Category Archives: humor

The Cardboard Box Wars Have Resumed

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Large Amazon cardboard box on my dining room table, the infamous THE BOX that sparked the cat wars.

🐱 The Cardboard Box Wars: Summer Truce Broken

Banner and Balboa sitting shoulder‑to‑shoulder at the sliding door, peacefully watching the summer yard together.Ah, the living room truce. It was too good to last. The cardboard box war wasn’t over — it was merely suspended, much like certain conflicts in the Middle East. A ceasefire, not a peace treaty.

All summer long, the boys were peaceful. They sat shoulder-to-shoulder at the window, watching squirrels, crows, and humans riding lawn mowers. Once they got over the noise, it became their morning entertainment. A live-action nature documentary.

But summer is ending, and the cats are getting restless. The squirrels are still out there, perpetually hungry and hiding nuts, but apparently that no longer holds their attention. And I — their long-suffering hooman — accidentally reignited hostilities.

📦 The Great Box BreakdownStack of empty cardboard boxes on the living room floor, ready for the Great Box Breakdown.

It started innocently. I noticed the recycle bins were empty — a rare cosmic event. I can never figure out when they get emptied, so there’s never room for anything. My cardboard box supply had become a mountain.

So out came the X-Acto knife. Banner and Balboa watched closely. I swear I saw a tear in Balboa’s eye.

I kept one box to hold the flattened cardboard. The plan was simple: take all but one box to the trash. They’ve been sharing a box in the living room all summer, peacefully coexisting like two diplomats who finally learned to take turns.

🚀 The Orange Missile Strikes

Banner sitting proudly inside THE BOX on the dining room table, claiming it for the first time all summer.I was down to THE BOX — the large box that was the focal point of the spring wars. I reached for it with high hopes of reclaiming my dining room table.

Then it happened.

A furry orange streak launched itself like a ballistic cruise missile. Banner was on the table and inside THE BOX (for the first time all summer) before my hand even got halfway there.

Tail up. Paper crinkling. Banner settling in.

The box had been reclaimed at the last possible moment.

🔄 The Power ShiftBalboa sitting deep inside THE BOX, surrounded by crinkled packing paper, claiming it after the power shift.

Like any good peace negotiator, I let the moment settle. I figured Banner would lose interest, and I could attempt a stealth removal later.

But when I returned from taking the other boxes outside, the situation had changed.

Banner was now in the living room box. Balboa was in THE BOX.

A full personnel swap.

🏳️ The War Resumes

Believe me, I know when I’ve been beaten. The Box Wars have resumed. Someday I may regain the use of my table… but today is not that day.

Banner and Balboa battling over the cardboard box, one inside and one reaching in — the Box Wars fully resumed.

 

WMEO Special Report: It’s National Toasted Marshmallow Day!

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An empty WMEO 9 news desk sits in a brightly lit newsroom. A microphone and two sheets of paper rest on the desk, and multiple blurred screens with news graphics appear in the background along with a city skyline.

This is an WMEO Special report. Our anchors are on location tonight.

We bring you live from the WMEO campground, a full report on the marshmallow celebration for Toasted Marshmallow Day. Our intrepid reporters, Banner and Balboa, are on location tonight, investigating the state of marshmallow toastiness across the region. Early findings suggest high fluff levels, excellent golden‑brown technique, and one missing marshmallow (Balboa continues to deny involvement).

Cartoon versions of two cats sit by a small campfire at night, each holding a stick with a marshmallow over the flames. The orange cat on the left and the black cat on the right are roasting marshmallows in a simple outdoor scene with a dark background and grass at the bottom.

[Live‑Mic Moment] (Audio crackles. The campfire pops.)

Banner: “You burned mine again!”

Balboa: “It’s called caramelization, genius.”

Banner: “It’s called sabotage.”

Balboa: “You’re lucky I didn’t eat yours for evidence.”

(Producer voice off‑screen) “Uh… we’re still live.”

Both: “Oh.” (awkward pause, then cheerful tone)

Banner: “Back to you at the desk!”

Stay tuned for updates as the investigation heats up.

 

Two marshmallows on a wooden stick roast over bright orange flames, with the marshmallows turning golden brown as smoke rises from the fire.

WMEO 9 — Feline News Desk Commentary- What’s in a Name

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The Newroom cats of WMEO prepare to share thier thoughts on the mews of the day

WMEO 9 — Feline News Desk Commentary- What’s in a name?

Broadcasting live from the living room newsroom

Banner: “WMEO 9 Breaking Mews: “The humans are renaming lakes now. Apparently renaming the Gulf of Mexico wasn’t enough — they’ve moved inland.”

Balboa: “Next up: renaming puddles. I call dibs on the one under the kitchen sink.”

Banner: “Experts say Lake Ontario might become Lake America. I say experts need a nap.”

