Monday, August 31, 2020

Mancat Monday

 Evan loves him some sunshine at the front door, even if he does sometimes have to share it.


Do you see those treats on the front porch? Those are for the neighbor cat. I was hoping to include him in this picture, but he got distracted and moved out of view right before I snapped the photo.

We hope you all have a sunny Monday!


***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback was created this same time last year. It was in honor of the end of August and the impending month of September. On September 1, I begin celebrating the hope of autumn. What's more, September 1 is my angel Rosie and her brother angel Sammy's birthday, another reason it's one of my favorite days of the year. So, last year I scribbled up this doodle in honor of Rosie and Sammy as well as in honor of autumn, whenever it might arrive.

Tomorrow we'll be having a bit of a birthday bash for angels Rosie and Sammy. Feel free to join us!


***

Did you know?

Do you know why you never see orange cats who are not tabbies? This is because the gene that makes a cat orange is also responsible for making a cat a tabby. In brief, the orange coat gene masks the gene for solid fur color. So, if a cat is orange, it must be a tabby rather than a solid color.

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Sunday Selfie

Our selfie star for today is a little tabby named Thimble. This girl has short little arms, but she stretched them out to get this selfie snapped. See?

So what if her ear's cut off? Isn't Thimble still pretty darn cute?

Happy Sunday, friends!




***
Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is a weird one I scribbled up last year. It was around this same time last year, when I was eager for autumn and Halloween. Since it was still August at that point, though, I tried to bring Halloween into the summer. Who remembers this strange doodle?
 


***
Did you know?

Did you know that the longest cat on record was 48.5 inches long? That length of over 4 feet was measured from the tip of the cat's nose to the tip of his tail. This cat was a Maine Coon named Stewie. And did you know the tallest cat on record was 19.05 inches tall? This cat's name was Arcturus.

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Caturday Art for My Angels

I thought I just had a couple of final touches to add to our Caturday Art doodle yesterday, but it turns out one of those final touches requires a marker color that I didn't realize I was out of. I'm usually pretty good at keeping inventory of my markers and knowing which ones are running low on ink, but that wasn't the case this time around. I've been experimenting with some different colors I thought I could use instead, but it turns out I'm set on the color I originally planned on and so now have to wait for it to arrive from my favorite art store. There's a reason I'm set on the color I have in mind for this particular doodle, and I'll explain when we share it. It's going to be a silly doodle, it stars one of my parents' goofy little felines, and by the time the necessary marker arrives this doodle will probably end up being our contribution to next weekend's Caturday Art Blog Hop. It's supposed to be a final farewell to summer, so I wasn't planing on sharing it in September. But, since our temperatures are still warm, the summer vibe will probably still apply next weekend.

Anyway. Since I already have the rest of this week's new doodles as well as flashback doodles all planned out, I won't use any of those for today. Instead, I have decided to find another flashback doodle to share. This one is from 2018, so it hasn't starred on our blog in 2 years. I went for one that stars my angel Rosie and her angel brother Sammy. After all, their birthday is coming up on Tuesday, so it only seems right they get some extra time on our blog. Back when I created this doodle in 2018, I was honoring the fact that my angels Rosie and Sammy always helped me with my homework when I was a kid. That often meant they sat on my textbooks and notebooks, but so be it.


I wonder if any of the children doing remote learning these days get help like this? I hope so.

Happy Caturday to all!




***
Did you know?

Did you know that studies have been performed on how animals in classrooms can benefit children? It's become more commonly known that animals can indeed help children feel comforted and more confident, overall helping children with their emotional needs as well as their communication skills. Studies on animals in classrooms have resulted in even more specific findings, though. For example, it has been observed that having an animal in the classroom can help children focus and follow instructions, ask relevant questions, and interact with their teacher more. In some studies, it was overall found that less emotional distress and outbursts occurred in children when an animal was in the classroom. There is of course the concern that some children might become distracted by an animal in the classroom, but once the novelty of it wears off, studies have shown that children can greatly benefit from having a furry friend present as they learn in the classroom.

