Mark's Mews

Food Sunday

2012-01-29T13:54:00.000-05:00

YAY! Its MORE FOOD DAY! Our shelf was gettin kinna empty, so we told TBT he hadda go hunting again. But he surprised us. He hadda some boxes of food what had been brought RIGHT TO OUR DOOR couple weeks ago (but we dint know what it was then).

This is 2 whole layers deep. There is room fer a 3rd layer, but he says there is a different brand comin an he wants ta mix it in with this stuff. IF we like the flavor of it, of course...

Happiness is... Seein LOTS of stinky goodness cans!

Jumpin High

2012-01-28T12:03:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: I'm not the "effortless levitator" that Ayla is, but I finally HAVE gotten strong enough ta get up ta many of the places she thought were all her own. Like the shoe rack ... A few months ago, I could only jump up ta the middle shelf, an now I can get ta the top where the folded up towels (an sometimes food) are.

Needless ta say, Ayla is not thrilled. I mean, we really DO get along great, but she thought that was HER private spot.

Its HER fault, of course. Sometimes she wants ta eat her dinner on her own up on the shoe rack. But she doesnt allus clean her bowl (somethin she used ta be famous for). And I will follow the smell of food ANNYWHERE. So I kept tryin to get UP there. The first few times, I almost made it but ended up hanging from the top rack by my front paws, then droppin back ta the floor 5 feet below.

So, as ya can see, I can jump up there now. I dont look all THAT thrilled, do I?

Thats because there is no foods up here this time! What I smelled was a little blot of spillover from when there WAS food up here.

NOW, I gotta get down. Which is not all that easy. Its 5 feet down ta the floor. Or over 3 feet down an 2 feet over ta the bed. Ya know somethin? It looks further DOWN than it looked UP! Jumpin onto the bed is weerd cuz its a waterbed and it sinks and shakes when ya jump down on it. Ayla lands softly like a shoe. I land like a bowling ball. I need ta watch Ayla more ta see how she does it.

Meanwhile, I think I'll just sit here until TBT comes by, and ask him for a lift ta the floor...

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About the collars (from yesserday): Well, first, our collars are on VERY loose. TBT has a dread of us feelin restricted or even aware of them. He makes sure several fingers fit under them without even pressing our furs. Second, so they tend to come off still attached at the ends when we wrassle or even just scratch our necks. In fact, TBT is convinced that Ayla can just walk right through her collar annytime she wants ("The Cat Who Walks Through Collars"). It DOES take me a little more effort. Actally, Ayla LIKES her "pretty bloo collar", so shes not TRYIN ta get out of it.

Me, I kinna like mine too (it matches my eyes an several girlcats have commented on that), but Id rather not wear one. Im just not into BLING...

Lastly, we thought TBT would never find our collars, but ya know what?

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He already had them in his pockets!!! So we are wearin them again. Oh well...

Nibblefest

2012-01-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

AYLA: HEY! Dont bite my leg...

OK, Ill bite YOUR butt!

We're even now. So kiss an make up...

BTW, TBT dint even notice we had both ditched our collars until he saw these pictures. Now I spose he'll go find them an put them back on us.

Thankful Thursday 13

2012-01-26T11:03:00.000-05:00

Remember doing this?

1. TBT.
2. Each Other.
3. Warm house.
4. Good Foods.

5. Great Treats.
6. Clean litterboxes.
7. Great toys.
8. Clean fresh water.
9. Friends.
10. Comments.
11. Cat trees.
12. Table meats.
13. Blogging.

Introoder Cat

2012-01-25T12:14:00.000-05:00

AYLA: Sorry for the ratty picture, but this introoder cat was huntin OUR mioce yesserday evenin an this was the best picture we could get.

I yelled at him ta leave, but he wouldnt go until TBT rapped on the winder along with me...

The Tail

2012-01-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

MARLEY; I can hardly believe it. Both Iza AND Ayla rejected my grooming offers today. Wouldnt play Mousies. Wouldnt play King of the Cat Tree. Wouldnt play THoE either. So I am showing them...

The Tail of Annoyance.

Mebbe they are jealous that I have my OWN Gotcha Day an they hafta share one. I hope they come to their senses tomorrow.

Mebbe I better check my breath. But they should TELL me if that was bad, right? But I'll be extra nice ta both of them on the sleepin bed tonight an get them out of their temporary bad mood. Its what I do!

Tradin Places

2012-01-23T17:06:00.000-05:00

AYLA: We're jus tradin places on top of the fishie tank watchin ladder...

My Gotcha Day!

2012-01-22T01:09:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: My first Gotcha Day HERE! I can hardly beleef its only been 1 year, but TBT assures me it is. It feels like almost FOREVER! Well, I hadda original Gotcha Day in December with Mom, but I made her all sneezy, so I hadda move on. I loved her lots, but, well, sometimes things hafta change.

So TODAY is my Gotcha Day HERE.

It really HAS werked out good. Ayla is my bestest buddy an older sisfur. She grooms me alla time. An even hissy Iza has come around to me. We all sleep together, curl up on TBT's lap together, and play mousie-batting and King of the cat tree together. You should see us at THoE some nights!

Apparently, it is traditional-like ta show old pictures. Well, I'm only1, so they aren't very old. but here goes...

Stretching out on the cat-smelly carpet...

Stretching out again...

Playing with a cool toy,

Eating great stinkey goodness.

Sitting in the cat tree TBT made.

Listening to Ayla purrin unner the door...

Purrin back.

Playin with a squeeky mousie. Man that was GREAT!

My first meeting with Iza. See her ears flat back? I solved that by being my nice friendly self and just sitting in my spot.

And she pooffed. I solved that with love too. It only took 2 Big Moons.

Here I am playin in the WHOLE HOUSE out in it fer the first time. I felt right at home... TBT picked me up on his lap an I dint feel scared at all. He dint get no pictures of that though. But Ayla an Iza were pretty good to me an TBT was GREAT. I felt like I belonged, ya know what I mean?

TBT asked me iffen I wanted a big party, and I said well "no". I'm just happy ta be here. But all my friends are welcome ta come by fer foods and treats. We DO have some turkey and chicken, an there are crunchy treats and some fresh Nip...

I just feel too young ta make a big deal of it. TBT just read that an said I was a boycat after his own heart. That sounds good enough ta me. Well, technically, I'm a mancat now, but I know what he means. Plenty of time in the future fer big parties.

MY Turn

2012-01-21T04:54:00.000-05:00

AYLA: Well I FINALLY get to describe MY play with the new toys! I can REALLY get my nose into fevvery stuff...

I liked the many-color soft ball...

An I liked the bloo mousie a lot. In fact, I carried it away an hid it.

Well, ya can see it matches my collar, so it MUST be mine. I play with it in my secret place in the closet...

Mystery, Unsolved, Solved, Unsolved, and Solved Again

2012-01-20T10:04:00.000-05:00

THE BIG THING: We have/had a MYSTERY! It was unsolved a month ago, solved and unsolved again a few weeks ago, but was solved again last night(which required some fast re-writing)!

When Skeeter and LC were kittens, there was this very old toy that predated them. It may even have predated Tinkerbelle (1982-1999?), but I'm not sure. It is ANCIENT. It was a simple yellow plastic ball (like a plastic golf ball) that unscrewed in halves. It had small holes in it. You unscrewed it, put in some Nip powder (the way it came before we learned we could grow it ourselves), and the cat batted it around to sniff the Nip that fell out. I THINK it was originally included in a box of 1980s Hartz Mountain powdered catnip!

I know I had it when I moved here in 1986 with Tinkerbelle. She LOVED it! But it disappeared "sometime" when Skeeter and LC were here.

When I got Iza as a kitten, she started pooping under the stairs to the basement. The understairs were pretty much enclosed by some storage areas I built around it, a workbench, and I stored excess house supplies (like extra ceiling tiles and floorboards) in there but a cat could get in there to poop. When I realized that, I crawled in the space to clean it up.

Iza (she had kittenish pooping issues) had been pooping on the exposed ceiling tiles, ruining them. So I crawled in and cleaned everything up one day, removing the soiled ceiling tiles. I used heavy-duty staples to attach chicken wire to the workbench side, and I covered the crawl-in space opening with 2 old stereo speakers.

But as I was cleaning around in there, I spotted a small yellow shape barely visable way under the last step, through layers of spider webs covered with accumulated dust.. It was the ancient Nip Ball!

I cleaned it, filled it, and offerred it to Iza. It promptly disappeared again. I looked EVERYWHERE for it for weeks. No luck! I thought this was the end of the story again...

And that is where this tale stood until last night!

They also have a 9 Lives orange ping pong ball with some BBs in it to make it rattle as it moves. Also recently found again (suddenly appearring after months). They chased it behind a curtain. I went looking for it. Not finding it where I expected it, I kept moving along. To a spot I probably haven't looked at in years! Its the 3 inches between my bookcases and the wall behind the curtains in the corner. I've stuck a few odd items there.

The space holds the heavy round glass turntable from a previous M/V oven (assumed to be useful for "something"), 25' of curled up siphoning tube I haven't used in years, and a pair of those interfitting circles you use to hold fabric tight to embroider on. The place where unused "useful" things get stashed...

AND the missing refillable Nip Ball!!! I have filled it with fresh Nip and the cats LOVE it. I have seen it in several rooms today, I hope it doesn't vanish again...

So that is our Mystery, now solved. For now anyway.

My Turn!

2012-01-19T04:34:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: I get ta show off playin with the new toys today. Well I did that 2 days ago but I SHOW it today. Ya know what I mean...

But I had a great time playin! The wand toy was GREAT!

I werked that over big time...

An there were attachments ta the wand. But TBT just tossed me one all separate-like cuz he knew i LOVE big fuzzies.

I went all "Iza" on it fer a hour.

Then THIS got tossed in front of me. Big fuzzy thing! I spent some time with THAT too. While Iza was on the bloo mousie. And I cant wait ta get at THAT too.

But that big fuzzie is MY style of toy.

