Thursday, March 28, 2024
Bellablack catscatsdaily photomr. sunshine

Daily Photo: Oh, the Drama

Oh, the drama...
Oh, the drama…

We’ve moved! The Creative Cat, that is. I’m not sure if you noticed the ups and downs, when the site was here, and when it wasn’t, when you couldn’t open articles, and all sorts of little malfunctions. My hosting company has been trying to help me figure out what’s happening, especially because when my site goes down it’s because something electronically hangs up and causes a bunch of little errors which overloads the server this site is hosted on. If my site didn’t go offline on its own, they had to take it offline. And all the rest of my sites went down too.

I moved from a free WordPress site to a self-hosted one in 2012, but the move wasn’t really smooth. Images were missing, links were broken, and I’m pretty sure one of the databases didn’t make the move intact. In all the data I have in databases that’s gone into this site over the past 14 years I couldn’t figure it out. They suggested I move to a private server and I could still troubleshoot and post while I also had more space and wasn’t getting in anyone else’s way.

January 28 was my 14th anniversary of publishing The Creative Cat, but what’s a 14th anniversary? We can celebrate next year when it’s 15 years, right Bella and Mr. Sunshine? Hey, did you guys fall asleep on me?

two black cats
They get to nap.

But there are also things around the house, like the roof as well as a literal running stream in the basement, even in winter. The back corner of the basement where my work area is fills back up with water within an hour of me removing it all. Other parts of the floor are wet, so I’ve been trying to organize so the cats can still get to their litterboxes without getting their paws wet, and I still need to get work done down there too. I did a lot of framing over last week and the weekend and I love framing but it was pretty miserable sloshing around in water. I can’t spend too much time in conditions like that for the arthritis in my hands. So I’m hoping I find a resolution for it soon.

I keep all the framed art and photo prints in the basement so they are convenient to take out the basement door to my car for an event, no need to spend time repacking them into bins. I didn’t want them hanging around in the dampness and I also needed the floor space where the bins were, so I took several hours over a few days and hung most of it up on the walls, as I’d mentioned in my post on Saturday when I described rehanging my artwork. So now I have art prints up too, and even some photos up or on display. It’s always nice to see my work, not just to look at it, but because it gives me a scope of what I’ve done, and what I have to offer in upcoming shows and vendor events. I never really liked the idea of leaving everything packed so it was easier to get ready for vendor events, but likely I’ll do that again when show time starts up.

I have the feeling that whenever I get the roof resolved that will help the water problem, though likely I’ll also need to waterproof again. I am trying to find someone to come here to look at it for me and give me some direction. I still have several different waterproofing compounds leftover from 2020 and I could just move things section by section and waterproof again.

So, I’ve been kind indulging in some drama over the past week getting mad an inanimate objects. No kitties were hurt, and they weren’t even too impressed by it. So, onward! And don’t forget that when you buy something from me, this is what it pays for. That roof is going to cost a lot of garden flags…

~~~

From Instagram

We need some bigger sunpuddles.

Pretty, hope it lasts.

I’ll bet they’re talking about me. They do make a nice sculptural composition though. That’s Giuseppe on the left, little Mimi in the middle, and Mr Sunshine on the right. And here’s me trying to get work done when they do things like this.

Basil, I know there’s a bowl of fruit behind you, don’t worry, it’s not going to get you. Giuseppe, stop laughing. He was your ninja trainee.

From around this date in past years

We Haz Snow, 2022

black cat in snow
Mimi tries to get a smell of the message bush.

Typically we don’t have snow cover for more than a few days around here, but to my delight, but Mimi’s dismay, and probably lots of people too, I’ve had a lovely blanket of snow over all my yard and our neighborhood—and the surrounding area. Above, Mimi wanted to enjoy some morning sun so badly that she decided to follow me down the side steps just far enough to smell a convenient message bush. Usually I’ll go around and clear all my walkways, but I didn’t take the time to clear the snow and ice off the steps after the ice storm last week because it was very stubborn and I had work to do. To my surprise it stayed frozen for days.

black cat in snow
And a breath of fresh air.

From a morning when snow was actually falling and I filled the bird feeders, I thought it was beautiful, here is what Mimi really thinks of it.

black cat in snow
What Mimi really thinks of the snow.

This has been great for photography in my yard and as I drive around to errands as you’ll see below, but all Mimi and Mewsette want to do is get out into the yard and graze around and smell things. Right now the best they can do is wander out onto the deck and smell the chairs and baskets, maybe a nibble on the parsley.

And then the disappointing morning when even more snow fell.

black cat in snow
Still snow as far as Mimi can see.

So I’m getting my snow fix while it’s here, and the kitties are staying warm and cozy inside.

~~~

From Instagram

“What is this, some weird sort of scratching post?”

