing I am very thankful for is that the poor kitty Jack, who was lost for 7 weeks at JFK, was found!!! He was still in the airport building, in the customs section. Although he is in the care of a vet (he has fatty liver disease from not eating so long) and definitely not out of the woods yet, at least he was found now and has a chance. You can read more about it all on the Facebook page here or click on his picture on my sidebar):

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jack-The-Cat-is-Lost-in-AA-Baggage-at-JFK/143108332445793?sk=wall

If he survives, his human is planning to come and get him from California. She will not ship him in Cargo! However I hope she also realizes that when you take a cat on the plane with you, the cat must be taken out of the carrier to go through security. That was very scary for Audrey and she struggled and almost escaped when the humans brought her to her new home.

On another subject, about my nip picture yesterday, that is what the plant looked like just after Dad has thinned it out by making cuttings. The humans have moved the plant inside the house where we don't pay it much attention, but it is there for us to sniff when passing if we wish. Admiral asked if we would have a Nip Pawty, and I think that is a really excellent idea. We will have to get to discussing details.

Mom wonders what I was thinking, making those airplane ears.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T09:00:00.003-04:00

Not Good Enough

2011-10-25T10:20:00.001-04:00

Mom, you are REALLY slacking! No blog post since Saturday! What will we do with you?

Besides, give me some FUDS!

Photo Hunt - High

2011-10-22T06:13:00.001-04:00

Yes, just a LITTLE bit "high" on my catnip.

'Tocktober 'Tocks and Happy Birthday Derby

2011-10-20T08:18:00.002-04:00

In honor of Derby's birthday and 'Tocktober, kitties all over the globe are posting pictures of their handsome or beautiful 'tocks today. Here are our contributions:

Derby, we hope you have a wonderful 8th birthday!!!

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

2011-10-19T05:47:00.003-04:00

(Dad put the nip cuttings in the paper bag).
Yes, Simba DOES spend quite a lot of time looking at what Audrey is doing!

'Tocks Preview on Tuesday

2011-10-18T05:52:00.002-04:00

Mom was chasing us around the other day, taking pictures of our rear ends. Here is a little preview of Audrey's 'tocks:

And more leaves so you can tell it is Fall.

ManCat Monday

2011-10-17T10:35:00.001-04:00

Kitties, this is me striking a manly pose by the nip plant. Dad thinned it out and is drying the trimmings for us. (this is actually before the trimming!) He brought the plant indoors because, you can see, it is getting quite "fallish" here. Those leaves are quite the challenge on a windy day - they blow all around and Audrey and I try to keep up with them. Fun and games, kitties.

National Feral Cat Day

2011-10-16T08:29:00.001-04:00

Kitties, aren't we so fortunate to have nice homes? There are lots of feral cats who do not have homes to live in, but who have always been feral and so would not make good house cats. Today is a day to raise awareness about feral cats and about Trap-Neuter-Return programs. Several of my friends have done such great posts on this subject, and are much much more knowledgeable than we are, so I encourage you to go and read their posts, and also to go to the website of Alley Cat Allies and read their post about Feral Cat Day. They have an education section with lots of literature about feral cats and the best ways to help them.

Here is a link to Sparkle's post

Margs' Post

Beaded Tail's post

Island Cats' Post.

My humans said this morning that they want to find out more about how the officials in our town are managing the feral cat population and become involved in encouraging a TNR policy.

Photo Hunt - Public

2011-10-15T00:01:00.002-04:00

One of Mom's favorite PUBLIC places to visit - the Grand Basin in Forest Park, St Louis.

Furry (and Finally) Friday

2011-10-14T10:06:00.002-04:00

Mom often brings her pillow and lies on the couch when she watches tv. Here I got to rest on it before she took it away. The exposure is a little funny, but we think it is a sweet picture.

Of course my fur makes her face itchy, so she was not all that pleased that I was resting right on her pillow!

Few Words Wednesday

2011-10-12T13:06:00.002-04:00

Me and my nip again ...........

Indian Summer

2011-10-11T13:17:00.000-04:00

It has been so amazingly warm here for October. Dad has taken advantage of the warm weather to sealcoat our driveway and paint part of the front of the house, things you would not usually consider doing in October here. We have had wonderful window whiffies and a little time on the deck as well (not too much, because of worries about us escaping and running onto the wet black stuff on the driveway). Soon the deck will not be so inviting, so we hope to get out there some more in the coming week.