Hah, got my turn with the bloo mousie! It IS good!

I went at it every whichway...

But then there was a DIFFERNT fuzzy! Oh Bast, thank you fer all these neat new toys...

An THEN I gotta shot at the new Orangey mouse! It was hiding in the kitchen! Right next ta MY food bowl. Stupid mousie, I always look there...

Ayla has her storey ta tell about the new toys, but she has agreed ta wait a day cuz we have a SOLVED MYSTERY to post about tomorrow.

Back!

2012-01-18T04:12:00.001-05:00

IZA: We had SO MANNY pictures we dabated how ta show them. Some of all of us playin each day fer some days or each on several days. TBT decided on each of us havin a day with the new toys.

Obviously, my turn 1st! So here goes...

I jumped right up on the table as he set them down. Well, I AM the toy fanatic here...

A wand toy hit the floor first.

Marley made a play for it, but I was all like UH UH!

I went nuts over it...

Couldnt get enough of it.

And THEN there was some sisal mousies. I nearly passed out!

I gave then REALLY good attention.

An THEN there were colorful mousies. An orange one. I batted that alla round the room.

Then a many-colored one. I hadda THINK about that one. Too confoosin.

I went back to the orange one. Its easier ta look at.

But the BLOO one really is my heart's desire. I nommed it an rubbed it. An there wasn't even Nip in it!

I batted it all around. TBT dint get a 10th the pictures he wanned. His camera is REALLY slow. He needs a camera that actally clicks when he pushes the button. Not like 5 seconds later.

I played with it fer hours an even growled at Marley when he tried to play with it too. An I don't usally do that. But these were great new toys.

But he gets tomorrow. An we hear rumors there are OTHER toys set aside fer Marley's Gotcha Day the 22nd.

Computer Problems

2012-01-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

THE BIG THING: Well, we wanted to post pictures of Gotcha Day presents, but we are having problems uploading pictures. Apparently, the Mac equivalent of the Windows "Blue Screen of Death" is an endlessly spinning color wheel. It's not quite as bad as that, but it is close.

I sometimes find that when I attempt to upload pictures, the problem freezes. If they don't start uploading in about 4 seconds, I have to cancel fast or the spinning color wheel shows up and I can't do much even in other programs. I can't even do a "force quit". I can still shift to other programs briefly, but the color wheel follows me there after about 30 seconds. It ONLY starts when I'm trying to upload pictures at Blogger, so there may be something about Blogger that triggers it. I can only restart the computer off by the power button, and I don't think that is a good thing to do.

You aren't supposed to have to defragment a Mac, but I have a Mac Mini which (I think) uses a flash drive rather than a standard hard drive (there is no fan or spinning sounds, for example), so it may be different. I had this problem a few months ago, and a full defrag/cache clean/"file and permission rebuild" (whatever THAT is) seemed to solve it.

So I'm going to do that again. It takes several hours though, so I'm out of luck for pictures today.

I'll be posting a question on the Mac User Forum, and at Blogger Help. But if any of you Mac users know anything about this, please leave a comment. I can still read email and comments while the defrag etc programs are operating.

On behalf of Ayla, Iza, and Marley, I will say that they DID get their Gotcha Day presents last night and enjoyed them, but we will have to wait until tomorrow to post the pictures...

OUR GOTCHA DAY

2012-01-16T00:03:00.000-05:00

IZA: One thing I and The Prancing Queen (Ayla) share is our Gotcha Day! Same day, differnt year. She tries to Lady it over me that she is a year older, but thats kinna hard when I outweigh her by a lot.

Still she IS my older sisfur an she DOES know some stuff. Like that there were gifts TBT hid away fer TODAY!

Me, Ayla, first week!

Me, Iza, first week...

The new toys pictures gotta wait til tomorrow! He Totally fergot! An WE are all nappin fer the night. SOOORRRY!

Oh TBT is SO gonna PAY fer this...

The Tablecloth

2012-01-15T16:50:00.000-05:00

IZA: TBT took off the plastic tablecloth from the dining table (we are not fancy) today an spread it out so we could see all the damage. We werent sure iffen that meant we were in trubble or not, so we checked it cautiously.

Marley an Ayla said they couldnt recall doing anny damage to it. They were right, this was all MINE! I was proud of some of the holes I ripped out. It did take some extended werk.

While Ive always had ta do this sittin inna chair or standin up from the floor, I demonstrated my teckneek as best I could. See? I both chew AND claw!

I can get my whole front leg in there.

Here is a 2nd place...

And a 3rd.

I started on a new spot ta show off.

And had a 4th hole within an hour.

Amazingly, TBT just took an IDENTICAL one out of the closet an put it on the table. He only said fer me ta go easy on that one an rip up this old one.

Skwerl TV

2012-01-14T17:33:00.002-05:00

AYLA: I has fun today watchin Skwerl TV from the high bathroom windersill. It my own private spot.

I can see the back yard much better than from the deck door. And notice that this guy can see ME too. Hes lookin right at me. I wonder iffen he thinks of my winder as "Cat TV"?

Its also a good place ta watch the birds at the feeder, but theres no seed in it right now...

Wrasslin or Groomin?

2012-01-13T11:09:00.000-05:00

AYLA:

There is a fine line between wrasslin an groomin.

Its a matter of technique...

Intent...

Outcome...

And...

Response!

I'm on the groomin side of the line, myselfs...

Ya gotta watch out fer Iza though.

She's on BOTH sides of the line.

In Memorium

2012-01-13T00:05:00.000-05:00

The Big Thing: Dear LC- On this sad 2nd anniversary of you leaving for the Rainbow Bridge to follow your adored brother Skeeter, I wish you well. I am sure both of you are enjoying your days greatly, with good food, health, youth, and happiness.

You were always SO oriented to Big Brother Skeeter. I accepted that. But don't forget that I loved you too... You were a GOOD kitty, young and old...

I loved watching you play...

I loved you when you were young and exploring... It is amazing to see you so small and slender as a kitten again.

You were a good outside cat too. You seldom climbed the fence, and came back quickly when called when you did. I loved you early and for the years when you were oriented only to Skeeter, and at the end when you were getting old and missing Skeeter SO much that you actually climbed up on my lap your last days. Those were precious evenings...

I loved you every day of your life. 16 years were too few...

Remembering...

Lotsa Stuff!

2012-01-12T02:33:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: A few differnt things been happening the last couple days!

1..Ill start with my vet visit Tuesday. I was sposed ta go in December, but I distracted TBT and hid the post card remindin him about it. The card is buried deep in the closet junk. But he suddenly remembered readin it an called the vet Monday an made an appointment fer the next day.

Ayla added insult ta injury by pawing a letter to Dr Jeffrey telling him how HAPPY she has been since he finally fixed her ladygarden right after another vet failed twice. But I gotta admit, she sure has changed fer the better. Still, havin ta deliver a "happy letter" ta the guy who was about ta poke, prod, an stab me was hard.

Annyway, here is the only picture TBT got.

Would ya BELIEF TBT put the letter AND my poop sample in the PTU with me? Cruel... I was tempted ta eat it (THE LETTER!) but I dint. I don't make social fou paws! I'm glad I have natural gentlemancat manners.

I was in an out real fast. I got weighed (11 lbs 13 ozs), so I lost a pound since september (Iza is a food hog; you so much as yawn and shes in yer bowl chowin down). Annyway, I got prodded "You Know Where", an stabbed twice, but I was declared AA+ Superb Health, so thats good.

My poop was clean of whatever they search for! I should mention that I hadda spent a WHOLE NIGHT closed in the MewsRoom so TBT could GET a poop ta pay the vet with. I THINK thats how it werks.

The sad part is that we ALL gotta go back in 3 weeks. Its Ayla an Iza's regular time for the same stuff. I COULD have gotten my new shot this time but NOOOO, TBT wants ta get us all on the same schedule for future years. I guess he thinks 1 BIG torture trip is a lot more fun than 3 separate little torture adventures... I worry about him sometimes.

Wait til Dr Jeffrey sees Iza has gained 2 pounds and Ayla an I have lost weight. THAT should make things REALLY confoosin for TBT... Hey, ya gotta get fun where ya can.

2. Thursday Garden Tour! None of us actally went out, but TBT did take some "garden" pictures. We watched from the winders inside today where it was nice and warm.

It started snowing Tuesday for the first time this year. It covered the ground but that was at night and melted fast in the morning.

Here are Saucer Magnolia buds. They will open in late February. They get froze some years but when they dont they are magnificent!

This is the red-twig dogwood shrub. They are bright red all winter, which we think is pretty nice...

These are Nandina berries. We assume birds eat them, because otherwise, why would the Nandinas bother ta make them? SOME birds must need them! And we have a bumper crop this year. TBT says he has never seen so many. Well, it HAS BEEN a warm early winter, so mebbe they just keep makin them as long as they can.

And we have daffodils emerging ALL OVER the place! Apparently the leafs don't mind the cold temperatures. TBT says they have "aunty-freezer" stuff in them. They BETTER, cuz it is sure ta get really cold here eventually (down ta 10F on average)!

3. TBT pats his snowblower machine each time he goes in the garage. He bought it after the terrible snows of 2009/2010. Hasn't snowed a mousies butt high since then. He calls it "anti-snow insurance". But please wish us at least 8" of snow sometime this winter. We wanna watch him use it from the windersill over the driveway (while we are all warm an he is fussin outside in the cold. Cuz we really like sittin on his lap when he is too tired ta move!

Wordless Wensday

2012-01-11T11:03:00.000-05:00

Unsubscribing Blogger Sites

2012-01-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

TBT learned something today. Ya cant get rid of some blogs on yer list that are duplications or really are truly stopped ferever? Us, too. We've seen other kitties mention the same problem. Things like "I've been trying to get an old blog off my list for months and it just won't stay deleted!" We had the same problems.

We found a solution! Here's how.

Go to www.blogger.com/manage-blogs-following.g

Yes".g", thats not a typo...

We HOPE we got that right,

Follow the instructions there. It was easy.

