Tag Archives: cats

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

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It’s Memorial Day Weekend

The three day, aka long Memorial Day Weekend, is here.  You, service men and women,  gave, not just weekends, but your sometimes your lives, so that we can have the lifestyle we enjoy today. Things would be much different if not for you and your sacrifices. Thank you. 

Memorial Day is Different this year

No More Masks! COVID restrictions are in the past!  There’s a new   level of freedom to Memorial Day after a year plus of lockdown.  Time for the Family Bar B Ques and celebrations, except mother nature isn’t cooperating.  Looks line rain in the forecast for the whole weekend  making  the unofficial start of summer  a bit of a dud. 

Are We Traveling?

The American Automobile Association (AAA) is predicting that more than 37 million people will travel at least 50 miles over the weekend, representing a 60% increase over last year.

I’d say travel this weekend is back with a vengeance. Even I had plans to dust off the camera and head out. I was thinking about going into Boston. The Flag Garden is back on the Common this year. It’s made up of 37,000 small flags  each one representing a fallen service member dating to the Revolutionary War. I think that must be an awesome sight and I’d like to have some photos of it. 

And Speaking of Traveling

Lake George, NY 2020

I am getting restless. I said I’d wait until next year but I’m not so sure about that now. Time to pull out a suitcase to get the cats used to seeing it.

 

Colorado is a definite and maybe Branson,  Missouri.  I think I will do a quick day trip or two to New Hampshire and maybe a long weekend to Lake George. I guess I need to get planning! Travel is back!

Love the Cats but What about Travel?

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Love the Cats but What about Travel?

I do enjoy talking about my cats. They give me great pleasure and make me laugh so like a doting grandma I tell their stories.

 

But I know I can get carried away so I’ll keep my kitty tales to myself this week and talk about travel. Hope that works for you.

Domestic or International?

Now that the vaccines have started flowing and the world is getting restless, like a flower unfolding after the winter’s snow, we’re slowly peeking our heads out. Will it be safe to travel again in 2021? If so where do you want to go? I’ve been giving that some serious thought.     

I’m primarily a domestic traveler and I think my first trip after COVID will probably be a domestic one. I feel more certain that it will be a clean resort although I hear plenty of horror stories.  I’m still a timeshare owner and for all the negative things you hear about timeshares, one thing I can say is that I’ve never had a bad resort experience with my time share.   They have all been top of the line, modern and clean. 

Using that same rational if I do decide on an international trip, it will be with my timeshare. 

Where Do You Plan To Go?

I think if I go for an international trip I’d head to Grand Cayman. I want to go to Stingray City. In past trips I’ve snorkeled with Manatees, gone night snorkeling with Manta Rays and snuba diving with giant sea turtles. I think I’d like to be able to check off the stingrays next.

Turtle Town 2020

As for a domestic trip the debate is still going on. Do I want a repeat visit somewhere or to go someplace new? I was trying to get to all 50 states but I may be running out of time because I keep going back to places I’ve really enjoyed and did you hear? Kilauea, the volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii is erupting again. That’s exciting. I always loved seeing Kilauea so do I want to go back to Hawaii?   

Lava Lake Glow

Kilauea’s Lava Lake glows 2018

So many placed so go, so little time! 

 

Any New Year Resolutions?

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New Year Resolutions

Ok, the big question…did you make any New Year Resolutions? 2020 was certainly a weird year when I look back on it. But I found myself wondering how you can make a resolution when the future is so unknown. I’m not ready to resolve to join a gym even though I need more exercise.  We have a light at the end of the COVID tunnel but its too soon to tell if its going to work. I miss traveling but I’m not sure I’m willing to risk my life for a little excitement. Hanging out at home isn’t so bad especially since I have my little buddies to amuse me. 

Travel Resolutions in 2021

If I do take a trip in 2021 I think it will be near the end of the year. I’m not making any reservations yet. Hopefully things will begin to ease up over the summer. I can do some day trips locally with my camera. I live in a beautiful part of the country. With The White Mountains of New Hampshire to the north and the rugged coast of Maine to the northeast Opportunity abounds. I can go south to Cape Cod and the National Sea Shore. Or take a boat trip to Stellwagen Bank to watch the whales.

Whale Breach off Cape Cod – 2017

 

Go west and we have the rolling mountains of the Berkshires.  So many day trips, so little time. 

Where to go for a “Big” trip in 2021

I’m not sure where I’ll go if I do take a trip in 2021. I might go back to Hawaii but part of me thinks I’ve been there too much and should take a break.

Dreaming of Hawaii

I was looking for a specific photo recently and couldn’t find it. The photo was from one of my trips to Sedona, AZ. I was thinking I might need to go back there again so that I can capture the missing picture again. It’s of Montezuma’s Castle  That’s not really a castle.

