Thursday Gardening Post

::three paw taps::

Posting late today because my assistant had to take my Dad to the doctor for a follow up visit - he had some tunnels built in his hands or something like that last Friday. He is doing great, they said.

This photo is from last Thursday - most of that snow has melted, but we are expecting more snow tomorrow!! April Fools joke NOT.
Outside gardening is yet to begin, but Dad did buy some lettuce seeds. They want to try to grow their own salad greens. This picture is of some of the indoor "Garden" - the narcissus plant has really come up suddenly and fast. In the background is an orchid my Dad tends lovingly. It is called Phalaenopsis Sunset.

Does anycat know what the green plant is called? Srsly, we don't know.
And I guess this picture will be what it looks like for the doves tomorrow!

Head on over to Jonesie's blog to see what she is up to!

One Word Wednesday

Washday !

Missing my iMac Monday

Last November, my humans' iMac computer had a little problem with the picture part of the computer (it went blank) and ended up switching over to a Mac Powerbook computer. The problem is that I miss being able to lie in front of the computer, where my Mom cannot help but see me all the time. Here's a picture from before:

Admiral Hestorb's Mom got a new iMac with a wireless keyboard, and I was telling her she needs to try out this position for lying in front of the screen, because the warmth that comes from under the computer is nice and cozy. Milo posted about helping his Dad on the computer, but I am too big to sit in front of the keys on the laptop the way Milo can. Milo is much more dainty than me! So I have to be content with jumping up on the right side of the computer, walking or hopping across the keyboard, and sitting to the left hand side of it. Kitties, it is just not the same. And it risks the Mom getting mad at me when I press the wrong keys and send half-written emails prematurely! (that happened on Saturday).

So Admiral, the photo above is what I was talking about! Do try it!!

Lazy Sunday

PhotoHunt - Cage(d)

This is my Feline Funhouse. I think it is a not-so-funhouse because I really do not like to be caged. I got it last summer and it was pretty quickly that I learned to paw at it to try to get out, if my folks zipped me into it. Notice that in this photo, I am free to go in and out so as to get under my small table, because the flap is not zipped shut.

Now they have been talking some about a larger catio/cage. I prefer no caging at all.

Feed Me Friday

When I am feeling a bit peckish (i.e. if I am awake!) I give Mom "the look" and lock onto her eyes so that as soon as she gets up out of her chair, I can race to the kitchen for yet another "meal". So far today I have had 2 breakfasts and am trying to wangle a third. Of course I don't necessarily eat it all: sometimes I just lick off the gravy.

Thursday in the Garden with Simba

Did you check your calendars? Yes, it IS March 24th! Spring began a few days ago, according to the calendar, but not according to Mother Nature. We have had snow the past two days, so this is what MY garden looks like!

Looking down from our front door:

Our Kwanzaan Cherry Tree, which is supposed to be full of blooms in a couple of weeks' time:Can you see the bird feeder to the left, covered in snow? dad will have to go and brush it off for the birdies.This is part of the maple tree right off our deck, the one the Hawk sat in. If you look carefully you can see the reddish leaf buds under the snow. Boy, I bet THEY were surprised!

Wordless Wednesday

From Long Ago - Found in a Drawer

I bet even MY (cat) Mom wasn't alive when this photo was taken in 1993. Mom laughed at the idea of Belle being bigger than Rusty (who totally dominated her when he got bigger). When I came to live here Belle had already gone to the Rainbow Bridge and it was just Rusty.

Repurrt

The visitors seemed quite nice when they arrived last night about 8:15 pm. Though nobody actually approached me to pet me or anything, I didn't even race to the basement to hide, and when everybody was having dinner, I even wandered calmly into the dining room. I slept with my parents like normal last night, but then I discovered they had STAYED for the night!!!!! Mom had warned them to keep their doors closed so I would not go into their bedrooms, and so I forgot they were here! I got quite freaked out and hid in the basement until after they had finally left about 10:15 am. They had a long drive back to Canada today, so could not stay longer. I was finally able to relax enough to use my litter box and to find my spot on the end of the sofa and relax for a nap. Mom has promised me a second litter box for the basement for the next time they have overnight guests.

