Collie Pinwheel

 ...And other randomness.....

The Collie girls and I were tired after a busy day off (for me) so we took a break on the deck, and the girls crashed.  Days off (mine) are such hard work for them!   They can't nap seventy times a day when I'm there, as I have to be snoopervised constantly.   Starting at the lower left and clockwise we have Minty, Carly and mommy Ashley.   They often lay close like this when sleeping however occasionally it all goes bad when Ashley comes up out of dead sleep with fangs bared and ominous growls.  But they still risk it.   

Ashley says, who me??

And we can't forget our little short Collie, Tang, who was hanging out in one of the deck chairs with us, also resting. 

 This weekend I was finally able to get an old-bedset-drawer-turned-bench-soon-to-be-turned-cat-sunroom moved into the catio and remodeled.   My sister gave it to me back in the summer after she converted it to a bench and then became tired of it in her breezeway.  It sat out front on the sidewalk all fall and finally I got a sunny day and the time to set it up.   I mounted it on an old (for real) bench in the catio, slid a clear roofing panel behind it and one over the top, screwed those down and added some chair cushions I found at a garage sale last summer and ta-da---instant kitty suite.  Then the kitties got to come out and inspect it.  They approved.    I plan to get a flexible fabric cat cube to put in the middle section so that there will be more privacy in each 'room'.  That way the ambushers won't have such an easy job of it.  Total cost to me was zero, since I had the panels, screws, cushions and of course bench on hand.  Now the kitties will have an outside hangout when it's raining (or snowing) and they still want to hang out in the catio.  The roof on the 'sunroom' extends out about a foot and half on one end so they can sit on concrete blocks under that as well and still stay dry.  

 Lastly one of our many gorgeous sunsets this winter.  

Catio Saturday

 Saturday was about as fine a day as it gets--sunny, warm--but not hot--and a lovely breeze.   On the agenda for the day was installing a new 'cat shelf' in the Catio and also dragging a large tree branch into their Catio for a taste of wild.   I had my eye on this particular branch for some time.  It was from my plum tree and had been damaged, but not broken during the Ice Storm in 2007.   I finally got it chainsawed off and dragged out to the catio area but hadn't gotten it installed yet.  

After luring the kitties inside with the promise of treats, I shut off all access to the great outdoors (otherwise known as the catio).  Then I proceeded to drag the limb in and secure it safely, and also do some cleaning and other maintenance, all the while being aware of staring faces and wailing voices at at the inside windows.

As soon as I got things under control I let the kitties come out and 'help' me.  We got the shelf up in good time and they tested the tree and shelf and were very very happy kitties.  About the only thing they love more than their Catio is having me out there with them.  I have no idea why but it seems to make them happy.  

Here are a few pictures of contented kitties soaking up the sun.  I have more kitty pictures of them exploring their new 'tree'.....maybe in a few days I'll get that posted.  

Sage Grass Cat snoopervises tree activities

  

Verity getting high on sunshine, warm pavement and a wad of wool fleece

Noah loves his catio and found a glorious patch of sun

Isn't this the best --soaking up some sunbeams

I couldn't stop taking pictures of him....

Utter contentment (utterly destroyed two seconds later when his brother ambushed him)

Tempe in High Places

Trinity on the new 'East Shelf"

Chaco on the 'High Shelf'

Chaco again--cats and sunshine make me smile

Trinity was quite possessive of the new East Shelf--it's mineminemine!

Tempe feeling the wind in her furs

Gabe doing his best Dr. Suess character impression

Hope you enjoyed a sunny day in the Catio!

Scenes From A Snowy Catio

Verity 'disappears' into a straw pile

 A few pictures taken during the last few snow and/or ice and/or sleet storms --sometimes all three--that we have had.   The kitties for the most part hate not to be able to go out in the catio, but sometimes they just pop out and back in.   During the ice/sleet the other day I had to shut the cat-flap with the plastic insert because the wind was blowing it open!   In between storms I would open it up again, and the kitties would rush out and check things out.  

Trinity warms her toesies in a straw pile on the bench

They do enjoy their straw piles when I toss some around in there.    Verity had so much fun the other day that she scattered it all over the place.  She would run and dive and slide on it across the catio.  Then she leaped up on the high shelves and played in the snow!  

