Quality Reading Time

Being avid readers, mom and dad like to spend parts of every weekend catching up on their reading. Typically, mom does the majority of her reading at bedtime, though she almost always ends up nodding off, the book slowly dropping to her face til it bonks her on the nose. Dad, on the other hand, does the bulk of his in the wee hours of the morning, when normal humans would still be asleep. Weekends 'round here are usually filled with errands, hiking, and the week's kitchen prep work (mom still does lots and lots of scratch cooking & baking), but they always try to squeeze in cozy time with a good novel wherever they can. On this particular recent Saturday or Sunday afternoon, I decided to join them on the bed.

I just love burying myself deep into the fictitious world of a good novel. How am I doing?  

The Last Lazy Hazy Dayz of Summer...

 

(Dad lied. This is a photo from a while ago, but he wanted me to make you think it was taken recently. Some rambling crap about fitting a narrative or something. I usually tune him out after a nanosecond or thereabouts.)

Playful? What?

We try. We really do. Smudge's mom and I are well aware of the importance of interacting with our pets, and especially those of the senior set. Keeping our furry little loved ones active and engaged is important, especially when they're, well, of advanced age, let's say (I can say that since I'm fast approaching it myself). As with Cleopatra and Orbit before her, Smudge takes up a ginormous space in our collective hearts. As much as we often get annoyed with her indifference, how she prefers to ignore us, and the way she looks away whenever we try to talk to her, we love her for who she is and that'll never change. Now that the mushy, serious stuff is out of the way, here, you'll see just how playful she really can be. One of her favorite lounging spots is in the middle of the living room floor, where she loves to sprawl out on her side, occasionally stretching and maybe getting up once in a while to face the other way or roll over. The other day, her mom went to lie down next to her to lavish her with love and attention, and to maybe get her to play a bit. We try. We really do. 

At least one of them seemed to be having fun...

Foggy Schmoggy

One of the things dad says he loves about being back in western NC is the amazing fog. Now, I know I get excited about mundane things like, oh wait, I don't really get excited about anything. Nevermind. Anyway, the fog- dad likes to take pictures of it, and last weekend, while he & mom were hiking Two Sisters and a View Loop Trail in Montreat, snapped these. 

And here's the happy hikers harmoniously hamming it up at Rattlesnake Rock-

These last two are just from nearby. This was taken on the way to dad's work one recent morning,

and he took this one while out getting their morning beverages downtown a few weekends ago.

Pretty exciting, I know (insert yawn here). I'm buzzing with glee at these intoxicating shots (more yawns), but my favorite part is when they return from hiking.

Helping dad rest his weary post-hike legs

You gotta admit, these are much more titillating that that damn fog, no?

Dad says it looks like I'm smiling in this last one.

And why wouldn't I be? I'm in my happy place.

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.