Please tell us that it works for you...

......................

Oh, another thing. Ya Bein got some site they can't escape from and spend too much time at? Tell them to go to account settings, change the password ta some long series of random numbers, then burn the written numbers in a cat food can outside. It can be recovered, but it will slow them down. Sometimes enough fer them ta change their little minds. Give them something else ta do, like scritch kitties...

I Just Have To Say...

2012-01-09T10:02:00.000-05:00

TBT here again...We have a GREAT vet! I just called the office and Dr Jeffrey answered the phone himself. I mentioned that I lost the appointment card for Marley and he immediately asked how Ayla was doing after her 3rd spay operation last July! He KNOWS all my cats and the details of them just from me mentioning ONE in real time on the phone! Of course I made an appointment for Marley...

But you know, he has a display board for his "patients" and there is empty space there. I think I will take some time at Photoshop Elements and make a really nice full page picture for him to pin up there.

Easy Like Sunday

2012-01-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

AYLA: Instead of the usual picture of us all sittin in the cat trees, let me show ya what I do at night...

I carry stuff all around the house at night an make merf sounds while I do it.

Here is my typical collection in the bedroom in the morning...

Do I do good, or WHAT?

TBT says a meezer who-came-REALLY-before once laid out dedded mice in a puurfect 3x3 grid for his Mom's bridge group. He says they never QUITE recovered from that an that HE praised the kitty (Kenani) even though the Mom dint.

I think that was the start of a bootiful friendship with us kitties...

Pee Ess, He says that "Bridge" was mostly an excuse for the Female Beins ta eat dark chocolate an drink red wine together in afternoons back in 1960...

NOW I can take it easy today...

King of the Hill Results?

2012-01-07T11:05:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: Of COURSE IZA couldn't REALLY sneak up on me, she is WAY too heavy. She rocks the whole tree like an earthquake. She DID eventually reached paws up over my platform. I ignored them.

Then she stuck her head up. I tapped her on the top. Gently...

I put my head over the edge and looked down at her, stretched both my front claws out VERY wide, an suggested she choose the other tree. Or attack.

She chose neither. She decided TBT's lap was the place she most wanted ta be. Not that that was a surrender, of course, just a place she wanted ta be more.

RIIIIGHT...

So we both won. Thats the best way fer things ta werk out.

Also, oh cool, we are over 100,000 visitors! Well, it seems a LOT to US, annyway. We sure never expected THAT.

Friday Fun

2012-01-06T16:23:00.001-05:00

MARLEY: Im King of the Hill today!

But, I can see trubble arriving...

I can Iza down there PRETENDIN to be innerested in a foam ball!

See? Now she is sneakin up the tree.

Its jus a matter of time...

She plannin her move on the other tree. Mebbe she jus wants the top platform of THAT one!

I think Ill jus keep ya in suspense...

Marley's Turn

2012-01-05T18:47:00.002-05:00

AYLA: Today was Marley's turn ta nap with me after lunch.

He knows how ta really keep another kitty warm!

An his tummy is very comfy too.

He has a pretty good prawn pose as well!

New Box

2012-01-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

AYLA: Oh so cool, a new box showed up . With cloths to make it soft...

Mine!

No one else is around!!!

An I was the first to find it! Lasers to protect it... Now I can nap in it.

Nappin

2012-01-03T16:38:00.000-05:00

AYLA: After a busy couple of weeks, we are takin it easy today!

Iza is bein more than usually friendly,

So Im takin advantage of it.

Dont worry about Marley, I can hear him finishing lunch in the kitchen...

New Year's Fire

2012-01-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

Marley: I was amazed that a fire could be "nice". TBT cleared the basement of stuff what shouldn't be heated, and set up stuff ta burn.

I even checked it out!!!

Before the fire...

At set up...

Checking it once...

Checkin it twice...

Checkin it DEEP! Gotta learn how these "fires" werk so I can be sure TBT does it right in the future.

I dunno, it doesn't look like a big deal from here. But then TBT said I could stop memorizin it fer future snoopervision cuz it was jus a scrap fire, not a proper one with logs stacked the "right way". Great NOW he tells me. AFTER I studied it. NOW I gotta werk to deliberately forget how this scrap one was made. Im SURE this will confoos me in the future.

But, of course, that was before it was lit! I backed away in a hurry when he did THAT! The only fire I ever saw before was on TV an somehow, it dint look so FIERCE! A REAL one is kinna scary til it calms down.

An it DID calm down eventually. Thats when I went an sat down on TBT's lap. It was kinna nice then with flickery little glows and wiggly flames.

You can see details of the actal fire itselfs over at TBTs bloggie HERE! I jus dont wanna scare kitties what dont like fires with pictures of the actal FIERCE parts. Or the boring details of TBT makin it.

New Year's Fire Night!

2012-01-01T02:45:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: Oh last night was one of the best nights of the year! TBT made a fire in the fireplace! He collects wood stuff all year, cuz it is a cellerybration of the NEW YEAR comin. Iza an Ayla dont like it so much, but I do. It was the first time I seen one.

TBT lighted the fire at 11ty o clock an by the stroke of midnight, it just cooled enough for me to sit on the hearth. An at midnight, he cheered a lot an drank his version of Nip. He had a few treats in his shirt pocket an I got all of them. Then we sat there together enjoyin the warmth. I sat on his lap as the fire died down. An HE reminded me of the kitties who came before. Im pretty sure I heard Iza an Ayla on the stairs listenin too, and I think TBT knew they were there as well. So they heard, even iffen they dint wanna be near the fire.

It was new ta ME about Skeeter an LC. At New Year fires... I mean, TBT has mentioned them before. But He told me new stuff. How He an Skeeter used to sit by the fireplace together, an I curled up on his lap like Skeeter did. Cuz it was warm there, but also cuz it's (apparently) a tradition.

An ya know what? He said this was a good time ta give thanks for the past year. And I AM thankful I came here, cuz I love Ayla an Iza an TBT. I think of my first Mom often, an I hope she doesn't mind that I am happy here. I have been VERY happy here this first year, an I expect I will all the days of my life. If first Mom hadn't had the sneezey fits from me, I would have been happy there too.

But Ayla is the greatest Big Sister one cat could hope for. She is a constant groom, massage, and furlick machine!

Iza is a curious sister, tries to dominate alla time. Ayla helped me learn how ta stand up to her. I mean, Ayla is 4, Iza is 3, an I'm only 1. But I AM a mancat. And Iza DOES take some standin up to. But she is GREAT to play with, and she is never actally mean. She's just SO strong! But so am I, even just being 1. She matches my activity purrfectly though! I play hard with her, too, an SHE loves it. Well, ya know, Iza allus had ta be careful around Ayla, cuz Ayla had "problems". But Ayla is over that, an it is balanced all ways among us. This feels about as purrfect as it can get!

We ALL play THoE back and forth along the hallway and wrassle a lot but (no fur on the floor - we know how to play nice).

After we went to bed (first time in this new year!) we all gathered around TBT. He reminded us of events of the past year. Like Me joining the house in January, our first earthquake, the storm that made tree branches fall down, and friends that went over the Rainbow Bridge last year.

Then Ayla, Iza, and I made our plans about sleeping on or unner the blankies, together or separate, up against TBT or not. A lot depends on the house temperature of course. Then TBT turned off the light and we all settled down for a good night's sleepin.

Life is good.

New Year's Eve 2011

2011-12-31T15:55:00.000-05:00

The Ess

2011-12-30T00:14:00.000-05:00

Ya know what we forgot to do? Talk about the Ess that TBT got for us a few months ago. He says we are ungrateful sometimes. Well, its more that we get behind on out posts an sometimes forget things.

So he brought home an Ess in September an we love it. Well mostly me.

Its the best part of my evening. TBT carefully tosses mousies through the tunnel part of it, an I LOVE that! I grab them as they run through. I run all over it, unner the tunnel, around the sides with my claws, all around. I love it. I even drag it around.

Usually, its in the living room, but sometimes I even drag it into the bedroom. Thats a way down the hallway!!! I need ta figure out how ta get it up on the bed so I can play with it on TBT at night. He might NOT appreciate that so much, so maybe I better keep it in the corrner of the bed, where I usally sleep.

What can I say? I like the Ess, I like the bed, the 2 ought to be together. I havent figured out how to lift it to the bed, though, and Marley an Ayla wont help. Anny suggestions?

Weighty Issues

2011-12-29T03:50:00.000-05:00

Iza: Oh Bast, its getting worse. TBT googled Tonkinese an I'm sposed ta weigh only 8-10 pounds MAX! If I have ta lose 4 pounds, I'm gonna die!

I look like THIS:

He thinks I should look more like THIS:

Now tell me, is THAT just wrong for me or NOT?

Um, gotta admit, is DOES look good... Dang, I might be able to climb a tree like that. Evan catch a evil skwerral! Cuz I AM allowed outside iffen I want to go (cuz I dont try ta climb the fence)..

I gotta admit, I sure would be a outside huntress like THAT!

An TBT says he sure would like me better on his lap with a few fewer pounds of weight. Seiriousy, I put his legs to "sleep".

So what do ya think?

Wensday Weigh Day

2011-12-28T15:24:00.000-05:00

IZA: Im in Trubble! We all got weighed today. Last time was almost 3 months ago.

Ayla has gone from 5.5 lbs in July (when her last spay operation was successful) to 9.5 lbs in Toctober, but is down to 9 lbs now.

Marley weighed 12 lbs in Toctober, an is 11 lbs now.

I weighed 12.5 lbs in Toctober, an now I weigh 14 lbs! TBT just looked at me an said "DIET"! Oh this is awful. I pleaded that I was normal weight. He said "Adult female siamese, 8-10 lbs". Ouch! OK, but we think Im really a tonkinese, we're "sturdier". He said "OK, I'll give you 2 lbs for that". Oh Bast, that only gets me to 12 lbs at best!

