I couldn't sleep so I read all this weeks posts. It's 4am here. And for once I'm the first to post. Kittens are the purfect end to marathon comment reading/Reiding.Good morning reef.
Good morning Reiders, love the relaxed repose of that kitten with the smudge on his/her nose.
Hm...new job, new paint, the autumn of a vitriolic election. Whatever it was that made it insane, thank you for the photos. I'll be simmering a stew as my son heads home for the weekend.
Cute kitties are a purrfect way to end the week. But... Janet, are you trying to mess with us? I love the third photo - gorgeous sunset - but please tell me there isn't a kitten in that photo?! I hoped someone else might have commented about it, but everyone is saying lovely kittens. What am I not seeing? Gah.
Maybe it's the pain my brain is in 'cause I've just had to switch the clocks as daylight saving starts here tonight. Trying to remember which way to adjust the time is really enough to make my brain explode (which is why I am ever grateful our wonderful Queen posts a countdown clock for the FF contests). I'm not wired to cope with time zones.
It's quiet this morning after last night's gathering of kids, grandkids and noise. Wonderful times these, especially for those of us with homes and families, loving pets and dreams which reach beyond necessity. I'm scared though. I just can't get out of my mind how pivotal Nov. 8th will be for all of us this year. I guess if the unbelievable and unthinkable happens - we get what we deserve. Okay, I'll stop.
Slinks to Black and Decker for another cup of Breakfast Blend and couch time.
AJ - I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds remembering which way the clocks go to be challenging. Every effing year I struggle with this. I am not stupid, damnit! Why does this always trouble me so??
As for the sunset cat, can't you see the spirit of the cat suggested by the shape of the ree--- no, I don't see a cat either, you aren't going crazy. ;)
AJ - thanks for the tip-off. Daylight Savings wasn't on my radar at all. I probably would've rocked up to work an hour late on Tuesday morning. (Public holiday on Monday)
Pretty kitties are the perfect antidote to a dog of a week.
Cute!!! We once had a tortie point Himalayan and a seal point Himalayan. They were a hoot. One liked to hunt, but only if no one was watching. The other loved thunderstorms and would sit with me on the screened porch and watch the lightning.
youse guyz are giving me a conniption with the talk of daylight savings time. I had to look it up on my trusty paper brain (sponsored by DayTimer.) Turns out we don't turn back till 11/6.
Third picture: cattails.
Now, off to update my clients on the status of their hopes and dreams.
Aww, so much cuteness. I want one. Now to just convince the real estate agent - "No, Mr Landlord, that's not a cat. That's just an...advanced mousetrap. They're all the rage these days."
I stepped into my kitchen this morning and narrowly missed mushing a partially digested, recently regurgitated mouse between my toes. A right-proud Sunny (aka The Devil's Spawn) watched from his perch on the spiral staircase---bored to death by my screech of disgust, yet mildly amused by my frantic efforts to keep nine dogs from eating the poor victim. So, cats? This morning? Meh...
No worries about Daylights Savings Time for me, and for that I thank the great state of Arizona. :D
Hooray kitties!
Good to see some happy animals. My folks called me yesterday to let me know that one of the family dachshunds was attacked by coyotes. No one knows how the wiener dog escaped the coyote's jaws, all we do know is that he got lucky. A few more inches on those punctures, and the poor pup would not be on a pampered throne snarfing down chicken ala king.
Janet: Now, off to update my clients on the status of their hopes and dreams.--I can believe you have a folder under each of your clients called "Hopes and Dreams." And in that folder, two sub-folders: "Come true" and "Dashed." :)
AJ: It's a black cat sleeping in the grass. You have to turn your screen on its side to see it properly. (I kid. I shouldn't, I know, since you're already going through the panic of time change.)
And daylight saving is a lady dog. We actually don't have it here in Saskatchewan, but that just means that - along with time zones across North America - I have to keep track of what time of year it is. Currently in my online writing group, we've got people in 3 time zones. There have been times when we've had four or more time zones represented (once, even Australia). And I have to figure out "Okay, am I one hour off Eastern this time of year, or two?"
EM: Yes, please. Much coffee.
Melanie: To dogs, yes, vomit is a delicacy. No matter whose vomit.
A busy week it has been. Kittehs are great. Puppies, too. I've been trying to avoid all the political ramblings my friends have been posting from south of the border - I've heard it all before. I know who I'd vote for if I possibly could, but I can't even vote in that election. Funny, but I haven't seen anything online regarding the election coming up here. Yes, in 2016 we will have had three elections in the time you folks have been gearing up for one: federal, provincial, and our upcoming municipal election. It's just as well I haven't seen much about it online - I really despise our current mayor, and seeing his picture EVERYWHERE makes me want to do what Sunny did to the poor mouse. Except the partially digesting bit. Ew. Who wants to even partially eat greasy slime?
