Daily Photo: A Purrfect September Morning
A moment of anticipation as I step back for a photo and Mr. Sunshine, Giuseppe and Mimi wait impatiently for me to open the door.
Seeing Mr. Sunshine and Mimi waiting at the back door this morning (below in Instagram) I thought I’d share one from a sweet warm morning in September. Except for when it’s snow-covered or extremely cold and we step out on the deck, Mr. Sunshine, Giuseppe and Mimi and I would go down the steps and out the basement screen door each morning. Because it’s on ground level and we can see the entire back yard it’s much more exciting than the deck.
As I reviewed Giuseppe’s progress over the past year in correspondence and in photos for Sunday’s post I’ve found many moments from this past autumn that I love. I have quite a few photos or sets of photos I did not get a chance to share through the autumn that include or feature Giuseppe. I want to remember those happy mornings out in the back yard as well as the mornings with Mewsette from last year and even earlier years, so I’ll be mixing them in my Monday photo posts since I often share current images on Instagram. So you’ll get to see a little bit of everyone on Mondays, out in the back yard.
~~~
First, a short video from Saturday…
From Instagram
Ahhh….
It’s 12° guys.
The plant is out of reach, but Bella has nothing better to do than sit on the windowsill and plan.
It’s in the bucket of an old hanging scale. She did reach up and get a paw on the edge of it and it flipped a little and spun around at which point she took off so fast I couldn’t get a photo. But no doubt, she’ll be back.
Through all the years with cats and plants Giuseppe was the only one long enough when he stretched out to be able to get his paws on that and stretch far enough to nibble on the plant. Right now, no one is near as long as he was so until this plant starts to grow over the edges I think we’re safe.
We’re bored. The only thing we have to play with is this laundry basket, and it’s boring.
Looks like it’s time to remind them of their new high-test catnip kick sticks and mice. And don’t believe them, there are toys and cat trees and other fun spots in each room and I shuffle things around all the time. But no, they just like to embarrass me. Let’s add a food puzzle to that.
Looks like we’re having a little bit of a break and then we’ll add some more on top of this.
Just a few days ago Mimi and Mr Sunshine were sitting on their lawn chairs. Temperatures are supposed to be in the 50s within the week so it looks like we’ll be out there again sometime soon.
I like snow and I want the ground to be frozen for at least a month so I’m out there playing in this stuff.
Get ready for more posts about SNOW!
I’m on your calendar.”
Just stating a fact there Mr sunshine. I guess he wants some attention so he’s putting himself in my schedule.
He gets plenty of attention though some of it is decidedly not the type he really wants, like medications and a little poking and prodding now and then.
Right now, we’re not going outside and he’s not happy and I can’t explain that I can’t do anything about the weather.
~~~
From the Back Yard and Beyond
~~~
From Portraits of Animals
This Shining Night, a Moonlit Snowy Night
From around this date in past years
Mimi is NOT Sharing Her Wicker, 2023
When your mom shoves you off her wicker chair.
It’s another episode of Mimi and Mewsette enjoying a sunny winter morning out in the back yard. Mimi is the mom at 19, and Mewsette is her daughter at 15, both the sweetest kitties you’d ever meet, but every once in a while Mimi gets in a silly mood.
Several neighbors have set out older wicker chairs on trash night, and I have dutifully collected the nicest ones, setting them around my back and front yard to sit on or us as plant stands or, as Mimi sees them, wicker scratching posts. On a nice morning Mimi will start in the upper corner of the back yard and run to each chair, hop up, scratch the wicker seat, rub her face all over, walk around the arms and back, scratching all the way, then head off for the next chair.
Mewsette decided she’d share this comfy wicker chair in the sun with her mom, but Mimi had had quite the run and was feeling energetic and mischievous. She rubs her face and looks at Mewsette, who is quietly enjoying the sun, but it’s just too much for Mimi. A swat doesn’t make her move, but a good shove does.
Mimi is half Mewsette’s size and weight. But mom always wins.
~~~
From Instagram
Catching up, beginning December 31!
What could possibly go wrong?
Mariposa is totally engrossed in my vinyl cutter. She’s even gathered herself into a little loaf to be most comfortable while observing.
She was a very good girl.
Hey, can I try some of YOUR kibble?
Some cats have to inspect all your food before you eat it. Morty, on the other hand, would definitely eat this. I had to tell him that mixed nuts are not safe for cats to eat. He didn’t believe me, but I got the lid on the can in time.
This cat is actually Simba, one of the fosters who lives in my studio. His real name is Morty, the one given to him by his former human who died unexpectedly. I’ve been using a pseudonym for the past year because of the situation. But it gets darn confusing when I call him Morty in the studio and I have to remember Simba here, so the heck with that.
Beans and greens for the new year, wishing for luck and money in 2023.
Happy New Year! Be sure to remember your auld acquaintances.