So I tried arguing that I get all the exercize I can. I run up an down the cat trees, I chase all the mousies he tosses me at dinnertime, an I have to go up and down the stairs ta get to the litterbox. But as soon as I said it, I KNEW that was the wrong thing ta say! If Im getting exercize, theres only one other way ta lose weight - less foods! "Liposuction?", I said, hopefully.

"DIET"

#*@!%#%!

"OK" I said, "how ya gonna DO it?" Ha, THAT set him back!

Or so I thought...

After just a minit, he said he had some ideas:
1. No treats (which are really just Eukanuba kibble)
2. I eat in the Mews Room an get smaller portions of Stinky Goodness
3. He chases me around inside the house an hour a day for more exercize
4. Secret plan he wont tell me

Oh, man, that last one worries me most...

An Announcement

2011-12-26T23:02:00.000-05:00

We are changing email addresses! The Big Thing changed us from Comcast to Verizon. Apparently it was a "cat vs big rat" struggle to get our new emails set up. But it all got fixed.

The main point is that our new email for the blog is "marksmews2118 AT verizon DOT net". You know to use the @ and . symbols, we trust. We hope this isnt confoosing.

TBT says we get half of the savings next month in neat new foods. Cool!

But the main thing is, we wanna let ya know our new email address is "marksmews2118 AT verizon DOT net". So iffen ya got us on a list, ya gotta change it! The current Comcast addresses will vanish in a couple days.

Mancat Monday

2011-12-26T17:13:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, Ayla is TOO attentive. Ya know?

I need SOME space SOMETIMES.

Holiday Greetings

2011-12-25T16:55:00.000-05:00

Window Whiffies

2011-12-24T12:08:00.000-05:00

The weather was OK yesserday, but not purrfect, so we got Window Whiffies fer about 30 minits!

Enjoy with us...

The neighbor cat is outside!

He BETTER not come in OUR yard!

Noises outside.

I see the neighbor cat again, walking shamelessly in its yard!

Birdies!

BIRDIES IN THE BUSHES!

Iza wants a better view than my butt...

Checks the left side of the yard...

Accidental butt-touching...

We were both embarrassed.

Afternoon Wrasslin

2011-12-23T16:34:00.000-05:00

IZA: I got Marley real good!

I rolled him right over... Ha-ha-ha.

Of course, it helped that he was lookin out the door at the time...

OOPS!

2011-12-22T16:22:00.000-05:00

Oh Bast, when the ecitement of prezzies hits, all sensible thoughts go RIGHT out the windows!!!

We saw the word "Parker" on our Secret Paws prezzie package an we jumped off the roof of the house onto the weeds of a conclusion. So apologies AND proper thanks are in order! In order to do this as best we can to make up fer our blind prezzie lust, we have decided to do a "Top 10 List" like on the David Letterman talk show (but we're not good at jokes):

10. If the package says it was from Finland, it probably wasn't from someone we know in the US! Smarter kitties would have noticed something like THAT!

9. We are not just stupid, we are PROFOUNDLY stupid, like American Republican politicians.

8. The Big Thing should NOT EVER EVER EVER try to drink wine AND post at the same time.

7. The Punapippuri are the BEST kitties in the whole world!

6. There are even MORE of them than there are at Katnip Lounge, an we dint know THAT was possible!!!

5. Their names are: Harris, Lewis, Stran, Aila, Punapippuri, Tuomo, Mirsku, Rilli, Risto, Roosa, Ruska, Pekka, Jaava, and Jura (and we SURE hope we got all those names right)! Our paws are REALLY not used to some of those letter combinations.

4. Aiti (sorry we can't add the umlats or whatever they are called, because it probably matters) has to be one of the BEST Beins in the world.

3. If the labels on the toys are not in English, it probably means they came from FAR AWAY!

2. If the labels on the toys are in Finlandia (Finlandish?, Finnish?), it means they are things we NEVER saw HERE.

1. Did we mention that the Punapippuri are the BEST kitties in the world? EVERYKITTY should go visit them!
-----------------------------
Aita Parker and Kissa: Please forgive us our error. These were the loveliest prezzies we ever got an we are going to TRY to teach The Big Thing to read WHOLE address labels in the future. The sisal rope/feather toy is now a house favorite, we all LOVE the wand toy, and we can't WAIT to get at that glove thing on Chrissymouse Day! Ayla is especially taken by the glitter mousies! She carries then all over the house.

And we are REALLY glad that you celebrate Solstice!

Ayla, Iza, Marley, and The Big (dumb) Thing

(Now, evrykitty, go back an read our previous post with this "accuratified" in mind)

Secret Paw Prezzies!

2011-12-22T04:43:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: OOPS, we got the sender wrong. Dumb The Big Thing!!! See the above post for corrections and apologies...

OK, we know it was early. It was early in the morning, and it was before Crissymouse Day. But we do Solstice Day here cuz it is a natural event, and we couldn't wait anny longer ta open our prezzies on the day it was allowed!

We bugged TBT all early morning. We just couldn't wait an were so ecited. So he got up. dragged yesserdays clothes on, stretched and griped, an got out in the rooms.

We got ta open our prezzies. We were so thrilled! Our Secret Paw was PARKER! One of our best friends! So we attacked the package. We COULDNT rip it open! Man, Parker must have stock in wrapping tape! Even TBT hadda use all his strengths an thumbs (and a knife) to pull the package open!

But what great stuff we found when he DID!

Here is the most wrapped package we EVER got.

Opened...

We sniffed it thoroughly.

There was a lovely card!

Iza found a cool toy right off. Sisal rope with FEVVERS!!! And Nip.

She went right after it...

Chased into all the corners of the house.

And there were THESE mosusies. Oh man, we nevver had GLITTERY mousies afore!!!

We think this glove has multi-mousies dangling, but TBT says we should save THAT one fer later. We think he wants to play with it first (to see how it operates).

And A package of mousies like we never saw before...

Iza sniffies...

Ayla sniffies...

Marley sniffies... We all approve.

Iza takes the last package from the table to the floor while I'm not looking...

She REALLY likes it, so it must be great.

She claims it. But all toys here belong to all. She knows that!

Look, its a wand toy!!!

Many colors, too. And a mousie at the end.

Iza attacks it!

Waits for it to move...

I help it move. Iza goes crazy loving it!

She waits while it stops moving...

Then attacks when it moves.

Again...

And again! She LOVES this thing...

I left it on the floor. In just a hour, it has been pulled around from the living room, down the hall, into the bedroom, back down the hall, down the stairs, and back up...

Parker, thank you so much fer these REALLY GREAT toys!!! We are havin a wunnerful time with them!

Ayla, Iza, and Marley, an The Big Thing

Wensday Whiffies

2011-12-21T17:59:00.000-05:00

It was good enough today that TBT opened the deck door so we could enjoy hearin an sniffin the outside. It was just open a crack at first, but when he started cookin (a turkey!), he decided he could open it wider...

Toesie Tuesday

2011-12-20T17:52:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: I get to do Toesie Tuesday this week!

Mancat Monday

2011-12-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: Im staring up at the kitchen counter where there is something I want very much. But we are NOT ALLOWED up there.

Now Im staring at TBT cuz he is right there an he KNOWS what I want

So I continue to stare...

Hoping TBT will bring down the Treat Jar!

So, it finally shows up. An it just sits there... I stare. Oh Bast, its almost EMPTY!

"Iza, help me open this!" But us pawing at it does no good...

Now we are BOTH starin at it. But nothin happens.

TBT: Don't worry, I opened it and gave them all that was left in it... And then went to the pantry and took out a full jar to keep on the counter.

Easy Like Sunday

2011-12-18T15:11:00.000-05:00

IZA: We are taking it Easy in our cat trees today.

Im a little jealous though! Ayla an Marley got into nappyland faster than I did...

Ill just have to nap LONGER!

A New Awardie

2011-12-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

We got this from our good friend Zeroichi and it was greatly appreciated. We havent gotten an awardie fer a while. We are supposed to give it to 5 other cats.

But we think we will make a change on that fer ourselfs. We want to give all 5 of our awards to our friend Admiral Hestorb who went over the Bridge. Our unnerstanding is that "Liebster" means "sweetheart, beloved, and darling". Farewell Liebster Hestorb. You go with an award dear girl...

Please feel free show it off to your new friends over the Bridge. Or not, as you choose.

Used Bowls

2011-12-16T17:43:00.000-05:00

IZA: I help TBT clean up after evry meal! First, I go around to each bowl and make sure there is nothing left in them. Then I scrape them all together into a pile, so he knows theyre empty...

I just KNOW that helps him a lot; I am a very helpful kitty!

Farewell Admiral

2011-12-15T17:54:00.003-05:00

We are staying quiet today because our friend, Admiral Hestorb, went over the Bridge...

We will miss her.

Awkward Family Pictures Book

2011-12-14T01:50:00.000-05:00

Weirdest book we have ever seen. BAD pictures of Beins with pets. But it is halarious!

The cover is GREAT!

The insides are good too.

Thank you, thank you for sending it as a contest gift!

Toesie Tuesday

2011-12-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

IZA: Ayla may be a Princess, but IM Queen of the toesies around here...

Proof positive...

Just Sitten Together

2011-12-12T13:08:00.000-05:00

AYLA: A nice relaxin day...

Marley an Me together...

My Best Friend!

Easy Like Sunday, But Differnt

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

We are spending the day chillaxin on the cat trees. But we are givin a thought to Skeeter, LC, and how lucky we are today too.

I (Ayla) knew both Skeeter and LC. I (Iza) knew LC. I (Marley) never met either, but I sure wish I had.

AYLA: Having met them both, being the eldest here, and having gone into heat evry few weeks after 2 spays for several years (which sometimes put me in an other-world), I stayed in contact with Skeeter and LC longer. Sadly, I've started ta lose the connection lately. But I can report that Skeeter's best buddys are Cloud Dancer and Mr Henry who crossed the Bridge with him the same day. They have many many other friends of course, but they feel a special connection.