Montezuma’s Castle-By Tomas Castelazo – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10142804

Its a cliff dwelling and I know I had a picture.

The Bottom Line on Resolutions this year

 

Skip the usual resolutions!
I’m going to spend more time with my cats

 

Insanity runs Rampart in My Home

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Insanity runs Rampart in My Home

Yes, I know, I have 2 kittens, both under the age on 1 year. Of course life is insane but as I sat here this morning  watching them race around I found myself reminiscing. 

I thought back to when Rocky was a tiny kitten. His “Big Brother” was a senior kitty called Little Joe. Little Joe was the original “Grumpy Cat” He didn’t like other cats. He was a smush-faced Persian, kind of slow moving, aloof and just wanted to be left alone. Rocky was a tiny hellion who bounced off walls and loved his grumpy Big Brother. I spend a lot of time separating them so no one would get hurt.

Baby Rocky

 

I remember one time I heard little muffled whimpering and when I went to investigate I found Little Joe dragging Rocky across the floor…but not by his ruff. No Little Joe had Rocky’ s whole head in his mouth. That was why Rocky’s cries sounded muffled! But both Rocky and I survived his kittenhood and eventually Rocky became the “Old Man”.  And now I have kittens again.

Banner

His Highness- Banner

Banner is 6 months old now and starting to look like an adult. He’s going to be a fluffy cat and his tail is still his biggest feature. Banner is kind of slow moving. We play a game of soccer with tiny soccer balls. I throw them down the hall and Balboa chases them. Banner is like the goalie. Only he stretches out across the hall and if Balboa doesn’t catch the ball before it starts down the hall, Banner just bats it away with his paw and lays back down.  No racing around for him.

Banner

 

 

This morning as I got ready to take my shower I saw Banner get ready to use the litter box. His tail was sticking out over the side of the box. To my surprise Balboa came running and pounced on Banner’s tail! Oh no! I figured that would distract Banner- maybe even cause an “accident”  but no, Banner  paid no attention to Balboa chewing on his tail. He took care of his needs then calmly pulled his tail away so he could turn and cover up his business.

Balboa

Balboa is the crazy one. They said he was shy when I adopted him. Ha! They lied or else he had them all fooled. He is 2 months younger than Banner. Where Banner is poufy and lazy Balboa is lean and sleek. He’s shorthaired and shiny black with the energy of a formula one race car. Banner is very patient with him but once he wears out his big brother he heads to for me and we play fetch for an hour or two!

Wild Thing

 

 

Balboa, often called BB for short is also known fondly as “Sir Talks A Lot”. He mutters. Yup he wanders around the house talking to his toys, to Banner and to me. He doesn’t do anything in silence except maybe sleep. Balboa is my lap cat. Once he finally runs out of energy he just collapses like a limp rag and can stay on my lap all afternoon if I let him. Banner might make a short stop to say hi but then moves on. Not Balboa, He’s my buddy.

Don’t leave anything around where you don’t want it checked out either! I made the mistake of setting a bowl on the table while I got some other items out of the cupboard.  This is what I turned around to!

Not in the bowl!

Luckily I had another bowl and could run that one through the dishwasher again. 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas and Bye Bye 2020

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Merry Christmas to all

It doesn’t feel like Christmas this year. The parties and holiday spirit just doesn’t seem to be here. I think it’s because we’ve spend almost a full year locked down. I didn’t even send Christmas cards this year. Oh I made them up and put them together ready to send but then I never got around to addressing them and putting them in the mail. Do I send them late, an after Christmas wish or save them for next year? In case I decide to save them, here’s my Christmas wishes to all.

Busch Gardens – Santa

Bye Bye 2020

I’m happy to be saying good bye to 2020. It wasn’t bad enough that we’ve spent most of the year in quarantine but we lost my beloved sister -in -law, Robin.

 

And I lost another  piece of my heart when my furry feline companion  of 19 years crossed the rainbow bridge in March.

Rocky’s spirit lives on in his namesake, Balboa. Rocky was named after Rocky Balboa from the Rocky movies. When I adopted Balboa I decided to keep his name. It just seemed to be the right thing to do.

So now I have Banner and Balboa to brighten up my days.

 

Banner & Balboa 2020

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

So with two kittens (Banner 6 months & Balboa 4 months)  in the house I decided to skip the Christmas tree this year. Then I found a cat tree that looks like a plant, maybe not a pine tree but at least a tree. The tree is a hit. Both cats tear around and through it.

I wanted to have a picture of  before and after. A picture of the cat tree and then a picture of it decorated as a Christmas tree. I figured if I used plastic ornaments the cats could play and not hurt anything. Wrong! I never got the lights on before Banner got them in his mouth and snapped the wire right in half.

So we have the tree but no decorations… this year. Just wait you guys, 2021 will be a different year!