Photo Hunt - License Plate

When my humans went to Alaska in 2009, they spent a couple of days in Haines, a fairly small town not visited by everybody. They went there from Juneau on a small 6 seater plane. One of the main reasons they went there was to be able to see bald eagles. On one of the afternoons they took a walk around town and went to the parade grounds of Fort Seward which was surrounded by old military officers' houses. Next to one of the houses was this old car. Isn't that a neato license plate number?Here is some interesting information about Fort Seward copied from this website of the National Parks Service:

Established by Executive Order on December 31, 1898, and first known as Haines Mission, Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.

Finally Friday

It has seemed like a long week, hasn't it? We are hopeful that things will stabilize in Japan and that the worrying news will decline. Mom is a bit mad the way the news media drum up the fears in people about things like radiation and "nucular" things. However we know that doesn't change the reality for so many in Japan, who have a very long road ahead. We hope they can get supplies and electricity to everybody as soon as possible and that there are no further major earthquakes there.

My Dad has been helping out the Mom with some Spring Cleaning and doing windows and storm doors. This photo is from earlier, during the winter, but today I will be watching him again through it. We are expecting company overnight tomorrow, always a good motivator for a good cleaning around here! Outsiders who I don't know yet tend to make me nervous, but I understand they are cat people, so hopefully we will become friends quickly. I will report back after they leave and let you know.

Japan's Animals

Along with other bloggers, today Mom and I are joining with Blog Paws be the Change for Pets to support raising funds and also awareness of the plight of animals in Japan. If you go to the Blog Paws for Change website you can learn more about World Vets and their efforts in Japan and other countries. If you wish to make a donation use the Chip in on the Blog Paws for Change website or you can go to:

http://worldvets.org

Wordy Wednesday Challenge 2011

Thank you Sam and Andy's Mom, Judi, for my Wordy Picture. I love the way she combined the Scrabble letters with my photo. And great thanks to Ann of Zoolatry and to Judi for organizing this Challenge and for all their work.

The word I chose to describe myself is Floofalicious. I do not remember which cat or human it was who first used that word to describe me in a comment, but I am definitely a very floofy ginger housecat! Mom says there are many other words that can apply to me, such as sweet, calm, patient, and also a little bit norty, but Floofalicous seems to be the best. When I lie sleeping, when I am walking, when the breeze blows through my fur on the deck, that orange floof is front and center.

Have a wonderful Wordy Wednesday, everycat. I look forward to visiting your blogs to see your chosen Word that describes you for the Word Challenge.

Dreamy

We have continued to feel down about the tsunami in Japan and not inspired to write a post.

But tomorrow is Wordy Wednesday, so I thought I should post something in between. I do have my Word and picture for tomorrow already!

No, this picture is not from now. It is from last summer, but I am already dreaming about warmer weather and lying on my towel on the deck. When I can do that, I feel life is very very good. C'mon warm weather! Do you think I look dreamy in this photo (in more ways than one, Mom says)?

Somber Sunday

With so much suffering in Japan from the earthquake, I am going to just have a short post today. We are very worried about the people and animals there who have survived the initial earthquake and tsunami, because so many have no food or water or electricity. It is a very bad situation. If purrs and prayers can help, let us crank them up to top speed.

Photo Hunt - Machine

Well, of course the most common machine our humans make us encounter is the Metal Monster Machine when they take us in a carrier to the VET. Last summer, my humans got a new machine, which is a really nice and fancy blue Honda CR-V. This picture was taken shortly before they went to get the new one, trading in the gold one on the right for it. The red one on the left is an OLD Honda Civic that is still proving to be very reliable and good for driving all around local streets. Please note that the dark streak here was just some water that condensed from the air conditioner, not oil!

