Midnight, like most cats, loves to play with bugs.  A wasp had made its way into the house and was attracted to the windows in the eating area.  Midnight saw the bug and began to play with it.  I went for the camera and selected the fast burst mode.  Barbara (our daughter in law) had told me about that mode and had made some flip animations of Briana shooting water-polo goals during a game.  I had to give it a try.

The first sequence I took was a mere three frames.  So I chose that for my first experiment with putting Midnight into an animated gif.  In the frames he first has front paws on the window sill where he looks at the wasp.  Next he shifts his weight on to his hind legs.  Then he hops onto the sill.  It happens fairly fast, but I’ve slowed the action a bit for you.

I used Animation Shop 3 from Jasc to build the animated gif from the three jpg images.  It came as part of the bundle when I bought Paint Shop Pro from them.  Yes, it was fun to do this little experiment.

Did you like it?  In case you are wondering, he did catch the wasp and after playing with it for a while bit down and ended its life.  I don’t know how he can do that and not get stung.  Sylvia particularly wants to know.

I threw the banner together using a couple of graphics programs.  The words from Print Shop and the rest from Paint Shop Pro.

As you can see, another Monday has rolled around and here that means the star of the show is Midnight.

It started a couple of months ago.  I would use the bathroom and when I was finished.  I’d lower the lid, flush the toilet and open the door.  Like a shot, Midnight came in jumped atop the stool and then hopped onto the vanity top.  He did this as I turned on the water and washed my hands.  He watched with total fascination.  Then he started imitating me.

First one paw and then the other would go under the stream of water.  Hey!  This is fun.  It has also become an every day game.  A cat has to keep himself clean and neat.  You’ll find it in the Feline Handbook of Acceptable Behavior.

I wait to turn on the water until he speaks to me.  Two of us can play games.

Midnight frequently laps some water from the sink bowl.  At times he will turn his head and lap water directly from the falling stream.  Still haven’t been able to capture an image of him doing that.  I didn’t know a cat would do that.  Did you?
 

Have you ever had the feeling that someone is watching you?  I’m sure you know what I mean.  I went out to take pictures from the front deck the other day and that feeling came over me.  I wasn’t sure what it was.  I looked over my left shoulder.  Nothing.  I looked over my right shoulder.  Nothing.  Silly old man.  Finish the with the photos and go back in the house.  That’s when I saw the ninja cat in full stealth mode.  He hadn’t moved a muscle.  Maybe the old guy isn’t so bad after all . . .

At least I’m safe.  Aren’t I?  I went on in to check this out.

Even less visible from this side and he’s behind the couch.  Sometimes he lunges out for me and catches me around the ankle.  That’s usually good for a hearty laugh.  Except when he does it on the basement stairs.

We love our little games and there are several that we play with each other.

We were relaxing on a lazy afternoon when Midnight broke the stillness with a cry of, “Snake.”

He was a blur as he spun and captured the intruder in his long and very sharp feline teeth.  If you blinked, you missed it.

Then with determination and ferocity he went after the intruder.

At last, the snake was subdued and Midnight could rest from his frantic exertions to protect his people from this terrible threat.

We feel much more secure with Midnight on duty.  He really watches out for us and keeps us safe.

Midnight was on lounging on my desk.  He’s very good at that!  Sylvia spoke to him and he gave her his full attention as she leaned in.  I had the camera in hand and captured this image:

I wanted Midnight to know that we love him a lot.  Later his mother who had abandoned him last fall, came up the driveway.  She had visitors for us to see.

There were two of them.  Gray, white and fuzzy.

Here are Midnight’s two newest siblings.  Cute little guys.

Like kittens everywhere, they were eager to explore.  Everything.

The kittens play while mom patiently watches over them.  They stayed for about an hour and then went back to where they stay with the neighbor across the road.

Big brother watched for a while, but wasn’t very excited by any of this.

Lin from the Duck & Wheel w/ String, told me I needed to change the name of this series.  I’ll have to admit my blogger bud, Lin, has given me nothing but good advice thus far.  I trust her, so she loves her Hobbes on Thursday, and I love my Midnight on Monday.

After the recent Father and Son banquet at church, Sylvia brought home the table cloths to clean them.  She sat them down near the laundry and that’s when the inspector showed up for work.

He checked out those table cloths until they were fully and completely checked.  He went to work with eyes, nose and tongue.

He even examined the top of the basket.  He is nothing if not thorough.

This time it was laundry.  It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, he wants to be part of our life.  He wants to inspect everything we do.  He’ll look, sniff, lick, bite, swat or jump on anything it seems.

You could pay a comedian to entertain you, but it would cost you more.   And the comedian wouldn’t curl up later in your lap and purr for you.  You’ve got to love that.

That’s right!  My little buddy is an attack cat.  Vicious without mercy.  Well he is a predator, isn’t he?  And here’s his latest victim.

Oh what fun . . .  At least the paper was still usable.  I went to check on the culprit to see what he might be doing.  If found him on the couch.

Don’t you love that Innocent look?  It’s like he’s saying, “Who, me?”  How can you get angry with him?  I can’t.

As I was sitting at the computer looking at those photos I saw the neighbor’s cat heading down our driveway with her catch in mouth.  At first I thought it was one of the moles that love to burrow under our lawn.  I went for the camera but she ran out of range before I could get a shot.  Ten minutes later, and I saw her coming down the drive with another.

Again, she saw me. and kicked it into overdrive.  All I captured was a blurry image.  Then she went by the house and . . .

Then I realized that these were probably two baby bunnies.  I guess you could call it population control.  I hope that doesn’t bother you too much.  Nature does work that way.  Haven’t you noticed?

Last Thursday evening, Sylvia went to a planning meeting at church and I was sitting in the office.  As I was reading an e-mail, there came a strange sound from the area of the kitchen.  I went to check it out, and this is what I saw.

At first, I didn’t see those eyes staring at me.  How did he get up there?  You can see a bit of the china cabinet beyond the hanging begonia.  I’ve not seen him do it, but I suspect he jumps to the counter and from there to the top of the cabinet.  He’s done that before.  And from the top of the china cabinet to the top of the kitchen cabinets.  I walked around the partial wall, and he was there to greet me.

Isn’t that a great place for a kitty?  I started to talk with him and this time he got interested, or it seemed that way.

Doesn’t he look all innocent and self satisfied?  Later, I was in the family room when I heard a strange meow coming from the kitchen.  Once again I went to investigate the reason.

There was Midnight on the fridge.  He had that “What?” look on that friendly feline face.  Everyday brings a new adventure to our kitty’s life.

If you are a keeper of cats (aka: staff), you probably knew what this is about as soon as you saw the title.  It started when Midnight came rushing into the bathroom as I was leaving.  One bound and he was on top of the “throne.”  A second leap and he was on the counter.  The great exploration had begun.

The sink is a place of particular interest.

What?  This is a neat place!  And it’s damp.  I like that.

I can be in this sink.  I can hide in this sink.  This is the place for me!

The next day he came running into the bathroom and leaping tall buildings in a single bound he was atop the vanity beside “his” sink.  A few days later, he was leaping onto the [taller] kitchen counter.  But that’s a story for another day.