OK! OK!  Enough already with the brush!

Goldie, stop that. Don't you want to look wonderful for Ariel and MaoMao's big day?

Alright! Just don't go too crazy with that thing, I don't want to go bald.

Hold still. You have a bunch of dry grass in your bloomers.

Please do not call them bloomers. I am a big mancat for Pete's sake!

Fine. You have grass caught to your pantaloons.


I am soooo glad you are not coming with me, PM. No offense but I think you would cramp my style.

See you all at the wedding!!!!

"PM!!!!! I think there is something weird going on here. I am hearing something strange"

"Holy crap!! I think something's moving in the stove"

"Quick!  Start the fire!!!  Start the fire!!!!!"

"I see you now, my pretty. Thanks for holding the flashlight, wee ones."

"Hey! What are we doing out here! I've got supper waiting..."

Door opens.

{{{FLAP FLAP FLAP}}}

Bird flies over head.

"That's not fair. At all. "

This is the stance that Shade takes at supper time in the middle of the kitchen. She does it only there and at that time of day. We don't get treats or fed at a specific time so I don't know where this comes from.





The PM says " Oh no! Shade has fainted again". She can stay there for quite a long time, with everyone almost tripping over her, trying to make supper.


I think it is a desperate attention seeking act.

Thanks everyone for coming by for Goldie's Gotcha Day.  He's still sleeping it off.  

Angus asked about the "berm" as we were getting lost in it.  I thought I would clear up some confusion. Goldie thought it was a made up word and it is normally was preceeded by !@#$%. As it "I want to chop down that whole !@#$% berm".  The definition of a landscaped berm is:

"mounds of dirt that are often erected to add visual interest to the landscape."

This is the end view of ours.


It is actually two oval "mounds" connected by a small rectangular mound so that you can actually walk into the middle of the berm. The whole thing is about 145 ft long about 50 feet in the widest part.

It looked very nice when the PM and MM moved in but it soon went crazy as the idiot landscaping previous owner had planted WAY too many things on it. He wanted it to look nice for a couple of years and knew he was leaving so he didn't care how it looked in ten years. In that space there are probably 85-100 shrubs/trees planted.

This next photo shows a poor chestnut tree, which can grow to 40 ft, planted in the middle of a bunch of willows.  It even has some chestnuts on it this year. 

This is the opening in the middle which used to be quite large. Now you can barely get in there.

The wee ones and Goldie and I love the place. It has plenty of hidey holes and secret paths.  The PM, not so much. We are enjoying while we can as the plan is to cut back all the shrubs, maybe cut down a few trees and put a clear path through it all.  I guess it will still be OK then. 

Hope this sheds some light on the matter. Goldie really has to learn to explain things more clearly. 

I am very happy today as it is my 4th GOTCHA Day!!!!!!  I am now 4 1/2 years old, give or take a couple of weeks.

I was on my way to a shelter when my previous owners sister tried one last hope, she called the PM.  The PM thought about it for a few seconds and said, "Bring him here". The first couple of days I lived in the laundry room. I was still a little nervous and for some reason the piles of clothes calmed me. That and there was a gate separating me and the 18 month wee lad. I was not used to sticky beans.

Here is my first photo.  I didn't look too floofy then.

For my party, I thought I would give you all some climbing lessons.  We have about 25 pine trees lining one side of the yard so that would be room for all of us.

Firstly, take a running leap and climb the trunk until you reach the first branches. Once settled, scope the higher ones to see where you want to go. 

Take your time moving along. Stalk a few birds while you are up here.

Turning can be a little tricky. Be wary of the small branches, stay close to the inside, don't walk too far toward the edges.


Well done!  If you have a hard time getting down, the PM will help you. She has the big ladder all ready to go!

If you are not too tired, I will take you all on a tour of my favorite hunting spots, maybe we'll catch some snacks.

For you fine furiends that are clawless, Shade has some activities lined up for you too.  There is the "lose yourself in the overgrown berm" game, the cricket pounce and the ever popular race across the property as fast as you can.

I hope you all have a good time. Thanks for making this day special for me.

We had a rough week but I'm back with some good news.

The grass allergy season is now over!!! Yay!!! Now things can get back to normal around here and the wee lad can run out in the field.

It was a frustrating time so I decided to give some timothy grass a goin' over just to show them whose boss and they better not make any pollen next summer!!!!

Ahhhhhh..... That felt good.

