Scenes from you guessed it-

 My footrest. And another reluctant share. 

The hazy, hot days of summer bring out the sleeper in me.

Who am I kidding? This is me, whether the air conditioning is running or not. 

 For the record, mom routinely vacuums the footrest. Someone keeps putting fur, litter, etc. all over it. Can't imagine who. 

So mom and dad regularly go to PetSmart for my nutritional needs. Mom always heads to the CAT aisle, telling dad to go ahead and visit the adoptable kitties and she'll join him there. Since there was an adoption event taking place this past Saturday (no, sorry- this isn't a tale about them coming home with another one of me), there were extra cages set up, housing lots more kitties than usual. One, a tiny gingery tot, was extra playful with mom, ready to pounce, and playing peek-a-boo with her.

If you ask me, the only "cute" thing about this is that their furs nearly match.

Okay, Bye.

PillowTalk

 So, mom got over whatever had hold of her and, except for the occasional cough, is feeling better. About a week after my last post, dad decided he wanted some of the attention, so he caught a summer cold. He got over it within days, but then it seems to want to creep back up on him these past few days. I don't know about you humans. Plus, dad's had some real busy, early work days, which he's loving. Between that and the hiking they've been able to get back into, he says he's managed to drop 12-14 pounds since we moved back down here! Anyhoo, where was I? Oh yeah, this pillow thing. I think back when we were still up in PA we might've posted something about me sleeping between their pillows. Well, some habits are hard to break, I guess. This has become one of my most favorite snoozy spots.

Some days I just curl up here and spend pretty much the entire day snoring away in pure, dreamy kitty bliss.

Dad wanted to post one or two pictures, but I insisted on putting up all of them. As usual 'round here, the ladies' decisions win out. I mean, come on- how sweet is this?

One of his favorites, however, is this trail of my pawprints he captured one day.

See my tootsies up in the corner? And for the Grand Finale, mom caught this shot one morning, I think when dad was sick and he slept in, something he never does.

I must say, I should get the Most Adorable award for this one, no?

Inspiration

So, dad's been suffering from what he calls brain farts when it comes to helping me post. You see, he typically looks through what's usually a packed folder of photos of Yours Truly for inspiration, then comes up with his stupid wording based on said photos. He claims the photo well is currently a bit dry, and says his skull jelly is usually pretty well fried come the weekend (when we usually post). Always with the excuses, am I right? So this morning, as I was snoring away in mom's chair next to dad in his, he was about to log off, his brain bucket nothing but crumbs and tumbleweeds, when he came around behind me to go refill his caffeine vat, or pee or something, and he found me like this.

Instant inspiration, no? Admit it- sleeping kitty pictures never get old. Mom's been a little under the weather these past few days, so we're kinda lying low this weekend, and me & dad are doing our best to try to nurse her back to health.

Tribute

 You all know how I feel about sharing my space here, but I'll allow this one out of the kindness of my big ol' lumpy heart. We just passed four years since Miss Cleopatra went to the bridge, and, much like with mom & dad's crusty old pal orbit, her passing left them with huge holes in their hearts. As you all know, it takes beyond forever to get over losing us. We make you laugh, we make you cry, we frustrate you, and confuse you with our occasional weird antics and behavior. You're forced to clean up after us, keep us healthy & fed and generally allow us to be the bosses of your lives. And we're okay with that. 

One Beautiful Angel

To mom and dad's surprise, last night's fireworks didn't bother me too much. They went out on the deck to see what they could once the booms started, and I lounged on the floor just inside the storm door. Sure, the noise got my attention, but I didn't go slinking off to hide under the bed like I do when I hear thunder. 

A Stunning Beauty, in Black & White

Fashion? What?

 Much to my chagrin, dad has made the executive decision to continue in a non-Smudge vein. He's promised that our next post will feature ME exclusively, so I guess I'll let him have his way. So this one's about fashion (cue the yawns/laughter/whatever). Dad likes to wear shorts all summer. He's even allowed to wear them at work every day. Shorts are cool and comfortable. Shorts allow greater movement and airflow. Shorts can be long or short and can be found in a variety of colors and patterns. Below you'll see some very fine examples of shorts as modeled by- who else- Dad. Please be patient and just know that our next post will absolutely, positively feature me and only me. 

Black Mountain

Mural on the side of a building downtown

 Black Mountain is a beautiful old town with a bustling, artsy, laid-back downtown. There's a weekly tailgate market, arts & crafts and plant sales, a variety of music venues and a couple of breweries. Dad says it's kinda like a micro-mini Asheville, and he and mom have already wandered around down there several times since we settled in. It's very walkable and friendly, and there are tons of spots where you can stand in place and turn 360 degrees and see beautiful blue-green mountains in nearly every direction. Of course, hiking has been at the top of their to-do list, and except for the first weekend we were here (cleaning, unpacking, setting up house, etc.), mom and dad have been at it every weekend. Starting slow, short, and close by since it's been a while and they're a bit out of practice, they've discovered several decent hikes around the Montreat Conference Center, right up the road. This past weekend, they tackled Catawba Falls Trail in Old Fort, where a loop takes you up to the stunning Catawba Falls and back. 

