Beowulf Xtreme Box Blockers

March 25, 2021March 25, 2021 Timothy Price40 Comments

Sasha blocking the Xtreme blender box with Beowulf for backup

Whenever we place a box on the counter, all the cats go crazy over it, especially Sasha and Spunk. Many years ago, we were burning out run-of-the-mill blenders every two weeks making smoothies, frozen margaritas, soups, and whatever else would blend. Eleven years ago I broke down and bought an industrial 3.0 HP blender. We finally wore that one out, with a little help from the ghosts who would turn it on and off at 3:00 am. The ghosts were probably ROTFLTAO watching the two of us muddling around in the middle of the night trying to figure out where the jet engine sound was coming from. I had to start unplugging the blender at night. I replaced the 3.0 HP blender with a 3.5 HP Xtreme industrial blender.

Laurie was using the Xtreme blender box to scan Beowulf in the original Old English with her iPad. She scans Latin and Old English texts and then writes on the scanned text on her iPad while she’s translating it.

Intermission: I received a package from France. It’s a book of French comics.

Spunk says Sasha may look like a tough Xtreme box blocker, but, as you can see, she is no longer blocking the box. I think Spunk is better at channeling his inner Beowulf. The old worn-out blender is on the table in the background.

La La La La Llorona

March 11, 2021March 12, 2023 Timothy Price70 Comments

I presented my paper Quinientos años de lágrimas: The persistence of La Llorona — 16th Century to Present at The 52nd Annual Convention of the Northeast Modern Language Association this afternoon. The convention was scheduled to be held in Philadelphia, PA, but like so many things in our world of covid cooties, the organizers decided it was best to do a virtual conference. That was a wise decision, but it certainly changes the dynamics of a conference. I thought it was fitting to add the above parody I posted last year.

The last warning sliver moon in March.Sasha: “Do you like my La Llorona eyes?”

Marble: “No Sasha! This is how you make La Lorona eyes!”

Neither of you has it right. You need to be crying. Sasha & Marble: “Cats don’t cry! Stupid La Llorona!”

Silver: “La Llorona? Meh!”

Spunk: “No stinking La Llorona will get to me behind these bars!”

Glenda: “What’s that you say?”

“La la la La Llorona?”

Loki: “I’m not impressed!”

“Talk to the paws and claws La Llorona!”

Gwendolyn: “Yeah! Talk to the paws!”

Daddy Owl: “I don’t see no stinking La Llorona! What’s that you say? La Llorona can shapeshift into an owl? Ha ha ho ho hoo who. That’s a Hoot!”

Feline Follies

February 18, 2021 Timothy Price33 Comments

Loki shapeshifting

MarbleGlenda

Silly Silver

Glenda reaching out to touch the phone

Sasha on a cold day enjoying warm air blowing on her.

Gwendolyn being a bit intense.

Spunk chilling on a warm countertop.

Lokii: “Leave me be stupid paparazzo!”

Of Cloudscapes and Cats

January 30, 2021January 30, 2021 Timothy Price57 Comments

The clouds over the Sandias this morning made beautiful cloudscapes, some with rainbow colors made by the rising sun reflecting off ice crystals in the thin clouds. Other clouds cast shadows as the sun rose above them.

Sasha

Silver

Loki

Spunk

Gwendolyn

Intermission

Marble

Ice crystals reflecting colors in the clouds.

Glenda

Moon in the western sky before sunrise.

Moon behind Mama Owl before sunrise

Mama Owl at sundown

Daddy Owl watching the birds flit around below him at sunset.

Mama Owl hopped over to another branch so I could get a shot of her from the levee after sunset.

Through The Glass Looking

January 17, 2021January 17, 2021 Timothy Price59 Comments

Spunk

Gwendolyn and Glenda

Loki playing

Silver

Glenda

Sasha

Loki

Marble

Glenda

EEK!

January 6, 2021January 6, 2021 Timothy Price49 Comments

“EEK! A mouse!” “Nice jump Dude!”

“That was close.”

“I’m not impressed.”

Intermission

“Did someone say ‘Mouse’?”

“Meh!”

“False Alarm!”

The excitement in the Rio Grande and bosque this evening. Cranes and owls. Spunk and Sasha had to comment.

Happy Solstice & Conjunction

December 21, 2020December 21, 2020 Timothy Price60 Comments

Jupiter & Saturn in the trees at 6:45 pm. That’s about as close to looking like one star from my view-point.

Sahsa was looking for the conjunction but said all she could see was the ceiling. Silly Kitty.

Jupiter & Saturn at 6:40 pm.

This is the best shot I got of Jupiter & Saturn with 4 of Jupiter’s moons. I believe the light on the lower right is a star.

Another shot a little closer.

Twelve Hours

December 19, 2020December 19, 2020 Timothy Price44 Comments

6:00 am. Venus rising in the dark at dawn.

Glenda looking cool on top of an armario at noon.

Sasha napping at noon in the new hammock that replaced one of the worn-out burlap hammocks.

6:00 pm Saturn and Jupiter closing in on each other.

A closer view of Saturn and Jupiter at 6:00 pm. The lights coming off at an angle from Jupiter might be a few of its 79 moons.

A Persistence Of Hammocks

November 26, 2020 Timothy Price44 Comments

Marble, Sasha, and Spunk.

I got the new hammocks and a hide box on the wall above the windows for the kitties.

Spunks pondering the large hammock from the hide box.

Sasha makes her way down the stepping poles under Loki.

Marble, Sasha, and Spunk.

Marble, Sasha, and Loki.

Silver was a little late discovering the new setup.

Putting in a Kitty Wonderland

November 21, 2020 Timothy Price81 Comments

Gwendolyn: “Wow! Is this kitty wonderland really for me?”

I have been wanting to put kitty hammocks on the opposite wall from the current two kitty hammocks. However, the problem I was facing was what to put on the opposite wall for the kitties to climb to get to the hammocks. When the kittens, Glenda and Gwendolyn, figure out how to get out into the rest of the house there are going to be a lot of issues with only two hammocks.

Another problem is the kittens are always climbing the walls to get in high places. I am planning on putting shelves near the ceiling for them to play on, but I had the same problem of what to put in the room they could climb to get onto the shelves instead of climbing the walls.

While looking for ideas online, I finally decided that a kitty play structure would do the trick. We found a play structure with the best features, dimensions, and height that looked like it would do the trick and I ordered two of them: one for the big kitties in the dance room and one for the kittens in the bedroom.

The play structures were delivered Thursday, so I spend much of the day between other chores and projects putting together kitty play structures. The kittens have really taken to their play structure. Gwendolyn really loves it. The big kitties helped me put theirs together, and four of them got on it before I could move it to the corner and secure it to the floor and wall. Since then, the big kitties have been lounging on and off on the play structure. I ordered hammocks, so next week I’ll be installing new hammocks.

All the parts. Silver beating up on a toilet paper roll. That’s a story for another post.