Senior Box Cat/Birthday Wishes

 I know we've shown you pix of me in boxes several times over the years, but, well, this is my blog, and I'm gonna show you more.  So, yeah.

 The smaller box with the string through it is dad's attempt at a homemade "toy" for me.  Poor guy- he tries. I guess the idea was to pull the string back and forth from both ends so the little ball attached to the middle of it would draw my attention.  Like I said, he tries.  He ended up putting my mat from Ellen the Tooth Fairy in the bigger box to make it a little comfier, which you can see in the last picture.

Damn Flash!

Resting in Preparation for Some Playtime

My idea of playtime.  Sometimes dad calls me lazy.  Sometimes I call him *******

Lordy, that was an intense workout

Mom's birthday is this weekend, and I know they've got more hiking in store and who knows what all else.  The other night dad whipped up a cookies 'n cream ice cream pie, one of mom's favorites, so I know that'll be getting demolished smartly portioned out. 💖Happy Birthday to the best mom a cranky, moody, only-show-love-when-she-wants-something, life on her terms Tortie could ever ask for!🎈🎂🎈

Speaking of Mountains-

 As is typically their routine, the happy wanderers went hiking this past weekend.  They decided on a moderate four+ mile loop up to the WLOS antenna tower atop Mount Pisgah nearby. 

The tower at the peak- their destination

Always up for a glorious trek anywhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway and through the amazing tunnels that cut through the mountains, they packed up their bagel & egg sandwiches and caffeine beverages of choice (along with water and healthy snacks, of course) early Saturday morning and left me to sleep the morning away. 

WLOS Antenna Tower

The trail ran alongside the Parkway for a bit before veering off and up to the antenna,

Mom's expression says it all....

and the last stretch before reaching the tower was quite the rocky stair-stepping workout. 

One of dad's favorite views. And the rock trail is cool, too....

They like heading out early to beat the crowds, and this hike was no exception as they had the place to themselves more or less for a short time before more hikers arrived at the peak. 

The hiking buddies and the tower, slightly artified

Now, there won't be any pictures, but speaking of mountains, dad's gotta go in for hernia surgery in a few weeks.  Yep, he recently noticed a, umm, bulge that comes and goes and ranges in size from a golf ball to a canned pear half just north and to the left of his (insert any one of 175 names he has for it here).  I guess he'll be laid up for a couple of days, but it's pretty routine from what I've heard them saying., and I'll likely get some extra lap time out of it.  He won't be able to do any heavy lifting at first, and as to be expected, I can already see his brain starting to form some jokes half-wit remarks about not being able to pick me up, which is just fine since I'm not much of one for being picked up or held anyway.  I'll always go for the extra lap time, but I'm sure he'll be itching to get back to work asap, plus mom will likely be ready to have him out of her hair before long, too.

Val's Visitor

So Val's owner has come home, and life has returned to normal 'round here.  Mom and dad had been warned that Val had an occasional "visitor", and were shown how to set the humane trap that was kept near Val's stall.  Every now and then, someone was getting into the large barrel Val's food was stored in, prying the strapped-down lid off and even knocking the barrel over in an attempt to get to Val's kibble. Well, wouldn't you know it- dad went over one morning to feed her and, on opening the barn door came face to face with this pink, frightened snarling snout. 

After resetting the trap, dad took the poor scared critter a few miles away and released him in the woods high up a mountain road.

The neighbor stopped by our house the day after she returned and told us the night before saw a large raccoon finding its way into the trap.