Friday, August 28, 2020

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day and Friendly Fill-Ins

We're sure most or all of you already know that today is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, initiated by Deborah Barnes of Zee & Zoey in 2015. We hope you all don't mind if we share the same Rainbow Bridge post that we shared last year, but these words all still ring true.

On days like today, I do my best to not dwell on the sadness of having lost furry, feathered, and other friends who have gained their angel wings. Rather, I try to focus on the wonderful memories all of my angels have gifted me throughout the years. I am lucky to have shared my entire life with furry friends, feathered friends, and even friends of the aquatic sort. Needless to say, the memories are many.

Today, I remember my dear angel Rosie, who was my beautiful calico companion for 21 years.

I most certainly also remember Rosie's angel brother, that being the handsome and sweet tuxedo Sammy. I remember my angelic childhood pups, Banjo and Shellie, who would play with me and entertain me for hours on end. I remember my childhood feathered friends, Pippin, Robin, and Sweetpea. And of course I also remember my aquatic angels, such as Lieutenant Legs and Oscar.

Though I sometimes cannot help but feel sadness that some of my dearest friends have made the journey to the Rainbow Bridge, I will forever be grateful for the unconditional love and memories they gifted me. I will forever remember them. I will forever love them.

We are thinking of all of you who are remembering your sweet angels today and every day. Purrs, woofs, and prayers to you all.


***

In addition to Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, we also have our usual Friendly Fill-Ins challenge today. If you'd like to join us but missed the fill-in statements yesterday, we'll share them again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.


1. _________ is a privilege.

2. I was so embarrassed when _________.

3. I can't help but smile when _________.

4. _________ has gotten out of hand.


My answers are below in bold, and they are accompanied by their usual, long-winded explanations.

1. Clean water is a privilege.
(I recently saw footage of water sources in certain areas of Africa and certain other regions of the world, and it made me realize how something as simple as clean water can be a privilege. When we need a drink, we don't have to travel with buckets to a water source filled with bugs and bacteria. We just turn on a faucet or grab a water bottle. Not everyone is so lucky.)

2. I was so embarrassed when Astrid caused a woman to fall down in the lobby of our veterinary clinic.
(Astrid did not knock this woman down herself. Astrid didn't even touch the lady. Rather, Astrid barked at this woman's dog. This dog had been acting very calmly, but thanks to Astrid, the dog quickly got incredibly stirred up. This was all because Astrid does not like her own species and is sometimes quite loud about her anti-dog professions. Anyway, the woman's dog ultimately tried to run toward Astrid and thereby pulled its owner to the ground. I felt horrible, and embarrassed, because Astrid had started the whole interaction by barking and just plain being rude. This actually happened a while back, and though Astrid has gotten much better behaviorally thanks to age and training, I still feel embarrassed and bad when I remember that poor woman falling all because Astrid got her dog worked up.)

3. I can't help but smile when I see a furry friend.
(Whether I see one of my own furbabies while at home, whether I see a furry friend while out and about, whether I see a family member or friend's furbaby in person or in a photo, I can't help but smile. All the furry friends in my life never fail to make me smile. I don't even have to know the kitty or pup. Seeing a cat or dog I don't even know is often all I need to improve my mood.) 

4. Eddy's fishy treat addiction has gotten out of hand.
(Eddy prefers to live in my bedroom, so she's almost always in there. These days, I cannot enter my bedroom without Eddy loudly demanding treats from the stash I keep in there. Eddy used to refuse every single treat I offered her. Then, one day, I ordered chicken treats online for the other cats, I was instead accidentally sent fishy treats I had never before purchased, I decided to keep them and to give them to my kitties, and in that way I discovered that Eddy loves that one brand's fishy flavor of treats. Now Eddy is addicted to them, I always have to have them on hand for her, and she literally screams her head off demanding them every time I go in my bedroom. I've created a monster.)


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,
or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.