LC is still most connected with Skeeter, but she has come to think of Cloud-Dancer and Mr Henry as brothers. Skeeter chose to be 5 years old again, she chose to be the 6 months old when Skeeter was protecting her from Mean Old Tinkerbelle. Well, it doesn't really matter over the Bridge. You can (apparently) be anny age you want to be (and we wouldn't bet anny Nip that ya cant change yer age over there). No kitty ever harms another there annyway.

But today is a special Easy Like Sunday here. Not to dwell on it too much, but we are rememberin Skeeter an respectin all the cats who went before, today. So let us all bow our heads and purr...

And then look around at our house to be thankful fer OUR lives and the GOOD things we have. The list is long, but YOU know them too so I won't go into details.

Um, Marley, ya SHOULD try ta stay awake for this. Its my big speech fer the day...

*Sigh* At least he doesnt snore.

But OK, we are thankful fer Marley BECAUSE he is relaxed an laid-back and SOMEHOW stopped us from havin hissy-fits alla time like we did before he came here. So I guess we cant ezactly blame him fer bein laid-back. Its what he does best. He is as soothing as gentle rain on the roof, soft waves meeting the shore, a gentle Spring breeze passing by yer tail, and sunshine on yer back.

But couldnt ya at LEAST stay awake? I should throw a kibble at him. THAT would get him awake, he LOVES kibbles...

Ah Marley... Ya are a living feline Felliway! Nothing upsets ya, nothing annoys ya, ya sleep between us an we sleep better too. Little Brother, ya make evrything better in our lifes!!!

(TBT: Me too, an you know what Marley? Skeeter is SO proud of you... You are doing GOOD guy).

UPDATE: We just hit 100,000 visitors! Wow! Never thought that could happen! Yeah, we know some kitties get that in a year, but we don't. So... Cool! TBT says we all get extra treats tonite! Double COOL!

In Memorium, Skeeter

2011-12-10T15:45:00.001-05:00

THE BIG THING: Well, it is the 3rd anniversary of Skeeter's death. I still miss him SO much. I won't retell his life this time. I've done that often enough. I think I'll just mention a few memories...

Skeeter finally coming out of his hidey-hole to accept the first scritches, then staying close to me for days after, so that I named him after the mosquitos (skeeters)...

Skeeter immediately protecting the young LC when she came into the house a year later...

Skeeter outside in his prime, jumping higher than my head to grab a passing sparrow...

Skeeter napping near a pile of honeysuckle, then without transition, plunging inside to haul out a juvenile rabbit...

Skeeter catching voles without the least effort...

Skeeter of 16 pounds of rippling muscles at his best...

Skeeter curled up on my lap every evening purring his head off, and sometimes actually passing out from the pleasure of the scritchies...

Skeeter giving LC attention every day all his adult life...

Skeeter curled up next to me under the blankets every night in his old age, quiet and grateful for the warmth...

Skeeter, aging, failing, losing the litterbox habits, but still loving and attentive, trying his best. Sitting on my lap purring happily when I picked him up to there when he couldn't hop up on his own anymore....

Skeeter, finally falling over as he tried to walk the last day...

Skeeter on the vet table, purring as he looked into my eyes and I looked into his the last time, passing from my world at 3:45 PM on this date 3 years ago...

Release from his struggles, then joyful happiness and health over The Bridge, aged 5 again forever...

The long drive home with his abandoned body.

And burying him in the cold, dark ground...

I sure miss you, Skeeter.

3 years and it hurts like yesterday...

Mark

Fambly Time

2011-12-09T13:02:00.000-05:00

IZA: We like to watch TV together. Well sometimes... Ayla likes footsball. Go figure...

Yeah, that was 11/20, but we are behind on the pictures. The Thanksgiving trip threw us off an we dont wanna waste ALL the good pictures from before then...

But Ayla DOES likes ta watch footsball, so we agreed to let her use this older picture ta show that. As ya can see, Marley an I are NOT so innerested...

AYLA: GO Washington GO. Awww... lost in overtime...

Marley an I prefer Nature shows.

Even better, it is time ta pack up Secret Paws stuff, an TBT is helpin! He handles the tape an scissors. We have trubbles with that stuff.

Box Fun

2011-12-08T13:08:00.000-05:00

Hi: We were looking through pictures, and HOPE ya haven't seen these before!

We all love boxes...

An we were havin great fun here.

I, Marley took first turn.

Oh yeah? Come GET me out!

Ayla tried an failed.

But she had a plan, it seems...

She got Iza. Iza got me out. Drat.

She can really take over a box.

And THEN can look SO innocent...

The jokes on Ayla, though.

SHE dint get in the box...

See Iza's tail above? It's SO short, it barely covers her butt! Ha, ha. Wait, that wasnt very good. Let me try again. "Its SO short, she doesnt even TRY to catch it". No good? Bast. Im no good at these...

Think, think, think... "Her tail is so short she can't wipe her nosie with it"! "Her tail is so short, her front paws get cold at night"! Oh man, I'm dyin here... "Her tail is SO short, her collar doen't know she has one"! heh, heh? OK, I give up. Her tail really IS short, though. She got all foofy the other night, it looked like 4" of a bottle brush! Ooh, that WAS a good one...

I'm just fussin at her cause SHEs in the box an I'm not...

Stealin Kibble

2011-12-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: Ayla wasnt eating her kibble very fast. An I was hungry!

I mean, she is gainin weight, an Im NOT!

So I SHOULD get more kibbles. Just a few more, OK?

(AYLA: "MINE!!!")

Apparently, not.

The No Cuddle Box

2011-12-06T13:06:00.000-05:00

AYLA: Drat! Apparently, Marley wants to nap alone today.

Says he wants to give his over-eye whiskers a chance ta grow back, so he's in the "no cuddle" box.

There isn't room for 2. Im feelin frustrated. Im SPOSED ta groom him evry day, a lot! I think. Mebbe Ive been overdoing it? Thinkin... thinkin... thinkin... Nope! Boycats dont groom enough; Big Sisfurs have ta help them, an Iza isn't anny help. Bast, half the time when she tries ta groom ME, she just licks my collar a few times and quits! I WORRY about that girlcat sometimes. No "other-grooming" instincts AT ALL...

Mebbe I should bite his tail... Nah. I'll let him nap. Plenty of time ta groom him later! He HAS ta come out eventually.

-----------------

ON A HAPPIER SEPARATE SUBJECT, we got our Secret Paw names yesserday and we are ecited! We immediately visited their bloggie, looked at stuff they liked before, thought about what they said they wanted, and had TBT make up a list. He went out hunting today an brought back some cool stuff!

An WE get ta help wrap the stuff. Mostly pawing the gift wrap we like best ta indicate which wraps ta use fer each gift (cuz we are NOT allowed to handle sticky tape and ribbon distracts us oddly) and scribbling the names on labels. Of course, we will snoopervise TBT carefully to make sure he packs the boxes good. That means we will whap the packing stuffs and pounce on them to make sure they are solid and wont shift around while being shipped...

Ooh, we are so ecited by alla this... We cant wait fer our good friends to see this great stuff!

Girlcat Sleepin Monday

2011-12-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

(sorry, no "unner the blankie" pictures allowed)

IZA: Ya wanna know a secret? About dawn every day, I move from the corner of the bed ta "unner the blankies". I tap my paw at his face ta let him know it is time an he lifts up the blankie. Then I crawl unner an curl up against him resting my head on his hip. He scratches me fer a few minutes then he rests his hand on me unner the blankies. I love that.

But I curl up the same way in the same spot every morning. I just purr and purr.

Easy Like Sunday

2011-12-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

We're spending the day on or near TBT an groomin each other as much as possible!

A little nappin...

A little wakin...

A little groomin...

A little more groomin...

Alittle MORE groomin...

Then Marley gets the Ayla treatment...

A lot...

We hope you all have a good Easy too!

Missy Curly Tail

2011-12-03T16:36:00.000-05:00

AYLA: Well, yeah, I guess I am famous here for keepin my tail curled up around me...

I think it is just ladylike, ya know?

Loose tails mean loose girls!

And I'm not...

More Happy Nappin

2011-12-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

AYLA: Yeah, we are all together again. The introoder cat who LOOKED like Marley went away and the real Marley was back yesserday. I was sure glad ta see him again. I hope he wasnt scared being away for a week. Mebbe he was at the vet, but he doesnt smell like it.

Annyway, I gave him LOTS of attention yesserday, an he seemed glad ta be back. Iza dint seem all that surprised ta see him.

BTW, see all that stuff on the floor? Thats one of Iza's shredded egg cartons. She REALLY loves ripping them ta pieces.

They were just sittin on the otto-man.

Watchin the TV...

An all of a sudden I hopped up to groom Marley.

Its nice ta have him back!

So I gave him a thorough going-over...

Then I felt hungry an went ta polish off the food bowls.

Iza dint seem ta react to the introoder-Marley, nor when the real one returned. I worry about the girl sometimes; I suspect she wouldnt mind if Marley and I both disappeared. She is totally oriented ta TBT. I mean, WE like him too, but she is a REAL suck-up.

She sits on the arm of the chair while he is eating dinner and nuzzles him the whole time, curls up in his lap when he is done, an even shoves her nose into hims armpit (yuck)! She even imitates him now. He reaches over ta scratch her head and she reaches out a paw ta scratch his! Unfortunately fer him, she has claws. Heh, heh...

Im waitin fer Marley ta go on the bed so I can groom him some more, away from Iza. I get jealous when he is near her.

Calmness

2011-12-01T13:03:00.000-05:00

TBT: Well, a week of Felliway, an 2 days of dabs of vanilla to the heads, and guess what? Calm reigns supreme again!

I woke up last night and saw Marley and Ayla sleepin together on the bed. Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera at hand, so please accept this older picture as representative of the event.

It may have been the Felliway, it may have been the vanilla, it may have simply been a matter of time and Marley grooming himself, or maybe it was just me stroking all of them and spreading the Lucyfer scent around. But Ayla has settled down again.

