Easy Like Sunday

AYLA:  It WAS Easy Like Sunday morning, but very early, like 8 am.  We were ready to get up but TBT wasnt and we stick ta his schedule cuz thats when the FOOD an the OUT is.

So we were a bit more active this early morning than he was...  Marley had just gotten out from unner the covers and  wanted to look out the deck door.

But he dint see annythin so he came right back.

We groomed each other.  

A lot.  We are good about that.

Take turns, and do head rubs.

Then just sit together.  Sittin together is nice.   I like Marley a LOT!

So, more grooming...

 Some ear licking...  Evryone needs clean ears.

I bet the rest of the day goes really good too. 

Caturday Saturday

AYLA:  Im lazing on the charcoal cooker.  Its not in use now, of course.

 It the highest thing on the deck, so its MINE.

Any inch higher counts for me.

Lovin it...

 And then IZA PHOTO-BOMB!

Comfy Friday

MARLEY:  I like to get unner TBTs covers in the early morning.  Dont know why and dont care.  I just DO.  Early morning just seems RIGHT ta me.  HE likes it cuz I dont push on him like Iza does.

I usually just sleep by myself on the top cat tree platform in the Cat Room.  Ayla is usually up on TBTs shoe rack (something I have never unnerstood) and IZA usually sleeps against the frame in one bottom corner or other of the waterybed.

To each their own, I say.  But towards morning, I like some cover and warmth.  So I talk to him long enouth for him to lift the sheet an blankie an make a little cave fer me ta crawl in.

Then when I am all settled down nicely, he lowers the blankie and I sleep there hours with him until he finally gets up to give us breakfast!

Notice that the unders of the sheet are well-furred...  He doesnt mind.

Sometimes I think he has more of our furs on him than we do.  MOL!

Garden Tour Thursday

IZA:  Welcome to this week's Garden Tour!  We have some new ones, and some that dont last long, and some that do.

This is the surprise plant.  It is the only survivor of a patch planted many years ago.  Why THIS one keeps returning when the other died out almost the first year amazes TBT but he is glad it does.  Every gardener admires survivors.    There is something about the color that makes it hard for the camera to focus on it.  "Light reflection" he guesses.  Sometimes we can find the label buried in the ground; sometimes we cant.  This year we cant, so it goes un-named this year.

The snow-peas have flowers.  And we see there is a real pea! (bottom left).  It will grace a stir fry, with honor.

The Australian Bapista are blooming.  It is the 2nd nicest bloo we have in the garden.  (The best bloo is yet to bloom) .  There are 4 of them blooming actally, and we are thrilled ta see then as we thought the deck-builders had stomped them to death last Fall.  They are a bit smaller than usual this year, but as long as they survive they will regrow bigger.

 The hostas and Painted Ferns are doing FABLOUS this year.  Dont know why.  Mebbe they are just maturing or they loved the Spring weather.

Here's our 2nd favrit hosta.  The leaf colors are great.

This looks like a blackberry flower, but it is an old wild species rose TBT found when he first moved here.  Old Hawthorne or somethin like that.  It smells good too.

The big hostas out front are lovin this Spring weather too.  This is the biggest they ever got.  In fact, there are a couple greener ones behind them that are usually be bigger.  But I don't think they will catch up THIS year.   The small stuff in front is Snow On The Mountain.  It came from New Hamshire wher TBT's parents lived years ago.

Snow On The Mountain flowers.  They arent much, but flowers are flowers and worth lookin at.   Polinatin bugs like them a lot.

The Painted Ferns in front are as happy as the ones in the back yard.  Real big this year.

Some are almost 2' across!  I've never seen them that big in my years here.

And here is my FAVRIT hosta!  Its still a bit surrounded by falling daffodil leafs, but you can see the colors.  It will get bigger.

An finally here is a picture above on the front steps lookin over the rails at the Snow on The Mountain.  It spreads very well and looks great in Spring and Fall.  It dies back in Summer cuz it isn't used to the heat.  It came from New Hampshire, as I mentioned, so the HOTS arent good to it.  But it has lived here (TBT says) fer 25 years.  This is a VERY heavily-shaded spot.  North side of the house AND shaded from the west affernoon sunlight by the front steps. 

Well, after all THAT walkin around, lets go have some snacks.

OMC!  TBT slow-cooked a pork butt and we have all the shavings.  Dont laff, those are the tastiest part, lots of fat, but meat too.  Fer drinks, Ayla got TBT ta stuff lots of NIP leafs in the blender and he added some cream.  So we got Nip-Smoothies...

Thanks fer comin on the Garden Tour this week!

Almost Werdless Wensday

AYLA:  I did this to their picture from Sunday...  MOL!

I'll get pounced, but its worth it.

Mancat Monday On Tuesday

MARLEY:  After seeing pictures of Ayla and Iza on this rail, I decided to give it a try myself.  I have to admit it gives a nice view of the yard below.  But Im still not sure where the pictures are coming from.  I dont see TBT ANNYWHERE!