So yes. Give me kittehs. Something about a sleeping animal - cat, dog, whatever - just adds peace to the world.
Megan: Eek! That is a definite fear of mine. I know someone who had their Shih Tzu puppy nearly taken by an eagle. They managed to pull the puppy out of those talons and the pup survived. But I just can't imagine the horror of a moment like that. There's been a very large owl hanging around a certain neighbourhood this year. People have definitely been worried.
When we lived in Mexico Beach we were on the cusp of two tone zones. People who worked at the base were on central time but people who worked in Port St. Joe went by eastern time. Made it tricky planning repair people meet up or dinner invites "Are we going by my time or yours?" was the end of just about every conversation.
Just remember "spring back, fall forward." or is that the effects of too much scotch?
You can never have too many kitten or puppy photos for me.
Re: cat "encore presentations" I am very grateful Mehitabel's hunting days are over. Re" coyotes and other kitten stealing varmints": We've had a family with coyote pups in the neighborhood and one morning they were in my back yard and I could photograph them through the back door. They are very adorable, danger to my darling girl that they are. Mehitabel was under lockdown for a while this summer, needless to say! Another friend here has two cairn terriers and a coyote family living 100 yards away in the blackberry thicket that borders their property. Eternal vigilance is the price of living with nature and pets.
A question for any Reiders who've had enough coffee: when querying fiction, is it desirable to mention a market segment that you feel is being underserved, and that you believe your novel would appeal to? Such information is usually welcome in a nonfiction query/proposal. For fiction, is it presumptuous and off-putting to think you know something about markets that the agent does not?
Isn't it spring forward, fall back? (yes, yes it is)
Caturday! Does this mean tomorrow is Dogday? Hmmm?
We have quite a few sparrow hawks - and maybe even a redtail - in the neighborhood. Much as I hate to say it, I'm wondering if I'm the guilty party for "inviting" them. I feed the birds in my yard, and I'm beginning to think I've set up a bird buffet for them. I actually had to move my bird feeder b/c they kept hitting the windows and some weren't making it. Nothing worse than to hear that noise, and then see a bird dying on your porch.
So, I moved the feeder further away, and next thing I know, there's feathers all over the yard at least once or twice a week. I thought it could be - dare I say it - cats. There are quite a few of those running around as well and I'm - dare I say it - constantly chasing them out of the yard, so I don't step in or have to smell their poop. But, aside from the cats, I think most are being snatched by the hawks. They sit in my neighbors huge pecan tree and watch the birds feed, and the swoop, down they come and snatch a poor unsuspecting dove. Or finch.
I think Little Dog is just a tad too big - but I still watch him carefully.
Very peaceful. I also tried zooming in on the third one to find the ever elusive cat.
I started a second project while I query the first, a Cinderella meets Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde sort of story. It's super entertaining to write, if nothing else!
Ah yes, thanks Donna, I see Janet's comment. All the cattails around here are more solid, like corndogs. The picture makes me want to go out and enjoy the fall, though!
Actually they are Sea Oats at sunset. Figured a blog hiatus needed to have a place for a relaxing glass of Scotch.
That means that I am the person for that cat at the top. He is my friend and was is often the object of my desire. I always had a desire for a blue eyed cat. I also have never seen such a muscular cat. He has a physique, and the paws, that would make a Smilodon proud.
I have had dogs who didn't walk with me like The Tawny One. He also is the King and Guard of the yard. What he is not is a house cat. I know because I have tried that numerous times. As soon as the door is closed he launches himself into the picture window in an attempt to escape.
I hope this coming week sees you all safe, warm and dry. In other words I hope your good Lord is willing and the creek don't rise any higher. Of all of the hurricanes I have stared down it is those that pass under Cuba that I fear the most.
Donna: I doubt you have Redtailed Hawks in your neighborhood. They are probably red shouldered. Red tails are almost twice the size of red shouldered hawks. They tend to live in big, open areas. Red shouldered hawks are best adapted to living in a suburban environment.
Oh, I have decided what I am going to do 11/8. I am going to go straight down the list of Democrats and check them all. It is not railing against Republicans. Some of them are better candidates than the Dems I an going to vote for.
I just want a back up plan in case the unthinkable happens. That back up is to have enough of the opposition to impeach before all of the social infrastructure gets trashed.
