Another Piece of Yard Art: Polecat

Imagine my surprise when I met this pretty thing wandering the backyard! 

Am thankful for the abundance in our yard; the animals, the plants, and that we have a few pence in our pockets to purchase a few artistic items for our pleasure.

Just so you know, I have some rocks too, but they aren't as cute as this skunk or our cat statues!

Purrsonally, I adore how skunks waddle.

Let's Hop!

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Rocking Resale for Cats

Purchased this huge styrofoam box,
as a future feral cat home.  Just cut an entrance square,
tape silver duct wrap around inside to reflect
cat body heat, and fill with straw...voila!

My resale shopping friend gave me this tabby
cat statue!
Front

Back
It's adorable!  Thanks, KP!
Going in the home cat statue collection

Found this book at C Mac Neill Book Dealer in Berkley, Michigan.
His doggie was napping on the couch, so not only did I find
a great cat book, but I petted a doggie too!

Sleeping bookstore doggie, who turned over just enough for me
to pet his tummy...squee!

This book was 50 cents at Council Thrift...but it's filled with adorable photos!

This is just one photo from that book

Crash!

Last night's wind storm caused a huge branch to break off one of our backyard maple trees.  The Hubby and I heard only the sound of leaves and twigs hitting the house, but look at how big that branch was!  Lucky for us all, the only damage was our cat statue, named Ghost Cat, was knocked off the deck.  The Cat Hotel is safe, the feeding station, and both cats survived the crash.  See Sweetie in the bottom photo, telling me to STOP taking photos and feed her!  Guess we'll be slicing and dicing wood this weekend!

Neighbor Cats

I found some friends while walking the neighborhood.  Okay, I know the one in the middle is a statue, but I liked it nonetheless.  The flirty tabby at the top was so lovey that he wouldn't hold still long enough for a really good face pic, but I simply love those mini-stripes!  Purrs galore too!  The ginger fellow on the porch was nervous, so I kept my distance to prevent him from running away...plus the front door was open and I did NOT want the human occupants to think I was being creepy, or a cat snatcher or something.

And as I type this, Chucky has discovered that I moved the area rug, and he's laid claim to it.  How do cats do that...find the exact center of things?  He looks pretty comfortable.

Have a terrific weekend, folks!  My friends are coming in for a holiday.  We so bad, we vacation in Detroit!  Hubby stays home, to guard the fort, feed all the kitties, and watch as many pre-season and college football games, baseball, tennis, and any other sporting things as he can stand without any 'interference' from me.  Hope he remembers to police the litter boxes now and again.  And Chucky is snoring...

Ghostly Cat

Sammy and Patty with tipped ears

Think of how this looked in the dark

 Now that my so-called wild feral cats allow me to pet them, I often spend time just sitting on the back deck snuggling with them, or watching them eat their kibble-n-canned mush.  Due to the change from Daylight Savings Time, I sit in the dark. Recently, while cooing and petting my three furry-four-footed friends, a quick glance over my shoulder and what is that!?  Another cat, sitting quietly on the deck edge.  In the evening light, the cat looked white or light grey.  After a second of panic at spying a ghostly image, I called to the cat and offered some kibble.  "C'mon, kitty kitty kitty!"  "Have some kibble, baby!"  No movement.  Curious, but cautious so as to not scare the critter away, I slowly rolled on my hip and stretched out a hand.  Still no movement.  Hmm!  After a few more moments, I screwed up my courage and crept closer...then closer still.  I finally put out a mittened hand...and touched concrete.  A garden statue!

My heart still racing because I thought I was in the presence of a ghost cat, I walk back inside and demand to know why hubby had placed a statue out there without telling me.  He declares his innocence, saying he had no idea what I was talking about.  Hrmph!  Next morning, I check out the offending item in the daylight, and it's obviously been in someone's garden for a long time, and there are chips and nicks plus a bit of green.  I am thinking...who?  Why?  Whaa???

Mystery solved the next day when a kindly neighbor emailed with details on why she thought I should have her cat statue, since she only has dogs now.  She knows I'm a cat lady, and since no one answered our door (doorbell doesn't work and I was gone all day anyhow), she just set it on the deck and walked away.

I have been on the look-out for a garden statue for awhile, but everything seemed too schmaltzy, or too pretty.  I wanted something with character.  And this little gift has a notched ear, which looks just like the ear-tipped ferals of mine.  I love it!  

Silly: yes.  A work of art: sorta.  A perfect, shabby-chic decoration for the yard: priceless!  A moment of fright for me, but a wonderful gift that stands exactly where it was placed.

(Reprint from a previous email that I sent to friends and family last year)