 WHOA!  Hes in the house looking out the winder.  I dint expect THAT.  And there is the camera. 

Who woulda guessed?  Now I have ANOTHER place to watch out for...

Memorial Day (Observed)

Easy Like Sunday

We were up and around kinna early today, so TBT didnt get the usual kind of Easy Like Sunday pictures.  But at lunch we (Marley and Iza) were eatin together as we usually do (Ayla prefers her meals in high spots in the bedroom.  TBT got this picture (the flashie was off)...

He says calmly crossed tails like that ought to be symbolic of SOMETHING nice, and it might as well be EASY.

About A Comment

TBT HERE:  We got a harsh comment from JB's Small World about the wild rabbit Marley caught Thursday.  The comment was "This is truly despicable! How horrid to post this."  I wanted to ask JB's person if he/she wanted to discuss it privately, but I couldn't find a way, so I am mentioning it here.

This is not to start a big argument or cause any contention.  And I invite JB's person to contact me privately at the email listed near the top of the sidebar for polite civil discussion and a frank exchange of views.

However, I consider it natural that cats be allowed outside when there are safe situations in order for them to experience the fullness of their nature.  And as our semi-wild fenced-in backyard is home to numerous small wild critters that are natural cat-prey, it seems perfectly normal to me that they catch and eat some of them.  I certainly do not miss the various mice, moles, voles, and shrews they catch.  As a gardener, I don't miss the occasional young bunny they catch either.  In fact, I wish they could catch some of the squirrels who dig up my crocus bulbs and veggie seedlings.  I have found and killed a few squirrels, young groundhogs and rabbits myself just to reduce the damage in the garden!

Does one condemn foxes for catching numerous rodents each day or hawks for catching songbirds?

Yes, the cats catch several birds each year.  I regret the loss of a finch or cardinal, but they catch more sparrows and starlings, and there are plenty of those around (and always will be).  As far as the songbirds go, I feed them year-round, and there are many more here now then when I moved in.  If I help a dozen thrive and the cats get 2, that's a gain for the songbirds.

I understand that some people are very reasonably saddened when cats catch desirable birds or "cute small mammals".  Everyone has some animals they prefer above others.  But "This is truly despicable! How horrid to post this."  is not the best way to express oneself...

I would easily understand and accept "We feel sorry for the poor little bunny" or "We wish they hadn't caught that bunny" without complaint.  But calling me "despicable" and "horrid" required a response.

Thank you,
Mark

Freaky Friday

IZA:  TBT was watching some old-timie baseball footage not in color, so he said iffen I was gonna sit in front of the TV, I had ta get in the mood.

OK.

As long as I can nap through it!

Bunny In The House!

MARLEY:

Bunny-Lover Warning Again!

 I got one in the house!  HURRAY!!!  Finally again.  It ran too...

 TBT said I wasnt grabbing it right.

 More up on the neck.

 Geez, I have more to learn about grabbin bunnies...

So I worked up closer.

And IZA grabbed it.  I wont even give her  color picture fer THAT.  She stole my bunny.

Um, but she DID seem to have a better grip.  So she gets sepia...

 But Im STILL gonna mess up her color picture...

OK, She did it in this time.  Full color as a reward.  Mebbe I should watch closer...  I get mousies easy, but have a problem with bunnies. 

 It IS good that TBT approves COMPLETELY!

Pee Ess, TBT got to 65 today...

OMC What A Drawing!

OK, this isn't about us.  This is about Nellie.  She had a hard trip home.

Tyhe drawing cracked us up though.  Is THIS a bad furs day or what?

On the other paw, mebbe this is how she usually looks...  One never knows, do one?  MOL!

Through The Kitchen Window

AYLA:  Yeah, he caught me.  I didn't realize he could take pictures through winders!  The flashy messed it up a bit.

I guess I shouldnt have stared IN like that, it gave TBT an idea.   But at LEAST he turned off the flashy and got a better pic.

 *SIGH*

Picced AGAIN.  Even when I thought I was safe...

PEE ESS:  BTW, we suddenly recalled the reason we all ran out from unner the chair yesserday.  Iza FARTED!  

Mystery Monday

MARLEY:  TBT saw us all unner the chair, but by the time he got the camera he only got this picture of us all leavin quickly.  We dont remember it. 

Can you suggest some ideas about what might have been goin on?

Easy Like Sunday

IZA:    OK, we had a good morning outside.  Breakfast first and then out.  And TBT was active outside too.  But then it was lunch time, and we all came in.  TBT too.  Well how else would we get our lunch, ya know?

An then after that, He sat down in the TV chair.  Watchin WHAT, we didn't bother ta notice.  Guess where WE went.  Right up on his legs of course!

 It doesnt get...

 More Easy Like Sunday...

 Than THAT!

Ayla is nappin just out of the picture behind him.  When WE are nappin on his lap, SHE cant find much room.  So she is up on the back of the chair.

Which means WE are all together!  At the TV chair...  Easy like Sunday fer sure, but we will take that anny day of the week.