Daily Photo: The Purrfect Garden Nap Spot
Mornings have actually been pretty nice, and it’s hard to stay inside. This particular morning was t-shirt warm and Mimi and Mewsette were loving it, and Mimi found a purrfect garden nap spot.
Mimi hopped up on the garden chair and immediately started rubbing her face all over it.
In less than a minute Mimi has rubbed her scent all over the chair, turned around one full turn, laid down, curled herself around, and starts her nap. The sun is warm, the air is mild, and she has nothing better to do. Mewsette is in the background on the right, dozing on another piece of warm wood in the garden.
And I actually got a video of this whole operation, all happening in about 44 seconds!
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I do have some Instagram photos to share in the next fee days, but no posts on other sites. When I’m too busy to post here I’m too busy for much of anything else.
I picked up a time-consuming project for a longtime customer, painting cat statues for her. It’s been a fun change of pace and interesting to work in paint rather than a dry medium like pastel. When paint dries it changes color…I’ll get used to it. I would consider taking commissions to paint concrete statues but most of the statues out there are not well-done cats. These cats’ faces look more fox-like and it makes me think the artist who designed them was a dog artist first. I’d always noticed that in paintings of cats when I found cat artwork on greeting cards years ago.
This project and another help pay for Morty’s care—I gave myself a loan from a debit card which I try to never do but I’ve been working on paying that off, and I’m always aware that Mr. Sunshine still needs his ultrasound and Mewsette desperately needs a dental. She had a pretty bad day today, painwise. My small credit cards went for Mr. Sunshine and, recently, Sienna. I did have donations, thank goodness, and you know who you are! But I had just paid my bills, including payments on the credit cards, and there wasn’t much left when Morty had his urinary obstruction. Social Security starts in May, vendor shows start in June, though I may have some sort of an open house here in April.
If you’d like to help you can always purchase something I’ve made! Check Marketplace here on The Creative Cat, or follow the links at the bottom of each post to www.PortraitsOfAnimals.net to shop around. I will start posting my handmade gifts as I prepare for vendor shows.
Also, if you’d like to get them some of the food they love, one of our regulars from Chewy is Triumph Chicken and Liver and I use Whole Life Just One Ingredient Freeze-dried Salmon to make sure Mr. Sunshine finds his treat containing his medication twice each day absolutely irresistible; I crush a little bit of a treat and roll his medication ball in it. Also, from Tractor Supply, we get 4Health Chicken and Brown Rice. I much prefer feeding with tall cans because it costs less per ounce and it’s so much easier to open just two cans than five or six, then peel labels and wash them for recycling.
And always, thanks for following me!
From around this date in past years
Don’t Wake Hamlet, 2022
He found a really cozy spot for a nap, on the cabinet in the bathroom. There’s a furnace vent on the wall right below him, and the bifold door helps to hold heat, The bathrobe I made out of my old granny square afghan (not the one that’s on my bed that my mother made) is on the back of the door, and that gets nice and warm just being in that corner. On a cold day, the bathroom stays pretty cozy in the morning when the sun is shining and I have the furnace temperature at 65 degrees. Hamlet is there just soaking it all up.
The sweetest thing is that I’ve never seen him napping here, and when I came up the stairs he normally goes on guard and even gets up and leaves if he thinks I’m coming toward him, but as you can see he’s pretty relaxed. I upped his dose of Rescue Remedy about a month ago, and it’s had a very positive effect. I’m not sure if he will maintain without it, so I plan to continue this for months, and hopefully I’ll help Hamlet get past his fearfulness. For now, I’m really enjoying a more relaxed Hamlet who actually talks to me now and then. I know socialization is in there, I just have to figure out how to help him bring it out.
He can’t stay awake. I have a full-length mirror on the bifold door and at the right angle it reflects purrfectly.
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From Instagram
A Tale of Two Days
Friday morning
Basil’s feelin it. Open windows before the blizzard, spring in Pennsylvania. Glad for heavy-duty pet safe screening. And good sturdy windows.
Saturday morning
Well, they talked it over and decided to give it a try, but decided the snow feels colder than it used to after a few warm days, turned around in unison, and came back inside to warm their paws.
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From the Garden and Beyond
You may have already seen this if you read my Marketplace post on garden flags.
From around this date in past years
The Little Panther, 2021
It’s Mimi Monday and here is Mimi doing outside activities and loving it, starting with two black and white photos followed by several with gentle late-winter colors. Mimi presents an interesting study in black and white, looking so exotic compared to the color version. I love all the textures, then Mimi’s blackness that fills the photo.
I still have to check Mimi and me for ticks when we’ve been out in the woodland garden, but it’s worth it for the adventure. The deer only show up at night, no more sleeping around in the leaf litter, so less contact with the leaves and soil. And I’ve moved the fallen branches and cut down most of the bushes growing back there. Years ago I had some rhododendrons and azaleas along with forsythia (which is everywhere) and the native hemlock, but after years only the hemlock survives along with one well-chewed rhododendron and a some stringy forsythias after behind outgrown by non-native honeysuckle and grapevines.