So what is that big creamy rectangle of goodness that five cats can’t wait to get a piece of? Butter? Cheese? Turkey breast? No, it’s TOFU! And no, they tried it, and they didn’t like it.

Apparently, I cleared this spot on my storage shelves just for Mimi. After all, it is a box, and It is the purrfect size just for her.

The view from where I’m working. It looks to me like none of them is paying attention to me, so I can probably goof off all I want today.

From the Garden and Beyond

Rainbow Sparkles of Magic

Rainbow sparkles in the frost atop the snow this morning, like bits of magic, while the birds sing their morning songs at 6 degrees. You can watch the video below, or click to Today to also see a photo and read a little bit about the inspiration of the sparkles.

Click the photo to read more.

Icy

I could practically watch the ice form on trees and vegetation from the ridges to the valley as I drove around for errands.

 

 

From around this date in past years

Winter Days, 2021

black cat bathing
Sun and Bath

Sun and bath. Sunbath.

My back yard is shady on the best of days, and in winter, with the lower angle of the sun, it’s shady from noon on. Mimi doesn’t care for that when we go outdoors in the afternoon, even though I legitimately have things to do out there. While I cleaned up a bit, organized trash, filled bird feeders and more, Mimi stuck with me until she decided she had a better idea. I thought I’d heard a rustle and her bell on the other side of the deck where it was sunny, and I followed the sound around the house to the front where she was settled on a brick next to a brick wall warmed by the sunshine, having a nice bath. Look how tiny she is that she barely covers the top of that brick! I’d prefer she didn’t take off, but I usually see when she’s getting edgy and stop what I’m doing so she can move on and explore as I follow and photograph her. It’s all about Mimi!

