Fresh Catnip!

Mom and Dad had to make a decision about my catnip plant over the weekend: whether to just leave it outside to the elements for the winter, and hope it could sprout again next spring, or bring it into the house and nurture it. They decided on the latter, or at least to bring it in for a while: if it gets in the way, it may go back outside, mulched with some leaves to help it overwinter.

Dad gave me a single leaf to enjoy (kind of chintzy, wasn't he?). You can interpret the pictures the way you wish.

Easy Sunday

The weather has gotten quite cold here, so my harness pictures from the other day may be the last outside ones for a while.

I got my rabies shot yesterday afternoon- it was a bit traumatic but over quickly. Our town had a rabies clinic at the fire station, which is only a very short ride away, so I didn't have to endure a car ride to the Vet's. I was pretty frantic when Mom stuffed me into the carrier, though. But I DID get a written certificate! Mom can take it to the town offices in January when she has to get me a license. Do you think it will be a license to drive?

Back Scratch Saturday

The Photo Hunters theme for today is "Written". We are completely stumped by that one. I am a CAT. I don't write stuff. And we see the same theme is coming up again in December!

Mom and I were looking through my photo folder for something for my post and came across these pictures of me rolling in the dirt on the driveway earlier this summer. It was such fun getting my back scratched and getting some nice dirt in my fur. It is getting a bit cold now, for being out there and also, since Mom makes me wear my harness, I would not be rolling like that nowadays, because I do NOT feel relaxed!

I have to get my Rabies vaccination today. Luckily it is a clinic in our town, so I do not have to drive far in the car, or spend too long in my carrier. But I think I am going to be nervous anyway. I hope I will get a WRITTEN certificate for going.

Here I Am!

I didn't think I was so hard to see in the picture: sorry! My ears and top of my head are just sticking above the edge of the leaf pile. I was lying on the ground next to the pile and Mom went to the other side and took the picture. Mom used Picnik so as to put the label on the photo below, so now for some reason it won't biggify. So there's a cropped enlargement below it. Now I bet if you went back to yesterday's photo, you could see me!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Can you Find me?

Hint: I was on the other side of the leaf pile, not buried in it. Further hint: look near the center of the picture.

Bonus useless (or maybe useful?) fact for your amusement: deer don't eat catnip plants, even though they love impatiens.

Mancat Monday

It was a sad weekend with both Inigo and Miss Patches going to the Rainbow Bridge. I know how hard a thing it is for kitties' or doggies' parents to help them on their way, but also that it is the final act of kindness they can do for their beloved furchild. I do not like to think about my time, but I hope my parents will have the strength to help me if I need it. They had to do so for two of the Ones Who Came Before Me, Kimi and Smudge.

Here it was another big lot of leaf-clearing yesterday. Mom and Dad did a lot of errands on Saturday and went to "exercise" , then dad cleared leaves yesterday afternoon. This photo is from last weekend, but it looked the same this weekend! BIG piles. I had a little time out with my harness and leash. I still don't like them, but seem to be adjusting a bit.

Farewell Inigo

Dear sweet Inigo, we will remember you forever. Run free and be all healed, and one day I will meet you there.

Purrs for your Dad, Mum and brother Rumbles. Your Mummy wrote such a beautiful tribute for you here.

Photo Hunt- Juicy

Today's topic for the Photo Hunt is a tough one because the main JUICY thing for me is the gravy on my food, and I didn't think you wanted a picture of THAT! Though it could do double duty for another Thankful photo.

This picture is from about 6 months ago, and the fresh cat grass Dad grew for me was pretty yummy and juicy. I think I need to ask him to grow me some inside this winter.

Thankful for My Deck

This is the photo I am entering for the Thankful Photo Contest for Derry. The idea of the contest is to submit a photo of something you, as a furry, are thankful for. I do know for sure that my deck has to rank up there high among things I am thankful for, and certainly makes a better photograph than my fuds, blankies, and humans! I like the way this photo shows the smooth newly-stained surface, and the diagonal lines of the boards.

Do consider submitting a photo for the contest. It isn't really about the prize, but about all Derry's friends doing a little each to help him and his Mom out, and having fun at the same time. The rulez are at the link. But hurry, there isn't a lot of time, just till the 22nd.

Wordless Wednesday

Impatiens Recycling

I don't have a picture of the deer to show you, yet, because they come during the night or at dusk, or early morning. But here is the evidence that they have been around:

These are four of our five impatiens boxes. Not only did they nibble away the flowers, when they came back they snacked the plants just about down to the nubbins! We were really surprised. Mom and Dad had thought they would be able to have nice flowers along the driveway for a little, but they were wrong. This picture shows me for the short time I actually stood up and walked while I was out with my harness. It wasn't for long but Mom has hope. Those deer must have left some interesting smells on the boxes, because I was very interested in sniffing them.