***

Eddy shared some bloopers on Wednesday for Mudpie and Melissa's Pet Photo Fails! Blog Hop, but she figured you might still like your Friday fix of her. So, she thought she'd share a flashback, of course starring her adorable snaggletooth.


Happy Friday to all!



***
Did you know?

How about a little Rainbow Bridge trivia we shared on this same day last year? Did you know that the concept of the Rainbow Bridge not only stems back to poems from the 1980s and 1990s, but also way back to Norse mythology? In Norse mythology, there is a flaming rainbow bridge called Bifrӧst. It is said in the myths that the Bifrӧst rainbow bridge spanned from Midgard (Earth) to Asgard (the land of the gods). This is somewhat similar to the concept of the Rainbow Bridge pet owners know these days, so perhaps the poetry and other stories surrounding it were in part inspired by Norse mythology.

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Happy Thursday! It's the day of the week when Angel Sammy is our poetic host of the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.


Our host always shares a photo prompt to guide our poetic endeavors. This week's photo prompt is this lovely image here:

I really like this image. I've seen planters decorated in this manner, and I've heard about these increasingly popular fairy gardens, as I often hear them called. Though I'm far from a gardener, I've always thought it would be cute and quaint to have plants, preferably durable and self-sustaining plants, setup in a fairy garden similar to the one above. Anyway, long story short, I went with this general idea for my poem. If you'd like to read the silly little rhyme, here it is:


The Garden

Tilly visited her grandmother's house every summer.
It was a quaint little home, far from a bummer.
Tilly especially loved her grandma's beautiful garden,
Filled with pots and plants in every nook, cranny, and margin.

The garden was bright and grand in the big back yard.
In it, Tilly loved playing with her grandma's cat and dog, Bert and Bart.
When Tilly arrived that particular summer, though,
Things were not all that normal, no.

The garden was still filled to the brim with colors and life,
But Bert and Bart's behavior caused a bit of strife.
"Why won't you two play with me?" Tilly asked the furry duo.
The cat and dog ignored her as they ran from rose bushes to purple junos.

Sighing, Tilly sat down and picked at the grass.
Without her furry friends keeping her company, she was a lonely lass.
Bert and Bart meowed, barked, dashed, and danced.
Toward them, her eyes could not help but glance.

Beside the stone walkway, Tilly's grandma had added some pots.
They were filled with the strangest little plants Tilly ever saw.
Amongst the peculiar display of plants in each pot also rested a tiny little house.
It was in front of these pots that Bert and Bart did now mew, woof, and shout.

Tilly stood, stomped a foot, and said, "Enough is enough."
As she approached, Bart wagged his tail, smiled, and chuffed.
Bert rubbed the girl's legs and gave her the sweetest of meows.
The cat and dog wiggled and wagged as Tilly glanced at odd plants and a tiny house.

What on earth has this cat and this dog's attention? Tilly wondered.
She examined pointy plants in all shades of green colors.
The tiny house nestled amongst the greenery was admittedly cute and quaint,
And it was also—whoa! what was that? wait!

Tilly jumped back, startled and confused.
Bert and Bart hopped and pawed at Tilly's legs, excited and amused.
Had a light just glowed in that tiny house? Tilly thought.
Was that movement in its tiny little window, or was it not?

Bart stepped forward and tapped his wet nose against the miniature home.
Soon after, Tilly came to learn that she and her furry friends were not alone.
A little orb of golden light emerged from the tiny home's window,
And then one also emerged from the tiny door, warm and aglow.

The little lights dimmed just enough for Tilly to see something behind their veil.
What she saw was something she thought only existed in books and their tales.
Tilly's mind asked, Was that a tiny little woman?
And were those wings, or is my mind working in a way that it shouldn't?


The little lights twinkled and twirled as they dashed through the air.
They landed on Bart's smiling snout and they ruffled purring Bert's hair.
"Am I seeing fairies?" Tilly, eyes wide, this time loudly asked herself.
One of the little lights landed on her shoulder and said, "Well, we're certainly not elves."


***

Now, how about we express some gratitude for Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop?


