Here Kitty Kitty

We have two cats. Kitty and Smeagol. Smeagol is the black and white cat. I’m not sure what to call Kitty, except sweet. Smeagol, not so much. But they do love me. Follow me around where ever I go, like:

when I’m cooking,

 

 

 

doing laundry,

 

 

writing,

 

 

 

 

 

painting,

 

going to the bathroom,

 

 

after grocery shopping,

 

when outside walking,

 

 

getting ready to travel,

 

unwrapping a gift,

 

working outside

 

or whatever I’m doing, they are not far away, usually sleeping or trying...

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes Smeagol wants my attention and does so by tearing up paper. Do you want to know what that’s like for a writer/trying-to-be artist? Heaven help me if he ever figures out that books are made of paper. So far he only chewed a corner of one that had been sitting out in the open. If they are on the shelf, he’s not bothered.

 

 

Well, they are cute stinkers, aren’t they?

Dog Sitting

I agreed to dog sit for my daughter's four pooches over the weekend. What was I thinking? They each have distinct personalities. I guess you dog lovers out there know that.

The two pugs were rescue dogs, and Doc is the needy, jealous one. You can't pet the dogs without his little snoot snorting her way in.

 Doc

Gramma is Miss Loveable and easygoing. All of the dogs run right over her, take her bone away, push her and she just takes it all with complete ease.

  Gramma

Computer is Rita's first dog and in a dream she was told to name her dog Computer. He's part pug and shitzu or something. He looks like a little ewok. He's the guard dog... of everything. He guards his food, his bone, his blanket, and if someone comes in he barks. And barks. But not a constant... a rythmic type. Bark. Wait a few seconds. Bark. Wait. Bark. Wait. Come to think of it, I've never heard any of the other dogs bark.

Computer

Goddy is a beagle and he's a combination of all of them. He's loveable, protective, takes what he wants with slyness and I have no doubt that he'd growl if anyone tried to do anything to me.

  Goddy

I cleared my entire schedule to give my full attention to the dogs... other than a commitment to a 50th Anniversary party. The whole time I was at the party I worried about the dogs... and my house.

  Computer and Goddy play fighting

Even though they were good and they're funny and loveable, I look forward to my quiet space. Oh and our cat - Smeagol.

  Smeagol - The Prince is upset!

He hid under the bed as soon as the dogs came in and stayed there for eight hours. When they all napped, he hightailed it, jumped the gate and has steered clear. He came up last night and meowed, but as soon as he smelled dog on me, he hissed and ran away. Smeagol will also look forward to some quiet space.

They Never Played

Dear Mom,

I guess it takes some pets longer than ten days to get acquainted and become friends. Even though Smeagol had more tolerance at the end of Wee’s stay (see Friend or Foe? blog to understand), Smeagol still didn’t want to play or have much to do with Wee, but they got physically closer.

Smeagol and Wee had cream together.

Smeagol let Wee eat his food, although he was on the window sill whining about it.

They sniffed each other. Smeagol always sat at the screen door wondering why Wee went outside and not him. One night they both slept a foot away from each other and that was more than I could have hoped for.

I remember when I was little and we’d go to someone’s house that we’d only visit once a year. If they had kids we’d all be thrown together and stand there awkward. Or if we could get away with it, we’d hang onto your side for as long as possible before that became annoying to you and you’d say, “Go play.”

Depending on where we were at and who we had to play with would depend on how quickly we’d gel and play like mad. When it was time to go home, we’d whine, “Do we have to go now?” Then there were the times where you thought you had been at place for a weekend, it’d drag on and you couldn’t wait to go home. It seems like those times were fewer, but still…

I imagine that’s what it was like for Smeagol, only for Smeagol it was, when is this thing they call Wee going home? The day Wee left, Smeagol kneaded my belly, purred his little heart out, curled up and fell asleep on my lap. I guess it was his way of saying, “Thank you.”

***
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Friend or Foe?

Dear Mom,

My stepson, Todd and his new bride, Sam left on their honeymoon to Hawaii. They have four dogs and two cats and needed babysitters. They divvied them out to anyone they could find. We were lucky to get Wee, a miniature Pincer.

I asked Todd if Wee’s ever been away from home and he said no. I was thinking, oh great, I’m going to be having a lovely time. Add that to the fact that our Smeagol is a big scaredy cat when it comes to dogs. I was pretty sure I’d be pulling my hair out.

Wee has to be the best behaved and the sweetest dog I’ve come across. We instantly bonded and she hasn’t left my side since she’s been here. Smeagol is no where to be seen, although he occasional comes around meowing a pitiful sound as if he’s heart broken. He wants to let me know he’s unhappy. I talk to Smeagol letting him know Wee is just temporary and that Wee wants to be friends. Wee gets so excited she runs up to Smeagol causing him to tear off running. Wee is actually smaller than Smeagol.