PhotoHunt - Waiting

2011-10-08T08:25:00.000-04:00

Our catnip plant has really benefited from the recent weather - look at how lush it is! We will sniff at the plant, but really like it if Mom or Dad will break off a piece for us and crush it a little to release the catnip smells. Here each of us show how we are WAITING for somebody to do that.

It took a while, but once Mom had her photos of us by the plant, she finally gave us each a piece. HEAVEN! Thanks, Mom!

MIA Day

2011-10-06T10:11:00.001-04:00

We are joining with Samantha and Clementine and Maverick of Life from a Cat's Perspective in honor of both their Mr Tigger who went missing, and our Rusty, who we lost when he did not come home. When Simba first came to live here, Rusty was the other kitty, and they became pretty good buddies, though Rusty was an independent sort, and just could not be happy unless he was able to go outside. He would roam and hunt, and always be back at the end of the day.
One rainy night he stayed out extra late and did not come home. The next day Mom and Dad looked all over the neighborhood for him, and put flyers in mailboxes with his picture, and called the vets offices in the area, thinking he might have been hit by a car. But there was no news of him. Then a couple of days later Mom saw that among the grass in the front yard was some of his ginger and white fur, as if he had struggled with an animal that grabbed him by the throat. They believe he was taken away and killed by a coyote or wild dog. Yes, right here in suburbia, we have such things. They were so very upset, but there was nothing to be done to make the clock go backwards. Now a special stone marks the spot in the front yard where Rusty last was.

So the humans are very protective of us now, and don't let us go out unless under very close supervision (for Simba only, Audrey doesn't go off the deck at all). Yet they do know Rusty would have been a very unhappy boy if he was confined inside. One winter Mom tried to refuse to let him out and he would scratch and scratch at the doors, and yowl frantically. Once he had tasted the outside he could no longer be an inside cat. But he did have 13 wonderful years of life. Here is Rusty one Christmas, by the Christmas tree:

Mr Tigger, we hope you are happy and have a new family somewhere who love you too. We know your first family misses you a lot.

Rusty, we love you and miss you. We hope you are enjoying the infinite outdoors at the Rainbow Bridge.

Not Really Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T13:26:00.000-04:00

Mom has been "bizzy" between work and home so our posting has been deficient. We won't complain because she still keeps up with the fuds.

At the end of our deck where it is by the stairs, and next to the lower deck, we have this green plastic mesh. Makes us look like we are in jail from the other side, but really we can see through it quite well.

Mancat Monday

2011-10-03T08:48:00.000-04:00

Wasn't Livestrong Day something? We found it so inspiring that so many cats blogged about it.

Mom has dug back into older photos for today's mancat picture of me, because our laptop is so full of pictures, she is saving the newer ones on an external drive and it is not connected right now.

Have a wonderful Monday all you mancats and ladycats!

Livestrong Day

2011-10-02T00:01:00.011-04:00

In our family we have had quite a few human family members, kitties and friends affected by cancer. Some of them passed away due to the cancer, and others are surviving. On Livestrong Day we want to honor them all. We won't list their names here, but if they read the blog, they know we are honoring them.

We really like this graphic because we really do wish for a world without any cancer at all.

We are not very adept with Photoshop and stuff, but using Picknik, Mom made us this picture:

There is a wonderful slideshow of pet bloggers' Livestrong pictures that Chandra did here. Do go and look at it! And the 2010 slideshow has some very favorite pictures in it of ours so if you would like to view that one on its own, here is the link. Thank you Chandra, and thank you Milo and Alfie's Mom, Jan, and Ann of Zoolatry for all you have done to help make Livestrong Day so inspirational. (Chandra helped Mom with the code for the 2010 slideshow so she has a small version of it below).

Added: We just want to encourage all who read my blog to SUPPORT organizations that fund SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH into understanding cancer and searching for cures.

PhotoHunt - Covered

2011-09-30T23:59:00.001-04:00

Mom's providing the photos here which don't include us. Of course we are COVERED in furs so any photo of us would do!

The first photo was taken at the Missouri Botanical Garden during the early spring a couple of years ago, when the crocuses were just coming up: this grassy area was covered in flowers!

The second photo comes from the humans' trip to Alaska when they took the White Pass Rail trip from Skagway: the train went through a couple of tunnels which had wooden covered entryways, (and wooden bridges!) like this one:

Tasty Toes and Tummy

2011-09-29T08:49:00.000-04:00

I was trying to think of an idea for today's post, because we don't have any recent garden pictures, and there is nothing to report out there. Then I read Brian's post about Tasty Tummy Thursday and it gave me an idea. Here I am licking my toes and tummy clean in my corner hidey area. I am still trying to work out what the flavor is. Any suggestions for a flavor that goes well with my furs? Mom would like coffee icecream, but I don't think I would like that too much.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

As Before, the Grass is Always Greener ........

