Monday, January 16, 2023

Is This A Cat Blog? No. It Is Not A Cat Blog


This is Jack when I ask him to please get off the bed so I can make it. He just looks the other way, the better to pretend that he is not aware of my presence and that he definitely can not hear me. When I actually start pulling at the covers though, he jumps off the bed in a huff, sounding like a buffalo jumping off a cliff. When he runs through the house, which he does occasionally, he sounds like a herd of buffalo. 
Terromph, terromph, terromph. 
A few nights ago when Mr. Moon got in bed he wondered where Jack was. Jack is usually snuggled in by the time my husband gets to bed. That night he had not yet made an appearance but just after we turned out the light, he was suddenly there, between us, as if he'd heard us talking and thought, "Oh Lord. I'm late to bed. My humans need me." And he presented both of us with his head to scratch, first Glen, then me, and settled down next to my hip the way he does. He knows not to try and cuddle the Man Human. This is not tolerated. 

I took an almost-decent walk today. I just went down the sidewalk and then to the property line of the ranch we admire so much that has sprung up a little way down the road. I saw no sheep, cows, horses or donkeys. I was disappointed. It makes my day to see a donkey. They charm me with those ears and soft eyes and round bellies. I should get a donkey. It could live in the hen house with Moana. She could perch on his back and they could be friends.

Well, that's a fantasy. 

I also did a little weeding of the crocosmia this afternoon. This is how thickly it is growing in one of the areas in the front yard. 


Every dang one of those things has roots with strings of bulbs attached as do the dead, brown ones from last year. It wouldn't be so bad if they actually bloomed the way they're supposed to but I don't get enough sun here for that. Perhaps one in every two hundred of them blooms. Maybe. If I'm lucky. There are also lots of tiny oak sprouts trying to become the next Big Tree that must be pulled. So I trowel and pull, trowel and pull. It's not bad, really, except that my knees can't take as much of it as they used to be able to. 
Oh, god. I am getting old. 
When I stand up (which requires no small effort) I make noises that sound like I may be dying. I am not complaining as much as I am just stating facts. 
Of course Maurice joined me. She even came up and rubbed against my hand and I reached out to pet her, give her a little love, which caused her to reach for me with those Talons of Death and bared her fangs and I jerked my hand back. 
"What is WRONG with you, Cat?" I asked her. She just walked away as she always does. 
That part of the yard must have once had some sort of walkway or patio or something as there are many, many bricks lying just a few inches below the ground. Sometimes I dig them up and toss them into a pile and sometimes I just leave them be. 
Today I also noticed a very old, aged and weatherworn piece of wood with the most beautiful design in it. 


Can you believe that? I need to do something with it. It is just so amazing. 
Maurice took an interest in it too. A brief interest. 


Right now she's sitting on the table on the porch where I'm writing this, closely watching the squirrels who are sort of going crazy, chasing each other up and down trees, their toenails scritching into the bark of the pecans and the Bradford Pears. The other day I swear to god I saw one squirrel knock another squirrel off a branch. A high branch. There was a loud smack as the poor victim fell on the ground. I haven't found a body so I guess it lived although come to think of it, that happened right around the time I found some guts (okay, intestines) on the porch that looked too big to be bird innards. 
As Lily so famously shouted one time, "TOO MUCH NATURE!"

And on top of all of this, I vacuumed the entire house today. 
Okay, okay. I instructed Ralph to vacuum the entire house today via the app on my iPhone. 
He is such a fine and faithful little robot and has not disappointed me in the least. 

Here's the sunset. 



Love...Ms. Moon



25 comments:

  1. No,no, of course it's not a cat blog, no, it isn't. Moving on to lovely pieces of wood -- what I'd do is brush it a bit then hang it on a wall.

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  2. You know of the Town Musicians of Bremen, then. The Donkey, The Dog on its back, The Cat on its back, the Rooster on its back. They broke up the notorious burglary gang and lived happily ever after.
    You might want to consult the mighty wood working men in your family about that beautiful piece of wood. It may be well served by several coats of oil or varnish. One or t'other; no mixing.

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    1. Of course! I love the image of the Town Musicians of Bremen.
      I showed the wood to Mr. Moon and he was not overly interested. Harumph.