While we were thinking about sweet Sprout and her family over the weekend, the PM received news that her Grammie had died. She had lived a long life and everyone knew it was coming soon but the family is still very upset. The Nanny was with Grammie her final night and took care of her after she died. She was the anchor in that family and everyone is kind of lost and traumatized right now. The PM has been thinking about both Sprout and her Grammie. One lived only 3 months and the other 1085 months and they both will leave a tremendous hole in their families lives and no one was ready to see them leave. You can think you are totally prepared for someone to die but you really aren't.

The funeral is tomorrow. We hope to be back visiting everyone at the end of this week.

Some early fall blooms for Grammie. We love you. May you be with Grampie now and all of your dear cats and dogs that have come before.

Today is dear Sprout's funeral. Our thoughts are with her family today. It is a very sad time and we are sending out purrs of comfort and big {{{{HUGS}}}} to all our furr friends and their beans.



Light a candle today and spend some time with the people and pets that you love.

We actually had a pretty sunny day yesterday. What a surprise!!!!  I heard the weather fella say that we had rain 51 out of the last 72 days. No wonder I felt like I was starting to mildew.

I spent a few hours rolling,



strolling


and basking in the beams.



The PM and everyone is going in town for the weekend to visit people and to celebrate the MM's birthday. I am a little sad to see them go but I really feel like having a good nap session!!!

The PM also informed me that we will not be blogging on the weekends anymore. I couldn't believe it but she explained that she is starting homeschooling the wee lad and needs extra time to plan the week's work. How much planning does cutting, gluing and colouring need anyway????

We will be posting a memorial post for sweet Sprout though tomorrow.

I am wishing everyone a safe and restful weekend. It has been a real sad week here at the CB and I want to extend some big {{{{HUGS}}}} to all my friends. I will try to get some sunbeams sent to everyone's windows so we can all have a healing warm nap.

Last night we decided to light a candle for all of our furr friends and beans who are sick, in pain, needing help or are coping with a tradegy. Our very sweet friend Tesla suggested we join her in this ritual and we think we will be doing this regularly.

Next,

I want to introduce you to my new pal.



He seems pretty cool but a little on the wild side.

He is having a hard time standing straight. I don't know if it is trouble with the drink.  I hope not, he seems a little too young for that crazy business.

With his good looks and my lasers, we will be unstoppable!!!!

This has been a very rough week here at the CB. 

Another one of our dear furr friends, Felix   has gone to the Bridge. He was ill and is now at peace, running with the ones who have gone before.

Some blooms for Felix Unger Graves III.  

I have been hanging around the garden all summer and I have stumbled onto something kind of weird.

I have noticed that many of the plants have animal names. Do we inspire them? Are they jealous of us? I don't know. 

Here are a few that I have found.

Lamb's Ears
Tiger Lily


Fox gloves
Bee balm

Strange, don't you think?

The last one is rather frightening. I think this is the real deal,  not just a namesake.

Tick seed

Yes, this is where those gross ticks come from.  

The PM thinks I am foolish but I think she knows the truth. If they were just a harmless, pretty flower why does she go out everyday to deadhead  them?

Something strange is going on.

We woke up this morning to horrible news at the CB. Monty Q's little babybean "Sprout" has passed away. She fell on Saturday and was in the hospital but her little heart just gave out.

Our thoughts and prayers are with mom Tracey, Monty and the rest of their family at this very tragic time. This sweet little girl will be greatly missed.




Some blooms for Violette Noelle. We will stay close to each other today.

Today is an extremely lazy day here out in the woods. The whole clan is sick with various viruses; no one is moving too fast. It is raining again and the birds all seem to be somewhere else.



On an exciting note, I wanted to thank our friends for some awards we got last week. We were given these awards before but are thrilled that some furr-friends thought of us again!!!

Our good friend Pearl gave Goldie and I this award:



and Tesla, that little cutie, gave us this one.



Thank you so much!!!!!!!

I also have a confession of sorts. I think I am addicted to swearing. Not swearing in general just when Goldie's around. I know that probably isn't the best way to handle a situation but I do it all the time. I don't even know if he actually hears me anymore. He tunes me out.

Last night I went a little overboard and the PM commented on how silly I sounded. I was on the window ledge and the PM had just opened the window to let some fresh air in. (Various viruses and all) Goldie came sauntering over and I swore at him when he looked towards the window. I swore when he smelled the air coming in through the window and when he looked me in the eye. I swore as he started walking over to the window and when he jumped on the window ledge. I swore three times while he was looking outside and once for smelling my head. I also swore at his rump as it left the window ledge.

Overkill?

Anyway, something to work on I guess. Later... much later.