Its odd though. Marley and Iza didn't react to me dabbing a little vanilla on the tops of their heads, other than some initial annoyance at being grabbed. But Ayla started hissing both times for several minutes. Maybe she doesn't like the smell of vanilla.

But things seem to be back to normal...

On another subject, my sister asked me to ask all of you for recommendations for a good cat harness. She has one with a strap across the chest and straps for the front legs to go into (if I understood the demonstration correctly) but floofy Lucy is a better-than-average escape artist and slips right out of it. Any brand/model suggestions?

Nap Interupted

2011-11-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

IZA: I was nappin happily...

Until the flashie camera woke me...

Then MY Lasers came on...

Sorry about that...

Tummy Tuesday

2011-11-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

IZA: Its my favrit kinna tummy picture. I just LOVE laying like this... You think MINKS have soft furs? Try THIS!

Rub my tummy, I love it...

I love havin my feets against a wall...

Ya know, I think I deserve a newer fancier mat ta go tummy-up on!

Sorry, I was rollin over here. A little blurry...

Flashie dint go off...

Mr. DeVille, Im ready fer the camera now...

I don't even need treats fer doin this. It just comes naturally...

Foiled Ambush

2011-11-28T17:03:00.001-05:00

Ayla: I could smell Marley outside the bedroom door and figured he was gonna come in. So I decided ta pounce him. I waited, but he dint come in.

So I hadda look ta see what he was doin.

So I waited again...

An waited...

An was prepared...

Then I looked out again an he was gone!

RATS! I guess Ill just go sulk in the big doggie bed...

Easy Like Sunday

2011-11-27T21:43:00.001-05:00

Ayla stopped hissing at Marley, but she wont nap with him or groom him yet. So we are offering these picture from last month that we dont think we used, to remind us of more peaceful times. Until she gets over her fussin...

Unhappy

2011-11-26T00:00:00.001-05:00

MARLEY: Well, things are really sad here. Ayla keeps hissing at me an Im confoosed. I assume she smells some Lucyfer furs on me. I've licked myself clean as possible (and even Iza has helped), but evry time Ayla comes by an sniffs me, she hisses. Seriously, she is ANGRY.

She won't nap with me, won't eat next to me, and won't use the litterbox near me. I thought she was jealous of my trip at first, but thats not it now. She treats me like an intooder cat!!! Its not like it was MY fault I got a few furs on me.

She is normal around Iza, and Iza is normal around me!

TBT says I may need ta take a real wet bath! I've never had one of those before. They seem awful. I'm not sure if that would help. TBT took 2 showers and Ayla hisses at him too, still. An Ayla hasnt been on the bed, TBT's lap, or unner the covers since we got back. She is being a total jerk. But I want to fix things. I would do annything!

Anny suggestions?

About Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-25T00:03:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: Well. let me describe my Thanksgiving Day visiting Lucy. And this is long, cuz it was a Big Deal fer me...

Sadly, it was a 3 hairball day! I dont mean literally, more as a "rating". I was polite and dint cause anny messes. But if that was a "date", I dont want another one!

1. I dint realize what 2 hours in a PTU inna car was like. Seriously boring except fer sudden movements that scared me on the way there and the same on the way back. I dint have anny accidents an I dint scream or hollar (well 10 seconds twice, but thats not MUCH), but it wasnt fun!

2. When we got ta the house, there were LOTS of Beins there all talking lot. That was scary. I never saw that many Beins all at once before that I remember.

3. I stayed in the PTU fer about 15 minutes while Lucy came over and sniffed around. I stayed politely alert and watchful, but quiet. She hissed at me. Many times!

5. When Lucy settled down ta watch me from about 5 feet away, TBT let me out. I crept out while lookin around, when settled down on the floor near the PTU. Lucy hissed a few more times.

6. Them we both sat there fer a few minutes until she walked away. I dint get to offer her the squeeky mouse, the nip leafs, an I sure dint get to greet her much in anny way. No sniffs, licks, or headbumpies at all.

7. I found a corner ta sit in, out of the way of the Beins. They were friendly, an I got lots of "oohs an ahhs", but I was nervous.

8. TBT kept checkin on me and giving me some soothing attention. A couple of the Beins talked to me nicely, too.

9. Lucy came back and stared at me fer a while. I hadda ask TBT to offer the mouse and Nip to her. She sniffed the crushed Nip leaf an dint react. She batted the mousie a couple times gently, then went up on her cat tower and stayed there...

10. I was in the eating room, so when all the Beins crowded around the table laffin an talking, I slipped behind the curtains. After a bit, I got up on the low windersill and stayed there looking at the new sights outside. That was nice!

11. TBT offered me a little piece of turkey, but I dint feel like eatin.

12. Lucy dint like TBT either. He would go over to her on her cat tower, and she would hiss at him too. She even raised he paws at him a few times. I was shocked!

13. Lucy is not a friendly cat! Even her Beins call her "Luci-fur"! Apparently thats a bad Bein.

14. I was offered litterbox acess before we left, but I just "couldnt".

15. I sure was glad ta get home! But ya know what happened? AYLA hissed at me. Many times! I swear, I never even got NEAR Lucy! I guess I picked up some Lucy-furs! She hissed at TBT too when she smelled his hands.

16. In fact, Ayla was SO mean, she told me there was a postcard from the Vet, an it has MY name of it!

17. I dont think I wanna travel annymore, an no more dates, either...

18. Here are the better pictures.

Lucy likes to guard her house carefully, along the edges fer safety an security. I admire a careful cat who snoopervises. I am told she caught a SNAKE in the house once!

Lucy "greets" TBT before I even came in...

In the PTU in the strange house...

I allowed Lucy to check me out thoroughly..,

The closest we got... It doesnt look it, but she is bigger than me. Well, a lot of it is floof. I was told she is a ragdoll. But she is strong, too.

Exposed behind the hidey curtains after bein rejected by Lucy...

Lucy dint like TBT either. That suspicious look says it all.

The best safe spot I could find close to the PTU. And "yes", that felt like a safe spot. I would have liked a towel or cushion, but corners are good.

She good at not lookin at the camera...

The closest we got to each other outside the PTU.

Me peeking out from behind the curtains. They were very lacy, so I had to keep my claws in, an Im a good boy about that...

Lucy, Mistress of the stairs.

Lucy on her cat tower.

Yes, those are her real eyes! I think its because she doesnt have sisal rope on the posts. No really good aggressive clawing outlet. We all know that matters and affects our moods!

This was her gift to me. A little TOY Evil Skwerl! That was SO thoughtful. And, and, and, TBT left it behind by accident. Waah!

So that was my Thankgiving Day date... *Sigh*

Off They Went

2011-11-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

AYLA: It feels kinna weerd seeing TBT an Marley goin off on a whole day trip. Well, at least he isnt going ta the vet (but he will soon, I saw the card in the mail yesserday). But there was no point tellin him about THAT yet.

Im not sure what Iza an I will do today. Probaly whap each other a bit, play with toys, then spend the day on the warm bed. I'll watch the birds from the bafroom window, I spose. Damn its boring without Marley here!

But its kinna weerd them not being here all day. Mebbe I SHOULD have gone along. But it sounded kinna like a "date" fer Marley, so...

I guess Ill just sit her til they come back. Marley promised ta tell me all about his trip.

They should be back in about 8 hours. Not that Im countin down the hours, ya know... But Im pretty sure it is 8. Mebbe 7 now. It feels weerd...

I hope Iza wants ta be licked for 7 hours... I think I better get off the puter... Its gonna be a long day.

Thank You All

2011-11-23T07:56:00.001-05:00

MARLEY: OK. I read all yer advices. So I will wear the fancy green collar, I have a new sqeeky mouse wrapped up as a hostess gift, and I have a small bag of fresh Nip leafs to go along with it as a bouquet.

I am prepared to stay in the PTU for the 2 hour drive, I greet Lucy as she greets me, I give her my gifts, and hopes she likes them, an try to just "be myselfs". Oh, I hope I can remember all that when I meet her! Im feeling clumsy an stupid already!

TBT promises ta help me get through this... He BETTER!

I've esplained to Ayla an Iza that I will be gone all day for a visit. Ayla is a bit distressed (not havin me ta lick all day). Iza just yawned an said "more room on the warm bed fer me". TBT promised them some turkey an gravy, so I think they will be OK.

I'm tempted to suggest TBT bring Iza along, but she just moans in the car, so that wouldn't be a good trip. Besides, Iza might be whappy with Lucy, an I sure dont want that! Ayla said she is jealous but DOESNT want ta be in the car that long. So it seems OK all around that I go an they dont.

I'll let ya all know how it went when I get back home...

Im nervous!

Toy Tuesday

2011-11-22T12:56:00.001-05:00

AYLA: Well...

MOVE!!!

Thankgiving Day Visit

2011-11-21T02:00:00.000-05:00

TBT was invited to his Sisfur place fer Thanksgiving Dinner, which is cool fer him, but ya won't believe it; I was asked ta attend!

An there's a GIRLKITTY there... (Lucy in D'skies with Diamonds). Now, of course, I seen girlkittys before. Ayla an Iza are girlkitties. But their my sisters! So I'm not quite sure what ta do. Am I sposed ta kiss her cheek when we meet, or would a lick an a heatbumpy be more correct. Or neither? Oh, my tongue is dried up just thinking about it...

I am all aflutter, but I don't wanna do annything stoopid. Should I wear my calm manly brown collar, or my snazzy bright green one? Ack, Ayla says I would look best in her Princess Bloo one.... Iza says Red is nice (no, even I know red doesn't look good on an orinj kitty)...

TBT says I should wear a Zorro cape...

I am thinkin mebbe I should arrive carryin a fresh rattley or sqeeky mouse as a gift... But how can I compete with DIAMONDS??? Where can I get a real mousie? And would she even LIKE one? Ack!

HALP!!!

Easy Like Sunday

2011-11-20T04:42:00.001-05:00

We got a great Easy Like Sunday goin here. First, we sat on TBT 's lap an watched 2 cute movies. Somethin about "Chance of Cheeseburgers", and "Up"!