As always, Thimble is here to give a bit of thanks. So, what is Thimble thankful for today?


Yet again, Thimble is grateful for her the view out our front door. It's bright. It's sunny. It's warm. Oh, and it allows for snoopervision of the neighbors. Those neighbors need all shades of snoopervision, and so Thimble is very thankful that the front door allows her to keep a watchful eye on them.



***

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


1. _________ is a privilege.

2. I was so embarrassed when _________.

3. I can't help but smile when _________.

4. _________ has gotten out of hand.




We'll see you tomorrow, friends!



***
Did you know?

Yesterday we shared some trivia on the "puppy dog eyes" expression domesticated dogs have evolved to use on humans. Today, we're going to share a bit of trivia on how cats have evolved to interact with humans. Did you know that cats developed most of their meowing skills in order to better communicate with humans? Though kittens might communicate with their mothers by meowing, in the wild, mature cats largely communicate with each other using various forms of body language, scent, and vocalizations like hissing and caterwauling. Cats indeed most often reserve their meows for none other than us humans. Studies have even found that adult cats' meows have evolved over time to sound more pleasant and even more kitten-like. This is in no small part because those are the kinds of meows that get desirable responses from humans.

How about another bit of trivia related to meows? Some research has found that humans with more extensive experience with cats are able to identify the meaning of roughly 40% of meows even when given no visual or other cues aside from the sound of the meow itself. Cats sure have us trained well with their meows.

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Photo Fails

It's time for the Pet Photo Fails! Blog Hop, hosted by Mudpie and Melissa of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows

This hop usually takes place on the last Friday of each month, but since this Friday is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, our hosts have moved the blooper blog hop to today. Our blooper queen Eddy is perfectly fine with that, as she's ready to share bloopers any day of the week. And, since Wednesday is usually the day when pup Astrid gets to be the star of our blog, she'll also be sharing some bloopers.

Shall we begin with Eddy, our resident blooper queen who has almost zero ability to sit still for the camera? We'll pretend these bloopers are all Eddy's doing and that they have nothing to do with this here human's inability to get proper focus or lighting for an action shot. Okay? Okay.



I quite like these bloopers of Eddy. They're terrible quality, don't get me wrong, but they show off her sweet personality. When I asked her to pose for the camera, she instead started rubbing her cute little cheek on her cat tree. Eddy is afraid of essentially every person on this earth, but she loves her mommy, and that makes me very happy.

Now, how about a couple bloopers from pup Astrid?


What a nice shot of Astrid's eyebrows, don't you think?

Truth be told, Astrid probably has the fewest bloopers of all the furbabies in the house. This is because she is a pro at just turning into a pouting statue in front of the camera. Every once in a while, though, she's like the kitties and gets curious enough to shove her nose in the camera's business during a photo shoot, which is exactly what she did in the bloopers above.

Happy Wednesday to all!


***

Flashback Doodles of the Day

We're sharing mostly flashback doodles for a week or two while I work on some writing projects and some upcoming autumnal series of doodles. The flashback doodles we've been sharing this week have all been from 2018 and have all also starred furry friends scrawling away. Today we're sharing two more flashbacks from that exact same 2018 series, these two doodles starring Eddy and Astrid.



***

Did you know?

Did you know many experts believe that domestication has led to changes in the anatomy of canine eyebrows? Dogs don't have eyebrows in the sense that humans do, but some dogs do have eyebrow-like markings, and all of them of course have muscles in the brow area. When it comes to those brows, canine facial anatomy has evolved to make them better able to communicate with humans. Human body language involves movement of the brow, and now canine body language essentially does as well. As one major example, during some interactions with humans, domesticated dogs will move the inner muscles of their brow in a manner that causes their eyes to look bigger, more puppy-like, and even a bit sad. Have you ever heard of, witnessed, or been victim to "puppy dog eyes"? Some studies have revealed that "puppy dog eyes" is a not a thing that exists in wolves, and that wolves do not have the same musculature of the brow as domesticated dogs. For such reasons, many experts believe the "puppy dog eyes" expression is at least in part a result of domestication and evolution, as this expression enabled dogs to appeal to humans, and to get what they want from said humans. 

