Caturday - Retirement 101 - Session 6

Happy Caturday everyone. Hope everyone had a nice week off from our retirement sessions. Plus, the time off leads directly into our topic of the week, your humans being away.

 I figured something was up, just didn't know exactly what. Mum not only had her red traveling back out, but a bigger one too. She put lots of things to wear inside, then zipped it shut to keep me out!

So on Thursday the 15th, me and mum were snuggling like we usually do in the AM, but then she scooped me up and put me inside her hot rain room! Hey!

 Then I also noted that the PTU was sitting just outside and thought, I gotta go to the stabby place? Wasn't I just there and got a clean bill of health? No, something far more complicated!

It was a short ride and then mum took me inside a building. I hadn't been there afore, but I could smell kitties and woofies. Then I got taken and put inside my deluxe accomodations for the next week. A two room suite, one for eating, the other side for my litter box.

I got treated nice, played with, treats and just generally treated like the VIK that am. My suite was just inside those corner windows. So I had a nice view of outside.The place is associated with a Stabby place, so if I got sick, I had help right there.

Then mum took off and didn't come home for a week. She drove and drove and drove her metal monster to the OK state to see her brother, and her nephew and family. Plus she saw a bunch of stuff.

Caturday, a trip to Woolaroc, they saw stuffed and real animals. An old fashioned house, Native American items and history on the Phillips family and company.

Hmmm, seems they crashed the Phillips Company picnic! Mum said she joked with the one guy who told her to keep driving to the main parking area about crashing the party. He said go ahead! They did, water, soft drinks, ice cream, games!

Then a few days later mum went to a sad place, Oklahoma City National Memorial. She says she remembers this far too well as she was on the phone with a sales rep in Oklahoma City, suddenly the call ended in a burst of static. It was the charged particles of the bombing disrupting the call.

 The chairs, the little chairs are for the children who were killed.

 The view of the reflecting pool, this was the street that ran in front of the building. 

The time before the blast, the time after.

The view from inside the museum looking across to the area of the chairs.

Across the street to the west there is a church, they put up this as a memorial as well. Also very moving.

More to see later, the OK State Capital building, complete with its own formerly working oil well out front.

Then more on history and when and how OK became a state. Seems they took land from the Native Americans and gave it to other peoples.

Then time to come home to me, but with a few stops along the way for more visiting and museums. Off to the Land of Lincoln and the Lincoln Museum in Springfield. Mum liked this place, full of history and well done she says.

Then finally home to me. We have been having lots of nice snuggles together.

Plus mum found this in her paperwork after we had been home a day. Seems they even told her what to do with me at first. Mum put food and water out right away and once I was done exploring the house to check it out I chowed down. I have been snuggling with her lots and lots. Even doing multiple trips walking up and down here while she was in the sleepy spot.

 I know other kitties have people come to their house to take care of them. Mum wasn't impressed with the ones that are around here. The old place mum used to take us, I was only there once, wasn't as nice. This was the same cost as a pet sitter, nice that next door was a stabby place in case I got sick. When mum dropped me off one of the vets even came out to talk to mum.

So whatever works for you, get a good sitter or place to stay. I know mum would not leave me forever, so while I missed her, I knew she would be back.

The bad news, is now that she is not working, I have a feeling more of these trips will happen.

Garden Thursday

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

Fall has arrived! Well officially it is at 9:21 AM here in the Central Time Zone and being on Daylight Saving Time. So depending on when you are reading this, it still might be summer! Whatever, this is all fancy human talk.

 The sedum is starting to turn to pink, it will get a deeper pink over the next few weeks. Mum says she saw a really deep pink one already.

 The cone flowers in the back. The seeds are from the nyger feeder than hangs above it. The top one the goldy finches haven't eaten the seeds. Below, they have picked this one clean.

 

 Out front that cone flower, well one flower is all dried up, the other is looking purrty good yet.

Mum fixed her World War One poppy. The washer that held the flower up broked, she found new one that worked to keep it in place.

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

ManCat Monday - Meow Like a Pirate Day

Cats are a tonic, they are a laugh, they are a cuddle, they are at least pretty just about all of the time and beautiful some of the time.  -  Roger Caras

 Aye ye land lubbers, 'tis talk like a pirate day! As the new captain, I be taken the Good Ship Sassycat out for a nice sail.

I have my first mate Dora along side to give me a paw when needed. She makes a mighty fine pirate lass, she does!

Now iffin' you thinks ye can just be along for the ride, think again, ye must help out. Unfurl those sails, open the grog and be ready for a good time.