Hubby and I have two dogs at the moment, but when we married 20 years ago, my first acquisition was a grey Ragdoll kitten. Cute as a button and oh! That fur! Challenged in a certain area though. He'd dig a hole, do his business next to it, then cover up the hole again. Never heard of a cat, before or after, that ever did that!
Donnaeve's bird story had me remembering one of our rental houses though. We'd been married a couple of years, and a pair of house martins decided to build a nest under the eaves. Enchanted, we watched them raise their family - then welcomed them back the following year.
By the third year though, not only had their population increased exponentially, so much so that Hubby was remarking on the potential damage to the house, but also our beloved Rascal decided that sitting on our roof and fishing over the side with a paw was a very effective way to supplement his diet. He grew quite fat that year.
Needless to say, when they'd finished for the year, we washed away all the mud nests and they never came back.
We have a Cooper's Hawk that comes to visit periodically. I was afraid for the squirrels until my friend The Bird Expert informed me the squirrels were safe as long the bird supply held out. I was horrified. Our birds seem pretty savvy. I told him he'd better leave my cardinals, tufted titmice, finches, blue jays, woodpeckers and doves alone. The crows are pretty huge.
It has indeed been a kitty kind of day. Gossamer has been ALL the warm and soft and kneady and nappish. He's currently snoozing by the window.
Last night, catching up on RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race, the catwalk theme was, as Ru put it, "Pants. Pants, I say!" Each contestant gets to describe their look, and one of my favorites said this: "I'm giving you 1980s lesbian literary agent disinterested, pissed-off Ellen Barkin fantasy." I want her for my agent.
Cats, cat-tails or sea oats? Hawks, red-shouldered or red-tailed? Spring forward or back?
These are much better "controversies" than those dominating the airwaves these days.
Just got back from playing for Oktoberfest celebrations at a 19th century German brewery in Socorro, New Mexico. Yes, you read that right. Alas, no brewing takes place there now (though there were kegs on hand for the festivities). It's a museum, and the local model train club has a nice layout upstairs.
There are no sea oats in my neighborhood, but there are definitely red-tailed hawks. Also, great horned owls, coyotes, and bears. Well, one bear ran through our yard once. In any case, it's best for the neighborhood kitties to stay indoors.
Love the cat pics. I went to buy dog food today and pawsed for a very long time in front of the big cage with all the kittens from the Humane Society that are up for adoption.
Hopes and Dreams sounds like a good WIP folder name.
Today has been a day for wrestling with a book proposal. I was winning for a while.
Awwww, what a sweet little kitten face. They look so innocent when they're asleep. Thanks for sharing these, Craig. And yes, sea oats. What a gorgeous sunset.
I'm so happy there are leftover pics from the month of pets.
Donna, there are hawks and owls that hang out in my yard too. Gives "bird feeder" a new meaning. :(
Donna - 'Spring forward, fall back' is going to change my life! Even though we Aussies call it Autumn, Fall is perfect in this instance.
My husband has a good method but much more convoluted: he considers the loss of an hour as payment for the summertime ahead, and the gain of an hour as compensation for the approaching winter. (We have a summer-bias.)
CynthiaMc - that's hilarious! Most of Australia is obsessed by the Rugby and Aussie Rules Footy finals this weekend so that poor American was probably pining for his hometown team even more than usual.
We have Kestrels (falconettes) and Brown Hawks (Buzets) over here in Southwest France. The grace of a Kestrel hovering, circling his/her wings in a rapid figure eight never ceases to amaze me. Reminds me of the quote, a bird doesn't place it's trust on the branch, moreover on it's wings.
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Cheers Hank.
Craig According to the Audubon red tails are common in most of the US. Given the pictures I see on their site. The one getting my birds (whatever it is) has a habit of sitting high up in the neighbors pecan tree, before swooping down to snatch a dove, which describes how the red tails hunt. The feathered friend/foe I'm seeing could be a red tail. We have sparrow hawks too - smaller, but all are having a nice meal courtesy of, as kdjames said, the bird "feeders."
BJ That's right, I sent RosannaM her copy - signed, sealed, delivered, it's hers! (couldn't help that)
Joe Yes, it's always been interesting to me how those in Australia, etc., experience the seasons in direct opposite to those of us here. The comments were more about are we losing an hour, or gaining an hour. So, the easy way to remember is spring forward, fall back.
MAHudson - that's the only way I could ever remember!
Craig: We have Red Tails, once in awhile an errant Peregrine, several other hawk species, two nesting pairs of Bald Eagles on a very densely populated lake half a mile from me and I have a Golden Eagle that has laid claim about a mile up the road and see him occasionally and I'm in a semi rural area (mix of farmland and subdivisions and sardines in a can houses on the lakes here) in southern mid Michigan.