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Tonks Outtakes on Tuesday

Tonks was jealous that Eddy as well as Astrid will be sharing bloopers tomorrow for Mudpie and Melissa's Pet Photo Fails! Blog Hop (our fantastic hosts moved this fun hop from Friday to tomorrow so that Rainbow Bridge Bridge Remembrance Day can be honored on Friday). So, Tonks decided to snap and share some bloopers of herself today. Let's be real, though, these were more the fault of this here photographer, who failed to focus the camera on the desired subject. Well, that's to blame on top of Tonks's desire to charge the camera rather than pose for it.





Well, we certainly failed to get a good shot of Tonks's cute little eye. Did we fare any better trying to snap a shot of her cute little chin?


No, no we did not.

Have a terrific Tuesday, friends!


***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

We're sharing some extra flashback doodles while I work on writing projects and while I eagerly get a head start on my autumn and Halloween doodles. The first series of flashback doodles I've been sharing is from 2018, and it's all about writing. You know, like what this little kitty is doing.


***

Tip of the Day

We've mentioned feline acne on our blog before, but it's been a while, and since this ailment is not terribly uncommon, we thought we'd mention it again. Cats can indeed get acne, largely on their chin. Probably the most common sign of acne in cats is a dirty appearance of the chin, or what might look like blackheads. Some cats might also end up with more severe sores or even a swollen chin or swollen lips. Especially if your cat has a severe case of acne, of course have them seen and treated by a veterinarian. Treatment of acne might very well include a cleaning agent to help heal the acne. Depending on the severity of the acne, as well as perhaps depending on the veterinarian, some cases need treatment as simple as hydrogen peroxide applied to the chin with a cotton ball, while others might involve prescription topical treatment or other prescription medication.

What's more, to treat as well as to prevent feline acne, a change in the type of food and water bowls might be needed. Plastic water bottles are the most likely to lead to feline acne, as plastic can easily develop scratches that can harbor bacteria or other debris that can cause acne. The best types of bowls to use for your kitty's food and water are stainless steel. Glass or ceramic bowls might also help reduce acne. In addition to this, it is of course best to regularly clean the bowls, even if the bowls are stainless steel, glass, or ceramic. So, if your kitty has acne, or if you want to prevent feline acne, invest in stainless steel or perhaps glass or ceramic bowls, and also clean those bowls regularly. If your kitty develops acne, discuss treatment, hygiene, and other options with your veterinarian.

Monday, August 24, 2020

Mancat Monday

It's Mancat Monday. You know what that means? It means you get a dose of Evan today. More specifically, you get a good ol' view of his adorable nose.

Is that not a magnificent mancat nose or what? Don't you just love all those freckles? I sure do.

Happy Monday!


***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

As we mentioned yesterday, we're sharing a few more flashback doodles than usual for a week or two while I work on some writing projects and while I also work on some of the autumnal doodles I already have planned out. The first series of flashback doodles I'm sharing was created back in 2018, and it's all about furry friends and their writing projects. A little like this:


***

Did you know?

Did you know that melanin comes in two forms? Melanin, as you all certainly know, is the pigment responsible for the color of skin, hair, and eyes. The two forms of melanin are eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin produces colors in shades of black and brown. Pheomelanin produces colors in shades of red and yellow, or cream. This means that orange tabbies, ranging from bright orange to creamy orange tabbies, get their pigmentation from pheomelanin. Pheomelanin also plays a role in the orange color of calicoes and torties. Black and brown shades on cats, on the other hand, are the result of eumelanin. These two forms of melanin also of course play similar roles in dogs, humans, and other species.

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Sunday Selfie

Thimble is a pretty girl, she knows she's a pretty girl, and so she wanted to snap a selfie to show you all just how pretty she is.


See? Isn't Thimble quite a looker? This mom of hers sure thinks she is.