We will toast the memory of Pirate Derby, and all who dare to speak against him, shall be walkin' the plank!

 We be looking for treasures, we is hopin' we be filling this empty chest with some dubloons!

Aye' that be much better, a full chest o' treasure.

Feetsball Report

None, the pirate ship doesn't have wide screen HD TV. Bummed, but there are windows here!

Caturday - Retirement 101 - Half Term Holiday!

You all have been so good I am giving you, me and mum the weekend off. We all deserve a bit of a break.

See you soon.

Garden Thursday

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

 The fevvers or sqwerls planted us a sunflower that is blooming now. Mum feeds lots of sunflower seeds to the fevvers, so now and then one of them actually grows.

 Yep, me and the hummer feeder. We are still seeing hummers at our feeders. Soon they will be commuting south for the winter.

We are seeing signs of fall. Some of the trees are ever so slightly turning to yellows and reds. Mum likes the cooler weather and all. She says it is much nicer to go walking now.

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

ManCat Monday

If you've got a cat and a leg, you've got a happy cat. If you've hot a cat and two legs, you've got a party. - George Carlin.

I am a happy cat, I got four legs, mum has two. I don't think I am hot, as in hot for a girl cat, so no party here.

Sooper happy, the weather really and finally turned. Mum had windows and doors all open both Caturday afternoon and Sunday. Nice sunny day on Sunday, so it was nice to watch outside and see the chippies, sqwerls and fevvers all messing about. Specially the fevvers, taking lots of baffs in the birdie baff. Mum even had to go out and add more water to it as they splashed it all out!

Mum says the weather guessers are saying that there is more nice weather to come this week.

Feetsball Report

The Pack -  The won! Yippee. They looked decent considering it is the first game and they haven't played a game together in preseason. ARodg didn't throw it to the wrong guys, Mr Jordy is back and he looked good too. The defense did their thing, they took it away when they had too and stuffed them on fourth down at the end of the game to prevent them Jags from scoring.

Mum hasn't decided on which AFC team to follow. She did the Bronco's becuz of Mr Peyton. He retired to sit in in baff robe and do commercials! MOL, So it could be them, maybe the Texan's as JJ grew up around here. The Colt's? Maybe someone else. We shall see.

Bronco's won, Texan;s won. Colt's

Happy week everyone!

Caturday - Retirement 101 - Session 5

HiYa, Ducky here. You guys made it to the weekend. Mum says everyday now is the weekend and she likes that. The weather guessers say it is finally going to get cool and be less humid for more than one day. Mum went walking yesterday AM and came back all sweaty! She wants to walk without getting all sweaty.

Our lesson for this is Play Time


My main playing times are right when mum gets up and before she goes to her sleepy spot at night. So I have to get her going to play with me at other times. So I will be dropping the mousie in her lap and waiting for her to toss it. Or I just make a toy out of something else. Last night mum had her water bottle cap just sitting there. Fair game, it was now my toy! So if you are not getting enuf play time, make your human interact with you. Knock over that water bottle, push something off the table. Maybe then they will give you a work out!

Best way to show you my play is with a moovie, so enjoy.

So humans, now that you have all this extra time, please make sure you are setting time aside to play with your kitties! Take time to find out what type of toy suits each of us the best. I am partial to mousie type toys I can bat around. Others might prefer a wand toy, or maybe both. Try lots of different toys until you find what works best.

Plus, please refresh they toys. Nothing makes play more boring than a toy that has seen better days. If we play with it hard, it might not last long. So if you find something your kit loves, go get a few more when the first wears out.

Next week - half term holiday! Yeah, you guys have been so good with these lessons. I am giving you a break next week. Enjoy.

Week after that, we will take up our lessons with your humans being away!

Garden Thursday

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

We get a few nice days, then the hots and humids come back. Which then caused us to get lots of rain, nearly 2 inches on Wednesday. Then back to nice temps and less muggy air.

We had a tame baby bird this week, he was just sitting while mum grilled. He was kinda exposed so she got him on her finger and moved him into the tree. 

  More evidence of the evil sqwerls and how destructive the are, mum puts a bungy cord across the cans with the fevver food. Keeps the raccoons out, sqwerls too. Do yo see how they are eating this? Hoping they can break in? Sheesh.

We are all looking forward to the nicer weather we will get now with fall coming. You can really tell how short the days are getting. Mum sat outside a few nights ago until it was dark. She was inside before 8:30. It used to be light at that time!

Thanks for visiting. Love Virginger, Glimmer and Trooper.

Tuesday This and That

The hots and humids are back. Mum stayed inside all day to stay cool. So we napped, mum readed her book and did some other chores.

