Flashback Friday

Today we return to the thrilling days of this week in 2013!

The Cardinals were enjoying the rebuilt feeder.  I love the one in flight!  The double baffle really did (and still does) baffle the squirrels.  I saw one try again yesterday.

I had quite a large flock of them sometimes...  And these are just the males.  The females were in branches waiting to take their turn feeding.

The Mews all got along well at the time (sometimes it was "iffy" with Ayla and Iza, but the the bed was sort of neutral territory).   And of course Marley was between them.

Iza and Marley often went mousie-hunting together.

Iza loved rolling around in the leaf debris.  She would come in covered with stuff and I had to brush it off her (just by hand) so that I wouldn't find the bed covered with leaf-grit.

I had beds of Hyacinths then.  That was before the voles infested the yard and found them.  Now there are just individual survivors.  I need to get after the moles again.  The moles make the tunnels the voles use to search for roots to eat

And Ayla was enjoying "walking the fence"...

Thankful Thursday

TBT:  Well, it's been nearly 3 years since Laz arrived.  It was difficult for Laz, Ayla, and me for a couple years but things have been getting better.  So I am thankful for that.

Laz is calmer (because of Lori, a peaceful and stable home, and age).  Ayla is out of her hiding places more often.  

They sometimes walk past each other closely without concern.  Sometimes they even stop and sniff nosies.

This pic is a few weeks old, but it is representative.

 

Womancat Wensday

LORI:   I love sitting up on the fishy-tank!  The water is heated, the light is also warm, and I can watch the little fishies swimmin around in the plants...

There is even a little ladder next to it just for me.

Twofur Tuesday

LAZ AND LORI:   Its a good day fer nappin together!

Mancat Monday

MARLEY:  Sometimes I like ta find a differnt place ta nap.  This chair in the bedroom has several soft towels.  And the mat on the top is inneresting ta look at before I fall asleep (not that it takes very long).

 

Flashback Friday

 This week 2015...  The Mews were waiting to get out.  But I just wanted to get some pics.

Don't worry, they all got out in plenty of time to hunt mousies and enjoy the day.

Cuddly Kitten Day

Marley...

 

Womancat Wensday

LORI:   After over a year of wrasslin with Laz, I thought I was pretty good at it.  So I approached Marley and raised a paw in invitation...

Dang, what was I thinking?  He just put a paw on my back, pushed me ta the floor, licked my head and walked away laffing.  No kitty here can really wrassle with Marley.  Laz tries and does , but Marley is kind enough not to hurt him.  With me, it was hardly even a thought on his part ta wrassle.

I better go back ta wrasslin with Laz.  At least we are close in weight.  Laz has gotten to 10 pounds and I reached 8...

Where Was Lori?

TBT:   Yesterday we posted a pic of Marley and Laz synchronized-napping together and the question of where Lori was at the time came up.  She was nearby...

Its just that she wasn't synchronized (and wasn't quite fully in the picture).  I'm sure she joined Laz later.  😸

Mancat Monday

Synchronized nappin...

 

Caturday Saturday

 LORI:  I know Laz knows where I am.  That's OK.

Actually, he is more confused about why I am under there.

He has never quite understood the comfort of "under"...  

Flashback Friday On St Catrick's Day

Today we return to 2022, when Marley O' Marley said  HAPPY ST CATRICKS DAY

and showed off his fancy hat!

He even had his own crest!

 

Thankful Thursday

We are Thankful for each other...

 

Womancat Wensday

LORI:   I was enjoyin the bloo blankie.  Nosed into the folds and crawled around a bit...

Peek-A-Boo!

But I decided it was better on top.  More softness unnerneath, ya know?

Those late-night pics are tricky though...

Twofur Tuesday

 We are back at it...

Mancat Monday

MARLEY:  Today is Hammick Day...  I love my hammick!

 But I also like sleepin UTB.

But the hammick is still a favrit place.  No other Mews likes it like I do.

And I probly shouldnt say, but they best not try to take my spot...  I'm all peaceable, but I do love my hammick, ya know?

Easy Like Sunday

0... Why the countdown?  Because...

THE MEWS:  Well, it doesn't happen often, but we hit a new round number of posts, so we thought we would happify about it.

Its not like it was a goal.  These numbers come up every couple of years just by posting.  But it is nice to see them and celebrate sometimes.  When we started, well, it wasn't actually us as The Mews.  It was Skeeter and LC at first.  An TBT.  But they never expected ta reach 100 (not knowing what they were getting into).

TBT tells us it all started seeing a "free blog" button somewhere (Max The Psychokitty?) an he tried it.  Well, he had been lurking there for a couple years.

TBT here:  Yeah, it all started because I took a chance and clicked a button in 2006.  It was pretty dismal and confusing at first.  Just text at the start and they couldn't speak well.  I learned how to correct some language issues (but not totally (theyy have their own voices).  

Skeeter and LC did not understand windows and doors and such very well then.  And I didn't understand managing pictures very well then.  When I figured out pictures (my first digital camera), there were pics and text all over the place randomly.  Learning how to do better has been fun.  Taking better pics (sometimes) has been good too.

I think there are 3 ways of looking at this.  The immediate one is the joy of paying attention to The Mews in pictures mostly daily.  Some people just "have cats" and don't see them as they grow and age (and sadly leave).  They have little to remember them by.

The second is writing with pics.  I love every (worthwhile) pic I get and telling the story of each picture.  If I couldn't write in some way, I wouldn't live very happily.

But 3rd, there is all of you.  I sure wasn't the first cat-blogger (I learned a lot from them), but I have met so many others since I started.  It has added so much to my life.  Some were there at the start and left, some have come into my life along the way and remained, and some are new.  I and we love you all.

The blog started with Skeeter at 14 and LC at 13...

I never really thought they would leave...  Sure others had before, but time was passing differently with them after I retired and was with them all day.  I didn't feel I was getting older every day at home, so how could they?

So I was blogging happily.  When Skeeter faded slowly and LC followed him later, I had Ayla as a kitten.  And since she needed a friend of her own kind, I got Iza.  And then another orange cat, Marley.

So the blog went on...

Ayla was the true start of "The Mews".  I needed a name other than "Skeeter&LC".

It was Ayla & Iza.  Then Ayla, Iza and Marley.  Then it was (sadly) Ayla and Marley.  Then Ayla, Marley and Lapis Lazuli (aka Laz).  Today, it is Ayla, Marley, Laz, and Lorelei Lee (aka Lori). I cherish them all.

But I know The Mews will change someday.  Ayla is 15+.  And though in good health, The Bridge will call to her some year (too soon).  Meanwhile, I expect I will keep posting.  Part of life is loss and part of loss is remembering.  

So 5,500 posts really means that many memories+.  Who gets to have 5,500 pics-with-text memories of anything/anyone?

That's why I celebrate the round numbers.  Every one is a "Day In The Life" of some or more of them.  

And who could ask for anything more?

From Skeeter...

To Ayla...

To Lori...

And talk about size?  Marley examined Lori when she first arrived.

And now, she jumps on him and he plays "pretend wrassling"...

It is all wonderful...