Where Have We Been?

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Where have we been?

I don’t mean travel. COVID still has us locked down but where have we been the last couple of weeks? Well kitten duty is time consuming. Even with toys Banner is a demanding little bugger! I try to play with him for at least 30 minutes before work every day. If I don’t he is so wound up I can’t get any work done. It took him only about 2 seconds with my back turned to tear into my work laptop. Yup he pulled the F2 key off. I lucked out because I snagged it back from him before he he swallowed it and I don’t use the F2 key. I didn’t even know what it did so other than a white spot I guess there was no real harm done.

We Got Our First Snowfall

It snowed here yesterday and then the temps dropped so we still have snow on the ground today. I read that the Farmer’s Almanac has predicted a snowy , cold winter. Why not?  2020 has thrown everything else at us!  I tried to get Banner interested in watching the snow come down but he had no interest at all, A kitten after my own heart. He’s more interested in the feather trim on my witch hat for Halloween.

 

You need to arch your back a little more , Banner , to get that scary Halloween witch cat look! At least he’s got the tail thing mastered.

New York Wildlife

On a more photography/travel related note I got my New York Wildlife Viewing guide. Hopefully this will help me choose some trips in 2021. I couldn’t just buy the book. The only way to get it was to subscribe to Conservationist Magazine. I’ve gotten one digital issue so far and it was really good. I hope some of my issues will be print because the color photos are gorgeous and the articles weren’t boring at all!

The first thing I checked was Adirondacks and the first place on the list was “The Wild” in Tupper Lake. If you recall my brother and I visited “The Wild” in August. 

From the description in the book it sounds like there is a lot more to it than what we saw. Of course we were there while the pandemic was still in full force so half the exhibits were closed. Once this COVID is all over I’ll have to go back. We might have missed some other things there too because my knees were  really limiting my mobility.  I’m working on possible solutions to improve that too.

Puzzle Update

The Puzzle is still laid out on the table but I picked up the loose pieces and put them in the box.  So far Banner has not tried to eat them but I don’t want to tempt him either. So there’s been no progress to report but no damage from curious kitty either. It’s just waiting for me to get some time to work on it again.

 

 

Banner’s New Toy

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Banner’s New Toy

Kittens are so much fun but keeping them amused can be a full time job. To help avoid kitty boredom I got Banner a new Toy.

It’s not like he was lacking toys . His starter arsenal included 12 mini mice, a crooked cat tree, a kick toy, catnip and a scratching ramp.  He lost the mini mice within 1 day. I found myself trekking back to the store for another package of 6.

Boxes, Boxes and more Boxes

I’ve been ordering from Chewy almost daily so the living room is filled with Chewy Boxes. I have to start throwing some out but Banner uses them all. They are another form of toy for him. Which one will I steal away from him first? One of his favorite games is “Find the Kitty” sort of a cat hide and seek. 

The Feather Wand

Rocky my cat

“Uncle Rocky”

Just like his “Uncle Rocky”, Banner loves his feather wand toy. Of course that requires my attention. He bounces and jumps like Tigger trying to catch that feather. We play with the Feather Wand every morning before I try to go to work. It’s fun but it’s also my way of trying to tire him out so I can work. He likes to sit on the computer keyboard or chew on my headset when I’m in a zoom meeting so getting him tired is a necessity.

The Wellness Checkup

Dr Ross, a mobile vet in our community came over for Banner’s wellness check that was required by the shelter I adopted him from. He passed with flying colors. Dr. Ross played with Banner and gave him treats. What a difference from my previous vet visits. No stress on Banner. No stress on me either. Switching vets was such a good idea. Yes, I know, I am spoiling my kitten. But I have to say he is one happy kitten. He’s my purr machine. The only thing I can’t get him to do is to eat wet kitten food. He only wants the dry. This is the first cat I’ve ever had that didn’t want wet cat food. 

Banner! I almost named you George

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His name is Banner, Not George

 

Looney Tunes got it right. He’s only been here since 8 pm last night and already I love him to pieces. I could kiss him and hug him and pet him and squeeze him but no, I didn’t call him George. His tail is just too much a part of his personality. It waives proudly like a banner or flag so his name is Banner.

Go Ahead, Say I told you so.

I know I said no more cats after Rocky but the house felt so empty without a furry friend. Then when covid came along and stuck us all at home it just wore me down. I have always believed that cats find me. I’ve never had to go looking for one and I didn’t really do much searching now. I told myself to be patient but the grapevine was quiet. I didn’t see any strays in the neighborhood. I didn’t even see my neighbor’s cat much.

Then out of nowhere a little kitten face popped up in my facebook feed! I see dogs for adoption all the time but this was the first kitty and I fell for that face. 