Smeagol sits on my lap in the morning while I contemplate and write. One morning Wee was in Smeagol’s spot. Smeagol got as close as he could without being on my lap. But as soon as Wee tried to give Smeagol a little sniff, Smeagol hissed and ran away. It was progress.

As I write this, we are in day three of the ten days I’ll have Wee. I’ll post an update the next week and let you know if the two ever became friends. It’s all on Smeagol’s terms—but isn’t that they way of cats? Can you see that Mr. Smeag isn't all that happy with Wee?

***

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What Are You Staring At?

Dear Mom,

The other day a deer came up pretty close to the window and started munching on the bush. He had been eating some liriope grass that I was hoping he'd continue grazing on because it's out of control. Hubby told the deer, "Hey go eat more of the grass." He didn't listen.

But then the deer noticed Smeagol, who had been staring at him the whole time he was chewing on the bush.

"Hey what are you staring at? Can't a guy eat in peace?"

NaNoWriMo Day 17

Watching my cat eye two squirrels munch on acorns is kind of funny. I wonder if he thinks they are over-sized chipmunks. Those squirrels devour nuts faster than my brother-in-law shovels down his dinner.

Oh yeah... NaNo writing for the day, 2,233. Total word count: 36,736. Can I really babble for another 13,264 words? I'm sure hubby will have to say yes to that one.

Did I mention I shot off an article for submission, thanks to my writing buds.

NaNoWriMo Day 4

Another crazy morning with various interruptions, but I kept at it until I had my minimum goal met (1,950). Word count today: 2,303 bringing my total to 13,183. If I can do math correctly, that leaves 39,120 words to go. I won't be posting or writing the next two days (will be out of town), but I'll see you back here bright and early Monday! Woot! Woot!

Here's what I wish I was doing...

That little stinker has the life.

Flower of the Week – Wildflowers and Birthday Wishes Ruthie!

Dear Mom,

Flowers for you and Ruthie! The timing is perfect in that it is Ruthie’s birthday, but I also think that she’d like wildflowers. Honestly, I’m not sure what her favorite flower is, so hopefully she’ll enjoy these.

And of course, the Smeagol and Kitty have to get in there and tear them up faster than I can enjoy them. I’m surprised I was able to shoot a picture.

I didn’t take any outside pictures of the wild flowers because for one, the pink phlox were all chewed off and the other areas didn’t look so hot. And I wonder why.

I can't remember any tales of when you gave birth to Ruthie. I'm sure she was a more welcomed surprise than I was. If you're going to have one accident, you might as well have two to entertain the first one. And I'm sure glad it happened that way. Even though Ruthie and I fought a lot when we were younger, life would not have been the same without her. We are the best of buds now and she's my sweet 'lil di-di. You'd be so proud of her.

Wishing Ruthie happy days, hopefully on the cooler side. Love you.

Escape Artist Smeagol

Dear Mom,

I was working on my manuscript when I caught this blurry white and black thing run across the deck. I jumped up to see our Smeagol crouched down being a big scaredy cat. I opened the screened door and said, "Get in here. You're not supposed to be outside." Smeagol is an inside cat, but he's figured out how to get out.

We have a screened in porch where Smeagol likes to watch birds and other wild life. There was a little tear in the bottom right corner of the screen door. Smeagol worked his way through it. My husband replaced the screen, but Smeagol created another hole and got out. My husband replaced the screen again and he made another hole and escaped. Then my husband replaced it again - this time with a heavier duty something or another. But that didn't work either. Now we need to get some kind of metal piece to put on the lower half of the screen or get a brand new door where the bottom isn't a screen.

There is another door on the other side of the porch and I wondered why Smeagol didn't try to make a hole in that one when we had blocked the other door.

Smeagol's smart, but apparently not that smart. But he is darn cute.

More on Mr. Smeag

Dear Mom,

After my daughter leaves here with her two dogs, I have to go find Mr. Smeagol. He’s a true scaredy-cat and hides under the bed while the dogs are here. The next day he is exhausted from all the anxiety he’s dealt with.

Naturally, I had to snap a few pictures. He’s cutest when he sleeps. I just wish he’d do more sleeping when I’m sleeping rather than pulling my hair to get me up or howling like a wolf. Really he does howl.

I took this picture to capture the shadow of his ear, but if you just look at the sunny part, like you would with one of those hidden pictures in a picture—the button on the bench Smeagol is sleeping on looks like an eye to a fish’s head with its mouth opened like it’s going to get ready to eat Smeagol’s head. I think it’s rather unique—a fish getting ready to nab a cat.

If Smeagol could see this, I wonder whether he’d run like he does when he hears the dogs coming in.