And that was just getting the day started...

Then there was some science DVD (ta make TBT happy). He liked that, though we mostly fell asleep. That lasted til about 3 in the AM.

He wanted ta go ta bed, but decided he could sleep with us like this fer a while.

Hes gettin used ta that, which means we are trainin him well.

3 am is a great time ta sleep in a pile. His legs are bit stiff when he wakes up again, but we dont mind that much. He woke up again at 4-something, and decided to hit the computer before crawling into the big bed. Naturally, we are all crowded into the room waitin fer big bed time...

But thats a great Easy Sunday start...

Caturday

2011-11-19T12:34:00.001-05:00

We tend ta follow TBT all around the house (when we're awake). If hes in the kitchen, we are all in the kitchen. Iffen he goes to the computer, we are all in the computer room. Same with the TV room, basement, etc.

But sometimes he gets goin from one room to another carryin stuff around, puttin stuff away. Back and forth, forth an back! Its too confoosin ta figure out where he will be fer a while.

So we end up just sittin in the hallway, waitin fer him ta settle down SOMEWHERE!

Annywhere!

Well?

Sistgurly Friday

2011-11-18T00:15:00.001-05:00

Sometimes just sittin together is nice...

Garden Tour Past

2011-11-17T12:07:00.000-05:00

Everything is kinna dead here, so we thought we would show pictures of what will come in Spring!

Think of the past, but look forward...

Please feel free ta join us on the cat trees an fer dinner! We have chick-hen an cream...

Werdy Wensday

2011-11-16T11:07:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: MY turn with werds!

1. Galme - "Just galme Angel, In the Morning... Ok, that was a stretch...
2. Unabler - That annoying difficult person where you work.
3. Flocko - A bunch o' birds.
4. Dimeres - A cheap price for a better monitor.
5. Dynghies - Rowboats fer yahtses.
6. Pingust - A sharp stinging wind.
7. Unutt - You crazy guy!
8. Slymis - That girlcat how went all coy after the date.
9. Unbut - Not doing the 'tocks thing...

Tummy Tuesday

2011-11-15T12:03:00.000-05:00

Go ahead, ya know ya want to...

Snorgle...

Its OK, I DO have an unusual tummy. And I LOVE the attention...

Later Yesserday

2011-11-14T16:30:00.001-05:00

AYLA: Later yesserday, I decided that Marley needed som attention, so I went over ta give him a good grooming.

Hes my little brother, so I try ta take good care of him.

Iza just stares when I do that.

She doesnt groom us very much, she is more into TBT.

I love Iza, of course, but I am SO happy Marley came into my life!

I would groom him all day...

But he wont let me. He says he doesnt wanna lose ALL his furs!

Easy Like Sunday

2011-11-13T04:26:00.001-05:00

IZA: Happy Easy Sunday...

We are doin our best Easy Sunday today. Oh that stuff on the floor? TBT gave me another egg carton yesserday, an I love to rip them up. He is relaxted about it. an hasn't swept it up yet.

We kept werkin at the Easy today. Have to be. We kept TBT awake alot last night... He was tolerant, but not happy.

We kept walking around on the bed, ya know? He would rather we just found sleepin spots even unner the blankies and on him. He doesn't sleep good ya know.

So we curled up our best on him today. Ta make up fer it, ya know. We do the best we can.

Ayla an me do the lap while he watches the TV.

Marley does the Otto-man usally. But dont let him fool ya. He does laps too.

but he don't want ta admit it. Boycats are weerd sometimes about that. He seems ta know when the camera is NOT in reach when hes on the lap. But he is there more often than ya might guess.

I got ta ask him about that "avoidin the camera" trick one day...

Iza

Caturday

2011-11-12T13:53:00.001-05:00

AYLA: I decided ta go bookcase walkin today! Its easy fer ME ta get from the cat trees to up here, but Marley an Iza cant do it.

I hafta be careful up here though. There are breakables, an they arent the kind we kitties are "sorta allowed" ta break.

I got back down after a while...

But then I reconsidered.

Time fer another stroll...

OK, thats enough fer today!

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T00:03:00.000-05:00

Garden Tour Thursday

2011-11-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

IZA: Today, sadly, we mostly have the flowers fadin fer the Winter...

But we will start with the good parts. The burning bushes are at their peak of bright red.

They are a bit boring most of the year, but they really show off now.

And we have the new-planted large pansies... This is the "before" pic where the dying petunias were...

And here is the "after" pic ya can see now. They dont have many flowers, but they will soon. There are yellow an blue ones intermixed.

The rest of the yard is fadin fer the the year. The hostas are yellow, which DOES mean a color, but its a sad color.

We will miss the hostas til next May. We like them lots.

This is the sweetshrub. Its goin yeller, too.

We think this is a quaking aspen tree. The colors are "nice".

The tomato bed has been cleared for the year. *sigh*

The Mums didnt stand up to the hard rain an are all flopped over. I TOLD TBT to snip the branches ta make them bushier, but he never got around to it... Well, thats what happens when he doesnt listen ta me...

Not the most vibrant garden tour of the year, but thats what happens this time of the season.

Happily, we have great snacks ta make up for it. TBT cooked a TURKEY! An he cut off
an cooked one whole part what dint have ANNY spices and awful stuffs like that JUST fer us!

So Ayla did her best cookin werk today (directin TBT). We have diced turkey breast with Nip mixed in, and REAL gravy on the side. An kitty-Djinn Niptinis (ya have two an ya can think ya can make wishes)! And pond water fer those who want it...

Thanks fer comin by fer our garden tour!

Werdless Wensday

2011-11-09T12:07:00.000-05:00

Toesie Tuesday

2011-11-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: I love stretchin out on the (cheap plastic) tablecloth when TBT is tryin ta eat lunch. Its cheap plastic cause Iza tears them up pretty fast. In fact this one is due fer replacement, so I'll haveta remember ta take pictures ta show ya the damage afore he throws it away.

"Reach out an TOUCH someone..." But be careful with the claws.

I get lots of chest/neck scritchies that way...

Mancat Monday

2011-11-07T16:12:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: I decided ta check out our fancy box today. Its been a while. I sniffed all the corners...

Examined the sides carefully...

And reported ta TBT that everything looked OK. He pointed out a tear in the paper behind me, but I told him that had happened when we all used it on Box Day.

Ayla was waiting fer a turn ta get in the box, so I pretended ta be fixing the torn paper.

No kitty has gotten in the box for months, but because IM init, SHE wants ta be init! I'll bet she tries ta squeeze her way in annyway pretty soon...

Easy Like Sunday

2011-11-06T13:20:00.000-05:00

We are takin it Easy today in the cat trees.

Sometimes all on one,

In our own spots

and platforms.

Sometimes movin around between the trees...

Have a Great an Easy Sunday everyone!

The Ess Toy

2011-11-04T23:10:00.000-05:00

MARLEY:

Oh, did ya notice the ESS in the picture a few days ago??

Ya, we finally got one. Its cool. Apparently it was a "clearance" item at Petsmart. I'm not sure why, it doesnt look clear ta me.

Took Iza only 10 minnits ta pull the hangin toy off the bottom. Fortunately, it snaps back on...

Ayla and I scratch the top, but Iza turns it upside down, downside up, an on its side. She's fierce with toys. We LOVE it!

Blogblast For Peace 2011

2011-11-03T23:09:00.000-05:00

FROM ALL OF US HERE AT MARK'S MEWS...

TO ALL OF YOU THE WORLD OVER!

TBT: And, let's not forget the lighter side of life. In the '80s, I saw a bumper sticker that cracked me up. I can't find an image of the original (which was green peas circling the nucleus of an atom), but this isn't a bad representation of the idea...

A light touch sometimes works wonders. Smile, and the world (whirled?) smiles with you. Rant, and you rant alone. It's a serious subject, but sometimes a gentle suggestion works better than a jab in the ribs...

Peace...

More Stuff

2011-11-03T12:53:00.000-05:00

FOODS!!!

The bag was there.

I was hungry.

So I chewed my way into it... Poor foods dint even get out of the shopping bag...

Candy Bowl Yack Stuff

2011-11-02T01:30:00.000-05:00

We arent into this stuff, an TBT isnt either. But mebbe you are...

So its all yours.

Inna bowl...

Spread out...

Sniffed it...

Its NOT chick-hen...

Or pig...

Or even froggies...

It smells bad ta us! Ya can HAVE it...

Bleh....

The Day After

2011-11-01T06:35:00.000-05:00

Well, once again, we dint get anny Halloween visitors. We cant say that upset us too much. When the doorbell rings, we all go nuts an scrabble to the bedroom ta hide. Thats fine, but when it happens we get treats, but we DONT want treats for the doorbell tonight.

We are still trying ta figure out if that is good or bad. We mean, WE MEAN, how much "scarey" would we put up with in exchange fer treats? Last night dint make up our minds...

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T08:01:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

TBT: Today is a grand holiday of fun and mischief, and I hope all of you have a wonderful time with little kids in costumes coming around tonight. They don't come through this neighborhood anymore. Mostly, for me, it is a day of remembrance. You see, today is the 19th anniversary of Skeeter's Gotcha Day and the 18th anniversary of LC's Gotcha Day.

I got Skeeter on this day in 1992 on a whim. There was an old fashioned pet store on the back street of my town, and I stopped by on the way home from work. The place was a renovator's nightmare. The same day in 1993, I got LC. at the same place. It was a lot calmer then.

When I started cat-blogging in 2006, both of them were elderly, but it was a new exciting adventure for us. Skeeter went over the Bridge in December 2008. LC followed him in January 2010. But I kept a cat diary many years of them and before them. Please recall that this is what was written In a diary, before I blogged. though it IS what I blogged later. I hope that makes sense.

I think I will copy the first Halloween days of our blog to remember this date...

SKEETER:
(From The Big Thing's Cat Diary, 1992)

Having heard of the enjoyment that some other cats have gotten from having a playmate, I decided to get a playmate for my adult cat Tinkerbelle in Fall 1992. I had in mind finding a female Siamese (my family had female Siamese cats when I was young, and I seem to get along better with female cats than males), but I ended up with an orange male kitten!

