New Cat on the Block

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A kitten adopted our friend Vanessa, but she couldn’t keep it. Since we are down a couple of cats we decided to take him. So far the other cats are nominally accepting him. Rosencrantz has been the most welcoming so far, but none of our kitties have out right attacked him. In the first few hours after arriving, he ambushed Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Diné and they hardly reacted. He very slowly and timidly crept by Mama Manx while she growled at him, but she only growled. At the moment we are calling him Spunky, as he is working very hard to get into trouble, but he may end up with another name as we get to know him better.

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Vanessa and Spunky

Grapes Gone Wild

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The garden got about 3/4 inch of rain over the past few days, and with a good soaking from the irrigation, the grapes have gone wild (along with most of the plants on the property), and climbed into the apple tree, where they are dangling among the apples. I’m sure most self respecting winers would not allow their grapes to mix with their apples, but when we get a little water in our dry climate, grapes (and a whole lot of other stuff) happen!

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Our irrigation gate with a note from the ditch rider

 

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With all the rain, the irrigation water was the color of chocolate milk

 

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Grape vines spilling out of the apple tree
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Mama Manx practicing her “show kitty” stance by the edge of the flooded garden.

 

All Tired Out

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I got a flat tire on the truck, put on the spare and drove the flat tire to Discount Tires to see if they could repair it. Even though the tire didn’t have much wear, it was over 10 years old, so he said by law he couldn’t touch it. A guy from the Midas shop next door walked by and said, I think I have some used tires that will fit. He didn’t have any 225/15s, but he had a pair 235/15s, which are a bit bigger. For $30 he mounted and balanced the two 235/15 tires, and put them on the back of the truck, and then he out the two better tires of the 3 remaining originals on the front. That was quite a deal, since the lowest price set of four new tires for the truck would run about $400, and since I don’t drive the truck very often, I didn’t want to put a new set of tires on it right now.

After a morning run and repairing one of the drip systems this morning, to getting tires replaced, loading and unloading my other large snake cage and a bunch of stuff out of Tristan’s garage, I’m all tired out. While making my evening rounds with the camera, I noticed that the white lilies, Rosencrantz and a hummingbird where tired out as well.

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Digital Cricket

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Is that a cricket I see on the computer cable?

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Ah Hem! Paparazzi! That cricket is getting awfully close to the USB port on your computer.

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COME ON YOU STUPID PHOTOGRAPHER! There’s a cricket on the cable and it’s getting AWAY!

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Note: Leo is mistaken. It was a leaf hopper katydid exploring my computer. Insect identification has never been one of Leo’s (or my) strengths.

Cats & Roses

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Rosencrantz evolved from a dragon

 

 

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Handel

 

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Purple Kitty

 

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Graham Thomas

 

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Pile of cats

 

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Royal Wedding

 

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Mama Manx stakes a claim on the guitar case

 

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Love

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Handel

 

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Guildenstern hanging out in the catnip

 

Stumped

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After getting “logged in” the other day, Mama Max got stumped today. Guildenstern is feeling better as you can see by his kingly pose, and Diné was looking at him like “Who do you think you are?” Rosencrantz was hacking up a hairball a few yards to the east of Diné when I did these shots. Rosencrantz is quite a hacker when it comes to producing projectile hairballs, but I figured I’d spare you the action.

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Guilden Grid

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I took Guildenstern in for a checkup last week because he had become anxious, clingy, talkative and seemed to continuously move from one spot to another. It turns out he has hyperthyroid, so now I have to give him medicine twice a day. We just started the medicine on Friday, but he seems calmer already. When I give him his medicine, I open his mouth and quickly stick the tiny pill down his throat. It happens so fast, that he purrs and looks confused because he’s not sure about what happened. Guildenstern is only 13 years old, but that makes him an old man in kitty age. He was enjoying the afternoon sun from under the garden table, that made a nice grid pattern on him.

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