ManCat Monday

Who can believe that there is no soul behind those luminous eyes - Theophile Gautier

 Me

 Angel Derby

Yeah, we kitties have souls, so you guys need to gaze into our eyes often. That way we can teach you the depth of our understanding and purrsonality. I have the more golden eyes than Derbs had, mum when she was hunting these pics down got a bit misty eyed on Derby pics.

Mum is being lazy for a few days. Just reading and such. Bits of work around the house. She is waiting for the weather to cool off some. She doesn't like the humids. Plus we had rain over the weekend, so the grass is growing like crazy. She wishes the grass would grow slower, but it is a nice green color instead of mostly brown. 

Mum has a bizzy week this week. Seeing a couple of furiends, getting the oil changed on the car, run her usual errands. 

Hope everyone has a good week.

Caturday - Retirement 101 - Session 3

Happy Caturday. Another glorious weekend. Although mum says, all her days are like weekend days. No having to get up early to go day hunt. She can do what she wants on any day. So much easier to get appointments to places like the doctor (hers and mine), car stuff appointments, hair cuts (hers) etc. Plus time to go meet people for lunch and catch up with them.

Topic for this week is naps.
 
Naps - if your human is home and you are napping, they need to just let you nap. No need to wake you up to play. When you are ready to play you will go find them, then they better stop what they are doing and play with you. Mum and I have two set play times. Right before bedtime and when she first gets up. Plus we fit a few more in during the day whenever we are in the mood.

Human naps, if they nap, then join them. If they can take time to snooze, you need to go snuggle up with them. That way they think you care about their rest. You do care don't you? Now naps can be done in different places and where they choose to nap may depend on how tired they are.

The overnight sleepy spot - this probably means they are super tired and will be napping for a longer time. They are either out partying late or doing too much stuff that they get all tired. You might just need to be with them long enuf to get them to sleep, then you can take off to do your own thing.

The couch - often the beans are watching the moving picture box and just fall asleep. These are probably brief naps and they will wake up suddenly and all confuzzled. They forgot where they were, what they were doing and what happened to the show they were watching.  Please be careful here, they might be a bit crazy or dangerous here.

The special napping chair -  We have one of these, it is also the reading, fevver watching chair. But it reclines! Feets can get elevated and if you really want to nap you just push back a little farther. Nice. If mum is here I am usually nearby. My tower is right next to it so I can snoopervise or even better, occupy her lap.

 When we first got the chair, Derby checking out the view and comfort, we sit here too to watch outside.

 Feet up position, room for a kittie on the feet resting spot.Then the all the way push back for napping.

 Here is when we got the tower. Mum put it right next to the chair, so we could all sit and watch outside.

It even gets used in the evening. Can you see both Derby and me? Both as real and reflections?

So far mum is not napping lots, but she does occasionally. She makes sure she gets her regular sleeps and lots of them. So usually well rested. But I caught her last Sunday, trying to read and nodding off, so she gave up and napped. I moved into her lap to make sure she stayed put for a while. 

That is all for this weekend. Have a grate one and next week we will cover  Sleeping, regular overnight sleeping!

Garden Thursday

Hello and Welcome to Garden Thursday with Virginger, Glimmer and Trooper.

We had a few nice days but now the muggies are back. Mum got a lot of stuff done while it was nice and less humid out. Now she waits for another cooler, less humid day.

 One of the bit things she has been working on is the grape arbor. It grows so fast and gets out of control. Plus mum thinks it puts so much energy into growing and doesn't make lots of grapes.

 Here you can see a few grapes hiding inside the vines. Mum doesn't want to totally expose the grapes.

 Mum lifted up the leaves on another part, one of them is even starting to turn purple!

 Here is the huge pile of stuff mum has to haul away. She lets it sit for a few weeks and "wilt" down. Then there is less bulk to cart off.

Silly sqwerls left us this on top of the outside storage bench. It is a black walnut seed inside its husk. Mum knows where there is a tree, but it is several blocks from us. So them silly sqwerls carried that a long way. Mum will see if it is still there tomorrow!

PS - Thursday morning the little green seed was gone. Mum saw no sign of it. No Miss Megan, we don't want a black walnut tree in our yard. They is messy trees to keep up after. 

That is all for now. Love Virginger, Glimmer and Trooper.

Tuesday This and That

Another nice day here, not too hot or humid. Me and mum both enjoyed it and she even used the grass cutter this evening to chop down the grass. With the rain last weekend, it decided to grow some.

 

 

Not much going on, mum says she is a bit tired and yawning. Me too. Although that middle picture looks like am about to sneeze!

ManCat Monday

Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties - W. L. Georg

Happy Monday Gang! Me and mum had a wonderful weekend. After some rain early on Caturday, it got nice. Cooled off and mum opened the windows all wide! It was so grate to have fresh airs and open windows. Mum said she could tell how happy I was. I was chasing around from open window to open window. When I would stop, she would see me sniffing in the fresh airs, a nice smile on my face! Plus I got grilled beast for dinner too!