Verity lives high and dangerous on the snow covered cat shelf

Then Gabe was playing in the sleet the other day.  He'd run and chase it and have a good old time, then rush in the house and jump up in my lap to warm his cold, wet, icy feet.  

I am Queen of the World!! 

Of course the birds are constant and endless entertainment for them.   To avert the winter blues (aka getting into trouble) for the kitties, I also bought a toy called DaBird.  I'd read about it on several other blogs and thought I'd try it out.  The kitties love it and would play endlessly with it, if only their 'bean didn't wear out.   The toy itself is similar to many 'toys on stick' for kitties, but when the 'bird' (feathers) flies through the air it looks and sounds eerily similar to a real bird in flight.  

Here is the Lame-O lineup---Sage, Chaco & Trinity fear their toes will freeze off if they touch the snow

And Spring will be here soon, with warm days to soak in the sun and long balmy nights to sit outside and watch the deer and other varmints prowl around.   I'm ready for it and I think the kitties are too.  

Tempe in the straw

The Catio has been a blessing indeed around here.  We still 'have issues' but the kitties are sleeker, more alert and healthier looking than ever before.  Noah especially has benefited much to my surprise.  For those who don't know, Noah (the big orange kitty) has seizures--usually at least one episode a week.  He was becoming a fat, lazy and dull acting boy, but with the introduction of the Catio, he has lost weight, runs and plays wildly --making laps around the catio, into the house (clack clack goes the cat flap) through the house then back outside and on and on.  He also takes long lazy naps in one of the little houses outside, particularly when he can soak up an afternoon of sunshine.  He even loves the da bird, and can track it quite well and sometimes even snag it.  His eye/paw coordination has always been a bit off since the seizures started but this effort was exciting to see.  

Tempe sees 'something' moving under the deck!

Hope you all are having a good week and maybe a nice sunny spot to curl up in!

Gabe bats the sleet around---millions of little round play toys!

 

Back inside the kitties patiently work on my continued training--"Now we keep the treats in HERE, and you get them out for us when we need them"!  Gabe, Chaco & Tempe

And the Old Man, Meshach has the right idea as he melts into a puddle in front of the stove

Scenes From The Catio

Noah Optimistically Checks to See if it's Still Raining

Yep...still coming down.

But I Wanna Go Out And Play!

Ho Hum...Meshach & Noah Pass a Rainy Day...

 Then the sun came out and this 'bean had the day off so she added a new shelf to the catio!  A smaller shelf was added several weeks ago, but this one was longer and higher....

Instant cat approval...on all levels!

Tempe & Verity High in the Trees Bird Watching....

Synchronized Bird Watching

Look At That Form!

Here, from left to right are Gabe, Verity & Trinity Testing The New Shelf

Trinity Approves Too!

Verity On the Smaller Shelf That Acts As a Jumping point to the Larger Shelf

Verity Having a Nice Quiet Moment.  The Bird Feeder is Near Where I Took This Picture From

Hot

And really really dry.  I'm laying low in the house today.  Up early to tend to all the beasties and will do a noon watering and check on all, but otherwise I'm hibernating!  Pastures are shot.  I worry about all the old ones--the ancient chickens, the elderly sheep.  Here was my (brief) morning outside in pictures.  Hope it's cooler at your house! 

Looks more like fall with all the downed leaves

Here are the five elderly members of the flock.  The youngest is nine (the black one) and the rest are ten. 

Chaco & Noah hanging out in the catio

The 'garden' is growing.  The tomatoes are thriving in the heat

Cherokee Purples--Maybe I'll have tomatoes this year!

Volunteer Sunflower--cheerfully greats the burning sun

Trumpet vines --- fill up station for the hummingbirds

Deck tomatoes are looking great!

Trinity soaks up the sun....even when it's too hot for the rest of us

Hot Dogs.   Ashley, Minty, Carly

Trumpet vine--early morning heat haze

Minty wants me to do something about the heat!

The heat is hard to handle...but it's the dryness that is dreadful.  It's hard to see everything withering and dying.  

Praying for rain!