Happy Sunday!


***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

For the next week or two, we'll be sharing a couple more flashback doodles than usual. One of the main reasons for this is that I'm working quite a bit on some writing projects these days, and I need to create a couple less new doodles than usual in order to have a bit more time to dedicate to my writing projects for at least a short while. Another reason for us sharing extra flashback doodles for a week or so is that I want to get a head start on my autumn and Halloween drawings, as I already have a plethora of ideas for some autumnal doodles, and so I'll be working on these a bit extra as well.

Anyway, as I mentioned above, I'm dedicating some extra time these days to some of my writing projects. That prompted me to look back and see what past doodles I created that were inspired by writing. I found a series from 2018 that I actually forgot I had scribbled up, and so this is the series we'll be starting with. Here's the first one.


***

Tip of the Day

Our doodle above may show a kitty happily writing with a quill, or feather, but in reality such an item may not the best thing to hand over to a cat. Due to their predatory nature, cats might find feathers to be a tempting or fun item. Many cat toys are made with feathers, even faux feathers, and in many cases this causes no issues. True bird feathers, though, can potentially pose a greater risk, in part because they smell like genuine prey and in part because they might contain the hard and pointy shaft that attaches the feather to the bird. If ingested, any type of feather could potentially cause intestinal blockage. If the shaft is on the feather and is ingested, that in itself could cause laceration or perforation of the intestinal tract. All in all, be cognizant of how your cat reacts to feathers. If your cat tries to eat them, then avoid toys with them, try to keep your cat from hunting down birds or their feathers if they go outdoors, and of course keep any collectibles or home decor with feathers well out of your kitty's reach. Then again, it's important to keep an eye on your cat when introducing any new toys or items, and to remove the toy or item from your cat's reach should they attempt to consume or otherwise endanger themselves with the item.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Caturday Art

For today's Caturday Art doodle, I wanted to go for something cozy, a bit quaint, and of course a bit catty and bookish. And so, here it is.

Happy Caturday to all!


***

Tip of the Day

Did you know they make space heaters that look like fireplaces and mantles? You can find them in a variety of sizes, including the size of a usual fireplace as well as those that are much smaller. If you have kitties and pups that you want to keep away from open fire, this can be an option for a heat source that doesn't include fire. Of course, though, even with a space heater, take any precautions required to keep your kitty or pup safe from burns or overheating.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello, Friday! Hello, friends! Who'd like to join us for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? If you're here to play along, we'll share the fill-in statements again below. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I feel like _________. 

2. I wish I could exchange _________ for _________.

3. It's time for me to _________.

4. _________ is really tempting these days.


My answers are below in bold.

1. I feel like 2020 is never going to end
(2020 needs to take a hike. It's a complete and total bust.)

2. I wish I could exchange my co-workers for cats and dogs.
(Not to be harsh, but I'm not a people person and I'd much rather work with cats and dogs than my human co-workers. Do you think I can swing this? I work at a chemistry lab, so I don't know about the success of this plan. Then again, as I'll also discuss in #4 below, my preferred future would involve me working from home. Then I would be happily working with my furbabies as my co-workers, or as my bosses.)

3. It's time for me to mow.
(My yard is getting a bit shaggy, so it's time for another mowing session. I've mentioned here before how, though I'm probably in a minority here, I actually enjoy mowing. Though I'm a homebody and love relaxing indoors with my kitties and pup, I also do enjoy time outdoors in nature a couple hours a week. I get that nature time by mowing and by walking pup Astrid, two activities I do indeed enjoy. In the summer, of course, these activities are done either early in the morning or in the evening.)

4. Hiding in my house with my furbabies is really tempting these days.
(I'd honestly love to quarantine with my kitties and pup, but my workplace is an essential business so that has never been an option. Then again, I'd like to stay home with kitties and pup even when we're not in the middle of a pandemic. I've said it before, but I'll say again how one of my goals in life is to work from home. I'd love to be my own boss, but to also have my furbabies as my co-workers. Actually, the furbabies would more accurately serve as the bosses.)


