Tabby in Golden Light

It's PO'Monday.

The following Celestial Paddy O'Malley images are from November 3, 2018.

Oh, to be out in the yard with Paddy O again!

 🍁 ❤️ 🍂

Gimme Crunchies

It's PO'Monday!

A video from 2015, starring Celestial Pommy and Celestial Sweetie!

The temperatures started at above freezing this day, them kept sinking, with intermittent snow showers.

When this video was taken, we were at 23 degrees F, and it would be bitterly cold by evening.

But that's using human knowledge; outside cats are incredibly adaptable, once they have regular food, water, and shelter.

We worried about them all day, every day.

Nature

Summertime in our now catless yard:

Wild Geranium

Cinnamon Fern

Mushrooms

Brown-eyed Susan

Swamp Milkweed

The Hubby and I are hedging our bets by leaving The Cat Hotel and feeding station in place, until we see how things progress with Paddy O'Malley.

Interesting to note how often I look outside to get eyes on The PO'M, but he's not there!

Inside, he sits in my lap and allows our usual lovefests, yet he'll dart into hiding as the merest provocation.

We will take things one step at a time.

Winter Caturday

Our hearts go out to those in the Southern USA, who continue to struggle after the frigid temps, and resulting breakdown of electricity and water systems.

Here in the Midwest, we put on our boots, wrap a scarf or two around our faces, and shovel ourselves out.

Winter can be pretty, especially when the sun sparkles off newly fallen snow.

Don't get me wrong; I will not grieve for Old Man Winter for a millisecond, once warm temps begin again.

Icicles on the house, image snapped an hour ago!
Artified with Prisma

Snow on PO'M's feeding station, artified with Prisma

Flakes on PO'M, no artification here!

Click on the images above to play jigsaw puzzles!

Let's Hop!

Click on the badge above to visit Athena Cat Goddess Blog!

 

PO'M Voices His Opinions

Monday O'Malley

"Does the deck make my butt look big?"

"Mama makes a good beddy!"

"Thanks for a dry breakfast"

 Jigsaw Puzzle

108Lap PO'M

Monday O'Malley

 The other day, we had a snow pellet storm!

Snow pellets are called graupel.

The PO'M cared not a whit, since he can tuck under the feeding station!

He barely pulled his raccoon-tail in!

*slurp*

*lick*

*nom nom nom*

Graupel, or snow pellets

It all melted off before too long, thankfully.

***

Our hearts go out to Nova Scotia, Canada today.

 A gunman, now dead, killed at least 16 people in the worst mass shooting in Canada's modern history yesterday.

We mourn with you.

💔💔💔

Monday O'Malley

The PO'M and I had a snuggle session yesterday.

He snoopervised my winterization of the feeding station!

"Looks good, but come closer to pet me some more!"

This morning, we have snow, but The 'O' Cats ate in relative comfort.

The feeding station is made of up an old card table, on top of a wooden picnic table.  We were feeding up to five cats in the early days, so the openness made sense.  Now, with only two cats, I've chosen to make a winter barrier on three sides from leftover foam core and zipties.  I didn't want the barriers to flap in a breeze, like a tarp would.  In the spring, we'll build a new station, with easy barrier set-up, and it will look a trifle better than my cobbled-together one!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Image found on the interwebs

State Of Emergency

***Michigan Governor declares State of Emergency ahead of extreme cold temperatures***

This is my DIY feral cat feeding station windbreak.
Made from found foam core sheets.

I cut pieces to size, punched holes in the foam core, and zip-tied the whole thing to the card table, that is our feeding station.

The PO'M enjoys my lap!

Sweetie took to the feeding station improvement in a trice; she rushed right in and put her nose in the bowl.  The PO'M was hesitant, but he goes in once I've walked away.  The idea was to keep the frigid wind from blowing on them while they nosh.  In addition, the three-sided barrier prevents snow from swirling in, which I'm sure isn't pleasant on their paws.

This moment, my supervisor is considering closing the office for tomorrow, due to the extreme weather.  I already advised him that I'll be leaving a couple hours early each day, to get home to feed Sweetie and Paddy when the sun is still up.  That's the best I can do.  

Wordless Wednesday

What Happened?

Sunday, they wouldn't come up

This morning, Patty stayed on the top step

 

I gave him his favorite meal; ground roast turkey and kibble!

 

Patty never moved from that top step

 

Sweetie came down...

She easily moves from step to step

 

The last image I had of Patty before I left for work

Yesterday, during the sunny and lovely afternoon, I attempted to coax Patty O'Malley and Sweetie up the Stairway To Heaven.  I poured kibble into bowls, and shook them, but neither cat moved an inch from the feeding station below, where there was no food.  I gave up after fifteen minutes, closed the door, and walked back down again, to sit on the deck with them for awhile.  Before I went to bed, they were acting normal.

Something weird happened last night.  I don't know what it was, but it drove them both up the Stairway To Heaven to sit huddled under the balcony.

This foggy morning, I walked out back with two bowls full of ground roast turkey and kibble, and couldn't find anyone!  I shook the kibble container, hoping to 'call' any cats in, but I got nothing.  I walked into the alley, and around all sides of the house.  Then, I witnessed Sweetie coming down The Stairs, but Patty stayed up there.  I immediately ran inside, and upstairs to open that door, but Patty would not move even though I petted him through to hatch, and he purred.  In the end, I came back down and put all bowls at the feeding station, where Sweetie ate most everything.  Weird, huh?

It's truly strange NOT to have Patty respond to me, because he ALWAYS does.  No matter where I sit, stand, sweep or rake, Patty is somewhere at my feet or touching my body.  To have him ignore me, staring off into the backyard was bizarre.  I can only hope that things have settled down, so everything is back to normal tonight.  And just got off the phone with The Hubby; he says Patty and Sweetie are doing their usual stuff on the deck, and he sees no problems with them at all.  Hmmm...

"I Was Here"

Patty O'Malley, showing off his handiwork

Sweetie prefers to use this post

Cats need to scratch, so they can exercise their bodies, remove nail sheaths, and mark their territory with scent glands in their paws.  We've wrapped sisal rope around a post on the deck, but Patty prefers the feeding station, and Sweetie likes the unwrapped post.

"I prefer if you'd get that camera away!", says Sweetie

 

The Food Bowl Slide

It has been sleeting, raining, snowing...then more sleet and rain again...and now snow and high winds here in Metro Detroit, Michigan!

The Hubby and I try to keep the deck and feeding station for Patty O'Malley and Sweetie as clear as we can, but Mother Nature just keeps throwing stuff at us.

This morning I brought out bowls of kibble, but the icy surface and gusting winds pushed the bowls right off the edge!  They simply slid right across. The cats were not amused, so I brought out heavier, ceramic bowls that stayed put.  I did not get photos; these old ones will have to do.

Earlier this month, Patty feeds

In January, Sweetie tells me how she likes
having her photo taken at mealtime!

From March 2014

Here's hoping the folks that got walloped by storms elsewhere are all okay.