They're all beautiful but supposedly, none of them "belong" here. It's been my experience that birds don't usually read books... ;)
MA, 'Spring forward, fall back' is going to change my life!--Agreed. It's the only way I can keep it straight. The only thing daylight savings time is good for is reminding you when to change batteries in your smoke detectors.
As one Indian said, it's typical white man logic. Cut off six inches from the bottom of a blanket and sew it on the top to make the blanket longer.
As to the cattails, the ones I'm familiar with look , like this but I am not that widely traveled.
BJ One of my writing partners lives in Switzerland, one in NY (I always here the Pace commercial in my head when I say that "New York City!!!), and one in North Carolina. It's difficult to do chats.
Craig "That back up is to have enough of the opposition to impeach before all of the social infrastructure gets trashed." It's sad that we now realize politicians will vote straight down the party line instead of doing what's right regardless of what the issue is. Seriously? The current president has gone around congress to do illegal things time and time and time again and nothing has been done.
The problem with identifying hawks is that the only truly singular coloration in a hawk is the Kestrel. Red Shouldered and Red tailed look very similar. The Red tailed is a much larger bird. That makes it prefer open areas. Red shouldered can be seen flying through forest and closer to streams, rivers and creeks. I too once thought many of the red shouldered hawks I saw were red tailed because many say the red tailed is more populous. Then I saw a real red tailed hawk. Now I understand.
There are other hawks that can be as confusing as warblers. Coopers hawks have the same coloration as Northern Harriers. They both have the capacity to hover over prey. Northern Harriers are better at it.
I used to consider Cornell's College of Ornithology the gold standard of knowledge about birds. The last three times I called them they told me the same thing. "Birds do weird shit in Florida."
I think where birds are seen is yet another sign of Global Warming. Insect populations are moving further north (look at the decimation of Canadian Cedars by California Bark Beetles) and birds and raptors are following them.
Oh, we have a bird feeder right outside our picture window. We also have some trees. Hawks occasionally hang out in a tree and wait for the feeder to get busy. Then he will scream and the birds will take off. Most of them dive down and stay close to ground. Doves pop straight up.
I do wish that hawk was a red tail. Then it would be large enough to attack those damned Eurasian collared doves. According to everyone those don't live here. They escaped from Busch Gardens and are taking over. I hate birds whose coo sounds like someone cranking up a chainsaw.
Julie: Obama has not used his executive option anywhere near as often as George W. did. All presidents do it quite often. If it is illegal depends on who translates the language of the law. There isn't really any legal precedent on it.
Here I am on Sunday posting about "Caturday," which did not arrive in my inbox until today...
It just so happens I was at a fundraiser yesterday for the Small Wildcat Conservation Foundation. There are 31 species of small wild cats across the globe, but only 1% of all wild cat funding goes towards their conservation. The rest is devoted to tigers, cheetahs, etc. - all worthy of course, but loss of the small wild cats would be tragic.
Jim Sanderson is THE man when it comes to small wild cat conservation. On a planet of 7 billion people, there is one person responsible for coordinating and promoting these conservation efforts - Jim. He'll be presenting at the Wildlife Conservation Expo in San Francisco this coming weekend.
Yesterday we learned about current efforts across the globe, and had the privilege of seeing 3 cats in person: an ocelot, a Geoffrey's cat, and a Fishing Cat. Absolutely thrilling!
Craig: your cats are gorgeous. "The Tawny One" - love that smudgy nose!
Sea Oats bring back many fond memories of childhood trips to the beach at Salter Path, NC.
We have Red-tailed Hawks right here in San Francisco. I see them frequently while walking Juno and Zuzu at the beach at Fort Funston, aka dog paradise.
Hank: I may be in Sarlat this spring. Are you near there?
50 comments:
I couldn't sleep so I read all this weeks posts. It's 4am here. And for once I'm the first to post. Kittens are the purfect end to marathon comment reading/Reiding.Good morning reef.
No debate about it...Cat photo's rule.
Good morning Reiders, love the relaxed repose of that kitten with the smudge on his/her nose.
Hm...new job, new paint, the autumn of a vitriolic election. Whatever it was that made it insane, thank you for the photos. I'll be simmering a stew as my son heads home for the weekend.
Cute kitties are a purrfect way to end the week. But... Janet, are you trying to mess with us? I love the third photo - gorgeous sunset - but please tell me there isn't a kitten in that photo?! I hoped someone else might have commented about it, but everyone is saying lovely kittens. What am I not seeing? Gah.
