Weather in the Tries: Looks like our really cold cold will be gone by the time you read this and daytime highs will be in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Nighttime lows will still be play footsie with freezing. But many nights will be above freezing. Thank you Mother Earth and Grandfather Sky!!!

Good Monday Morning to You All!

Mr. Putin is still throwing his tantrum. But you know that, don’t you? You’ve probably also heard that Senator Lindsey Graham wants the Russians to rise up and kill Mr. Putin. His office has since tried to walk that back; however, since Graham is a bona fide US Government Trained Killer, why doesn’t he go? He could take a small, A Team of hotshots — Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Josh Hawley, and David Madison Cawthorn. Why if they leave today, they should mark Mission Accomplished by Wednesday, free the Americans in Putin’s Jail, and be home in time for the Friday session of Congress –or the latest reruns of Hee Haw, whatever.

I had a mini vacation. Drove across the Snoqualmie Pass for a few days with a good friend, then came home. It was too short of time to visit. Oh, well, I promised to give you the answer to the age-old question, so here it is.

Where does a 27-pound kitty sleep?

Any place he wants! Kind of a cliché answer, huh? But it’s true. When we got Mr. McSnooper, called Snoopy for short, he was five weeks old, and we were assured he was weaned. Mom and I found out later that wasn’t true.

At five weeks of age, he was a wee tiny little thing, but had all the attitude and self-assurance of a full-grown lion. Mama was a barn cat, but we think her boyfriend was a puma from the woods near her barn. We’d had him a couple days and my uncle came to visit, and the first thing he did was take off his shoes and hold the kitten, in that order. They took to each other, and I had a minute or two wondering if my new kitten would go home with my uncle. He didn’t. Snoopy got down and went back to exploring his new home, and we all talked until time for Uncle to go home. He wanted to say ‘goodbye’ to the kitten, but we couldn’t find him. