I have to say I am a little perturbed. We just had a very long break from blogging and now I am told we have to take another. Can't these people get everything done at once?? Apparently our new windows are in and and a bunch of things need to be done before they come to put them in plus do some crawlspace renos.

Then I find out we, yes we cats, are going to live in the city while all the work gets done. WHAT??? I never OK'd that plan!

This should be interesting.

The PM is also very stressed out with the fox situation. First we thought they were just stopping by but now we know they actually have a den in the berm. We thought there was a Mom and two kits, now we know there is a BIG Dad too and four kits not two! The Dad has been catching some big birds and the PM is worried about rotting carcasses. She wants them to move along into the deep woods ASAP!! She loves watching them but she doesn't want them living beside us permanently. She's worried about the wee ones while they are out and she doesn't let them stray too far from her side. That has slowed down all the planting and weeding that should be happening now. The PM thinks they will have to go with a small veggie patch this year.

I am losing valuable napping time keeping my eye on all the fox activity.

The kits are getting braver, wanting to play on the grass in the middle of the yard!

Big, cautious Daddy hangs back in the bushes watching carefully.

Mom hangs out by herself in the field, washing and napping while Dad is on guard.



The wee ones and the MM also have a horrid cold. We cats are just going to have some naps and enjoy the sun, inside!



I hope this all passes soon and we'll be back in a couple of weeks!!

On Monday, the PM went outside to hang some washing when she met the fox crossing the yard. The fox looked at the PM and trotted into the berm. The PM thought she heard some different sounds and went to take a closer look.

There in the berm were two fox kits, running among the overgrown bushes, jumping and rolling. She then saw the mother fox run out to the field. The PM watched from inside and saw the fox come back with a mouse. It seems like she is using the berm in our front yard as a little daycare, leaving the kits safely there while she hunts for their meals. She was there again in the evening and the following morning.

When the mama fox takes a break, she likes to stand by the bank facing our front windows in the morning sun.

This is the shot from our window.



The PM zoomed in to get a closer look, sorry for the fuzziness.










I sit on the ledge and watch the wild ones frolic. She looks at me and I look at her and purr.

Yes, my nose is looking pretty good. The nasty scab came off in one big piece and the hair seems to be growing back in parts. The PM assumes I will have a scar though.

I think Banshee loves me.



Yep. She's using my foot as a head rest. She must think I have been decootified.



She seems to want to love me in private though. Too much attention, PM!



We had a real buggy weekend! The house is infested with black ants and the wilds are now a feeding frenzy for blackflies and mosquitoes! I am kind of glad I was indoors!!

The PM is very proud of us, me especially, that we have had two vases of flowers on the table for weeks virtually untouched by feline paws.



A few sniffs here and there.





Here is a bloom for our garden. We don't have much out but the PM was glad to see these tulips bloom. They are a new variety that she had planted as bulbs last Fall.

This weekend was a busy one as seems to be the norm now that Spring is officially in full swing.

The PM was like a woman possessed. She has decided to do a kill mulch in the middle of part of the berm as the shrubs are being choked by grass and thistles run wild. She was ready for step one, laying down of cardboard when she noticed how overgrown the Sumac were getting. They had even grown through two dwarf pine and they were dying. Before we could blink an eye, the PM was ripping out trees and cutting branches. I love our Sumac and was upset to see so many go. The PM reassured me that the original trees are fine but all the off shoots had to go.

Our Sumac are the Staghorn variety so our lawn looked like an unearthed Megoloceros burial ground. They were prehistoric deer with HUGE antlers.




The PM was on a roll and took the loppers to a lot of trees. Apparently two inch thorns at wee one eye height was bothering her. Very tricky pruning an overgrown hawthorn grove.

I would have gladly helped in the work or at least snoopervised from a safe distance, but our red friend was by everyday and we are still under house arrest.



Banshee and I did get out for a few moments this weekend. We have been taking private escaping lessons from our friend and super escapista Siena and they are really paying off. We attempted the tag team move with partial success. You wait by the screen door until someone goes to open it then decides not to and walks away. The wee lass was heading inside for something, she had the door open about an inch, the PM told her to wait a couple of minutes so she shut the door. The important part was that she didn't push it shut so it had not clicked. So Banshee and I both put our front paws on the door and pushed!!! It opened a bit and Banshee ran out. Of course I couldn't open it by myself so I just had to watch in envy as Banshee nibbled on some fresh grass.

The PM was walking through the yard with a peony in her arms that she was transplanting when she saw Banshee. Banshee was so preoccupied with the new grass that the PM was able to walk over and pick her up. She then saw my pathetic face in the doorway and decided to take me out as she put Banshee in. I was only allowed out for 10 minutes with the PM walking beside me. That was better than nothing.



I spent the rest of the weekend reclining.