2011-09-27T01:04:00.000-04:00

This photo is actually from last year, but could easily have been taken yesterday. I even go to the back door before I want to eat my breakfast and if Dad is willing, we go out for a while. But the weather has been wet so much of the time, often he has to say no. We are all tired of the rain.

An Award

2011-09-26T08:34:00.002-04:00

Last week we were honored with the Noteworthy Archives award from Chancy and his fursblings whose blog is Chancy the Gardener. Thank you very much, Chancy!!

In considering our friends blogs, two come to mind that have very rich archives. The first is Sweet Praline's blog, whose Mom Paula is now helping Truffle blog at Sweet Purrfections. Sweet Praline went to the Rainbow Bridge earlier this year, but Mom Paula has continued to post wonderful memory posts about Praline on her blog. They are so great to read and remember Sweet Praline.

The second blog with archives that we really enjoy reading is the Poupounette's blog. Their human #1 has been writing this blog since 2008. Among our favorite archives are the stories about Sen-Chan and Yuu-Chan before they went to the Rainbow Bridge. But also we have loved all the posts about Tama Chan's kittens. And now there are new stories about the young Gen-Chan and Vidock, the Percheron horse.

They're Home

2011-09-25T16:27:00.002-04:00

My humans went to Dad's XX%$@#!!th high school reunion this weekend so we were left in the care of a sitter, who was very nice to us. But it is still good to have the humans home because we can manipulate them for deck time. And extra meals.

Mom says she will try later to help us go round and read and comment on our friends' blogs.

The Grass is Always Greener ..........

2011-09-23T05:05:00.000-04:00

We love to go out on the deck, as most of you know. We will cry to be let out, starting from breakfast time. That is why this photo is so surprising. It must have been close to dinner time.

We seldom get so close to each other without there being a chase and tussle.

This and That Thursday

2011-09-22T10:22:00.001-04:00

It is raining here today. Mom often gets very irritated with the rain/Dad when Dad leaves our comfy towels on the deck and then it rains. They are so soggy and then usually have to be run through the washer and dryer to make then dry and soft and cozy again. Luckily this time Dad had brought them in.

Audrey has a new automatic feeder. She had one at her former home, and it was helpful for dispensing small amounts of dry food to tide her over the 1 am, 3 am, 5 am etc hungries. She now spends a lot more time lying near it, hoping for it to give its characteristic whir sound as the food turns into view. When Simba first heard it, he sat bolt upright and his eyes were wide as saucers. But he isn't too interested in it for food because he considers dry food the food of last resort. Unless it is treats.

Now that the weather is just slightly cooler we are showing more inclination towards blankies, beddies, etc. Audrey even likes to have her pink princess blanket put over her when she is in her bed. She really IS quite a Princess! Simba lies ON TOP of Audrey's snuggie that her first Mom brought over Labor Day weekend.

Few Words Wednesday

2011-09-21T03:02:00.000-04:00

Audrey: I ate my breakfast. Then Mom had left the door open to the bathroom where they put Simba's food so I ate his too.

Purring for Tortie Admiral

2011-09-20T06:52:00.002-04:00

Admiral Hestorb is my very best kitty friend. As many of you know, she is in the kitty hospital right now. We are pretty sure she will be all better and coming home in three days, but she hates being away from her Mom and home, and is probably feeling lonely and a bit scairt right now. Please purr for her and her Mommy, who is also missing her fur baby a lot. This is the Admiral yesterday in her carrier and she doesn't look very happy about things.

Our friend Mario has posted a wonderful post and also has set up a Pawcircle for her on Twitter. Though we are not on Twitter, we know many of you are.

Admiral, please get better so we can go for another sail on the high seas. Yesterday's sail got cut short by your need to go to the Vet.

Meow Like a Pirate

2011-09-19T06:11:00.000-04:00

Ahoy there, me Mateys! T'day is Meow Like a Pirate Day! All ye beauties should be join'n us for a sail on the high seas with Admiral Hestorb! Arrr t'will be a great day t' leave the land lubbers behind and enjoy plenty of grogg. Smartly now, don't be late!

My Engraved Picture!!!