Balboa: I renamed my litter box Lake Trump. It still smells and its still a terrible idea. Still more thought than the humans put into theirs.”

Banner: “Experts say renaming a lake doesn’t fix anything. I say experts should look at my brother’s litter box.”

Balboa: “Hey! My litter box is a natural ecosystem. It has layers and  history. It has… sediment.”

Banner: “It has EPA violations.”

Kitty Litter box with a sign designating it as Lake Trump. 2 crayons sit ont he floor

WMEO Educational Moment

Banner: “By the way, Lake Ontario already has a name. It comes from the Huron and Iroquois languages meaning ‘great lake,’ ‘beautiful lake,’ or ‘sparkling waters.’”

Balboa: “So it already had a good name. Unlike my litter box.”

Banner: “Correct. Some things don’t need renaming. Some things need cleaning.”

2 Newsroom cats signing off at the end of thier mewscast

 

Banner: “More updates as the humans continue renaming things nobody asked them to.”

This has been a WMEO Commentary. We Meow-You Listen

Please resume your regular scrolling

 

Happy Birthday to Balboa, Age 6, Professional Diva

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Black house panther cat with striking yellow eyes lounging on a blanket, showing his diva personality.

A House Panther’s Sixth Year: Drama, Treats, and Tiny Claw Pokes

Six years ago, I adopted a “shy, skittish” cat. They said you’d hide. You’d be nervous. They did not say you’d become the CEO of the household and union leader of the Treats & Cat Grass Department.

You were never shy with me — but strangers? The door opens and you perform a disappearing act that would make Houdini proud. Banner might try to escape for adventure; you vanish to avoid conversation.

You’ve grown from a tiny lap kitten into a full-grown house panther who still needs pre‑appointment medication just to survive a vet visit. It’s a checkup, Balboa, not an assassination attempt. No one is plotting your demise; they just want to look in your ears.

Fireworks remain your mortal enemy. Banner watches them like he’s waiting for popcorn, but you hear one “pop” and immediately enter Witness Protection. This year’s barrage was especially bad; you’re still decompressing in your safe zones like a little furry war veteran, tucked into your kitty condos and behind the headboard. Can cats have PTSD?

But when the world is quiet? Balboa, you strut. You rule. It’s snacks on demand with the confidence of a cat who has never once paid rent. You boss your brother, you boss me, and you poke me with those tiny claws when you feel I’m not paying proper tribute.

Happy Birthday, Balboa. May your next six years be filled with treats, naps, and minimal explosions. You will always be my baby kitty.

 

Banner’s Closing Statement

“Yeah, yeah, Happy Birthday, Balboa. I’d have gotten you a present, but every toy I buy somehow becomes your toy anyway. Also, please stop screaming when the vet calls — you’re embarrassing both of us.”

 

The Reality Behind the Shot- Wildlife Photography Tales

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A large brown bear moves through dense autumn foliage, its head visible among branches covered in bright orange leaves.

The Truth About Wildlife Photography (As Told by a T‑Shirt)

Red fox baby on MondayEvery once in a while, something comes along that perfectly sums up an entire hobby. For wildlife photography, it isn’t a dramatic eagle shot or a fox leaping through golden light — it’s a T‑shirt. A T‑shirt that insists photography is simply “being in the right place at the right time”… followed by a dozen more “right” things, from the lens to the batteries to the background to the angle. It’s funny because it’s true, and every wildlife photographer knows it.

Why This T‑Shirt Gets It Right

People love to say, “Wow, you must have been lucky to get that shot.” Luck plays a part, sure, but it’s the smallest slice of the pie. Wildlife photography is mostly patience, persistence, and a willingness to stand in uncomfortable places for long stretches of time while your subject does absolutely nothing. It’s waiting for the light to cooperate, adjusting settings on the fly, and hoping your batteries don’t die at the exact moment a squirrel finally decides to pose. (Click Here for my squirrel Story)

The wildlife itself adds a whole extra layer of unpredictability. Animals don’t care about your perfect composition or your carefully chosen lens. They wander off, turn around, hide behind rocks, or stare at you like you’re interrupting their day. Sometimes they give you the “I might charge you” look, and suddenly the shot doesn’t seem quite so important anymore.

And yet, we keep doing it. Because every once in a while, everything lines up — the light, the moment, the subject, the settings, the batteries, and your own stubborn determination. You get the shot that makes all the waiting, sweating, freezing, and gear‑lugging worth it. (Having the right gear is very helpful too)

That’s why this T‑shirt is so perfect. It doesn’t glamorize wildlife photography. It doesn’t pretend it’s easy. It simply tells the truth with a wink: it takes a whole lot more than being in the right place at the right time. It takes all the “right” things coming together at once — and a photographer who’s willing to chase them.

Disclosure:

Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you decide to buy something through them, I may receive a small commission — it helps support the site and my photography adventures, at no extra cost to you. Team Arounddustyroads thanks you