I played with this pile of color. Why, cuz mum ordered a couple of tie dye shirts from Katnip Lounge mum. Plus there was some nip inside. Yum! Thanks gang.

 

Our hearts are heavy, one of our dear furiends Billy Sweetfeets Norton Gingersnap, went to The Bridge. He was helped to The Bridge after having a stroke. Enjoy, I know Derbs will be there to greet you. He used to tell me how he mentored you in all things gingerness. You needed that since you lived with Meezers!

ManCat Monday

The mathematical probability of a common cat doing exactly as it pleases is the one scientific absolute in the world.  - Lynn M. Osband

Hey, who you calling "common"? Hey lady, we is not common cats, we are all extraordinary cats! Don't forget that!

Me and mum are having a quiet holly-day weekend. Pretty much being home and hanging out. Maybe mum will use the grass eater sometime today. Then again, maybe not.

The wonderful weather continues, lots of open windows. So nice in the evening to just listen to the crickets and such. Soothing to fall asleep to, well, maybe second to a cat purring! MOL!

Feetsball for reals starts this Thursday. So my feetsball report will be back next week as well.

Take care everyone.

Caturday - Retirement 101 - Session 4

HiYa, Ducky here. Oh, it has been so nice around here the past few days. The hots and muggies are gone and lots of open windows. So nice! Me and mum have been enjoying it day and night! Yep even at night, why, cuz that makes sleeping better.
 
Which brings us to this weeks retirement topic - Sleeping

Now when beans retire they don't really have a set schedule to live their life by. So they don't HAVE to get up at a certain time. That is nice for them, but sometimes things can get way out of whack. 

We know some of our blogging buddies have retired beans that choose to keep different sleep schedules. They stay up late, get up late and for us kitties that can create problems. You know we like to get fed on reasonable normal and usual schedules. For me, that isn't a huge problem, mum always has enuf crunchies out for me to eat. But other kitties that get gooshy foods, well their little tummies must be empty. You have my OK to jump, meow, sing or do what ever you need to do to get your beans out of the sack to feed you. 

 I am lucky, mum is keeping a pretty normal schedule. She usually goes to bed about the same time she did when she was day hunting, but gets up about an hour later. Her little fitthing, tells her she is getting at least 8 hours of sleep and she is happy for that. She feels so much better getting enuf sleep.

A few nights she has stayed up later, playing too much on the puter, then she does sleep a bit later than usual. Although only three times since she retired has she turned on the noisy box by the bed to get up by. Twice were for racy car days so she got there on time. The other was this week as a furiend wanted to meet her for breakfast! Well, thankfully for mum, not a really early breakfast. But mum didn't want to miss it, she hadn't seen this furiend in a while.

I sit on mum at night so she stays in bed. Once she falls asleep, I can go to my own sleepy spot or if the window is open, I jump up there. I can keep watch in case she tries to get up and wander off! No she does not sleep walk.

Usually early in the AM, she is sort of awake, makes a brief visit to her litter box room, then gets back in bed. I come and snuggle under the covers with her. We have a nice system. She lays on her left side, and her left arm is stretched out away from her body. I crawl under the covers, turn around and stretch out long her tummy, resting my front legs and head on her arm. I purr like crazy and at times we both fall back asleep.

Once she finally gets all the way awake we have a nice play time. I bring my mousie with me to bat around and mum will toss it for me to chase.

So, hopefully you and your human can get a sleeping pattern that works for both of you. But don't you be letting them miss meals!


Next weeks topic - Play time.


Happy weekend all. Long holly-day weekend her in Mericky. Drive safe if you are going somewhere.

Garden Thursday

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

A couple of nice pictures of visitors to our garden. This is why mum plants flowers, so we get bees and butterflies!

 

 

Mum was out taking these with her fancy flashy box. Then she refilled the fevver feeders. She heard a little bit of thunder, not loud or close. Then WHAM, it started raining. So she grabbed her fancy flashy box and got inside quick. No damage to mum or flashy box.

Then we want to show you some pictures of what drives mum crazy. The stoopid sqwerls! They chew on everything. Mum has lost several strings of lights, she has liked these in the winter to give her more light out in the yard while she does the feeders. She won't need them now that she will be home in the day. But still, she is not happy with them furry little critters.

 

 

 

 

So mum saved the bulbs, but not sure where she will use them, but has them if they want. Mum did notice on Sunday when this started that there was a little bit still in the tree. It got chewed on and knocked down so mum won't have to climb the tree to get it down!

So that is all for now from the garden. Love, Virginger, Glimmer and Trooper.