2011-09-18T07:53:00.001-04:00

Kitties, I was going to post about this tomorrow, on Manly Monday, but tomorrow is also Meow Like a Pirate Day, so I decided today would be the best day.

A couple of weeks ago, I won a drawing on Beaded Tail's Blog for an engraved picture of myself on a wooden plaque. Well, Mom and Dad were busy with the visitors for Labor Day weekend, but after the weekend was over, Mom exchanged several emails and samples of pictures with Edi, the wonderful artist. In each case, Edi sent Mom back a sample of what the picture would look like when converted to the engraved form. She ended up deciding on one of me lying on the deck (of course!) and yesterday, the man in the blue shorts delivered a box to our front porch with my engraved picture in it!

As you can see, it is done on a wonderful plaque of honey-colored wood, and has my name engraved under my picture. We are all so delighted with it! If I say so myself, I look awfully handsome. Mom feels it has really captured what I am like.

Kitties, if you want one for yourself, grab your Mom's plastic card and head on over to:
www.memoriesforlifesb.etsy.com. The engraved pet portraits and human pictures are located under the section "Home Decor". As you will see, Edi specializes also in unique custom made scrapbooks which spell out a word, such as Family, or a person's name. I am trying to talk Mom into one that says Simba! Mom also liked the laser engraved wooden coaster sets a lot.

Edi also has a blog - the url is www.memoriesforlifescrapbooks.blogspot.com . Mom so appreciates artistic people, because she feels she has so little artistic creativity herself.

Many many thanks to Edi, and to Angel, Isabella and Sadie of Beaded Tail for hosting Edi's wonderful giveaway!!!!

Disclaimer: We received my Pet Portrait free of charge. The opinions expressed here are our own true opinions.

Photo Hunt - Wooden

2011-09-17T00:31:00.002-04:00

This week's Photo Hunt theme is a good one for us, because our deck is WOODEN. Dad built the deck himself quite a lot of years ago, and all the boards of the floor go on the diagonal, with no seams or joins. It is pretty cool. This picture emphasizes the floor boards taking it from the back door. It actually makes the deck look a lot wider than it is. For most of its width it is 12 feet wide and it is about 20 feet long, which (we agree) is a generous size for a deck. Then there is a second, smaller section below at one end.

And as most of you know from the fact that I post a lot of pictures of us on the deck, Audrey and I both love to go out there as much as possible.

We LOVED all the caption suggestions for yesterday's post!!!!!

Suggest a Caption

2011-09-16T06:16:00.000-04:00

Mom has never seen me do this before. I have shown no interest in climbing on the patio chairs ever, though I have seen Audrey start to do it lately. This was another picture taken recently after we had so much rain, and the deck was still wet.

Lest you think I got on the chair, here is what happened next:

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T06:47:00.000-04:00

Mancat Monday

2011-09-12T07:04:00.001-04:00

Mom took a bunch of pictures of me lying on the deck on Saturday morning and I posted one of them that day. Here is another one: I look rather Regal, Mom says. It was pretty Manly of me to be lying there like that because parts of the deck were pretty wet. We had quite a bit of rain last week, and are really hoping this week will have NO RAIN! That way some of the poor people with flooded houses can get a little relief.

9-11 We Remember

2011-09-11T06:00:00.004-04:00

(Mom here borrowing the blog)

We remember and honor all those who lost their lives or were injured on, or because of, 9-11-01. We also honor all their loved ones who were left behind, and all the first responders. We will not forget your sacrifice.

During August of 2001 we visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and took a picture of the World Trade Center Twin Towers. Little did we know that less than a month later the towers would be gone. The picture is the only one we have, rather hazy, but here it is. Many of those who were killed were there at work on that day.

Edited to add: We visited the same places a week ago and here is how it looks now, from about the same place. You can try matching up the buildings and see what is new, if you like.

Easy Weekend Decktime

2011-09-10T17:41:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow we want to remember those who died on September 11th 2001. So we are posting late for Saturday and early for Sunday on easy time on the deck. We have had a ton of MORE rain here this week with TS Lee's remnants, so this was the first we got out on the deck in many days.

Simba's version:

and Audrey's version (she has discovered the patio chairs are comfy!):

Mo Cats Day

2011-09-09T00:00:00.001-04:00

It is September 9th and we join with others everywhere to help proclaim today is Mo Cats Day.

We have done our part by adding Audrey to our family this summer, so now we have MO CATS who live here!!

Can you believe that somebody said 9/9/09 should be NO cats day? RIDICULOUS!!!