Well, if I can’t do my usual daily articles, the least I can do is post daily photos, so I’m going to try to achieve that each day. I really miss posting! This photo is from Monday, and I’ll catch up with the rest of the days of the week.

~~~

From Instagram

Here are Instagram photos from over the weekend and Monday, then some older ones from December, still catching up! Check the captions for more information, and if you mouse over the image I think you can see the file name, which includes the date. But really, they’re kind of timeless! This makes it a little quicker to post them.

Giuseppe’s having a very busy caturday.

Now from December!

When the most exciting thing about your Saturday night is sitting on the laundry watching one of the other cats use the litter box.

They could be anywhere in the house, but the four siblings are all jammed in behind the door in my studio because that’s where I’m working today. It’s dark back there. There’s also a furnace vent back there.
The former ferals gathered at the door and everybody got a good nose full of fresh air today, unusually warm after cold, snow and ice.

 

From the back yard and beyond.

Anyone else still have old linen calendar towels? This thing is 40 years old. I’m not overly fond of it, but it’s still in good shape. And it has a cat in the middle of the buildings there. My aunt used to buy linen calendar towels from Kaufmann’s department store for each person in the family, and she handed them out at Christmas. I have a few others, not as old. Those were the days, well made quality product, a lifetime commitment to a towel. Fond memories as each one comes up in my big stack of dish towels.

I won’t complain that one of the three deer can only be seen by her ears, because I’ve never seen all three deer together like this. www.bernadettestoday.com/all-three-deer-in-the-morning/

 

The criss-crossing branches of colored leaves look like a layered dessert, following the big banquet of summer. I’ll be catching up on autumn photos for a while, I’m sure. www.bernadettestoday.com/layers/

I’ve been posting regularly on my photo website Today, but I really don’t have the time to share the photos here each day. The deer have been so inspiring, birds, squirrels, and all those autumn photos that I’ll never forget…if you’re interested, please click the link each day to go there and see what’s new! If I have a chance I’ll share photos.

 

From around this date in past years

The Best Bed, 2020

cat sleeping in box
Hamlet in the box.

Hamlet loves his baskets and regularly naps in all three shown here, but this time he chose the box. I guess he has his reasons. Of course, you’d have to “know” to know that was him in that box—that heap of fur really is Hamlet. He always sleeps in contorted positions so it’s hard to find any features to know exactly who it is. Trust me, it’s Hamlet.

. . . . . . .

Photos from around this date in previous years

Sienna Birdwatching, 2019

Sienna can't sleep for watching birds!
Sienna can’t sleep for watching birds!

Sienna will wake out of a deep sleep on my lap to leap up chattering and run to the window, where a bird magically appears. She just can’t stop herself and she’s not getting her beauty sleep right now, at least during the day. But she’s awfully cute and I wish I had space for a video on my phone.

From Facebook

We know Bernadette would say something sappy and sentimental about three rescued cats safe and warm inside and happily playing with a box instead of risking their lives to find breakfast on a freezing, icy morning, but really we are just three happy cats who can’t get enough of a brand new box to play with! Basil, Mariposa, Hamlet.

Basil, Mariposa and Hamlet play with the box.
Basil, Mariposa and Hamlet play with the box.

Photos from years past.

.

Friends, 2018
Hamlet won over Mr. Sunshine.
Hamlet won over Mr. Sunshine.

It’s been a good year for Hamlet, especially having won over the approval of Mr. Sunshine, who is not known for giving in to other cats outside his immediate family.

Hamlet’s sister Ophelia was adopted just about a week shy of one year ago and is doing extremely well in her new home. Hamlet had avoided relationships with any other cats than his sister, he wasn’t wild about the human either, and he had avoided the extra socialization that his more friendly sister had gotten. Separating them for a week or so at an earlier age and working with each individually would have helped with this but I don’t have the extra space to accommodate two separate fosters and then the rest of my household, especially when Alvina, Simon and Theodore were still with me. Hamlet is quiet and gentle but an energetic cat, and found himself with no one to play with.

Basil and Bella both play together and individually every day with toys and wrestling and running through the crackle tunnel. Basil noticed Hamlet right away and in his kind of rough and tumble kid way he let Hamlet know that he would be happy to play with him. Bella is not so forward, but she invited him to play as well. Of course, the two closest to Hamlet in age and also former feral rescues would have a lot in common. At first Hamlet just spent time near them and watched, and learned how to act with them, pretty much in the same way he had acted with his sister but somehow that had never transferred to other cats. I regularly find the three of them napping in relaxed companionship, or playing together.

Once Hamlet figured out he could play with other cats and making new friends was something he could do, he began to approach the other cats in the house, just humbly sitting near them, and submissively putting his head where they could lick it. Jelly Bean and Giuseppe gave him a lick now and then and worked their way up to a full face wash sometimes followed by a swat while Hamlet crouched and squinted and took what they gave him. Eventually Mewsette joined in, and Hamlet began following them around and sitting near them until he felt he could be a part of the group.

Finally Mr. Sunshine gave in and gave Hamlet a few licks, and then a full wash. While his siblings have that fostering and mentoring talent, Mr. Sunshine didn’t inherit the gene and goes as far as he can ignoring the fosters. He’s been known to hand out a few sharp swats too. But Hamlet is in.

Mimi generally ignores fosters too, feeling she’s already done her part in raising kittens. But she’s given Hamlet a few licks, and every few days they chase each other around the house a few times, from basement to second floor. Mimi has a great time acting like she’s going to beat up Hamlet when she gets him, and he’s over the moon that the mom is playing with him.

People are another matter. He likes people, he just doesn’t know how to approach them, so he runs back and forth past the people until someone reaches out and pets him, then he’s okay. For Hamlet that’s a huge amount of progress, helped along by pheromones, essences and a lot of calm, repetitive interaction. He finally sleeps next to me and has his habits with requesting attention and affection from me and we love every minute of it. We get along very well.

Handsome Hamlet
Handsome Hamlet

. . . . . . .

Photos From Previous Years

The Magic Shopping Bag, 2017

The magic shopping bag makes everything special.
The magic shopping bag makes everything special.

Basil hopped right in and suddenly everything was new and different. He studied the entire kitchen from the perspective of the bag as if he’d never seen it before.

Sometimes it’s good to get a new perspective.

. . . . . . .

And Mom Says We Make a Mess, 2011
black cat in piles of yarn
Mom Makes a Mess

“She can make a heck of a mess herself when she puts her mind to it.”

I was sorting yarn and craft materials, and there is no neat way to do that. What I like is Jelly Bean’s expression, slightly annoyed, a little sad, “Mom is hopeless sometimes.” He wants to take his afternoon nap on the bed and just wants me to remove my stuff.


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AfterDinnerNap-Etsy

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watercolor of cat having bath
“Sunbath”, watercolor, 1993, 21″ x 14 • Bernadette E. Kazmarski

A study of winter sunlight, because there’s a cat in it. It’s a very simple scene: a black cat having a bath in front of a white painted kitchen cabinet with chrome handles, and a yellow and orange patterned carpet, but the play of light has fun with the colors and objects. Read more and purchase.



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Bernadette

From health and welfare to rescue and adoption stories, advocacy and art, factual articles and fictional stories, "The Creative Cat" offers both visual and verbal education and entertainment about cats for people who love cats, pets and animals of all species.

4 thoughts on “Daily Photo: Oh, the Drama

  • Wishing you good luck with your electronic changes!
    During recent snowy and icy weather, I was out trying to snap arty photos of everything; my neighbors already think I’m odd because I stop and wave at cat and dogs in windows, then I’m snapping away at twigs and branches, and prints in the snow.

    Reply
    • Nothing odd about that! My neighbors are used to me, along with all the cat things I do too. I’ve been here longer than most, so I’ve got the edge.

      Reply
  • That blog moving business can sure be tricky sometimes, but house maintenance problems are a real pain.

    Reply
    • One thing at a time, please! I’m jut going to blame it all on Mercury retrograde.

      Reply

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