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,
or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.



***

Who's here to see Eddy? All of you? Good. Here's her derriere.



I didn't ask Eddy for shots of her derriere, but she refused to show me her adorable face. So, derriere it is.  Oh, and don't mind the poor, tattered cat tree. It's just really well-loved.

Have a fantastic Friday!



***
Flashback Doodle of the Day

There's been some discussion on mowing in today's post, so I thought I'd share this flashback doodle, which was inspired by mowing as well as my love for Halloween.




***
Tip of the Day

Especially if your kitty or pup has known allergies or asthma, do your best to refrain from bringing an excess of allergens into the home after doing yard work or even after going for a walk. If you mow, garden, go for a walk, or do any activity that introduces you to lots of grass, pollen, dust, dirt, and all that jazz, consider what your shoes and other clothing might introduce to the home. Are your shoes green with grass? Is your shirt covered in pollen from your garden? If so, consider removing or somehow cleaning them before bringing those allergens into the home where your kitty or pup walks on the floor or cuddles against your clothing. Some furbabies are not bothered by allergens, but others might have reactions such as sneezing, coughing, itching, or even skin lesions if exposed to too many allergens. In addition, especially if a walk or other outdoor activity takes you to unfamiliar places, you might come into contact with various fertilizers, insecticides, or other such chemicals. These can be equally or more harmful than typical allergens. All in all, keep your kitty or pup's health and safety in mind even when simply coming in from time outdoors. Fresh air might seem harmless, but it is possible for allergens or chemicals in nature to cause uncomfortable or severe reactions in your kitty or pup.

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Hello and happy Thursday! We're ready to rhyme for Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.


As always, our host shared a photo prompt to help inspire our poems. This week's prompt is this lovely image here:

Though that photo is actually quite pretty, for some reason that little chapel made me think of the setting of some H.P. Lovecraft stories I've ready. I don't know why, because Lovecraft wrote horror and macabre tales, not tales of pretty chapels. I guess I've just been in such a mood for autumn and Halloween that everything brings that to my mind. So, I went ahead with that sort of concept for my poem. Sort of.


Spook

The chapel at the edge of town was said to be haunted.
The sight of it made most townsfolk feel quite daunted.
There were times when some folk would even run away screaming,
Especially when from inside the chapel spooky sounds and shadows began streaming.

As for young Mikey Howard,
He refused to be seen as a coward.
He never backed down from a challenge,
And so to the chapel he decided to make passage.

Mikey snuck out his bedroom window on one moonlit night,
Certain that nothing ahead of him would make him feel fright.
No ghost or goblin could scare that brave boy.
Rather, proving his courage would bring him great joy.

The full moon lit the way as Mikey walked through town.
Crickets were the only things out and about making sound.
He drew the attention of his friends Jimmy and Johnny as he passed by their house.
What was the point of proving his bravery with an audience of only a chapel mouse?

Jimmy and Johnny wiped the sleep from their eyes.
They said, "You're going to the haunted chapel? Do you want to die?"
Mikey told his friends not to be silly.
Nothing would hurt or scare him, really.

Soon enough, the chapel could be seen up ahead.
It stood on a hill, along with some trees that were good and dead.
It loomed like a shadowy figure in the night.
Given their expressions, it gave Jimmy and Johnny a spook and a fright.

Mikey couldn't help but laugh at his friends.
"It's just an old building, that's all," he said.
He added, "I'm going in. I don't suppose either of you wants to join me?"
Jimmy and Johnny shook their heads, just as Mikey thought it would be.

Shrugging, Mikey walked up the path to the chapel's blood red doors.
He thought, I bet this place isn't filled with even a single horror.
Just like that, a shadow passed by one of the chapel's windows,
Barely visible in the lighting that was already really quite low.

"Run, Mikey, run!" Jimmy and Johnny shouted as they took off.
Mikey shuddered, but he also could not help but scoff.
It was probably just a bird or a bat, Mikey thought.
He opened the chapel doors, his stomach in just a small little knot.