Maybe it's the pain my brain is in 'cause I've just had to switch the clocks as daylight saving starts here tonight. Trying to remember which way to adjust the time is really enough to make my brain explode (which is why I am ever grateful our wonderful Queen posts a countdown clock for the FF contests). I'm not wired to cope with time zones.
Kitties! Hi everyone. Coffee?
It's quiet this morning after last night's gathering of kids, grandkids and noise. Wonderful times these, especially for those of us with homes and families, loving pets and dreams which reach beyond necessity.
I'm scared though.
I just can't get out of my mind how pivotal Nov. 8th will be for all of us this year.
I guess if the unbelievable and unthinkable happens - we get what we deserve. Okay, I'll stop.
Slinks to Black and Decker for another cup of Breakfast Blend and couch time.
I couldn't see the cat in the last one but there is a coiled snake and a chameleon.
AJ - I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds remembering which way the clocks go to be challenging. Every effing year I struggle with this. I am not stupid, damnit! Why does this always trouble me so??
As for the sunset cat, can't you see the spirit of the cat suggested by the shape of the ree--- no, I don't see a cat either, you aren't going crazy. ;)
AJ - thanks for the tip-off. Daylight Savings wasn't on my radar at all. I probably would've rocked up to work an hour late on Tuesday morning. (Public holiday on Monday)
Pretty kitties are the perfect antidote to a dog of a week.
Cute!!! We once had a tortie point Himalayan and a seal point Himalayan. They were a hoot. One liked to hunt, but only if no one was watching. The other loved thunderstorms and would sit with me on the screened porch and watch the lightning.
It's barely 9am here, and I'm already having a crummy day. I'm going to stare at these pictures until I get my zen back.
Oooh, kittehs!!!
I want a kitty :(
And we don't change to DST here until November 6th iirc...
more coffee...
youse guyz are giving me a conniption with the talk of daylight savings time. I had to look it up on my trusty paper brain (sponsored by DayTimer.) Turns out we don't turn back till 11/6.
Third picture: cattails.
Now, off to update my clients on the status of their hopes and dreams.
Aww, so much cuteness. I want one. Now to just convince the real estate agent - "No, Mr Landlord, that's not a cat. That's just an...advanced mousetrap. They're all the rage these days."
I stepped into my kitchen this morning and narrowly missed mushing a partially digested, recently regurgitated mouse between my toes. A right-proud Sunny (aka The Devil's Spawn) watched from his perch on the spiral staircase---bored to death by my screech of disgust, yet mildly amused by my frantic efforts to keep nine dogs from eating the poor victim. So, cats? This morning? Meh...
No worries about Daylights Savings Time for me, and for that I thank the great state of Arizona. :D
Hooray kitties!
Good to see some happy animals. My folks called me yesterday to let me know that one of the family dachshunds was attacked by coyotes. No one knows how the wiener dog escaped the coyote's jaws, all we do know is that he got lucky. A few more inches on those punctures, and the poor pup would not be on a pampered throne snarfing down chicken ala king.
Janet: Now, off to update my clients on the status of their hopes and dreams.--I can believe you have a folder under each of your clients called "Hopes and Dreams." And in that folder, two sub-folders: "Come true" and "Dashed." :)
Lovely pics. Have a peaceful weekend. :)
AJ: It's a black cat sleeping in the grass. You have to turn your screen on its side to see it properly. (I kid. I shouldn't, I know, since you're already going through the panic of time change.)
And daylight saving is a lady dog. We actually don't have it here in Saskatchewan, but that just means that - along with time zones across North America - I have to keep track of what time of year it is. Currently in my online writing group, we've got people in 3 time zones. There have been times when we've had four or more time zones represented (once, even Australia). And I have to figure out "Okay, am I one hour off Eastern this time of year, or two?"
EM: Yes, please. Much coffee.
Melanie: To dogs, yes, vomit is a delicacy. No matter whose vomit.
A busy week it has been. Kittehs are great. Puppies, too. I've been trying to avoid all the political ramblings my friends have been posting from south of the border - I've heard it all before. I know who I'd vote for if I possibly could, but I can't even vote in that election. Funny, but I haven't seen anything online regarding the election coming up here. Yes, in 2016 we will have had three elections in the time you folks have been gearing up for one: federal, provincial, and our upcoming municipal election. It's just as well I haven't seen much about it online - I really despise our current mayor, and seeing his picture EVERYWHERE makes me want to do what Sunny did to the poor mouse. Except the partially digesting bit. Ew. Who wants to even partially eat greasy slime?
So yes. Give me kittehs. Something about a sleeping animal - cat, dog, whatever - just adds peace to the world.
