Category Archives: Cats

Award Winner?

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Well here it is. Chuck usually posts at this time, but he’s sleeping in. Poor fellow he worked hard yesterday and he was very tired at the end of the day. He better come out here and feed me soon . . .

Oh, you stopped by to see who won the contest. I’m sure I heard my peeps talking about a winner and laughing. They are a bit strange you know, but good to have around. Be patient just a bit longer. He’ll get up, feed me, then himself. After that, he’ll be in here to share the results with all you great folks.

Do me a favor and ask him to buy some kitty treats.

— The Cat

My World ~ Meghan’s Critters

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We recently had company from the other side of the state. It was our former pastor and his wife. We took a walk around the corner to Beacon Bay Farm. The farm is operated by our neighbors, Curt and Meghan. I’ve taken you there before, but it is always a good place to visit. We didn’t see the human folks but did visit with some of the critters.


The sheep are an important part of Beacon Bay Farm. We have one of their lambs, well part of one in our freezer. Grace, the llama, was in another part of the complex, so we didn’t get to visit with her.


Then there are the chickens. They grow some for meat.


Others are kept for egg production. After the our short visit we walked on back to the house with our friends. They enjoy visiting us where they encounter different sights, sounds and smells then they find in their urban environment.

My World ~ Spots the Hunter

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As I sat at the computer I saw Spots, our male cat, heading toward the barn. He walked past a dried weed that lay on the driveway where the mower deck had thrown it.


A puff of wind blew on the weedy wad and caused it to move. Spots stopped and looked back. He was interested. He began to stalk.


Another puff of wind. Another movement. Spots pounced on the weed. (No, not that kind of weed!)


On close examination, he realized he had been had. Then it was look around and see if anyone is watching. (A guy has to maintain his dignity.)


With feline dignity fully intact, he hopped away, showing that old weed his heels as he went to get a drink of water in the barn.

Pepe the Stealth Cat

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Lunch was over, and I’d checked my e-mail accounts and dropped a few more EC cards on friends. It was time to walk down to the mailbox. It’s a tenth of a mile walk, so I usually take the camera in case something interesting should present itself.


The daffodils in the formal garden were nearly past their prime and the tulips are coming into their glory. And there are the eyes of a predator, and they are fixed on me. Nothing for me to fear — it’s only Pepe playing peek from behind the flowers. Well it may be nothing for me to fear, but evidence suggests that our boy has gotten a bird or two lately.


He’s only a bit over a year old, but he is a big boy and he is practicing his stealth technique. It is his nature and only to be expected. Besides, it’s fun to play games with him.


Now, he knows he’s busted. He may not be happy, but he won’t give up. Pepe has learned patience and stealth. I’d better get the mail now.

Tomorrow

On Thursday, the winner of the caption contest will be announced. It’s not to late to get in an entry.

Caption Contest ~ Reminder and Hint

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There’s still time to enter the Caption Contest. Winner will receive the Tommy Toe Award and 500 ECs.

Here’s a hint: Most of you seem to be ignoring the red portion of the image. Doesn’t that say something to you? You still have time, and multiple entries are accepted.

Last Day of Winter

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My neighbor’s fish pond sans geese. The corn field is in the upper left.


It is March 19, 2009, sunny morning. After I wake and dress, I charge the coffee pot. Then I don coat, cap and gloves. As I go out to feed the cats, I see Pepe on the driveway. Chubby is exploring around the barn, but bounces over to greet me with a loud “Meooow.” I rub her head and she purrs loudly. Then off to the barn for kitty breakfast.

Later as I leave the barn, I’m aware of the frosty air against my face. From across the road I hear the raucous sound of a gaggle of Canada geese that have spent the night along the small stream. Silently two Canada geese glide across the nearest neighbor’s fish pond. If they are looking forward to fish for breakfast, they will be disappointed. The fish died this winter. Lack of sunlight getting into the water caused oxygen producing plants to perish.

About a tenth of a mile away, past the pond, I see a large black spot racing through the corn stubble. What can it be? A dog? It’s big enough to be a coyote. No, dogs don’t move that way. It is, in fact, a large tom turkey running across a mostly open field. He is seeking shelter now that the sun is up. He nears the barn and assumes a more dignified gait now that he is no longer in the open.

A variety of bird calls fill the air. Spring is nearly here.

I enter the house, hang up my coat and go to the kitchen sink to put away the water jar. As I look out the window, two mourning doves fly to and land in the ash trees. The trill of a red-winged black bird wafts on the air.

It’s the final day of winter. It’s good to see it go this way.

Peekaboo Pepe

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Sylvia and I were sitting at the table eating lunch. Sylvia said, “Look it’s Pepe.” Pepe is the bashful one, but there he sat atop the railing looking at us. I went for my camera, and as I returned Pepe, the rascal, took cover behind the posts. I was not happy. I wanted a shot of the shy one.

It’s usually easy to make eye contact with Pepe, and this was no exception. It became a game. We were playing peekaboo. What fun!



Too soon it was over. Pepe left with mama (aka Chubby). We had the memory and the photos to remind us of that February afternoon.

Unfortuantely, the camera focused on the post and not on Pepe. Please forgive me for posting this anyway.

A Frigid Saturday ~ For Horses & Cats

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Yesterday, was supposed to be the Annual Sleigh Ride, Chili Dinner, and Silent Auction at the West Berlin Church. Friday had started well, but ended with a cold front moving into our area. For that reason, the horse masters called Saturday morning to cancel the appearance of their magnificent animals.

Despite the frigid air, the horses would have worked up a sweat as they pulled their sleigh. When they stopped to rest they could take a chill that could result in pneumonia, which could be fatal. The horses stayed home.

We missed the appearance of this team of Belgian beauties.

And this powerful pair of Percherons.

Plenty of folks turned out for the food and fun. Some of them were unhappy that the horses didn’t come. (There was even speculation if it was the horses or the horse men that couldn’t take the cold.) There was plenty of very good food and enough tabasco sauce to bring the chili up to a good taste.

It was a good day. Okay, it would have been better with the horses. Let’s hope they’ll come next year when we try again.

Corporal Continues to Strike Out


Our cat, Corporal, continues to fail in her attempts to catch a bird. As I watched the other day, she came gliding in as low to the ground as she could get. She came up the path where the tractor tire had packed down the snow as I pushed it out of the way to make a people path to reload the feeders. This gave her fair cover and she quickly was within striking distance.

Our feathered friends have discovered her tricks and they are not fooled. As before they left. Corporal tired in a few minutes. This is not working! She went over to the post and sharpened claws, stretched and they walked gracefully away. You can’t let defeat show. She will try again.

Corporal Strikes Out ~ Again!

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Corporal has done it again! She severely wounded her feline pride by doing a face plant in a snow bank while missing the birds she was going for. So for the following two days she would regularly visit the area, crouching behind the snow. Unfortunately for our gal, the birds were on to her tricks — they stayed away.


When I first saw her she was crouching, but she became tired. By the time I had retrieved the camera she was sitting up — still waiting, but not crouching. The day before, one junco and one gold finch fed on fallen seeds upon the ground. They always stayed out of range — mostly on the other side of the post. Poor frustrated Corporal.

Both days she eventually tired enough to give up on her hunt. Within minutes our feathered friends returned to continue feeding on sunflower seeds.
Will Corporal ever be successful? Only time will tell. I don’t expect that she’s ready to entirely abandon her quest.
Who do you cheer for? Corporal? Or the birds?