Owl Be Seeing You...

Last Friday, my brother and I went on an Owl Hoot!

At Lake Saint Clair MetroPark, in Harrison Township, Michigan, we attended a brief lecture about native owl species, then wrapped ourselves in hats, scarves, thick coats and boots to traverse the trails in the dark.

Our MetroPark guides had recorded Screech and Great Horned Owl calls, which were played here and there within the forested area.

Not only did a Great Horned Owl return our calls, but we could see him 'way up in the treetop!

It was nighttime, so there wasn't much to photograph, except the stuffed owls on display:

Screech Owl

Barred Owl

Snowy Owl

See?  My wee camera wasn't a match for the darkness!

AND THEN!

Saturday, I went on a Autumn Color Walk at Tenhave Woods in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Due to lots of rain and cold (the snow didn't hit until Monday...), our seasonal color is mostly gone, but walking around with knowledgeable tree, bird, and fungus experts from The Royal Oak Nature Society was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot.

Interesting leaves

Witch Hazel blooms

Although pretty, these berries are from an invasive non-Michigan plant that will be pulled out in the spring.

I enjoy this park, which is less than two miles from my office.
I visit often on my lunch breaks.

Here's a jigsaw puzzle!

We have another owl event this Saturday, where we will visit living owls at Stage Nature Center in Troy, Michigan.

We are fortunate to have such resources nearby.

Magoo Has Forgotten Me!

I last visited my sister and her family outside of Cincinnati, Ohio in early December, 2018.
At that time, Magoo was MY boyfriend!
Imagine my surprise...and dismay...when these photos were sent last night...

That's my mother, with Magoo draped all over her!

He's obviously forgotten me...*sob*

So, to counteract this loss of memory, I've made plans to travel to him...er, um...to my sister's, in a few weeks time.  

Then, Magoo will remember that I am the light of his life, and he need not take up with any other human EVER again!

Just don't tell The PO'M, or Da Boyz...or Sly, Sneakers, Kiki, or Roscoe...

Above images taken by my brother

For the sake of 15 And Meowing Cat Blog, here is a jigsaw puzzle of Magoo! 

108 Prisma'd Magoo

Eastside Cats Has Visitors!

Seriously, like...in the flesh, real PEOPLE visiting us!  My dear Bro-in-Law and wife were able to sit a spell with us recently.  Not only was The Hubby and his brother raised in the house that is now our home, but they lived here for awhile too after marriage.  So, they were visiting both us and their old place.

Manny and Chili Bruce were very keen to meet the new humans, and proceeded to entertain us with jumps onto counters and tables during our yakkety-yakking.  They sniffed shoes, heads, fingers, and investigated like crazy. 

Although we keep in touch via online media, it's beyond terrific to see The Hubby's family in purr-son.  These folks are fun, intelligent, interesting, and good-natured.   We traded our favorite book titles back and forth, and The Hubby talked to his brother about some updates planned for the house.

They surprised us with gifts, in condolence for losing Chucky, and for adopting Da Boyz.

Old-timey bank,
Cat on a rocking chair

Side view
The eyes wink open and closed!

Black Cat Cookie Jar
(Difficult to get a good image, due to the shining glaze)

I put the cookie jar on the shelf with my other black cat figures for scale.

Completely unexpected, and we love these pieces!  Thank you again, C & P, and we hope to see you both again soon.

Our relatives are GREAT artists, so here is a shameless plug for them: Denison Art Studio.  They also TNR'd a momma cat and her five kittens 'way back before it was commonplace; they had to search for a veterinarian who would even spay 'wild' cats.  All but one were caught in a humane trap; the last kitten was caught using a box and a stick, just like in the cartoons of old.  The Hubby and I didn't even have cats in our lives back then, so that tells you something.  My in-laws are great lovers of nature, and their constant biking, kayaking, traveling, and making art make me feel like a slacker in comparison.  I am their biggest devotee to their art, although The Hubby claims he's known them longer, and therefore should have that title.  *shrug*

Silly Love

While we are all reeling from the horrible events in Orlando, and the recent deaths of The Greatest Muhammad Ali and Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe, plus five bicyclists in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I received the following image:

This is my brother, inside the drop trap that The Hubby and I built for his hard-to-catch mama cat.  Looks like he needs further instructions!

And here I am before work, with my pants legs covered in Sweetie's fur.  I stood outside this morning already dressed (sometimes I'm out there in my jammies, much to my neighbor's dismay :-(...), and Sweetie decided she would rather give and get love than eat her breakfast!  I was happy to accommodate her desires; lucky I have a lint roller at the office.  Then again, maybe I'll just leave it all there, as a symbol of love.

Because that is the only way out of this, folks...LOVE.

Let us join together with hope in our hearts, to SUPPORT each other.

Every day is a blessing.  Hug people, hug your pets, hug yourself.

Hornets!

This has nothing to do with cats; it's just a really cool thing that my brother discovered at his home.  Brother who works too many random hours to have a cat (or cats!) of his own...for now...but he's got this monster hornet's nest on his house.  Isn't it just bizarre? We had a hornet's nest in our tree years ago, which only revealed itself when the maple leaves fell in the autumn.  Gave me the willies, realizing that those hornets were over my head all summer!?  Hornet's nests are fascinating, however, when you get up close to see detail.  They look alien, or outer-spacey to me.  Due to the cooler temperatures that we are now experiencing in Michigan...wait, did it ever get warm?...those hornets are pretty much down for the count.  Brother will wait until he's sure the nest is completely empty (read: dead!) before he scrapes it off the eave and house.  In the meantime, you wouldn't notice it was there, if he didn't point it out.  Doesn't Mother Nature do some really interesting things?