I don't like cars when they are moving. 'Nuf said.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for my deck. Although this picture is from last year, it shows two other things I am thankful for about the deck: first, Dad put a lot of work into staining the deck last fall and it has really helped the deck to "weather" the winter and snow better. I am also thankful that they have stopped making me wear that harness when I go out: I have only been out for some short times on the deck so far this year, because the weather is mostly pretty cold, but when dad comes out there with me, he makes me wear my collar and tag because of the new town rules.

Oh!!! Sudden update! While Mom was transcribing this for me, Dad let me go out on the deck in the RAIN! I didn't stay long, but he took a quick picture of it.

I am thankful I have a warm dry house to live in! It is supposed to rain really a lot today and tomorrow. But see how nicely the water sits on the surface of the wood? That is because of Dad's great stain job.

Wordless Wednesday

Tagged Tuesday

I have been wearing my collar and 007 tag a bit lately - Mom tries to force Dad to put it on me if we go on the deck. The weather is still pretty cold, but we have been out there a little bit. I don't seem to mind either th collar or the tag or the little bell on it. By comparison I just HATE my two harnesses and go all boneless when they put a harness on me.

I have some very sad news about a sweet kitty who had to go to the Rainbow Bridge. He is Maurice, one of the Three Ginger Cats (his fursiblings are Pixie and Elmo) and they live in Wales. Their Mom is the very talented artist and book Illustrator and Author, Jackie Morris. Her blog is one of the most beautiful cat blogs ever. You can click on his picture on my sidebar to go to their blog.

Bird Excitement and Early Manly Monday

My Dad is somewhat of a birdwatcher, and he enjoys seeing the birds that come to our feeders, and in our yard. He has one bird feeeder with mixed seeds in it, and one with peanuts especially for the woodpeckers. And he also puts suet cakes out for the birds.

Some of you may remember about the hawk that was here close to the house about a month ago. We believe the hawk is still in the area, and has found a potential mate: there are two hawks practicing soaring together who my parents see quite often. We wonder where they may end up nesting.

But the excitement on Thursday happened when my dad and I were out on the deck for a little while, and he heard the sound of a woodpecker pecking at a knotty area in a very big oak tree at the back of our yard. Now, kitties, this was no ordinary red headed, or downy, or even hairy, woodpecker. No sirrreee. This was a Pileated Woodpecker (pronounced like Pie). These guys are over 16 inches tall! Here he is pecking away at the knot (you can see where he has pecked away the bark):

And here he is from the side, closer up. These are the best pictures Dad could get with the camera zoom because the tree is far back.
But even more amazing is that there was a female in the front yard too, and they were calling to each other over the house with a loud "wuck" note like a bugle. She also came to the back and they hopscotched their way north through the trees between the houses.

Mom missed it all because she was at work. So this was a special MANly discovery that I helped my Dad with by wanting to be on the deck.

Happy Sunday!!

Photo Hunt - Self Portrait

Today's Photo Hunt theme is a challenging one - the themes, after all, are not specially designed with cat bloggers in mind. As you know, kitties, the idea of taking a self portrait without any opposable thumbs is pretty challenging. So instead I got Mom to play around a bit with a picture of me using some settings on her computer, and to come up with this old-looking Portrait of mySELF. It was fun, she says.

Few Words Wednesday

Audrey, my cousin - doesn't she look purrty on that blue couch?

Tummy Tuesday

Kitties, I do have to apologize about my decreased posting and commenting. I really do not know what the Mom's problem is. I am wondering about retroactively downgrading her purrformance review. Anyway, we are alive and well here, rejoicing that March has finally arrived today! I will be glad when the humans can get some new photos of me outside on the deck rather than depending on these boring sleeping shots taken inside. I have been practicing wearing my collar and tag a bit inside: the collar has a bell, so now the folks and I have to get used to the jingling sound whenever I go anywhere or shake my head.