I have the old mulberry that Mimi has walked on all trimmed down, and soon I’ll be able to borrow a small chain saw to finish it off. I know Mimi will miss it, but I will leave the basic structure of larger branches for her to continue to climb on.
She loves to rub ber face against anything that protrudes, and this little stub of a branch gets quite the treatment.
And then she’s back on the ground on a small branch and still carefully balancing.
It’s so nice to be out there cold or warm, in the sun and quiet. I can walk around and do the work to clean it up and plan for the future, and Mimi can enjoy herself in her little playground.
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From Instagram
So much to share since last week! A photo of all 10 cats, a couple of videos, and lots of fun, and naps!
Friday:
Look at all those eyes, eyeing up those forsythia branches, which I hope to see bloom a little early. We’ll see what happens when I turn my back. Actually, they’ve been surprisingly good about them. I’m more concerned about them chewing twigs, but they sniff and rub on them with only a few test bites.
Working on a new painting, outdoors! It’s pretty big, 24 x 36, and it’s a lot of pastel because it’s kind of abstract, so since the weather is nice, and the light is good in that spot, I decided to just move it outdoors. Another nice thing about warm weather. The first photo is my hand with pastel, you should have seen my face. Good thing nobody stopped by to visit, I would have scared them off.
Second photo is the girls, who really wanted to come outside, but with leashes, and all those legs on things, this is about how I figured it would happen.
Third photo is the actual painting. A customer liked my painting “Winter Sunset, After Rothko,” which was 8 x 10 vertical, and she needed it to be 24 x 36 and horizontal. This photo is a little too saturated but close enough. So here we go.
Saturday:
Settling in for a long #caturday nap. Mr. Sunshine washes everyone, and Giuseppe pops out when you didn’t even know he was there.
We didn’t receive sufficient attention today, so we’re going to get in your way and ignore you until we get it.
Sunday:
We hope you enjoyed a #purry #sunny #weekend like Jelly Bean did. Turn up the volume to hear the purr, caused by warm sun on his back.
My entryway lions, Mimi and Mewsette, guarding the entrance to our deck.
A #busybee visiting the crocus flowers. Pretty #springbloomingbulbs do more than get us humans excited about spring–they feed some sleepy #bees looking for a meal.
It’s now very #windy and Mimi is disapproving, Mewsette is a little scared. Some days there is no making them happy.
Monday:
Breakfast for 10!
Still can’t make them happy. Today is not windy, but I could make it warmer. I didn’t realize I was the weather goddess.
More basement flowers. These blue bacopa probably can’t wait to get outside into the sunshine because every time they bloom they’re faded just a little bit more.
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From around this date in past years
Pause Before the Rain, 2020
Morning was bright and sunny and afternoon bright overcast, and it was so hard for the two of us to stay inside. We went outside a few times as I took breaks and did a little work outside sweeping and raking up, but the last time we went outside the overcast was heavy and a few drops of rain began to spat here and there on dry leaves. Mimi wanted to go out into the yard, but every time she got up to go, a raindrop hit her, so she crouched again. We did walk around a bit, as you can see in one of our photos from Instagram today. It was disappointing, but we’ll have other sunny days soon.
From Instagram
Basil is starting the day on a high note, 9 feet above the floor.
Oh, we have some cleanup to do out here.
Giuseppe and Jelly Bean both have some white whiskers, showing them off for whisker Wednesday.
Photos from around this date in previous years
Odd Couples, 2019
Mr. Sunshine isn’t the type to share his space with anyone but a blood family member, but I guess the office chair was just too tempting. He’s often the one who will smack someone out of a spot he wants too, even if another cat was there first. Sienna was there first, and generally that’s where she is found, but Sunshine just decided to settle in with her and they both had a good nap. Sienna even cuddled up and tucked her nose, which was unexpected but totally sweet.
Saturday
Just cleaning up for dinner.
Seven cats ready for me to get it together.
Photos from years past.
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Poorly Organized Events, 2018
“It’s raining during my outdoor time. This was very poorly organized.”
This photo is from February 21, but it could be any third day in the month here as the weather dances around in transformative glee. Indeed, I told Mimi I would take her outdoors after I got a few other things done, but when later came it began to drizzle. Mimi was not happy, but she made the best of it. Then it snowed again, and then it felt like May the day after that, so we have lots of chances.
The next day, when it was snowing, Basil found a nice cozy napping spot.
I’m stuck at the kitchen sink because Basil is sleeping on my feet under my housecoat, and he’s really happy with his new cozy nap spot. Mr. Sunshine is waiting in line. Talk to you sometime later.