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  3. you did alot, and said a lot! All food for MY soul today! That wood piece would make a lovely hanging piece on your porch with an air plant (tilandsia bromeliad) tucked into it. I bet it would thrive! My only news today is I had retina specialist appt (major anxiety- yes) but NO retinal tear! YES! Just *aging* vitreous humor ........LOL. Well.. I was thrilled. Navy bean soup with french bread on tap for dinner wine and I'm as happy as Jack on the bed!
    Susan M

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    1. Excellent news from the retina specialist! I know you must have been ready to panic over that appointment.
      Damn aging affects everything, doesn't it?
      Navy bean soup sounds very good.

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  4. That wood is just gorgeous. I can't wait to see where you put it. It needs to be seen and admired daily.
    We don't get squirrels but we do get possums and many times I have had presents of possum guts left for me by faithful cats.
    I love a glorious sunset. Thank you.

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    1. We too have possums. I am guessing though that these guts were too small to be a possums. Too large for a bird, as I said so- probably squirrel. We have hundreds.

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  5. Apparently it is mating time for squirrels everywhere. They are chasing each other all over the place by my house.

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  6. That is a beautiful piece of wood, is there some way you can preserve it and display it? Maurice likes to pat but not be patted, Lola was like that for a long while, have you tried just offering your hand palm up? Sometimes that helps. Is it worth digging up as many bricks as can be found and making a new walkway? They would be aged and beautiful. I don't fuss about a made bed anymore, if Lola is asleep on it I leave her be and pull it straight just before getting in at night.

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    1. I have not tried palm up with Maurice but I have a feeling it would not matter. She hasn't actually drawn blood in a long time but I think that's because we've gotten faster in our reactions.
      These bricks don't look that old but they could definitely be used for another project.
      I like to make the bed because it is one place that looks serene in the house if it is tidy and that makes me happy.

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  7. I'm like you - I loved it when we had donkeys in the field behind my house. We even had horses for a good few years but that was a while ago! That being said, when the farmer invited me up to the farm it was the goats that I fell in love with. So many babies and so hyper! And yes you're right, you definitely need to do something with that piece of wood -it's a beauty!

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    1. Our next door neighbor used to have goats, donkeys, a mule, a turkey, and chickens. And when we moved in they had a llama. The neighbors have had health problems and so now they just have about two goats, I think, and a few chickens. And dogs. Lots of dogs.
      I am still thinking about what to do with the wood.

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  8. That piece of wood is quite amazing. Oil it and hang it on the wall! It really is a piece of art!

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  9. My cat before Cat wasn't even a big or heavy cat but when she ran through the house it was like Thunderfoot. I guess Maurice just doesn't like to be touched. I keep pulling my crocosmia. They bloom better than yours as they get adequate sun but the bloom stalks won't stay upright, laying on the ground. We usually have really great sunsets in the winter but this year not so much.

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    1. I don't think Maurice does like to be touched but if that's true- WHY DOES SHE KEEP RUBBING UP AGAINST OUR HANDS? She is unfathomable to me.
      I don't think crocosmia should be planted south of Connecticut.

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  10. It IS a cat blog, and a gardening blog, and a cooking blog, and a family blog -- and there's nothing wrong with that! Cats are just impossible to figure out.

    The wood is terrific. Definitely a natural sculpture.

    I have seen a squirrel die from a fall, but only once. I didn't actually see it happen, just found the body afterwards. There was no obvious trauma and it was lying under the walnut in our garden, and I can only assume it fell. I don't know what else would have done it in without doing it some damage.

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    1. That squirrel was probably knocked off a walnut branch by another squirrel. How weird. I have seen a squirrel cause a snake to fall from a pecan tree when it was trying to get her babies. That was a big shocker! Kaboom! Snake on the ground, squirrel on the snake! Lots of nature there.

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  11. If I still had a cat, I'd blog about her all the time...love your's!
    hugs
    Donna

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    1. I don't know what I'd do without cats. They are indeed my familiars.

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  12. I feel your weeding pain! They take over in no time at all here, even when it’s not rainy season. I actually bruised the sides of my fingers trying to yank the stuff with long tap roots and Virginia creepers, despite my long armed pink leather gauntlets. They are great for keeping the thorny stuff from grabbing and tearing my old lady paper skin. And congrats for getting rid of those thorny palms! There’s enough other stuff out there waiting to hurt us. Much love.
    Xoxo
    Barbara

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    1. Weeding can be tough on an old gal, can't it? I think I might buy one of those garden kneeling benches. I think that's just what I need.

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  13. I wonder what that amazing piece of would would look like polished?

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.