The Shelter named him Teddy

 I put in an application right away to Project Safe Pet- RI but Teddy was already spoken for. I didn’t want a different cat. I only wanted Teddy. Turns out my friend and former boss has connections there and she convinced them to give Teddy to me. The other adopters agreed to a different kitty. So here we are. I’ve renamed him Banner and we came home last night, October 10. I expected him to hide and left a lot of boxes around for him to explore but he wasn’t shy at all. He wandered all over the house. He found his food and litterbox and made himself at home.  I imagine you’ll be hearing a lot more about Banner. Kittens are crazy fun but can be trying. All that energy! But they are oh so worth it.

Birds, Birds and more Birds

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Birds, Birds and more Birds

Hawaiian NeNe (Goose)

Birds are a popular photo subject with me. My friends often tell me it’s time to stretch my wings and get a new subject and I do. I chase all kinds of wildlife. But sometimes the birds are just there. They are an easy subject because I don’t have to search for them. I can spend days trying to locate a fox or a moose or even a deer to photograph but birds are always around me.

Bird on a wire

I was near a pond in Norton taking shots of the fall foliage. Birds were the farthest thing from my mind when a hawk settled right above my head on a wire. How could I not take his picture?   Besides birds are a challenge to get a good shot. Although the hawk was right on a wire near me the background was filled with tree leaves. He also spend quite a bit of his time on the wire with his back to me. Not much of a picture if you can only get the back of a head!  So I continue to take pictures of birds.

 

 

 

 

Birds in Florida

Some of my best photos were in Florida. I always seem to have good luck there. I try to take most of my bird pictures in the wild. I may be at a wildlife sanctuary but the birds are wild and free to fly away. I got a second class photo of a very rare bird from an airboat. It’s called a snail kite and I didn’t realize how rare it was until I returned home and saw a special on the bird on PBS. The photo is blurry so I’m not going to share but the odds of me going back for a better one are pretty slim. 

Egret with Hot Dog

Accepted in Nat Geo “I Shot It” Contest

Maine Puffins

Another great bird trip was with the Audubon Society, I joined them for a trip to see the Maine Puffin Colony. What a trip! Who knew it could be so cold in the middle of July! We were in the Bay of Fundy where we could see the evidence of the 12 ft tides the area is known for.  I may have to think about doing it again because I’ve improved my photography skills since then. But I did get a few  ‘Braggable” shots.

Loons of New England

So now I have a new Bird Challenge. I need to get a decent photo of a common loon. Loons can be found in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and now the Lake George area of New York. I’ve seen them. I’ve heard them but always at a distance. So now my goal is to get close enough to get a good photo because I can do better than this!

 

I have some locations and ideas in mind but I think spring nesting season will be my best chance. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Puzzle update

No update this week. I’ve moved into the browns and purples and they are harder to match and I haven’t had much time to work on it.

The Wild Center

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The Wild Center, Tupper Lake NY

The Wild Center, formerly known as the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, creates an environment that lets you immerse yourself in nature. What do the eagles see? What would it be like to live in a spider’s web? On one of our aborted trips to Whiteface Mountain we detoured to the Wild Center. I’d heard about it from my sister and also read several articles in Adirondack Life magazine but I really couldn’t get my head around what it was. So what’s the best way to find out? Go there for myself.

A Walk On The Wild Side

The Wild Center gives new meaning to a walk on the wild side. Well maintained boardwalks wound through the forest and trees. My knees were not cooperating the day we were there. My limited mobility as I’ve gotten older continues to be a major frustration for me. On the board walks I was fine but when we left the boardwalk for the trail it got harder and soon I was parked on a bench watching families pass by to the river. Still I was able to enjoy enough to see what all the buzz was about. 

The Eagles Nest

One of the stops on the board walk that I heard mentioned over and over again was the Eagle Nest. I couldn’t imagine it but once I saw it I was hooked. A short climb up a series of stairs and you step into the world of the Eagle. Standing in the nest you look out over the tree tops just like an eagle would. There are panoramic views in all directions.

The Spider’s Lair

Nearby a rope spider web was stretched over a large hole in the board walk inviting the adventurous and non mobility challenged to test it out. A family was rolling around laughing a struggling to climb back up while we were there. Oh to be young again. I would have tried it in a heartbeat but I was pretty sure that if I got in I’d never get out now.  Just watching those teenagers convinced me my assessment was correct.

The Wild Walk

Wild Walk takes visitors up a trail of bridges to the treetops of the Adirondack forest. That was really tempting but once again caution limited what I was willing to try. The suspended bridges and the climb up the inside of the huge tree truck look like tons of fun. It made me think of the Swiss Family Robinson attraction at Disney. Lots of swaying walk ways suspended in the trees. 

Handicap Accessible

You may think from my comments on what I skipped that this is only for the young and fit but that’s not entirely true. The board walk is so wide and well maintained that you can easily navigate those sections with a wheel chair. On a nice day there is no better way to get out in nature and enjoy the beautiful Adirondack breezes.