Jelly Bean is considering his options about fitting himself into that basket that’s already overflowing with two cats.
A lot of napping going on with all this warm dark rainy weather.
Don’t know if I’m ready for this level of supurrvision.
Wow, that warm stuff is back! More of this!
Interesting morning silhouettes
Slow start? Or nap after a big morning romp? Monday, purr way.
Hi from Basil’s toe beans. They have whiskers all their own.
“My litter box is not cleaned to my specifications and you think that’s funny. Remember, I’m sitting on your back and my claws are in your hair.”
He’s so serious.
~~~
From the Back Yard and Beyond
From around this date in past years
New Year Dreams, 2022
There are two black cats somewhere in there.
Mimi and Mewsette didn’t mind the cold for the chance to get outside in the sun., especially after all the rain we’ve had
And I didn’t mind looking at my garden, and visualizing it just a few months from now. Two black cats will probably be in it then too.
~~~
From Instagram
Mimi takes a Mew Year Walk on the Deck Rail
A little Mew Year strut by Mimi, yesterday when it was a little warmer and very rainy. The girls had to go outside, even for a few minutes, to greet the year. It’s here, now what do we do with it?!
Â
Not sure but I think I’m in trouble.
Ha, ha, we made you take nine bad pictures before we all looked at you at once. And you are lucky you got that. We make you work for it! Great way to start the year!
From the Garden and Beyond
Click each photo to read more.
This is Not a Wedge of Raspberry Cheesecake
Seasonally Confused
Circuitous
From around this date in past years
What We’re Waiting For, 2020
From all the way back on December 18, its the four siblings plus Basil. Not sure of the reason for the gathering. They were watching me as I worked at the sink but I wanted a better angle to see all five so I walked over by the basement door and they followed me. Except Mewsette, who is often deep in contemplation. I posted in Instagram saying, “Hmmm…..” This was during the week after my open house when I was still inviting people and others had contacted me about stopping, and I decided to make more dish towels and totes and accessory bags, and…and…they just wanted some attention. Well, who could resist?
From Instagram
Today! I am finally caught up with Instagram photos from 2019
I don’t think Bella ever spent a winter day outside, and that’s because this #formerlyferal girl was #rescuedandsocialized before that could happen. So Bella enjoys #birdwatching from inside! Happy New Year!
She was watching me as I filled the bird feeder. I love photos of them through the reflections on the windows.
Front porch fun.
Mimi had a great time enjoying the sun today. So did I!
Winter Artifacts
I’ve been watching this feather through the back door, tangled on the bare honeysuckle vines, waiting for a sunny morning to capture its transparency. Today could not have been brighter, but the gusts of cold wind kept the feather on the move, and my cell phone couldn’t compensate. I still like the composition, the colors, the shapes.
Still, a friend gave me a roll of black and white film, and once I’ve used up the roll with my old Pentax K1000, I’ll see what I managed to capture with my lens and converter.
. . . . . . .
Photos from around this date in previous years
Can’t You Do Something About This?, 2018
“I don’t mind cold weather. I’ll even walk in snow. I used to live out there, I can take it. But when it’s too cold even for me, you know it’s cold outside.”
Words spoken by Mimi, and could have been spoken by me too, except that I never lived out there. But she and I both enjoy being outdoors and generally don’t mind what Mother Nature is serving up because the weather changes all the time. Mimi keeps hoping things will have changed each time I open the door. They have not, and I can’t fool myself. But I’ll tell you, when the temperature hits 32 degrees we will both run out the door and stay there! Below you’ll see some photos from this date last year and the year before, and there are still green leaves! Parsley and rosemary in my pots on the steps! But even then, I knew we were getting off easy.
In the meantime, they are enjoying their new room!
Cat toys always make things look a little messy. Looks like home! The cardboard boxes stacked beside my rocker will all be packed into the entertainment unit when I take the time to sort through another section and toss out old software boxes and old receipts for taxes. But the room reminds me of when I moved in, all the light, the open space, and already the cats are playing more.
I haven’t been posting on Instagram since well before Christmas. I miss sharing photos there and onto Facebook, so I’m sure I’ll start it up again. But for now, I’m just posting them here.
~~~
What other photos did I post on or about this date?
.
Mimi Starts the New Year With a Good Luck Scratch, 2017
Mimi loves her scratching post! I’m sure someone would think a fierce panther had left her mark on that birch tree. It’s interesting to see what Mimi likes in a scratching post: she likes to stand up and stretch, and she likes a really rough surface. I have two chunks of wood with bark in the house for her and others.
You can kind of tell I’m playing catch up here…
~~~
What other photos did I post on or about this date?
.
