Visitors and Visiting

 We don't get much company, but recently, a neighbor stopped by for a visit and got me chittering and running back and forth and back and forth from the sliders to the window over and over.

Regarding this next photo, I can hear mom saying how dad and I share the same shape: small in the legs & butt, and an all 'round muffin top.

 Anyway, oh, how I wanted to get out there and chomp on play with the little guy. He was checking out our patio and just kinda hanging around.

And then he came right up to the window to say hi or let me know he came in peace or wanted a carrot or something. I don't know. Anyway,

We stared each other down for a bit, then he scampered off towards the neighbor's patio and life went on. 

Oh, before I forget- we're taking a road trip. Dad's taking a week off and we're heading out to visit some grandkids somewhere about a thousand million billion miles away, so we won't be around much til sometime next whenever. See you then!

  

  

What's a Girl to Do?

Ahem. 'scuse me? I'm waiting. Hello? Dad, are you in there? I'm getting mad. You won't like me when I'm mad.

 Am I in this thing alone? Hello? We've got some catching up to do. Dad? Anyone? These darn posts don't write themselves. Come on, mister. Gather up your brains and get a move on. I'm waaaaaaiiting... 

A 2nd Anniversary Remembrance and 13th Blogoversary

Well, it's been just over two years now since our dear old Cleopatra crossed the bridge, and not a day goes by when we don't think of her. Her mom still has a hard time even looking at her pictures, so please accept my apology, Hon, when you read this post.

Just look at that sweet face

I can't believe how time flies, and we still- and always will- miss the old gal like crazy. While searching through countless photos, unable to single any out, it felt like some of them were taken only yesterday.

Mom's warm lap and an ice-cold beer from our time in Wilmington, NC

Orbit and I started this thing back in 2011, which seems like eons ago. I had no idea at that time how far we would take it, and even though there've been times when it was difficult to create posts, it's been a lot of fun. Orbit was pretty much like me: laid back, even-keeled (mostly), and just, like, "whatever" (frequently much to the mom's aggravation). More apologies, Sweetheart.

Orbit was a cuddler from the get-go

Orbit had been through countless life changes with me, and I'll be forever grateful that my better half (and mom to Angels Orbit & Cleopatra and of course, Smudge) fell in love with him way back when she and I first met.

Melts your heart, doesn't it?

Cleo, though somewhat crotchety, eventually warmed to us and had been learning to chill over the years. She grew on us like crazy, even with her occasionally anti-social ways, but she made sure we fell in love with her to no end.

Our sweet old girl on my lap

And now-

As usual, head turned away from us...

"Crotchety" has taken on a whole new meaning since Smudge became part of this family, and her duck/frog quack/croak of a meow makes her sound like a 98-year-old lifelong smoker.

So sweet, yet so cranky

Do we wish she'd show us a little more love? Sure, but we'll take her begging for attention and then walking away when we try to give it over, well, let me get back to you on that. 

One of the rare moments she actually looks at us😁

So anyway, frequent side-eye and completely ignoring us aside, Smudge is our sweet, occasionally loving, kinda bitchy & always annoyed senior housemate who we wouldn't trade for the world. No, really. What's not to love about this: 

 Safe Fourth of July greetings to all, though I know Smudge will be hiding in one of her usual spots once the noise starts. I'd say the rain we might get will erase that, but the sound of rain freaks her out as well. 

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie... Alone Says I

Canine Cuteness  (I didn't write that!)

 Dad's just home from another brief mutt-sitting stint, and he's officially a butt munch in my book. Think you're funny, don't you, Mr. Big Head Muffin-Top Butt Wipe Dingle Ninny? Like it isn't bad enough that I have to share your attention!

This. Is. Not. Real.

Sorry Smudgie Wudgie, it's part of my job. You know I have to take care of them now and then. I was just having a little fun.

(in mocking, whiny tone) Sorry, Smudgie Wudgie, it's part of my job- Spare me. That's it. No more Lunapic for you. You're on my poop list now, you mumble-minded wiggle-chinned dingweed. 

Aww, lighten up. It's only a picture. Besides, you could say you improved it immensely, no?

I am so done. I want mom to take over. Mom! Mom?! MOM!!

Hot Hot Hot

You know, for all dad's bellyaching this past winter about the chilly tile floor in our downstairs, I've gotta admit, it's kinda nice now that the outdoor temperatures are approaching inferno degrees. One day recently when the temps were still more tolerable, I enjoyed the cool floors while also getting in some wildlife-watching from our sliders.

The drapes were shut to keep the late afternoon sun from heating things up, but that also created a place for me to sort of hide. As is usually the case, it's not long before mom or dad eventually bothers me, desperate for my attention the way they are pretty much 24/7, and dad and his pain-in-the-arse phone ruined my few moments of peace. 

Here, on another cooler day before mom took up all of the rugs, I spent hours just watching the world go by from our front door. 

 We're putting off as long as we can firing up the mega a/c since it's still not too bad in here, but what do you, my fellow felines, prefer as the leading intelligent species on this crazy human-controlled planet- fresh air and breezes or closed up confined air?

Sssssssss

 Since the warmer weather has been here, I've gotten glimpses out our front door of the local wildlife. Even though we can hear the stupid noisy traffic, our neighborhood is teeming with birds, rabbits, squirrels, and humans. The other day while mom and dad were sitting in the living room, dad said he saw me pacing back and forth, nearly frantic and all but trying to go through the screen door. If you look real close, you can see our newest visitor slithering through the mulch. I wanted to pounce something fierce, let me tell you.

