Adventures with Angel Astrid

Today's memories with sweet angel pup Astrid are from one of the times we took her to meet up with some family at an outdoor gathering. We did this a couple of times with her, and it allowed for some rather majestic photos of the sweet girl.

Though she was never the most outwardly social dog, Astrid did enjoy being included in things. Her face would light up and she'd smile so big when she realized she was going on an adventure with her people. She loved to "go for a ride", which was one of her favorite phrases to hear.

When we were around others, Astrid would never opt to walk around asking people to pet her. That said, she was far from aggressive and would happily just hang out with myself, my sister, and my parents. She also absolutely adored my grandma and her husband, as well as a couple of my uncles and one of my cousins. Oh, and she always wanted petted by one of my neighbors. She was a very particular dog and only had a select few people she truly liked, but when she did like someone, they were her best friend. And if she didn't particularly like someone, she just ignored them.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

The final tip in our wildlife series involves some additional things you can do to help keep the wildlife safe in their environment. First, as you all surely already know, please refrain from littering. Do not toss trash willy-nilly, but instead place it in a secure trash bin, or a recycling bin if relevant. This includes any and all items, as any variety of things can lead to dangers for wildlife. For example, the handles of plastic or paper bags can get stuck around the necks of wildlife critters, or any variety of items could be swallowed and lead to a choking hazard. And that's just naming two potential examples.

To further protect wildlife, please cut the aforementioned handles on plastic and paper bags before tossing them into the trash or recycling. This ensures that wildlife won't get their heads or limbs stuck in the handles. This also goes for milk jug lid rings, plastic or other rings that multipacks of soda come in, and anything else of that sort. Please simply cut such things before tossing them out in order to prevent strangulation or other injuries to wildlife.

In addition, before tossing them in a bin, do your best to rinse out cans and other food or drink containers. For one, this can perhaps help reduce the likelihood of wildlife eating food that is potentially unhealthy for them. Also, rinsing food containers can help reduce the likelihood of wildlife sniffing out leftover debris and therefore breaking into and going through trash and recycling bins, something that we surely all wish to avoid.

We share this land with a great many critters, and it's important that we keep this land safe for all of its inhabitants. So, please refrain from littering or otherwise contributing to situations that can be dangerous to wildlife.

Perturbed Tonks Tuesday

On this Tonks Tuesday, the calico wants to remind you all how cute she is. Even when she's a bit perturbed at her human of a mom for waking her up.

Sorry, Tonks. I didn't mean to interrupt your nap. You're just so adorable, so can you really blame me?

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today is the release day of my most anticipated book of the year, and that is the 8th book in the wild and chaotic fantasy series I've mentioned more than a few times on here. That would be the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman. It stars a man named Carl with magical heart boxers, and of course his talking Persian tortie cat, Princess Donut. When the 7th book came out about a year and a half ago, I scribbled up this here doodle, which seems like a good one to share again today.

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Tip of the Day

Today's wildlife tip involves ways you can make your yard more wildlife-friendly. Of course, before you start making changes to your yard, ensure that the yard is still safe for any outdoor furbabies, and that your yard's attributes do not infringe on your neighbors. That being said, what are some ways you can make your yard more wildlife-friendly? You can of course add bird feeders, and areas where squirrels are fed. A bird bath is also very beneficial for both birds and squirrels, as long as you keep it clean and well tended. Bird houses are another possibility. You can also use the help of nature to make your yard a lovely place for wildlife to spend their time. Not only can you plant flowers for birds and insects to enjoy, but you can also maintain trees and bushes as areas where wildlife can seek refuge and nest.

Of course, we will again note that you must take the safety of both your furbabies and wildlife into consideration. Do not plant any flowers toxic to dogs or cats where your furbabies can reach. Also be cognizant of the location of bushes and trees. Why? For multiple reasons. Birds and other wildlife will not want to spend time in bushes or trees where dogs and cats frequent, as our furbabies are seen as predators. This also goes for the placement of bird feeders, bird baths, and bird houses. In addition, our furbabies can possibly be infected or injured by some wildlife. Our kitties and pups can acquire certain parasites from wildlife or in areas where wildlife frequent, and they could also be injured if they startle certain critters. These are also reasons why it's important to be aware of possible interactions between our furbabies and wildlife.

In short, there are ways that you can make your yard more wildlife-friendly. After all, this makes for great Bird TV and Squirrel TV. But, of course, you must also take into consideration the safety of your furbabies as well as that of the wildlife.

Mancat Monday with Evan and...Barney the Dinosaur?