Megan: Eek! That is a definite fear of mine. I know someone who had their Shih Tzu puppy nearly taken by an eagle. They managed to pull the puppy out of those talons and the pup survived. But I just can't imagine the horror of a moment like that. There's been a very large owl hanging around a certain neighbourhood this year. People have definitely been worried.
BJ An eagle? I can't imagine that! Poor pup. :(
When we lived in Mexico Beach we were on the cusp of two tone zones. People who worked at the base were on central time but people who worked in Port St. Joe went by eastern time. Made it tricky planning repair people meet up or dinner invites "Are we going by my time or yours?" was the end of just about every conversation.
Time not tone - though the beach had a distinctly steel drum vibe.
Just remember "spring back, fall forward." or is that the effects of too much scotch?
You can never have too many kitten or puppy photos for me.
Re: cat "encore presentations" I am very grateful Mehitabel's hunting days are over.
Re" coyotes and other kitten stealing varmints": We've had a family with coyote pups in the neighborhood and one morning they were in my back yard and I could photograph them through the back door. They are very adorable, danger to my darling girl that they are. Mehitabel was under lockdown for a while this summer, needless to say!
Another friend here has two cairn terriers and a coyote family living 100 yards away in the blackberry thicket that borders their property. Eternal vigilance is the price of living with nature and pets.
A question for any Reiders who've had enough coffee: when querying fiction, is it desirable to mention a market segment that you feel is being underserved, and that you believe your novel would appeal to? Such information is usually welcome in a nonfiction query/proposal. For fiction, is it presumptuous and off-putting to think you know something about markets that the agent does not?
Um, Panda? "spring back, fall forward."
Isn't it spring forward, fall back? (yes, yes it is)
Caturday! Does this mean tomorrow is Dogday? Hmmm?
We have quite a few sparrow hawks - and maybe even a redtail - in the neighborhood. Much as I hate to say it, I'm wondering if I'm the guilty party for "inviting" them. I feed the birds in my yard, and I'm beginning to think I've set up a bird buffet for them. I actually had to move my bird feeder b/c they kept hitting the windows and some weren't making it. Nothing worse than to hear that noise, and then see a bird dying on your porch.
So, I moved the feeder further away, and next thing I know, there's feathers all over the yard at least once or twice a week. I thought it could be - dare I say it - cats. There are quite a few of those running around as well and I'm - dare I say it - constantly chasing them out of the yard, so I don't step in or have to smell their poop. But, aside from the cats, I think most are being snatched by the hawks. They sit in my neighbors huge pecan tree and watch the birds feed, and the swoop, down they come and snatch a poor unsuspecting dove. Or finch.
I think Little Dog is just a tad too big - but I still watch him carefully.
Very peaceful. I also tried zooming in on the third one to find the ever elusive cat.
I started a second project while I query the first, a Cinderella meets Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde sort of story. It's super entertaining to write, if nothing else!
Happy Caturday, all!
Lennon It's a picture of cattails. :)
Ah yes, thanks Donna, I see Janet's comment. All the cattails around here are more solid, like corndogs. The picture makes me want to go out and enjoy the fall, though!
Actually they are Sea Oats at sunset. Figured a blog hiatus needed to have a place for a relaxing glass of Scotch.
That means that I am the person for that cat at the top. He is my friend and was is often the object of my desire. I always had a desire for a blue eyed cat. I also have never seen such a muscular cat. He has a physique, and the paws, that would make a Smilodon proud.
I have had dogs who didn't walk with me like The Tawny One. He also is the King and Guard of the yard. What he is not is a house cat. I know because I have tried that numerous times. As soon as the door is closed he launches himself into the picture window in an attempt to escape.
I hope this coming week sees you all safe, warm and dry. In other words I hope your good Lord is willing and the creek don't rise any higher. Of all of the hurricanes I have stared down it is those that pass under Cuba that I fear the most.
Donna: I doubt you have Redtailed Hawks in your neighborhood. They are probably red shouldered. Red tails are almost twice the size of red shouldered hawks. They tend to live in big, open areas. Red shouldered hawks are best adapted to living in a suburban environment.
Oh, I have decided what I am going to do 11/8. I am going to go straight down the list of Democrats and check them all. It is not railing against Republicans. Some of them are better candidates than the Dems I an going to vote for.
I just want a back up plan in case the unthinkable happens. That back up is to have enough of the opposition to impeach before all of the social infrastructure gets trashed.
Cats! Purrfect; I love them.
Hubby and I have two dogs at the moment, but when we married 20 years ago, my first acquisition was a grey Ragdoll kitten. Cute as a button and oh! That fur! Challenged in a certain area though. He'd dig a hole, do his business next to it, then cover up the hole again. Never heard of a cat, before or after, that ever did that!