Enjoy the Sun While You Can, 2016
Rather than race out into the wet cold yard, Mimi decided to pause at the top of the steps on the deck to enjoy the brief bit of sunshine we had today. A wise girl is Mimi, and she probably learned that lesson living on the streets for several winters—you have to make time to stop and enjoy the sun while it’s shining where you are, in fact, you should go out of your way to be where it is if you can. Within minutes the sun was gone, and the day became quite dark and gray. But that has its beauty too as everyone had really good naps all day long.
I enjoy those quiet winter mornings outdoors. I was out in the yard adding warm water to the bird baths and topping off the feeders. I actually fill them in the late afternoon for the birds to have a snack before they go to sleep, and then to have the seed as soon as they awaken. There are many cats to feed in the morning and I don’t like for the birds to go hungry waiting for all the cats to get their fill.
The parsley is the green behind Mimi. It’s protected on the deck and stays green, reviving after each freeze as long as they aren’t too long. Fresh parsley in winter is a real treat! As is the rosemary.
. . . . . . .
Shared on Facebook
Bella set me straight on a few things.
” ‘Your’ tablet? Surely you know that all papers belong to cats for whatever purpose they choose even if you are currently making your scratchy marks on it. You can finish your scratchy work later. You see, it fits me purrfectly, so of course it is mine.”
Guess Bella told me. I keep a tablet for cat notes in the kitchen and record at least what I fed them and what they ate each meal and anything else I observe that I might want to remember. Comes in handy when conditions arise, but apparently it’s not as important as Bella’s bath and nap. Actually, it means she kikes me and wants to be part of what I’m doing.
. . . . . . .
What other photos have I shared on or around this date?
.
Iz Cute, 2014
“The human will never notice me here—I blend right in with the background!”
I have to move all their stuff out of the tub to bathe—a concept they still don’t understand—and the cat tree ends up straddling the sink. Ernie hopped up to investigate it and was very cute about it. But everything he does is cute. You can’t have a triangular nose patch that runs all down onto your chin and throat without being cute about everything you do. His triangular nose is very kissable too. I do that as often as possible. He likes it. What was that about feral? Yes, he is still a little shy, and he models that below.
Later in the day Dr. Michelle came to visit. Before Christmas they’d still been in the carrier and hiding in the tub when anyone came to visit, and hissed, but they were markedly different this time! We did have to coax Bert out form under the cabinet though.
His brother Ernie is a little more relaxed and encourages him. “Hey, dummy, if you don’t come out, we don’t get treats!
Bert has no problem taking the treats though. The rule is that they have to take them from your fingers, no cheating by putting them on the floor or even in the palm of your hand. When food is concerned they can learn to trust this pretty quickly, especially with the right flower essence on your hands.
“Hey, you forgot me!” Ernie waves one of his white mittens to alert Dr. Michelle to a possible problem.
. . . . . . .
How They Celebrated New Year’s Day, 2011
A Nice, Quiet, New Year, 2011
It started out as me and Kelly and Cookie, and one or two at a time the family decided to join us after dinner, so we had a nice New Year all together at the table.
Kelly is at the water bowl, and on the table from the left is Jelly Bean, whose butt is the only thing showing, Cookie, behind her is Mewsette in profile, next to her is Mr. Sunshine, and in the crochet bag sitting up looking at Sunshine is Mimi, lying down in the bag is Giuseppe.
Mimi hopped into the crochet bag when Cookie hopped out to get a drink of water, and Giuseppe, ever the mama’s boy, joined her in there. Mewsette came to hang with me and Cookie and Kelly who were fussing with my crochet project. Jelly Bean felt left out so he wandered around and finally settled on the crochet project as well when Kelly went to get a drink of water. I had been sitting in the chair just behind Cookie and JB.
I had actually finished this scarf and it’s going to a feline-loving friend who will probably not notice a few spare cat hairs!
Here they are from the other angle, which is what I saw before I decided to get up to take the photo.
I love it when they all settle around me, but this has been a novelty in my years of living with cats. It’s mostly because five of them are related and often do things all together, while Cookie and Kelly are usually with me. When Dickie and Peaches were here they added to the fun, though I never managed to get a photo of all nine together.
If I need for them to move I actually get up and walk away and one or two will follow. Believe it or not, there are times when I need for them to move.
Gifts featuring cats you know! Visit Portraits of Animals
Fine Art • Photography • Gifts • Greeting Cards • Books • Commissioned Portraits & Artwork
Looking out of another door. Read more and purchase.
Copyright
All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.
Subscribe to my e-newsletter
Subscribe to The Creative Cat Preview E-newsletter.
© 2022 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski
Weekly schedule of features:
Sunday: Essays, Pet Loss, Poetry, The Artist’s Life
Monday: Adoptable Cats, TNR & Shelters
Tuesday: Rescue Stories
Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork
Thursday: New Merchandise
Friday: Book Review, Health and Welfare, Advocacy
Saturday: Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Living Green With Pets, Creating With Cats
And sometimes, I just throw my hands in the air and have fun!