I can't remember if I shared the image below when I created it last year, but I just stumbled upon it and wanted to share it. As a preface, when I was a kid, Barney the purple dinosaur was very popular. Though I find him creepy now, as a kid I loved Barney. My parents got me a sleeping bag with Barney on it when I was perhaps 4 years old, and I ended up passing it on to my blanket-loving Evan over 10 years ago. He has loved that Barney sleeping bag ever since then. Evan is a bit of a messy little guy, and so it's been cleaned many, many times over the years. Which led to this...

It ended up so ratty that my mom sewed it up inside some other fabric in order to create Evan a new sort of bed. So now, in 2026, this is Evan on his beloved Barney the dinosaur sleeping bag:

Evan still loves it. He's so grateful that his grandma fixed it so that, even after years of use and abuse, his beloved Barney the dinosaur sleeping bag is still around.

Happy Monday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I've shared this doodle below multiple times over the years. I got the idea from other art I'd seen with similar concepts, and I just love the message it sends. I eventually want to recreate it with my slightly updated color palette, but for now here's this version again.

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Tip of the Day

Today's wildlife tips is about those bright-eyed, bushy-tailed rodents we so often seen running about. That is, squirrels. As we've all certainly witnessed, squirrels are not all that particular when it comes to what they'll put in their mouths. They are pretty resilient, but that doesn't mean we should throw any and every food out there for them. For example, bread and starchy foods are not the best diet choice for squirrels, especially when moldy. Even peanuts and corn are not all that ideal for them, again, especially when moldy. Of course, human junk food is also not a great option.

So, if you want to throw some snacks out for the squirrels, such as to enhance that Squirrel TV, try to offer them some foods that are a bit healthier for them. What, then, are some potential foods you can offer squirrels as healthy snacks? Tree nuts are one option, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and hickory nuts. Vegetables can also be just as healthy for squirrels as they are for us, and some good options for squirrels include carrots, broccoli, and zucchini. Another option is fruit, such as apple, strawberries, and grapes. So, while squirrels may not be picky when it comes to food, if you wish to offer them some choices, there are some healthy ones you can try. Then, you and your furbabies can enjoy a healthy episode of Squirrel TV.

Happy Birthday, Thimble, Toby, Trapper, and Angel Talon! (And Happy Mother's Day!)

Today is a very special day. The post's title probably gave it away, but it's my girl Thimble's 12th birthday!

This little lady is one of the sweetest, happiest, and just generally amazing creatures I have ever met in my life. Not to mention, just look at how cute she is. Honestly, just look.

Nearly 12 years ago, my grandma discovered that her neighbor had found a litter of 4 kittens and had placed them, for some reason, in a bucket. And then he'd just left them there. They were no more than 3 weeks old, and ever since then we've referred to them as the "bucket babies". My grandma rescued these little kitties, and then my parents, my sister, and myself took them in to bottle feed them. The intention was to adopt them out when they were old enough. Guess how that went.

So, it's not just Thimble's birthday, but the birthday of all the bucket babies. That includes her three brothers. There's of course handsome Toby, who owns my sister.

Then there's Thimble's much larger twin, that being dapper Trapper. He owns my parents.

Sadly, Thimble's third brother, sweet Talon, passed away last April because of the horrible thing that is cancer. He was one of the most intelligent and social kitties I've ever met. He owned my parents and was very close to his brother Trapper, and we all miss him so very much.

Happy Birthday, Thimble, Toby, Trapper, and sweet angel Talon! I hope you all have the most amazing, blessed day. I'll be giving the three earthside birthday babies lots of cuddles and toys, and I'll be thinking about Talon all day.

Last year, I scribbled up Harry Potter-esque birthday drawings for all of my furry babies. When I was looking in my archives for the one I created for these four last year, I realized I never even shared it here on our blog. I ended up finishing it about a week after their birthday, in part because I started it before Talon passed and then couldn't bring myself to finish it any sooner. So, here's their magical birthday celebration.

The scarves they're wearing relate to the "houses" that kids are sorted into at the magical school in the Harry Potter books. I would consider Thimble and Toby to be in the Hufflepuff house, as that one is for those are who are kind and calm. Thimble and Toby are indeed laidback like most Hufflepuffs. Trapper belongs to the same house as Harry Potter himself, that being Gryffindor. That's the house for those who are brave and bold, and that is indeed Trapper. Talon belongs to Ravenclaw, which is the house for those with great intelligence.

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It's Mother's Day in the United States (and I believe also in Canada), so we also want to wish all the mothers out there an extra special day! Whether your children are human and two-legged or furry and four-legged, mothers make this world go round. 

