THE CAT'S OUT OF THE BAG

OR IS HE?  Punkin and Spook have taken a liking to the veggie growing bags. Are they "vegetating?"

 I guess they are called potato bags, mostly, but I found they were also very useful for growing onions and carrots, too! Once the crop has been harvested, the guys immediately climb on board and take a nap. However, the potatoes are producing their second crop, or what will survive of the second crop as both the little guys try to crowd their little kitty butts in without breaking off the plants. It will be interesting to see what is in that bag when the greenery dies back. Sometimes I think of Horton hatches a What? as he keeps the potato crop warm.

 Punkin and the Carrot Bag.

Tell me, is anyone else having trouble with Blogger and trying to get pictures where you want them? My old link to blogger no longer works, and this is in its place... very frustrating!

STILL HERE...

I have been beyond busy for the last couple of weeks... too busy to read, too busy to blog... but just so you know I am still alive, I will share this quote with you. It pretty much sums up my philosophy in life.

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”


Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882); Philosopher, Poet, Author, Essayist

CLIMATE CHANGE? BUTTERFLIES

FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS, this camellia has bloomed on my birthday - not a day before. It was a brithday present, to celebrate my 50th birthday. This camellia is about 12 feet from my computer where I sit every morning (almost) of my life... it is one of the first things I look at each day. It sits right next to my driveway, so it is impossible to ignore it especially when it is in full bloom. Every year, the first bloom of the season has opened right on schedule. But this year, the seasons seemed to have gotten off to an early start. Everything started to bloom early as we experienced the warmest year in recorded history. So I guess I should not have been so shocked when I looked out the fogged up window (from the air conditioner) and saw red. Well, OK, maybe magenta is more accurate. 2 weeks early... there it is.

The temps are still quite summer-like. It was in the low 70s when I got up, will be in the 80s today. At least we are not hitting the upper 90s anymore, tho I hesitate to complain after so many people were in the hundreds last summer, day after day after day. The humidity is so high it is like breathing soup. Our 10 inches of rain from a week ago has long soaked in the ground, but it seems we get a little rain each day, then a burst of sunshine, just enough to make it like a sauna out there.

The dragonflies have almost all disappeared. The yard is now filled with butterflies flitting from place to place. I have several butterfly bushes, phlox, blue sage, and fall camellias all in bloom to keep them happy.

The roses are sending out a new round of blooms.

A TALE OF TWO KITTIES

SOME DAYS ARE JUST LIKE THAT..... what ever that is. But it was a day when I had thought I'd kept all my time to myself to get caught up on things housiefied... every once in a while it seems necessary to shovel a path to the sofa, ya know what I mean? Well, OK, its not really that bad in here, but there are days that need to be devoted to chores in the house. I promised myself to stay off the computer and it was a bit warm to be outside, besides they said it would not be a bad week-end, so the mowing and garden work could wait until Sat or Sun. Right. See  previous post about how well that worked! Anyway, I had myself pretty well organized and had a good start on things when the phone rang. It was my friend Charlie. It seems Charlie was the recipient of a couple of kittens. Someone had left him a present on his property, a little baby blanket with a sick orange kitten and his frisky grey tabby brother. So, I put a cage in the van and out the road we went. The orange one was sitting on his blanket waiting for his owner to come back and get him. That broke my heart. The grey boy was bouncing around in the woods and weeds not far away. He came when called. Obviously they have been someone's loved kittens. My guess is they are about 3 months old. I called the vet and got the last appointment for the day, for the week, as it was Friday afternoon. I was worried the orange one would not make it, his nose was filled with snot, and when a cat can't breathe, they don't seem to be able to eat either. He was weak. Anyway, Barrett gave them each their first shots and sent us home with amoxicillin and eye drops and de-fleaed them. I got a couple of my bigger cages together and we made a place to keep them in Charlie's shop where we could give the Orange fellow his meds and feed them. Anybody want a couple of kittens? They look great now, a week later, and a ton of food, full of energy, tumbling around in the pen Charlie made for them outside. These shots were taken last Saturday, after the rain had started but before the 9 inches fell! Charlie was already soaked from working on the Train Station door (see the SPOTS blog).  

It is a good thing Charlie saw them as he drove by or they would have been underwater the next day, cuz they were staying where  they were put waiting for their previous owner to return. Bless their little hearts.

A side note here... Blogger has suddenly changed its format and how pictures get added and placed. I have not figures it out, seem to have NO control over where the pictures are going. Sorry about that!