Trail Information

Teenie tiny mom admiring the Upper Falls

View from the trail

And another

There's still quite a bit of ongoing construction to repair damage from Helene, and there is a portion with steps that, according to trail information, is equivalent to climbing a 30-story building. 

Lower Falls and a small portion of the steps

Mom and dad did the loop clockwise so the steps were on the downside, and they claim that they'll do it counterclockwise once they're in better shape so they can show those steps who's boss. 

More steps

And still more steps

They returned hot, tired, and ready to put their feet up, until mom read about the Asheville VeganFest. So off they went, and by the time they returned from checking that out, their stinky feet clocked over 9 miles for the day. They're plotting their next hike for this weekend, and I can see that despite returning home exhausted, they're beyond thrilled to be back in NC.

Phew!

Hi everybody. Yeah, been a while. You know, I love me a good road trip and all, but, damn, what a whirlwind month it's been. 

I knew something was coming up by the way mom and dad were getting rid of a bunch of crap and stressing out a bit.

Mom and dad praised me for being such a good copilot, at least once I was let out of my stupid carrier. Oh, how I groaned and croaked and bellyached while zipped into the damn thing. We were on the road for 5 to 7 hours, dad and I up front and mom in the car behind us.

Dad's girls, zonked out, hotel #1

We hit the road again for day two of our little journey, another 5 to 7 hours, depending on how much a certain two humans had to pee and stretch and stuff.

The ride wasn't too bad, but it was patience-testing at times for sure.

Our destination wasn't gonna be ready for a couple of days, so...

I took up MY spot. Period. End of discussion.

Dad's side of the bed, riiight

You guessed it- dad's side again

Yep, same. Find the kitty...

Sooooo, here we are, in the little town of Black Mountain, North Carolina. We're an easy 20-minute drive east of Asheville, and mom and dad both said they hadn't realized how much they missed it down here. Pennsylvania just wasn't for us, and as far as dad's job goes, he says what he'll miss most is this big ol' goofnut.

Dad's last day with the big pooch

Sure, the sliders were cool. The front door screen was nice, but almost 3 years in Pennsylvania was about, oh, almost 3 years more than we'd care to have done. Everything down here's more enjoyable- the mountains, the humans, the air, the humans, the lifestyle, the humans- you name it. I can go out on our deck-supervised for now, of course- and I get to do this, too. We're up on the second floor, so my view's awesome.

So, yeah, we moved AGAIN. Dad hated the thought of finishing out his working years (he claims he's got a good 8 or 10 more in him) at a job he grew increasingly miserable at in a place where they were unhappy living. They've both said that, of everywhere they've lived, they've always felt western North Carolina was home, and I've already sensed changes in them. Dad landed a job in Old Fort, about 15 minutes further east from here, and they're slowly re-familiarizing themselves with the Asheville area. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, where mom and dad first fell in love with Yours Truly, is in the process of renovating a new location since the one I came from was devastated during Hurricane Helene, and we can't wait to see the new place. 

It's been a crazy few weeks and we're not yet 100% settled, but we're getting there. Mom and dad have already gotten in a decent hike & some good walks and are gradually checking out all of their favorite places in & around Asheville. I think they're still trying to catch their breath, rest their bones and settle down, but long story short-

It's good to be home.

Time Flies

 Hey folks, been a bit busy here lately. Dad said to let you all know we're gonna be on another brief hiatus (I asked him what the hell he thinks it's been since our last post and he just growled at me and gave me a scarier stink eye than I typically give him so I quietly walked away). I've been missing all my furriends here, but I'm not getting any solid answers from anybody. Soooooo I'm just gonna lie here on the floor on my blue blanket while mom does some deep cleaning.

That's all I got for now, folks. Bye.

Breezes, Birthdays & Blankets

 It's about time we're able to open up the windows and get some fresh air, am I right? We've had some gloriously warm days lately, and mom and dad have been able to get out in the warmth and sun, too. They took mom's birthday off this past week and had a nice relaxing day. They had an awesome breakfast at Aurora Bistro up the road from us. They went for a couple of drinks downtown at Fran's Pub , then made their way up the Delaware River to Dilly's at Centre Bridge, where they got soft serve, something mom's been jonesing for.  Me, I'm just glad be able to do this again.

That's my butt, to the right of the drape. Mom made fun of me recently because I did something, well, cat. As you know, I like lying on their bed when the mood strikes. Mom spread a blue blanket out for me to lounge on and as you can see, I took full advantage of said blue blanket.

Whatever. I hope you're getting to enjoy some nice warm days and not still-uncomfortably-chilly nights. Dad's gonna be mutt-sitting AGAIN all this coming week. Maybe I can get mom to have a girl's night with me or something. Later, all.

Nothing Much and Royalty, NOT

  Been kinda quiet around here these days (translated: dad's got no imagination). Cabin fever finally got the best of mom, so she pulled the plastic down from all the windows. We actually had a decent day or two this past week, and the sun and fresh air were a joy. Mom's still struggling with a cough that sounds like she's bringing up a hairball, but dad's pretty much back to his healthy self. They went to the No Kings protest in Princeton on Saturday and said there was a good-sized crowd with a fantastic mix of young and old and lots of creative signs. By now I'm sure you've seen photos and footage from the many rallies, and I'll end this post with the signs dad made for the day. Have a great week.