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Tip of the Day

Today's wildlife tip is another about birds. Hummingbirds, that is. These majestic little creatures love them a sweet drink. To make some sugar water for hummingbirds, you can mix 1 cup of cane sugar with 3 to 4 cups of water (extra mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to roughly one week). Despite popular belief, though, please do NOT add red food coloring to the sugar water. Adding a chemical dye can potentially be harmful to hummingbirds. Rather than lace their drink with artificial colors, you can simply use a bright (such as red) hummingbird feeder to attract them. There are indeed feeders specifically designed for hummingbirds and their preferred sweet drink. Of course, don't forget to clean said feeder in between fillings, as the sugar water mixture can potentially lead to mold if the hummingbird feeder is not maintained properly. Hummingbirds can make for grand Bird TV, just as long as you take the right precautions.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Bright and Shiny Eddy

To start this post, I want to send my most heartfelt condolences and prayers to Ellen and her husband David after the loss of their sweet kitty Penny. Penny was beyond blessed to have the most amazing, loving home and life with Ellen and David. What a beautiful tortie angel she is and always will be. You can visit Ellen at her blog here.

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I will be hosting today's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.

1. I know I am having a good day when _________.

2. I _________ when I am _________.

3. _________ makes me feel helpless.

4. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. I know I am having a good day when my kitties are all happy and healthy.

(Any day that all of my kitties are feeling good and acting like their happy, active, healthy selves, that's a good day. I plain and simply feel happy and content when my kitties are all feeling good.)

2. I am happiest when I am at home.

(I racked my brain for something more clever to put for this, but I just kept coming back to what I've mentioned many, many times before. And that is, I'm a homebody. There is nowhere I love being more than my own home, where I can be with my kitties.)

3. A sick kitty makes me feel helpless.

(I know I'm not alone with this one. When my kitties, or any pups or other furry companions, are not feeling well, I feel so helpless. Even if I've taken them to the vet and I'm giving them meds and all that jazz, I still feel helpless when I see my furry babies struggling. I mentioned earlier this week how Evan was in a pretty severe flare of his bladder cystitis. Even as I medicated him around the clock, I felt like I wasn't doing enough. Thankfully, after adding antibiotics and a Solensia injection to the mix, Evan is now pretty much all the way back to his normal self, and I am so very grateful for that.)

4. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to use my imagination.

(I'm far from a mastermind when it comes to imagination and creativity. But, when I sit down to draw or write, I'm happy that I can always come up with something to craft into existence. My ideas and techniques are far from perfect, but I am nonetheless grateful for the weird stuff that exists inside my head.)

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below.

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It's time for your Eddy fix, so get ready for a bright and shiny one. Yesterday Thimble shared how grateful she is for sunshine, and little lady Eddy decided she wanted to do the same today.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is from a few years ago, and it admittedly doesn't star a cat or even a dog. In honor of the little critters who visit my yard every night (and help themselves to the food I leave out for stray and feral kitties), here's a (o)possum for you.

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Tip of the Day

 

Today's tip in our wildlife series is all about feeding those birds in your yard. To begin, it may not be necessary to put food out for birds in warm months, when, unlike in the cold winter months, natural food sources are prevalent. That being said, it nevertheless typically does no harm to feed birds in your yard even in the warm months. So, feel free to feed those feathered friends. Your furbabies will thank you for the Bird TV.

Now, let's start with a couple of things not to feed the birds in your yard. Bread is one food that is not really all that ideal for birds. This is especially the case if the bread is moldy, which can have toxic effects. Chocolate is of course another no-no when it comes to feeding birds, but we're pretty sure none of you were tossing chocolate chips out there. Those are just to name a couple, though. If you have any doubts about a food being toxic to birds or other wildlife, err on the side of caution and do not leave it outdoors for them.

Now, on to what you can feed those birds. There can be a lot of factors when it comes to feeding birds. Different regions have different birds, different birds prefer different feed, and different feed sometimes requires different feeders or feeding methods. If you are really serious about feeding birds in your back yard, perhaps do a tad bit of research, or ask for some professional advice when purchasing bird feed at a specialty store. In short, though, birds often enjoy foods such as sunflower seeds, millet, nyjer seeds (typically put out for goldfinches), cracked corn, suet cakes, peanuts, or even some fruit. Remember what we said in previous tips, though, and place food for the birds somewhere that is safe for them, as well as for your furbabies.

Thankful Thursday with Angel Rosie and Thimble in the Sun

Today is Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

To begin, I'm so very grateful for the over 21 years I was blessed to share with my sweet and beautiful angel Rosie. She passed away on this date in 2015. That was one of the absolute worst days of my life, but I always want to remember Rosie with nothing but the pure happiness she brought me for over two decades.

