Mimi and Mewsette Monday: Mimi Spies…Mewsette, November 5, 2020

November 18, 2025 Bernadette

Ooo, Mimi has her eyes on something! Is it a bird? a squirrel?

On this particular day in November 2022 I was moving basement things from under my tent in the back yard back into the basement after my furnace had been installed a month before. And of course Mimi and Mewsette were out there with me, Mimi keeping a close watch on me and the back yard from her vantage point on the deck railing.

She reaches the corner of the deck rail, intently watching something out in the yard.

Had to get a closeup. Look at her precious face! She is 17 years old here.

Well, maybe that thing out there isn’t so exciting, but still worth watching. (My goodness, those tiny paws!)

Her gargoyle posture, but maybe drifting off into thought. So what had she spied, and watched…?

It’s Mewsette! She’s wandering around what’s left under the tent, and I’m sure Mimi had fun watching her tail moving above some of the plants out at the end of the yard, and among the boxes under the tent.

Now, how much moving of boxes do you think I accomplished? I was still moving things back inside on December 4, after we’d had a light snow…but I don’t regret one moment of enjoying Mimi and Mewsette’s adventures outdoors, and photographing them in their activities.

~~~

From Instagram

Bella decided to make her caturday breakfast more exciting and authentic this morning. She finished most of it, then ran and found her favorite fleece mousie and chased it and tossed it in the air all around the kitchen until it landed in her food bowl, and then she finished her breakfast.

Truly mimicking a feline’s experience of catching prey for her breakfast, now she’s too excited to have a bath and a nap and she’s playing around the kitchen being pretty proud of herself.

Brought in the geraniums. They’re downloading a whole summer’s worth of messages. Some Mimi’s Homegrown Catnip seeded itself in there too.

~~~

From the Back Yard and Beyond

A Man-made Thing

Photos from previous years…

Wandering the Leaves, 2022

black cat in yellow leaves — Mimi on her tree branch above the leaves.

Mimi looks spectacular against the leaves. She loved to walk on the fallen branch, and I loved to photograph her, before I decided to move it to start rehabbing that part of my flower beds.

My back yard was layered with mostly yellow leaves, big maple and tulip poplar leaves until the freezing weather last week. They had all fallen from the trees, and I’m so glad I managed to get a few more videos of them falling, but I also just wanted photos of all those leaves to use as backgrounds in designs, and also to use as a backdrop for product photography. And just to look at.

Mimi makes her way through the leaves.

And breaks into a run!

And for kitties to wade their way through on a series of warm, sunny November afternoons. With the angle of the sun so low, and the hill to my west, the houses and the hill block the sun after early afternoon, so we have to make sure we get out there at the right time of day to enjoy them. Mewsette carefully walks on the stepping stones under the leaves, then just starts to wander around the yard for the best spot of sun.

Mewsette carefully walks on the stepping stones under the leaves.

Wandering around the yard for fun.

Last weekend, before the rain, I finally gave the yard its last mowing, mulching up the leaves as I worked. They had all turned burnished and brown, soft and warm in its own right, when the first freeze came. But a sunny day is still a great day to be on the catwalk…

black cat on deck rail — Mimi on the catwalk

…and to visit all the wicker chairs in your yard.

~~~

From Instagram

Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate and if not I hope you have a day of things that you can be thankful for.

I have more things to be thankful for than I can list, including this pie which I made from pumpkins my neighbor gave to me from her garden, and I cannot only enjoy it but I also have friends to share it with.

All the things I am thankful for have something to do with interconnections like these, things that we don’t even notice bind us in love and generosity with other people, forming a gentle net that holds us all in a shared humanity.

But I still had to test the pie first before I shared it with anyone!

Bella is kind of going overboard with her nap on this dark and drizzling day.

~~~

From the back yard and beyond

Clearing at Sunset

Photos from previous years…

Remembering Nicer Weather, 2019

We’ve had a number of totally cloudy days, but the real disappointment is when the morning is bright and sunny though could, but the sun hides behind clouds before it gets to the front courtyard where Mimi and I like to hang out. So we remember a nice sunny afternoon last week. We still have just enough leaves around and even a few green leaves that they really light up when the sun shines.

From Instagram on Saturday

A good day for Sienna and Mimi to hang out in the warm kitchen.

Mimi and Sienna have box seats for my standing physical therapy performance. Apparently they are not pleased with my performance.

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Photos from previous years…

Mariposa Exploring Downstairs, 2018

Yesterday was bight and sunny and Mariposa finally decided to come all the way down the stairs and explore. It’s a whole new world!

Below, the photo is a little blurry, but she is still so pretty.

Mariposa really wants to play! Hamlet didn’t realize he was in her target area. More from Mariposa’s adventures yesterday.

Hamlet wasn't aware he was in Mariposa's swing area. — Hamlet wasn’t aware he was in Mariposa’s swing area.

Look out for that white mitten, Hamlet!

Then she made her way over to the shop area.

It’s difficult to catch her so things are a little blurry!

And then Hamlet joined her! She was thrilled.

I'm going to get you, Hamlet! — I’m going to get you, Hamlet!

Later, she joined Mimi and me in the studio, Mimi on one thigh and Mariposa on the other.

Until a few minutes passed…

She wants you to know she not only haz mittenz but she also haz whiskerz.

I hope she has a chance to meet some visitors soon. She was a little shy when someone stopped today, so she needs some practice.

Read about other cats for adoption, and my foster cats.

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Many of my readers have often been generous in helping with the costs associated with rescues and other issues needing funding. Long ago I began a program I called “Donate For a Discount”. I will give you a gift certificate toward shopping on my website in thanks—for every $25.00 you donate in goods or cash I’ll give you a gift certificate for $5.00 off a minimum $25.00 purchase. You can read more about it on this page on Portraits of Animals.

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AfterDinnerNap-Etsy

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Mimi in the Formal Garden votive lamp

Mimi in the Formal Garden tile.

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