Donnaeve's bird story had me remembering one of our rental houses though. We'd been married a couple of years, and a pair of house martins decided to build a nest under the eaves. Enchanted, we watched them raise their family - then welcomed them back the following year.
By the third year though, not only had their population increased exponentially, so much so that Hubby was remarking on the potential damage to the house, but also our beloved Rascal decided that sitting on our roof and fishing over the side with a paw was a very effective way to supplement his diet. He grew quite fat that year.
Needless to say, when they'd finished for the year, we washed away all the mud nests and they never came back.
Cats, huh?
Happy Caturday, everyone :)
We have a Cooper's Hawk that comes to visit periodically. I was afraid for the squirrels until my friend The Bird Expert informed me the squirrels were safe as long the bird supply held out. I was horrified. Our birds seem pretty savvy. I told him he'd better leave my cardinals, tufted titmice, finches, blue jays, woodpeckers and doves alone. The crows are pretty huge.
It has indeed been a kitty kind of day. Gossamer has been ALL the warm and soft and kneady and nappish. He's currently snoozing by the window.
Last night, catching up on RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race, the catwalk theme was, as Ru put it, "Pants. Pants, I say!" Each contestant gets to describe their look, and one of my favorites said this: "I'm giving you 1980s lesbian literary agent disinterested, pissed-off Ellen Barkin fantasy." I want her for my agent.
Panda and Donnaeve
To get everyone on the same page
AJ Blythe lives in Australia.
I believe it's SPRING in Australia.
So she should Spring Forward.
and i need to check my mailbox again for my incoming book.
For those awaiting Donna's book: RosannaM got hers straight from Donna (via Janet's contest), not via Amazon, if I remember correctly.
Craig: Your cats are beautiful. And the Tawny One especially so.
Cats, cat-tails or sea oats?
Hawks, red-shouldered or red-tailed?
Spring forward or back?
These are much better "controversies" than those dominating the airwaves these days.
Just got back from playing for Oktoberfest celebrations at a 19th century German brewery in Socorro, New Mexico. Yes, you read that right. Alas, no brewing takes place there now (though there were kegs on hand for the festivities). It's a museum, and the local model train club has a nice layout upstairs.
There are no sea oats in my neighborhood, but there are definitely red-tailed hawks. Also, great horned owls, coyotes, and bears. Well, one bear ran through our yard once. In any case, it's best for the neighborhood kitties to stay indoors.
Love the cat pics. I went to buy dog food today and pawsed for a very long time in front of the big cage with all the kittens from the Humane Society that are up for adoption.
Hopes and Dreams sounds like a good WIP folder name.
Today has been a day for wrestling with a book proposal. I was winning for a while.
Awwww, what a sweet little kitten face. They look so innocent when they're asleep. Thanks for sharing these, Craig. And yes, sea oats. What a gorgeous sunset.
I'm so happy there are leftover pics from the month of pets.
Donna, there are hawks and owls that hang out in my yard too. Gives "bird feeder" a new meaning. :(
We have tons of hawks, falcons, and owls in our neighborhood. We also have bird feeders. They are sometimes called rabbits.
What's better than a tiny dog with a big attitude?
Tiny dog in spiked electrified kevlar.
(I'd be the owner who got zapped.)
Additional owl scorn.
Donna - 'Spring forward, fall back' is going to change my life! Even though we Aussies call it Autumn, Fall is perfect in this instance.
My husband has a good method but much more convoluted: he considers the loss of an hour as payment for the summertime ahead, and the gain of an hour as compensation for the approaching winter. (We have a summer-bias.)
MA Hudson - During the Alabama-Kentucky game last night a transplanted alum tweeted "Anybody else watching this from Australia?"
CynthiaMc - that's hilarious! Most of Australia is obsessed by the Rugby and Aussie Rules Footy finals this weekend so that poor American was probably pining for his hometown team even more than usual.
We have Kestrels (falconettes) and Brown Hawks (Buzets) over here in Southwest France. The grace of a Kestrel hovering, circling his/her wings in a rapid figure eight never ceases to amaze me. Reminds me of the quote, a bird doesn't place it's trust on the branch, moreover on it's wings.
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.
Cheers Hank.
Caturday? There used to be a weekly poetry contest called 'Feline Thursday'... Oh, hang on... no, that was 'Three Line Thursday'.
Craig According to the Audubon red tails are common in most of the US. Given the pictures I see on their site. The one getting my birds (whatever it is) has a habit of sitting high up in the neighbors pecan tree, before swooping down to snatch a dove, which describes how the red tails hunt. The feathered friend/foe I'm seeing could be a red tail. We have sparrow hawks too - smaller, but all are having a nice meal courtesy of, as kdjames said, the bird "feeders."