"Anyone here?" he shouted into the dark past the red doors.
It was so quiet in the chapel, he could have heard a fly snore.
Mikey stepped inside and took a deep breath,
Suddenly now hoping he wasn't walking to his death.

Moving along with the nearest wall, Mikey almost took a fall.
Had something just brushed past his leg in the chapel's hall?
By some small miracle, Mikey found a candle and a match on a table.
With them, he lit the room as best as his shaking hands were able.

As soon as Mikey held the candle up to light the room,
A shadow darted across the far wall in a zip and a zoom.
And what on earth was that sound?
Was that a ghost shrieking on this holy ground?

Mikey willed himself to walk farther into the chapel's depths.
That is, until another strange something rubbed against his legs.
With a jump and a scream, Mikey ran for the door.
He was wrong about this place being devoid of horror!

His dash to the door was accompanied by yet another shadow on yet another wall.
What kind of creature cast a shadow that fast and tall?
Mikey didn't stick around to find out.
He made it outside just in time to hear another haunting shout.

Catching his breath, Mikey stood facing the chapel now.
He was not, in fact, brave enough to endure those sights and sounds.
That chapel would simply have to remain haunted all on its own,
For Mikey never again wanted to enter that spooky zone.

Mikey suddenly realized he'd left the chapel's front doors open.
What was worse, out of them that spooky, haunting shadow was now poking.
The shadow grew taller and bigger on the ground outside the chapel.
With his bravery Mikey was yet again now having to grapple.

He almost screamed and ran away as fast as he could.
Except, it was then no longer a looming shadow that stood.
The shadow became a simple silhouette just like that,
And it was, believe it or not, the silhouette of none other than a cat.

The chapel was not haunted by something sinister and scary.
It was inhabited by a cat, ink black and hairy.
The little feline walked closer, stretched, and let out a sweet little mew.
Mikey looked at it and said, "All of those horrors in there, that was you?"

With a trilling meow, the cat approached and rubbed against his legs.
There was no ghost in the chapel wishing Mikey dead.
It was just a lonely little cat looking for a friend.
And that was, indeed, what the cat got in the end.

The little cat pawed at Mikey's leg until he lifted it up.
It rubbed Mikey's cheek and let out the happiest little chuff.
With a laugh and a smile, he took the cat home and named it Spook,
Who no longer had to live alone in the chapel with no friend but the moon.


***

Now, let's be thankful for Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.


Thimble is of course here to express her gratitude today. So, what is she grateful for?


Thimble is thankful for her brother Evan, and for his patience with his furry siblings. None of the kitties here are all that accustomed to cuddling up to each other. They all simply like their personal space. But, when one of them does want to cuddle up to another kitty, Evan is often their cuddle buddy of choice. He himself doesn't seek out other kitties to cuddle, but he is usually the most patient kitty about being sought out and cuddled. As you can tell in her photo above, Thimble is quite thankful for that.

Oh, and how about a little animation that Google was kind of enough to create with the series of photos from this photo shoot?



***

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


1. I feel like _________. 

2. I wish I could exchange _________ for _________.

3. It's time for me to _________.

4. _________ is really tempting these days.



We'll see you tomorrow, friends!


***

Did you know?

Yesterday, we shared a bit of trivia on dog and cat nose prints. Regarding that trivia, our friends over at Eastside Cats made a comment about cats sticking their noses in their human's armpits. This is actually not completely uncommon and perhaps not even all that surprising. First of all, as you probably know, our armpits can very heavily smell like us and our sweat. To many cats, the smell of their human is a smell that makes them happy and that brings them comfort, and so the pungent armpit of their human might simply smell like a wonderful thing to a cat. In addition to this, though, the sweat glands of the armpits secrete sweat that contains fat and protein, which might actually make it smell extra good to cats. In other words, a human's armpit might actually smell tasty to a cat. In case you were curious, our resident armpit fanatic is Toby, who will go as far as to nibble his humans' armpits. Tasty indeed, huh?