Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Happy Thursday! Shall we get right into this post and share our weekly rhyme?

Each week, Angel Sammy hosts the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. And, each week, he graciously shares a photo prompt to guide our poetic endeavors. This week's prompt is this sweet image here:

Though we've moved on from Christmas poems and doodles, we're still feeling very wintry over here. So, I decided to try and make this prompt work in a winter setting. The result was actually one of my shortest poems ever, since mine usually ramble on and on for roughly an eternity. But, I had fun writing a short bit of winter fun, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Snow Buddies

There was once a young boy playing tag in the snow with his dog.
But, you see, the pup came up with his own playtime plans before long.
The dog brought the boy a ball, but not the usual ball with which they played fetch.
Rather, it was a ball of snow, and with it the dog began to beg.

The dog then rolled more snow into a much bigger ball.
Understanding, the boy began helping his pal build snow buddies as more snow did fall.
They first made a snowman, dressing him in buttons and a cowboy hat from the bottom up.
Then, just the same, they made a snowdog for the pup.

As the boy and his dog stood admiring their works of art,
They then heard a tapping on the front window of their house behind them, not far.
From inside the living room, their cat was watching and tapping.
It gave them a look that could only be translated into roughly one thing.
"Oh, yes, right!" the boy said,
And then they got to work once again.

Once they were done, there stood a snowcat alongside the snowman and snowdog.
The boy and the dog looked through the window at the cat to see if they had done well.
The cat gave them what they thought, or at least hoped, was an approving glare,
And then it settled in for a nap on the other side of the glass, seemingly without a care.

And so there in the yard the boy and his dog stood.
They smiled and believed their snow art quite good.
There was no shame in them admiring their snow buddies, of course,
For they were snowy masterpieces of a man, a dog, and a cat that their feline supervisor endorsed.

***

Now we are of course moving on to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble is always here on Thursday to give thanks. So, what is this girl grateful for today? She's thankful for her adorable profile with her adorable little nose!

This mom of Thimble's is also quite grateful for this adorable little girl's face. It makes me so very happy.

***

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

1. I hope _________ never changes.

2. The luckiest I have ever been was _________.

3. I never thought I would _________, but I did.

4. I'm waiting for _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Tip of the Day

Today's discussion on shelters for outdoor ferals in the winter is to make sure you regularly check said shelters, to ensure that they are in good condition. Such checks should include looking for leaks and making sure that the shelter is dry inside. It is also, of course, important to look for broken or loose parts and pieces. These sorts of checks are especially important after storms or high winds, in order to ensure that no parts of the shelter broke loose or are posing a risk to the cats using the shelter.

In addition to regularly checking outdoor cat shelters for damage, also check to make sure that the shelters are clean and as sanitary as possible. If you are using straw as bedding in the shelter, regularly check it for dirt or excrement, and determine if it needs replaced or replenished. If cloth bedding material is being used, regularly check to make sure that it is dry and clean, and remedy it if it is not. There are many factors that go into maintaining a comfortable and clean shelter for ferals, also of course including food availability. So, if you are caring for outdoor cats, try to regularly check shelters to ensure that all is well and safe for potential inhabitants.