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Wordless Wednesday: Happy Wednesday! 2017
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Open Windows! 2017
Bella, Jelly Bean, Mimi, Hamlet, Basil. Of course there’s a screen.
I put one of the screens back in the dining room windows and opened it up to the afternoon air. They all lined up to catch the breeze, and then…
Squirrel! In surround sound! Not that muffled stuff like all winter long, that squirrel was right there!
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What other photos have I shared on or around this date?
Some foster updates from last year!
Charmee Helps Grade Papers
And then there’s little Charmee.
Charm is helping her person grade papers. That’s very important work.
It also means her person is on the floor with her papers, because Charm likes it that way.
Charm deserves this.
Imagine where Charm would be right now, and her kittens too, if some people hadn’t cared enough to rescue her. She certainly wouldn’t be lying on her back on a nice warm carpeted floor telling her person what to do.
Read more about Charm.
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Simon and Theo
Simon and Theo look pretty relaxed down there in Savannah! My niece shared a couple of photos of them napping on Valentine’s Day.
I don’t have a rescue story ready for today, and with a couple of assignments this has been a busy week so far. Instead, I’ll be sharing updates on my former fosters!
They’ve been there a little over a month and all is going well. They have the run of the house, and they take advantage of it. Theo was pretty bold from the beginning, but Simon kept in one bedroom or another and was afraid to come up the hallway on his own.
That could have been because of the D-O-G, Bingo. Dogs weren’t really in their experience, but my niece told me the first time Theo and Bingo came nose to nose, Theo looked scared, then hissed, and Bingo—well-trained by his tabby fur sister Elsa—immediately started whining an apology and backing up. Theo was pretty impressed with himself. Apparently this worked for both of them.
Simon just needed a little more time, and now Jennifer tells me he’s just everywhere. She opens a door, he’s in the closet, in the refrigerator, in the cabinet. I did warn her, but it’s hard to explain and she just had to experience it.
They both seem very happy. I’m thrilled to see them.
The lead tabby girl, Elsa, has been keeping in her room for now, so perhaps in time she’ll be back out running the show. Baby developed a URI about two weeks after the boys arrived, and it might have been something they carried, one of the casualties of moving pets distances, or it might have been a flare-up of a URI when she was a kitten. Cassidy had to wait to take her home from the shelter because Baby had developed a URI and her eyes were really infected; they almost thought she wouldn’t survive, and in fact her sibling did not. But Baby did, and came home. When felines are stressed, they tend to hold things inside, reducing their immunity, and situations like this are stressful. All seems to be well now.
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From Facebook and Instagram
All kitties like to nap on the bed. It’s hard to tell because it’s so dark but this is Hamlet and Ophelia cuddling on the nice soft comforter. They played all afternoon.
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Well, someone’s getting bold. Hamlet on the windowsill in my studio, while I’m working at my desk with Giuseppe on my lap.
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What other photos have I shared on or around this date?
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Daily Photo: A Few More of Bert–oops, Simon!, 2015
Yes, Bert’s name is now Simon, and it’s such a natural for him that I took to it right away and forgot he was called Bert for quite some time! I have a few of my favorites here along with a few from his adopter, Christy, who has been sharing his photos on my Facebook page and sending me updates. Above he looks soft and sweet and ready for petting, which he was—I’m so glad he got to like it because everyone is going to want to touch such a beautiful cat.
Simon tended to blend in with things in the bathroom and I finally got a photo of him in the tub looking very handsome.
He took to the scratcher and loved to stretch his back while digging into the strip of jute carpet backing I have at the top, and always made sure it was convenient for me to scratch his back with he stretched.
While Ernie really liked the cat track that was just a track, Simon liked the one with the scratcher in the center, and had developed a habit of sitting purr-fectly centered there. I finally got him to look up at me.
He never did get what I enjoyed about being totally covered with water.
We’re using this photo as our Sunday Selfie this week!
Scroll down to see who else is participating.
Now these photos are Simon in his new home! First, he’s soaking up the affection. He transitioned right to his new person without any hesitation.
Piper, the resident kitty, comes over to see what’s happening. Piper has been curious and friendly, but both are being cautious.
Piper is still the lord of the manor, but Simon is definitely finding his place there.
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From Facebook and Instagram
Feel like you’ve got your head stuck in an oatmeal box? Well, maybe you do Giuseppe.
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Wordless Wednesday: Truly Spring, 2013
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Clean Up This Snow, 2012
Mimi is fine with the collar, and even the leash is okay.
But cold, wet paws are not part of the bargain. She did take one step out of the clear spot on the big rock, then got back up on the step.
“You need to get out there and clean up that snow,” she looked up at me and said.
This from the kitty who used to trot all over the neighborhood in all sorts of weather.
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Memories of mornings in the garden. Â 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.
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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!