I couldn't take my eyes off the intruder. Oh, how I wanted to play with him, and dad was like "and what would you do if you could get him?" and I was like "give me a second" and dad was like "you'd probably freak out and run upstairs and hide" and I was like "listen mister, I'm scared of lots of things but I'd pounce on his tail, whap him around a bit, let him get away a few inches and then pounce some more" and dad was like "right, right. You're afraid of your own shadow" and I was like "don't you have somewhere to be?" and he was like "just saying" and I was like "I think mom's calling you. Get out of my face" and then the not-plaything wound his way across our welcome mat and off into the grass and life went on. 

 

Scenes From Mom's La-Z-Boy

 I call this one 

"Get That Effing Thing Out of My 

Face!"

Nothing to see here, folks. Just an old gal stretching out & having a snooze.

Not sure what's going on here, but I guess I'm comfortable.

Dad says this next one's a rarity. I figured I'd give 'em a treat now and then.

And lastly, dad says this is the most beautiful picture ever of Yours Truly. And here I thought they all were. Can't have everything, I guess.

Artified, Schmartified

So dad, who may or may not have a splinter of a creative bone in his body, likes to play around with pictures for some posts as many of you do. 

Be nice, Smudge. It's fun to shake things up now and then.

Yeah, whatever. Anyhoo, he likes tinkering in lunapic and tried messing with a photo of our early morning routine. Honestly, if I hear the word "artified" one more time, I'll throw up in one of his shoes.  

Oh, come on, Mrs. Grumpy-Puss. A little tweaking never hurt anything. Relax, will you?

I'll make a deal with you, pops. I'll relax when you stop being an idiot. Sound good? 

Oh my god, between you and your mom...

Tread lightly there, mister.

That's more like it. Now go on, go to work. 

Fawn update: dad says he's seen what he assumes is the same little one prancing through the trees this past week. 

Oh Deer

So dad was out on the mower one day recently, and while riding along the fence line came upon this poor little thing.

The boss's property is routinely occupied by deer, so they're pretty much all over the place on any given day, but this one really caught dad by surprise, especially since the noise didn't scare him/her off. The poor little thing just lay there as the mower roared past and dad stopped quickly and shut it off. He got his phone out and, unsure what to do, looked up the number for the local animal control. He took a couple of quick pictures, and being fairly certain that the mom couldn't have been too far, started up the mower to move away from the fawn.

This scared the little one, who struggled to get up and, falling over once or twice, wobbled off into the trees, hopefully to the safety of his or her mom. Although it's hard to tell in the picture, dad said the little tyke was only about the size of a small toddler. 

Cat, Cooler and Carpet- an Early Morning Digression

Cat, Cooler and Carpet

Dad drew inspiration for the title of this post from a dinner special served at a long-since-demolished restaurant in South Deerfield, MA where he honed his cooking chops in his previous life. Beef, Bird and Bottle was a shamefully tissue-thin slice of prime rib, half of a chicken breast a l'orange, and a bottle of cheap-shit house wine. The 1704, attached to what used to be a Motel 6, was located next to a sprawling wooded lot that would eventually become the Yankee Candle Company's flagship store. The restaurant, dad believes, took its name from the Deerfield Massacre. Wait, what were we talking about?

I Sleep, Therefore I Am

 So I've taken more and more to getting on the bed with mom and dad, though mostly in the mornings. I'll spend the night now and then, but as a creature of habit, I typically sleep in mom's chair. Once dad leaves for work I head upstairs to snuggle up with mom where I know it makes her oh so happy to wake up and find me there.

On weekends, dad still gets up at stupid o'clock and after his quiet java/reading time with me, goes back upstairs to lounge with mom until she wakes up. More and more lately, I'll head up after him and hop up on the bed, curling at their feet to continue my snoozy routine.

I guess there's something fascinating about a sleeping cat that melts humans' hearts and tells them to pester us. I know they mean well and can't get enough of us, but my goodness.

That's mom giving me some much-deserved loves.

And dad took this one back when the sleeping bag was still on the bed for extra warmth. He woke to find me tucked up against mom's legs & butt. Okay bye. I'm gonna go nap.

A Post Full of Sheet- A Photo Dump

The sheet over our front entrance has come down since it's gotten warmer, and dad put the screen in the front door so I can enjoy the fresh air more up close and in person. I'm sure I'll get over it, but that darn sheet provided hours of fun, especially when I played hide & seek behind it. 

Occasionally, my toys would be included in our play, and one time they tossed my Easter egg that Ellen made me last year and it landed right in one of dad's stinky work shoes.

Move Over, Elf and Other Good Stuff

 

We all like to explore, am I right? Our home provides some places for me to check out when I get really bored (which seems to be often). Until mom went and moved some stuff around to make it more difficult, one of my favorites was the second shelf up from the floor on this bookshelf in the living room.

Now that things have been rearranged, I'm forced to make do with the bottom-most one, which is fine, I guess, considering they probably don't want me jumping any more than I need to (what with your advanced age, dear girl). 

Says the one with more and more white furs sticking out of his head & face...

Update: Well, now they've gone and done it. Even my bottom shelf spot has been taken. Mom and dad have been on a puzzle thing again, and mom recently found some at the Good Stuff Thrift store up the road in Buckingham, where proceeds go to helping kids in need in the community.

 Mom and dad enjoy simple, old-fashioned and inexpensive fun, like jigsaw puzzles, Yahtzee and Dice (mom's wicked competitive, and both can be sore losers), and this is how they spend most evenings.