BJ That's right, I sent RosannaM her copy - signed, sealed, delivered, it's hers! (couldn't help that)
Joe Yes, it's always been interesting to me how those in Australia, etc., experience the seasons in direct opposite to those of us here. The comments were more about are we losing an hour, or gaining an hour. So, the easy way to remember is spring forward, fall back.
MAHudson - that's the only way I could ever remember!
Just stepping in to say:
Craig: We have Red Tails, once in awhile an errant Peregrine, several other hawk species, two nesting pairs of Bald Eagles on a very densely populated lake half a mile from me and I have a Golden Eagle that has laid claim about a mile up the road and see him occasionally and I'm in a semi rural area (mix of farmland and subdivisions and sardines in a can houses on the lakes here) in southern mid Michigan.
They're all beautiful but supposedly, none of them "belong" here. It's been my experience that birds don't usually read books... ;)
MA, 'Spring forward, fall back' is going to change my life!--Agreed. It's the only way I can keep it straight. The only thing daylight savings time is good for is reminding you when to change batteries in your smoke detectors.
As one Indian said, it's typical white man logic. Cut off six inches from the bottom of a blanket and sew it on the top to make the blanket longer.
As to the cattails, the ones I'm familiar with look , like this but I am not that widely traveled.
BJ One of my writing partners lives in Switzerland, one in NY (I always here the Pace commercial in my head when I say that "New York City!!!), and one in North Carolina. It's difficult to do chats.
Craig "That back up is to have enough of the opposition to impeach before all of the social infrastructure gets trashed." It's sad that we now realize politicians will vote straight down the party line instead of doing what's right regardless of what the issue is. Seriously? The current president has gone around congress to do illegal things time and time and time again and nothing has been done.
The problem with identifying hawks is that the only truly singular coloration in a hawk is the Kestrel. Red Shouldered and Red tailed look very similar. The Red tailed is a much larger bird. That makes it prefer open areas. Red shouldered can be seen flying through forest and closer to streams, rivers and creeks. I too once thought many of the red shouldered hawks I saw were red tailed because many say the red tailed is more populous. Then I saw a real red tailed hawk. Now I understand.
There are other hawks that can be as confusing as warblers. Coopers hawks have the same coloration as Northern Harriers. They both have the capacity to hover over prey. Northern Harriers are better at it.
I used to consider Cornell's College of Ornithology the gold standard of knowledge about birds. The last three times I called them they told me the same thing. "Birds do weird shit in Florida."
I think where birds are seen is yet another sign of Global Warming. Insect populations are moving further north (look at the decimation of Canadian Cedars by California Bark Beetles) and birds and raptors are following them.
Just pay attention and enjoy watching birds.
Oh, we have a bird feeder right outside our picture window. We also have some trees. Hawks occasionally hang out in a tree and wait for the feeder to get busy. Then he will scream and the birds will take off. Most of them dive down and stay close to ground. Doves pop straight up.
I do wish that hawk was a red tail. Then it would be large enough to attack those damned Eurasian collared doves. According to everyone those don't live here. They escaped from Busch Gardens and are taking over. I hate birds whose coo sounds like someone cranking up a chainsaw.
Julie: Obama has not used his executive option anywhere near as often as George W. did. All presidents do it quite often. If it is illegal depends on who translates the language of the law. There isn't really any legal precedent on it.
Here I am on Sunday posting about "Caturday," which did not arrive in my inbox until today...
It just so happens I was at a fundraiser yesterday for the Small Wildcat Conservation Foundation. There are 31 species of small wild cats across the globe, but only 1% of all wild cat funding goes towards their conservation. The rest is devoted to tigers, cheetahs, etc. - all worthy of course, but loss of the small wild cats would be tragic.
Jim Sanderson is THE man when it comes to small wild cat conservation. On a planet of 7 billion people, there is one person responsible for coordinating and promoting these conservation efforts - Jim. He'll be presenting at the Wildlife Conservation Expo in San Francisco this coming weekend.
Yesterday we learned about current efforts across the globe, and had the privilege of seeing 3 cats in person: an ocelot, a Geoffrey's cat, and a Fishing Cat. Absolutely thrilling!
Craig: your cats are gorgeous. "The Tawny One" - love that smudgy nose!
Sea Oats bring back many fond memories of childhood trips to the beach at Salter Path, NC.
We have Red-tailed Hawks right here in San Francisco. I see them frequently while walking Juno and Zuzu at the beach at Fort Funston, aka dog paradise.
Hank: I may be in Sarlat this spring. Are you near there?
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