On Halloween Day, I passed a pet store I hadn't noticed previously. Upon entering, I was assailed by commotion, noise, and a multitude of workers busily engaged in renovating the entire shop. As I turned to leave, the owner told me they were quite open for business and asked what I was looking for. It turned out that the only kitten available was an orange tabby male. What a sight! The poor thing had been alone in a small cage and engulfed in dust, noise, and strange people for over a week. He clung to me and cried; my heart went out to him and I brought him home.

How purr-fect! My Halloween cat was orange and was born (as near as can be determined) on the 4th of July. It took two days before he would come anywhere near me, but by getting down on hands and knees (closer to eye level), I eventually got to scratch him on the head. Talk about a complete change! After that, I couldn't get him away from me for weeks! I learned that any approach from above panicked him, especially combined with a reaching out (and down) of hands. I concluded that he was abused by humans as a kitten and feared hands! The noise and dust from the pet shop renovation seemed to have him permanently afraid of sudden noises. It seems that, even when I buy a kitten, it has been psychologically harmed. From that rough beginning, we have become inseparable.

His name took some time to discover. I worked on his orange/white color, his Halloween adoption date and his 4th of July birthdate. I finally decided that he hung around me like a mosquito, so I named him Skeeter.

Unfortunately, Tinkerbelle did not take to Skeeter as I did. Poor little Skeeter wanted nothing more than to become friends with Tinker, but she would bat him and drive him away. He put up with that for months before he gave up trying to curl up next to her or eat out of the same food bowl. He was happiest when draped over my shoulder like a bag of sugar, purring away. While Tinker was my companion from our times of troubles, Skeeter became my favorite cat. He is so friendly and affectionate. When we are outside together, he wants to stay nearby.

Skeeter became a dedicated lap cat! If I sit down for a minute, he is there to hop up and curl up on my lap. He will even leave a heated waterbed in preference for my lap and some scratching. Sometimes his eyes roll up from the pleasure of being scratched around the head. One time, I think he actually passed out from it.

There’s a little bit of a saber-tooth cat gene in Skeeter. His upper fangs extend beyond his lower jaw! It is so cool to rub my finger along his jaw and feel the tooth points. It’s a good thing he’s not a “biter”! He has got to be the friendliest, easy-going, person-oriented cat ever. And so handsome with his symmetrical white boots and chest. Too bad he is so afraid of strangers and noise; he’d have been a non-purebred ribbon-winner at any show.

LC:
(From The Big Thing's Cat Diary, 1993)

LC came to me on Halloween 1993. I decided that the reason Tinkerbelle and Skeeter didn't play together was because of Tinker's age and solitary habits. I took a chance and decided to get a playmate for Skeeter since he was still young. Going back to the same pet store where I got Skeeter, I found two kittens in a cage: One was an utterly cute and friendly calico, while the other was aloof and tried to hide. You guessed it, I ended up with the aloof one! It took two of us to unhook her claws from the screen cage and get her into a box (the calico was already promised to another customer). LC is a “tuxedo” female. As with Skeeter, it took 2 days to get her to come near me, but she is not as oriented to me as Skeeter is. Partly, that's because she fulfilled expectations of being a playmate to Skeeter!

LC is a cat's cat! She and Skeeter hit it off at once and have become nearly inseparable. Skeeter is her "big brother". They play together constantly; he lets her bunnykick to her heart's content (she doesn't seem to hurt him very much) and she is just feisty enough to make up for his advantage in size and weight. She doesn't care to be held like Skeeter does, but she has learned that I have magic fingers that please her greatly.

Her name comes from her black/white markings. She has a strong resemblance to a cow (so I thought of Elsie from Borden's). From "Elsie", came the letters "LC", which in turn stands for "Little Cow".

I had to do quite a lot for her health those first few months. Her black cowl extends below her eyes, so I didn't suspect at first that the beautiful black color inside her ears was the result of a serious ear mite infestation. It took several visits to the vet and drops/cleaning by me twice a day for weeks before that cleared up. Possibly as a result, she then developed an infection in both eyes. Her eyelids would seal shut from dried "stuff" every time she slept. I didn't notice that until I realized she was moving around uncertainly and finding her food by smell rather than sight (her black face and very dark eyes make it hard to tell when her eyes are open). The poor little thing was going around blind until I got home each evening and dabbed her eyelids clean with water each day. It took over a week of antibiotics before the problem cleared up! After that, she turned out to have worms, which meant that Tinker and Skeeter certainly had gotten them as well. I had to dose the bunch of them!

Not a good start for a pretty kitty, but she got over it all. The vet receptionist calls her "Lucky Cat" because the vet said that most people would have returned her to the pet store, which would have been the end of her!

LC is a frog-hunter, for some odd reason. She loves them as toys and as food. Skeeter will go sniff one of her frogs sometimes, but they aren’t warm-blooded and he can’t seem to see them as alive if they don’t move. LC knows, though. She loves live baitfish, too. She didn’t learn it from another cat; it’s all her own discovery!

LC has a weakness for being scratched under the chin. She’s quite affectionate as long as she is not being held, which she will not tolerate!

-------------------------

The present... That's the original stories of Skeeter and LC, my original blogging cats. I think of them many days, but mostly this day. They each had their own Bridge Days, but Halloween was their common Gotcha Day and I always try to remember THIS day for that reason.

Skeeter was "the cat of my life". I couldn't imagine him dying... But he did. To this day almost 3 years later, I cannot read of any cat going over the Bridge and not cry for him. He wasn't my first cat, and I cherished the ones who came before. I loved LC, but she was HIS cat by my deliberate actions. It was months after Skeeter left us that she came on my lap for the first times.

Easy Like Sunday

2011-10-30T11:58:00.000-05:00

Ayla: "Hey Marley, can I join ya in there"?

Marley: "Does it LOOK like theres room fer two in here"?

Marley: "Is there room on the upper platform"?

Ayla: "No, Iza is using it, an she says theres no room there either".

Ayla: "So Ill curl up on this one to be close to you"...

ALL: "We hope evryone finds a good nappin spot today"!

Skwerl TV

2011-10-29T15:28:00.001-05:00

AYLA: I love ta watch skwerl TV from my bafroom windersill. Im the only one who can get up there, so its all mine!

This one wasnt doing very much.

Just kinna sitting there...

But that gave me plenty of time to study him.

I sure would like ta have that fluffy tail ta play with!

Undercover Kitty

2011-10-28T12:09:00.000-05:00

IZA: It wasnt easy gettin UNDER the towel on the otto-man...

Ya gotta get unner the bottom edge an do a LOT of wiggling!

And THEN hope TBT doesnt put his feets up without lookin...

Garden Tour Thursday

2011-10-27T16:04:00.000-05:00

IZA: Well, we almost dint have a tour today cuz of the rain, but it stopped. The grass is still wet, but we can walk along the stone border an stay dry...

Sadly, the garden is startin ta fade out fer the year, so mostly there is just a little left.

First, lets go visit the veggie garden. We havent shown that often (it wasnt a real success this year). The tamaters had trouble all season, but there are a few ripening now..

The ~~zuckini~~, ~~zoochini~~, green squash is FINALLY startin ta produce. TBT only got 1 earlier, back in July! It looks like there are 6 or 7 of them now.

The basil is still growin. But not fer long; they die fast in cold weather.

The bell peppers did "OK" this year. There are 2 in the fridge now, and 3 more ripening.

These red lettuces look gorgeous, dont they? But they been growin all year. They got ate down ta the ground by some critter and grew back in hot weather. TBT says it tastes like leathery grass. He'll leave them grow fer the appearance...

This is celery on the left and then carrots. The celery never grew stalks and the carrots never grew roots. TBT says he will use the celery leafs inna salad and leave the carrots ta bloom next year fer the butterflies.

Now fer the flower part of the garden... The marigolds are still doing well, but ya can see the flowers are startin ta die. I dont see any new blossoms.

Here is 1 lone coneflower that bloomed this week. I dont know what got IT going, but its nice ta see.

The sedum is about as deep red as it will get. The next color change is... brown.

An speaking of last blooms, here is the last petunia flower. There IS a blossom, but it may get too cold tonite for it ta survive an open.

In place of the petunias, there will be some pansies with BIG flowers on them. But he will wait fer the last petunia flower ta die before planting them.

Since it is kinna chilly out, Ayla has chosen warm chicken juice, warm milk, and salmon crunchie treats as snacks today. Thanks fer comin on our garden tour today in spite of all the wet...

Afternoon Nappng

2011-10-26T12:04:00.000-05:00

Marley: After the otto-man fuss, we all made up on the bed. Iza was on the corner OOP *. Allus gotta say, "OK, forget yesserday"...

Ayla does love "comforting closeness". Its usally OK.

She IS a bit "needy" though...

Sigh, I do what I can...

* "Out Of Picture"

New Bed

2011-10-25T15:37:00.000-05:00

AYLA: OK, OK, I tried the NEW BED!

Its actally pretty comfy, (especially with toys around it).

But I/it could use some warmth...

"Hey Marley, get yer warm furry body over here..."

Not Enough Room

2011-10-24T13:07:00.000-05:00

MARLEY: TBT finally sat down fer a while last night. Ayla got right up on his lap, so me an Iza curled up on the otto-man.

Then Ayla got up to go look at somethin on the TV. I couldnt see what was on, but I heard some birdie sounds. I was too comfortable ta turn around an look.

The TV dint hold Ayla's attention fer long, an she decided ta come an squeeze in between us. That dint really werk very well. There isnt enough room fer all 3 of us there. Iza turned an told Ayla ta stop sittin on her. Ayla replied that if Iza wasnt so fat there WOULD be enough room.

I decided that leaving the scene was a wise idea, especially cuz TBT's lap was available.

I hadda nice peaceful hour, though Ayla an Iza fussed an muttered at each other off an on...