What The Flap?

The Hubby has installed cat flaps in multiple places around our old house, to give Angel and Chuck access to rooms that we humans close up.  These images are from the once-porch-now-family room, leading into the dining area.  In the winter, this family room acts as a air lock, keeping the cold out of the main house.  The family room also is a bit of a storage area, but every window has a set up so the cats can look out comfortably.

Although I refrain from showing photos of litter boxes, you are looking at one here.  Notice the puppy pee pads taped to the knotty pine paneling, due to Chuck's insistence that he stand UP halfway through urination.  He does not do this every time, nor every day...but often enough that we need to preserve the house!  We believe this is a symptom of his constipation, or he may be getting arthritic.  We have a holistic vet visit scheduled for this coming Saturday; this is one item on my list to discuss with Dr. Sheppard.

Addition to Cat Collection!

My office credenza call collection

How cute is this?!

Received a surprise gift from a co-worker!  Think I'll put tape over the 'a' and add an 's' on the end...

Have a great weekend, all!

Sunny, But No Progress

Michigan weather has been beautiful...sunny and mild.  Patty O'Malley follows me around the yard as I work on weeding and trimming back a few things.  Even Sweetie monitors my progress, as she soaks up the warmth on her black furrs.

As an update on The Stairway To Heaven; I have not yet been able to coax Patty to come inside!  He'll gladly walk up the steps, then he flops down on the second floor deck for me to pet him.  I open the door; he looks in, then beats it back down the steps.  Oh Bother!  Sweetie simply watches, and does not appear to be inclined to try the feat herself.  Am I deterred?  No Way!  May have to mix it up a bit, with food or time of day.  Onward!

Happy 75th Birthday, Bob Dylan!

Born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941, Bob Dylan, musician and cultural icon, turns 75 years young today.  And more importantly...he's a cat man!  Happy Birthday, Bob!

Tenting

Chuck's tail

From behind

The Front!

Chuck likes to nap while covered.  Often, he hides in the clothes basket, which we cover with a blanket, or on a chair where I can drape a coat or robe over him.  On Saturday, I discovered Chuck had wriggled his way under a mattress pad, where it had been casually tossed.  Chuck is a master at burrowing!

The Furring of the Laundry

The Hubby did the laundry!
I am a lucky woman!

Wait a minute...

What the hey?

More evidence...

...and nicely FLATTENED too...

"Oh sure, blame me!"
"Well, Angel, it's white fur...and only you
wear that color, just sayin'"

More Cat-moflauge

As I returned home from my evening walk...

Patty appeared out of nowhere!

Patty has extra-special cat radar...

...if I am nearby, he'll come find me!

See him hiding behind the plants?
I didn't until he had stepped out onto the walkway...
Again, Cat-moflauge!

Cat-mouflage

How many cats do you see?

Yep, that's Patty O'Malley sleeping in the garden!
(Actually, it's part of a rain garden that we are s-l-o-w-l-y creating)

Sweetie is much easier to spot...

See him?

A little closer...

That Patty O'Malley, master of cat-mouflage!

Movie Review: Keanu

"Keanu"
Release date: April 29, 2016 (USA)
Rated: R
Director: Peter Atencio
Stars: Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key

My first movie review!  Truly, there are not many cat movies in Hollywood today, but let's hope this begins to change, since cats have already taken over the internet.  "Keanu" is hilarious!  I have not watched Peele and Key's TV program (Key and Peele, on Comedy Central), but I know enough about them to realize that they make fun of everyone and everything.  Here is the blurb about the movie:

"Friends hatch a plot to retrieve a stolen kitten by posing as drug dealers for a street gang."

I was relieved that the kitten, named Keanu, was never mistreated nor suffered at the hands of any character portrayed in the movie.  Even the baddest of bad guys love the kitten!!!

Here is a link about the kitten:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/keanu-kitten-how-a-cat-885258

However, let me make this VERY CLEAR:  this is not a movie for a youngster, nor anyone that is easily offended!  It is rated R for some very good reasons!  The writers take potshots at EVERYBODY, and there is a lot of curse words, nudity, gang-type stuff, and rampant drug paraphernalia usage...even some George Michael music...if you can stomach it!  Hahaha!  If you take the movie as a complete and utter SPOOF of cop movies, shoot-em-up movies, any Patrick Swayze movie (and every other type of movie available!) you will have a good time watching "Keanu".

And the kitten steals the show!  A tabby kitten, with a meow as sweet as honey...what isn't there to love?

Shakespeare Cat

Spent a long weekend in Washington D.C.  I visited:

View of Lincoln Memorial from WWII Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial

FDR Memorial

Martin Luther King Memorial

World War II Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial 

Vietnam Nurse's Memorial

Marine Corp War Memorial

Georgetown Boat Tour

Visited Rosslyn, Virginia

Marine Iwo Jima Memorial statue

Then, there were the historical buildings:

Toured: The U.S. Capitol (very cool!)

Saw from outside: 

The White House

Washington Monument

Ford's Theatre

The Pentagon

The FBI Building

Watergate Complex

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (missed the tour...rats!)

The Supreme Court Building

Supreme Court 

And...Museums!

The National Archives

to see the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence

The National Museum of American History

to see The Star Spangled Banner, First Ladies Gowns, Julia Child's kitchen

The Library of Congress

View seen in many a Hollywood movie

The National Gallery of Art

to see prints made by Paul Revere himself!

The Folger Shakespeare Library

The coolest 'frig magnet EVER!

The visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library was a last minute add-on to the itinerary, but it turned out to be FANTASTIC!  Was given a personal tour by a very knowledgable and enthusiastic woman (so sorry, cannot remember her name!) who allowed us to look at a First Folio of William Shakespeare's plays!  Getting to actually see one of these rare and priceless books was crazy fun, and I scored this cat magnet for the refrigerator after the tour. There were notes handwritten by Mark Twain and other notable scholars and Shakespearean actors on display, and I went back a second time just to run in and thank everyone for making our visit so memorable.

Washington D.C. was full of joggers with leashed dogs, tourists from other countries, and police. Every cop was pleasant and helpful, but one has to go through metal detectors at each federal building.  I did not spy a single cat, just plenty of homeless folks sleeping on the sidewalks.  Happy to be home now, for a couple of days of staycation.

"Welcome Home, Mama!"

 

Gratuitous

Angel, under the chair

Angel, on top of the chair

Chucky's snail impression

Folks, I am going away for a long weekend with friends, leaving the care and feeding of the cats in The Hubby's hands.  I should be back online mid-week, so in the meantime, I've posted a few gratuitous Angel and Chuck shots.  Have a great weekend!

May The Fourth...Wooly...Be With You

One wooly, by the bedroom

Second wooly, in the upstairs hall

Wooly Number Three, downstairs hall

Fourth Wooly, next to the chair

Who is in that chair?

It's The Wooly Transfer Agent himself..
Chuck!