Thursday in the Garden

 Karen Jo:  Sorry I haven't blogged in so long.  First there was getting out of my funk, then I got a sinus infection, which is almost cleared up, then I went to a three day conference and came back with a badly upset tummy, which I am still recovering from.  We are not joining the Feline Gardeners, as I seldom have anything in the garden worth photographing.  After the gophers took over, I just let the garden go wild.  Above the lace vines are in full bloom, much to the delight of the bees.

 We got more rain this year than last and I had a bumper crop of weeds, but this one has pretty flowers.

 It was also a bumper year for toadstools.  I had some bigger ones, but didn't get out to photograph them.

 The phlox are past their prime, but still pretty.

 Spyro:  I have reclaimed my title as the kitty who can climb/jump the highest.  I don't really like it up here, but I had to do it at least once.  It did get a little embarrassing.  I couldn't get down again.  I walked to the other side of the drapes and Mom climbed up and go me down.

 Oja:  I still spend most of my time in the computer room, but I am coming out more now.  I made friends with Horus and now I don't feel so outnumbered by icky mancats.  I have two friends now and that makes me feel better about roaming around the house.

 Rocio:  Another reason Oja feels safer about roaming around the house is that I have stopped annoying her.  For some reason, I now get hissy with Horus and Bambino sometimes when they want to play with me.  I took a serious claws-out swipe at Horus the other day and Mom broke it up.  He had me cornered under the computer desk and I didn't like it.

Karen Jo:  I have no idea what brought this on.  Rocio was always ready to play with any cat who wanted to.  He hasn't hissed at Bambino since a week after Bambino moved in, until just the last few days.  He isn't acting like he doesn't feel good.  He is eating and drinking and running around and playing with toys.  He is going to the vet in about a week and a half for his rabies booster, so I'll ask her about it.

 Bambino:  I wish I knew why Rocio got all hissy with me the last time I pounced him.  I just wanted to play.  Luckily Spyro will still play with me and Horus will play chase with me.  It's fly season and I am having no end of fun chasing them.

Horus:  I escaped today and met the woofie from next door.  She is a minpin and I am bigger than she is.  We sniffed each other over without any hissing or barking.  Then Mom caught up with me and I had to go back inside.  See my tiger paw?

Tuxie Tuesday

Mom apologizes for using the same picture of me with my toy bucket twice in just a couple of days. This was the picture she meant to use yesterday, but she forgot to uncheck the "put it in a new folder" box and she couldn't find it.  I had just gotten a bit of playtime with my toys after I got my nasty medicine and I was pooped out.  I didn't even eat all my treats, as you can still see some in the PTU in the background.  My fur is getting all stick out all over again, but this winter it still has a shine to it, so Mom knows that it is just the dry weather and the dry air from the heater making it do that.  Mom has some news on the kitty girl.

Karen Jo:  It isn't the news I was hoping for, but it is still great news.  The kitty girl was adopted over the weekend.  The lady at the shelter said that she was amazed at how many people showed an interest in adopting her.  It looks like more people are now willing to give kittens with problems a chance.  My name has been added to the list of people interested in adopting cats with feline leukemia, so I may find out about another one some time.  It has been my experience in life that cats who need me have a way of finding me.  That brings me to a dream I have had twice now.  Each time in the last year that I have decided that I was really interested in adopting a cat, I have dreamed about a part Siamese or part Himalayan cat.  The first time was just before I found Herman and the second time was just after I found out about the kitty girl and had made up my mind that adopting her would be a good idea.  I have no idea if it means anything, but I find it interesting.

I chased a fly all around the kitchen this morning.  I almost caught it, too.

Karen Jo:  You could have caught the one I found swimming in your water bowl.

That would have been too easy.

I got some really nice cuddle time this morning.  Mom isn't quite used to the new time yet and woke up an hour early, so she spent the extra time listening to the radio and petting me.  After she got home from work, I ran up and down the hall twice, just to let her know that I was ready to play.  And play we did.  I used to just play with one toy for a few minutes, then I was done playing for that session.  Now I will play with a toy, get tired of it, go to another toy and play with it and even go on to a third or fourth toy.  My play time has gone from 1-5 minutes to 5-10 minutes.  I even run after toys and keep whapping them time after time, which I rarely did before. Tonight I was celebrating that I didn't have to take the nasty medicine today and I won't have to take it any more until next month.  I feel so good that I am just bursting with energy and fun.

Karen Jo:  I have some news for you.  I just heard from The Friends of the Shelter and their calendar is out and you are in it.

Yay!  Now you have to get a photo in for the PAWS calendar.  I want to be a big time calendar cat.

Karen Jo:  I will do that tomorrow, Herman.  I have so many pictures of you that it is going to be hard to choose, but I will do it.