My family adopted Rosie and her brother Sammy when I was 4 years old. Sadly, Sammy passed away at the age of 5, when I was 9 years old, of an undetected heart condition. Rosie, though, was with me until I was 26 years old. I am forever grateful for her companionship, unconditional love, and everything she taught me in life.

I love you, Rosie! Always and forever!

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Now, Thimble still wanted to share her thankful today as well. And, yet again, Thimble is so very grateful for sunshine!

Thimble wishes you all lots of bright and shiny sun!

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Last but not least, we have the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I know I am having a good day when _________.

2. I _________ when I am _________.

3. _________ makes me feel helpless.

4. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

In honor of my sweet angel Rosie, here's a doodle I made of her hanging out in a library many years ago. She was always my reading buddy, so it's more than fitting for her.

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Tip of the Day

 

As we mentioned yesterday, we're doing a bit of a different sort of series of tips, that being one all about wildlife. We're staring today with some tips on feeding none other than geese, ducks, swans, and the like. First, keep in mind that not all areas allow the feeding of these birds, for a variety of reasons. So, first make sure that you're in a location that is safe and appropriate for feeding wild birds such as geese and ducks.

Now, on to feeding these birds of whom we're starting to see more and more in these springtime days. First and foremost, despite popular belief, bread is not an ideal food to feed geese and ducks. Bread does not have much in the way of nutritional value for these wild birds, and often can do more harm than good, such as by causing wing deformities. So, what should you feed animals such as geese? You can offer them some regular birdseed, keeping in mind that sunflower seeds are not one that is ideal for them. You can also give them certain fruits and vegetables, like grapes, kale, and Romaine lettuce. That being said, make sure that these foods are bite size, or else there is the risk that the geese or ducks could choke. So, cut grapes at least in half, and chop up kale or lettuce that you offer. If you offer birdseed or other small foods, mound them up in small piles for ease of eating.

Also ensure that you take safety precautions, both for yourself and the wild birds. For example, it is typically best that you not feed the birds directly out of your hands. In addition, place the food you feed them in a safe area, such as away from roads. In general, you simply have to use common sense, and if you're not sure something is safe, simply don't do it. Interacting with wildlife can be an inspiring and unique experience, but it is always best to keep both their safety and your safety in mind.

A Belated Halfway to Halloween with Angel Astrid

I know we're now mostly past the "Halfway to Halloween" part of the year, as that was more so the last day of April and/or first day of May. But, I was scrolling through photos of my sweet angel pup Astrid and was reminded of the mummy cookies I got her from our local pet store every Halloween season.

I've shared these photos many times, but I just love them. There were multiple Octobers in Astrid's life when she had surgery on her back right leg, such as to remove a cancerous tumor on her toe and then years later to fix a torn CCL (ACL). To add a little humor to those events, I would always get her a mummy cookie to enjoy while she was bandaged up.

I've always loved how in that photo above you not only can see Astrid's booted back right foot, but then she also removed the mummy's right leg. So very fitting.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

All of the above also inspired the following drawing, which I created as part of my "Halfway to Halloween" April A to Z Challenge many years ago. It stars a bandaged up angel Astrid as well as my calico angel kitty Rosie.

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Tip of the Day

In yesterday's tip, we discussed keeping our furbabies at a safe distance from those bird feeders we put out for the wildlife. And now we're going to share a repeat series of tips on feeding wildlife, and interacting with wildlife in general. While we all certainly love animals and so might very well enjoy visiting with them and feeding them, this is something you nevertheless always have take into careful consideration. It is important to determine whether feeding wildlife in a certain area is wise, or even allowed. There are some areas where feeding wildlife is prohibited, for a variety of reasons.

One reason why it might not be wise to feed wildlife in certain areas is that, of course, some human food is not healthy for the wildlife. Some foods can even lead to sickness in such animals. In addition, feeding wildlife can cause them to lose their fear of humans or predators, and that can be dangerous for them. They can especially be put at risk if they are fed near roads or other high traffic areas, where they can lose their fear of cars and other such dangers. Also, feeding wildlife without caution and care can lead to disease transfer. For example, some wildlife carry diseases that can be contracted by us humans or our furbabies. This means that not only can we be dangerous for wildlife if not careful, but they can be dangerous to us.

In known, controlled environments, such as your own back yard, feeding wildlife is of course more safe. Then again, you still have to be cautious of what and how you feed these animals, so that they can remain healthy and safe and so that nearby humans and their furbabies can remain safe. We already mentioned yesterday putting bird feeders and food for wildlife out of reach of your furbabies, for their own safety as well as that of the wildlife. Over the next couple of days, we'll be discussing some tips on what to feed wildlife, so stay tuned if that is something that might interest you.