 Now on my retirement sessions. Just cuz I am writing about them, doesn't mean me and mum are having issues. Matter of fact, so far things are good. She goes to sleep about the same time as usual, gets up a little later, but then I usually get fed about the same time. See, she feeds me first, she then putters around and gets dressed later. She used to get dressed first, then feed me. So things are cool with us.

Looks like a good week. Mum says while it is a bit cooler out she will attack some outside chores.

Have a good week everyone.

Caturday - Retirement 101 - Session 2

 HiYa, Ducky here, Happy Caturday. Going to be just a bit cooler this weekend. Maybe mum can open up the windows a bit for fresh airs.

 So for today's retirement adjustment seminar we are going to talk about eating.

Meal Times

Now that the human has a different schedule, it is very possible that it will affect your eating habits. They used to have to get up and get going to run off to day hunt. Now, they can be slugs and stay in bed longer. DO NOT LET THEM DO THIS!


Your tummy and that empty feeling when you haven't been fed on time is not acceptable. So in the morning, jump on them, sing the songs of our people, anything to get them going so that you get your meal on time.

In the afternoon or evening, if they have been out all day, or have come home late from having fun. I suggest laying down and looking faint. Make like you are so famished that you don't have enuf strength to stand up and get to the food bowl. That can make them feel guilty for staying out and ignoring their special little kitte. That could bring on extra treats being handed out!

Also, this might be a good time to throw a, I don't like what you are feeding me, so that they have to cater to you with new foods. Worth a shot, you might find a new favorite.

Good Luck!

That is all for now. Next topic will be   - Naps.

Plus if you have suggestions for topics you want covered, please leave me a comment. Good luck with our retiring beans.

Happy Weekend.

Garden Thursday

Hello and Welcome to Garden Thursday with Virginger, Glimmer and Trooper.

Still kinda quiet around here. But mum has gotten out, even in the hots and has been working outside. She cut back the grape arbor, it was getting to the point it was starting to grow over the lilac bush. Mum didn't take any pictures.

The majic lily is back, or what the naybor lady calls, naked lady lilies.

 

 It got wonky and grew through the fence!

 Mum has been trying really hard to get rid of these things. They are chinese lantern plants. They look purrty as the little lanterns get orinch, but the plants try to take over. Mum had them almost gone, then when they did the dungeon walls, it woke up seeds still in the ground. Little by little, mum is getting rid of them.

The guys across the street are doing well with the new grass. It has actually started to grow already.

 They came and sprayed this greenish colored stuff on Friday. It includes the seed, foods for the seed and stuff so the birds left the seed alone. It rained nice some, but to keep lots of water on it.

 They came back and put these hoses and sprinklers out on the lawn. They are on some kind of timer and they don't all come on at the same time either. 

 So last night mum took a picture, one sprinkler was on and you can sorta see that there is green stuff. Mum has looked at it closer and says it looks good.

That is all for this week. Thanks for visiting. Love Virginger, Glimmer and Trooper.

Tuesday This and That

The never ending tail of mum not being around continues. Yesterday she went on a boat ride with her furiend. They were on these boats were lots of people can sit and watch the world go by.

 Seems it was a fund raiser of some sort, got to see lots of fancy houses that mum could never afford, but if you can, and want to live on a purrty lake, they will do.

 

Now this last one kitties, maybe, if we got all our beans to gether and pool their green papers we could swing this. Eight bedrooms, lots of funky stairways to chase on, 11 bathrooms with space for tub hockey. Just a cool $3.2M, so shall we buy it?

Then today she actually worked in the yard for a while, mowed the grass so it looks nice and isn't all shaggy. Then went off to the library to see a free moovie. Eddie the Eagle. One way to cool off on a summer day, watch a moovie on the Winter Olympics!

ManCat Monday

Cats have it all  - admiration, an endless sleep, and company only when they want it - Rod McKuen

HiYa, Ducky here. Yeah gang, I get my loves when I want them. Since mum is around more, I want them more!

The weather isn't quite so hot or humids now, mum is happy for that. That means she can get out and walk more. Thankfully she walks early, then cleans up, then I don't have to deal with a stinky human all day long.

I chose not to enter the Cat-O-Lympics this year to defend my high jump title. But I still have the jumping gene in me. Mum came home one evening last week and didn't see me in my usual places. So where was I? Up high!

 

 Now this is the other corner cupboard in the dining room. Mum has never seen me up here before. I jump to and from the opening between the kitch-hen and the dining room.

Mum had lunch yesterday with Chey, Gemini and Ichiro's mum. She was up in Packer town for a meeting on writing stuff. She didn't bring her to the house to meet me. If she had I would have been hiding on her! I am not the social kitty that Derby was, he would meet you at the door and welcome you in!