Marvelous Memories Monday

Saturday was a big leaf clearing day for Dad, but it was a beautiful day for doing it. After he finished blowing the leaves into piles using a backpack blower, he raked them onto a burlap cloth and dragged them to a big leaf pile in our way back yard. At this stage, Mom brought me outside with my harness and a leash. It was wonderful being out there, although I still mostly laid around, because the darn harness still makes me lose my bones a lot. But occasionally I would forget and walk a little. The leash also gives me the heeby jeebies - Mom is thinking about buying a longer one, or one the extends and retracts.

Hope everycat had a great weekend!

Cat Day on Earth

Instead of writing a post today, we are going to send you over to Sparkle's blog to read her entry for today. Be forewarned, though, the video is sobering and hard to watch the second half. We all know about the kitties in shelters needing homes, but Sparkle has brought home what lies in store for many of them.

http://www.sparklecat.com/special/cat-day-earth

PhotoHunt - Itchy

Today's Photo Hunt theme was a hard one. Finding pictures of myself on a soft UN-itchy blanket was easy, but nothing of me that could qualify as Itchy. So I am posting this picture that my Mom took at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau. It is of a lining for a parka made of grass, because the grass would hold air and help to keep the person wearing it warm. She and I both think it might have been Itchy.

Late Gardening Post

Dad decided that even though the impatiens plants in the boxes on the deck were still looking fairly good, considering that it was already November 10th, it was time to recycle them to the compost pile. So he moved a couple from the deck down to the garden. Overnight we had a visit from some deer, who took a fancy to the impatiens "snack" they found:

You can also see how many leaves we have accumulated since Dad cleared them on Saturday.

To give you an idea of what the impatiens plants looked like before being snacked on, this is one of the remaining boxes:

Added for clarification: Just in case any of you think Dad on purpose put the boxes out in a spot where the deer could eat them - how COULD you think that!

Wordless Wednesday

Tale of Almost Woe

Mom and Dad got down to the last half can of food for me today. I was pretty worried. They seemed preoccupied and busy much of the weekend, between sorting out the computer file transfer, and clearing lots of leaves in the garden. Fortunately Mom realized in time and went to the store this evening and restocked my canned food. So I filled up my tummy and was able to take a nap afterwards. Since I am still trying to grow fur. It was quite chilly and miserable here today, between cold and rain coming together. But we enjoyed the "extra" hour now that daylight savings time has ended.

Sunday Floofage

My friend Fin was talking about how she is working on growing her winter coat by eating a lot and napping a lot. That is definitely happening to me too - yesterday I spent the whole day either in nap mode or asking for multi-meals. It takes a lot of calories to grow a winter coat!

PhotoHunt-Alive

Mom got this photo of a whale when they were in Alaska last year (actually, she thinks there are two or three whales in this picture, or else they have very odd anatomy! They were quite far off when she took the picture, but it was zoomed and cropped). She hopes next time they go there, they will still be able to find whales to see.

The computer is not fixed, but by using a laptop connected to it, it looks like Mom is going to be able to transfer their files, because the hard drive is still alive. It will be tedious but doable, she thinks. Then they can decide if it is worth spending the money to fix it. Luckily, she also has copies of all their Alaska trip photos on her laptop so she could do this post for me.

Fiendishly Busy Friday

Mom says she has been fiendishly busy with work stuff so I am giving her a break today in not having to look for a picture of me to post. Unfortunately our home computer(an iMac) crashed on Wednesday night, where the most recent ones were anyway. So time to give Mr Steve Jobs' crew a visit to see if it can be fixed. She thinks it is a video board or logic board because it simply went black in the middle of what she was doing. But that is only because she googled around with "iMac black screen" and saw some discussion groups. When she first tried to restart it, it made a nasty noise, but after 24 hours of rest, it started with the normal "ca-ching" noise, but no picture.

I am not too terribly perturbed, myself. You can rerun the picture of me from Wednesday if you want to know how I feel about it.

Blog Blast for Peace - Dona Nobis Pacem

Today I am joining other bloggers and catbloggers in purring for peace among humans and animals all over the Earth. Let's also do our part in preserving and protecting our beautiful Earth.

One Word Wednesday - CLOSE-UP!

Update: And please purr for Sweet Inigo and his family. You can click on his picture on my sidebar to go to their blog.

Tuesday Relaxing

Actually I am not wearing my harness today, because Mom is at work. This was Sunday. But I AM relaxing on the blanket on the sofa, catching up on naps. It has turned crisply chilly here.

Did you have lots of trick or treaters on Sunday? We only had a few. Now Mom has leftover candy that she shouldn't eat. And of course for ME, treats aren't chocolate, they are Temptations or Party Mix.

Have a good Tuesday!

Monday Harness Report

No picture, but for those of you following with bated breath how I am doing with my harness, over the weekend my humans kept it (the new, red Puppia harness) on me for about half the day each day. I stayed pretty still with it on when on the deck (which is good, actually - prevents escapes), but inside I was a little less floppy, and actually held my body in a normal upright position some of the time. I also went down into the basement and got on the ledge. Dad said I "got my bones back"! Mom should try to get some video of the way I walk, though!

I will keep you posted!