Tis the season!!

I spent the day after Thanksgiving cleaning up from the turkey dinner and putting up the 9 foot tree. The weather almost matched the season - hail, not snow, but the ground was white for a few minutes!

Chico and Maya, the cats, are SO excited to have the tree in the living room. They've been climbing and chewing and chasing each other around the tree. Once they calm down I'll be able to hang ornaments.

May your season be merry and bright!

The Morning Newspaper

Everyone complains about their local newspaper... too many adds, biased one way or the other, doesn't cover important local issues. This morning Chico (the cat) had this commentary about our local paper.

Cat Nap on a Summer Evening

It's been pouring rain for two days straight, with a few rumbles of thunder every now and then. The windows stayed closed to keep the sheets of rain our of the house, and many of the bushes and flowers were bent almost to the ground under the weight of all the water. The temperatures dropped back to early spring highs of low 60s, and it felt like we might get cheated out of our first day of summer.

Then early this afternoon the clouds began to part and the sun has eventually broken through. It's 75 degrees and Chico and Maya are ecstatic to have the windows open again. Here, Chico is napping in his favorite window seat while Maya takes a break from bird watching. We're all enjoying the first evening of summer here in Rochester.

Garden Update

Day One

Week Four

It’s been about a month and the garden is coming along. The tomatoes and peppers survived the mid-May cold snap, and the organic stink bomb spray is keeping the bunnies and the deer away. I’ve added cilantro and another basil plant, and I’m starting to see tiny yellow flowers on the tomato plants.

Another new addition to the garden is the bird feeder. The cats absolutely LOVE sitting in the window and watching the cardinals, goldfinches and other songbirds eating the seeds and berries. It’s pleasant to relax in the garden with a glass of wine or a camera after work.

Stay tuned for more garden updates.

It's Bird Watching Season!

My two cats, Chico and Maya, just LOVE this time of year. In addition to the birdie entertainment in the "mystery tree" in the front of my house, there is all kinds of avian activity in the willow tree behind the house and in the forsythia hedge along side.

The kitties like to sit in the open (screened!) window and talk to the birds. This morning's show included what looked like some alpha male courting rituals with 2 male robins and a female in the willow tree.

The birds twittered and sang and the cats meowed and purred... nature's music with perfect pitch!