Today mum says she is going for a boat ride, plus lunch. OK, more time for me to nap.

Caturday - Retirement 101 - Session 1

HiYa, Ducky here, happy Caturday.

Now that mum has retired, many of you have asked how things are going and the adjustments that have to be made.

I have heard your meows and will start with a series of posts on Caturday on how things are going. Mind you, me and mum have only been at this for just over three weeks. Still a work in progress. If you have a topic you want covered, let me know.

Today's Topic - Schedule

We cats purrty much set our own schedule and while our humans were off working we had a long stretch of time to do what we wanted. You came home from day hunting, had a few hours with us, then off to the sleepy spot.

Now you are here all the time during the day. Sure you go off for little bits of time for lunch or errands but, you are still here ALL THE TIME! We kitties have to adjust to that, so don't expect us to be at your side all the time. We still need our nap time, private time, litter box time, exploring time. So let us come to you when we want attention. You might be surprized at how often we come around. And when we do come around you need to pay attention to us. NOW! Not, later kittie or I'm bizzy kitty. Stop what you are doing and give us some love.

That is it for today's lesson. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Garden Thursday

Hello and Welcome to Garden Thursday with Virginger, Glimmer and Trooper.

We continue to have the hots and humids. Mum tries to get her outside stuff done early, then inside to clean up, cool off and do other stuff.

 Our butterfly bushes have finally bloomed. Mum has managed to keep them alive for several years, but she thinks she needs to put them where they get more sun. Maybe then they will bloom earlier. One is tall, the other short, that is a bit strange too. We haven't seen any butterflies on them yet, but them mum isn't sitting outside in the hots to look.

 Here is a project we are happy we don't have to snoopervise. The guy across the street is getting his entire yard redone with new dirt and grass. He said they will seed it, not sod. They hired a landscape company to do this, they aren't doing it themselves. They started Monday and are still working on it.

 

That is all for this week. Stay cool. Love Virginger, Glimmer and Trooper.

Tuesday This and That

Well, a bit of the hots are back. Mum closed the windows and figured the cooler would kick in. She went to look at it and the button was in the OFF position. She turned it back on, but right now it is as hot inside as out. Hoping it cools off quickly.

I have to get used to having mum home all the time. She does her chores at different times now. So tonight, taking my litter box break and she comes down the stairs to clean out my box! She was nice and just waited on the last step for me to finish and didn't stare at me. Mum, you and I have to get on the same schedule, my break time, should not be your cleaning time.

Mum is getting forgetsful. She went to lunch and came home without doing something she was supposed to do. So tonight she walked over and cast her vote for the one and only contested position in the county. Everyone else was running unopposed. It took her less than 30 minutes to get there, vote and come back. Mum says it isn't far. No lines for voting in and out quick.

Now mum has the Lympics on, little girls bouncing and flying around.

ManCat Monday

What greater gift than the love of a cat. - Charles Dickens

Yeah, love, it is what we all need. I love mum and I know she loves me back. Not much happened this weekend. Mum was around, did the usual chores. She did do grilled beast last night of which I got some. 

 Me making sure she gets all the visiting done on the puter, plus putting my posts together.

 Mum moved the orchid she got from her coworker over to a different table. Now I can get all up close and purrsonal with it. Mum says to just let it be and so far I am doing just that.

Almost all of the little flower pods have opened. Mum is happy that the plant must like it here and is opening up all the flowers. . Mum counted three more to open last night.

Here is a close up of the flower. Sort of golden with pinkish markings.

Feetsball Report

Grampa Brett made it into the Hall of Fame. Mum expected him to talk way earlier in the evening, but overall she liked what he said.

However, the game got cancelled on Sunday. Seems parts of the field were so hard that they thought it wasn't safe for the players to play on it. So, no game! At least that way, no one got hurt!

Happy week everyone.

Caturday

At least this week I am not posting late in the evening. Mum isn't ignoring me for this weekend. We are super excited since feetsball is back!

Tonight, Grampa Brett, who actually has remained retired for 5 years, is being inducted into the Feetsball Hall of Fame. Good for him, he played well for our team for many years. He even played OK for some other guys, but we won't talk about that.

So, here I am with my team colors on. Not to worry, it comes off easy!

 Angel Derby, way back when he was all painted up too.

Then Sunday night, we will watch The Pack play their first pre-season game against the Colts in the Hall of Fame game. Yay, feetsball is back!

Garden Thursday

Hello and welcome to Garden Thursday with Viginger, Glimmer and Trooper.

Kinda quiet in the garden at this time. The late summer flowers are blooming, plus we are seeing butterflies! We like butterflies.

 Coneflower

 Queen Anne's Lace

Mum is hoping it cools off a bit, she has stuff she wants to do outside, but doesn't want to work in the hot sun. Don't worry mum, in about 4-5 months it will cool off and we will have snow!

That is all for this week. Love Virginger, Glimmer and Trooper.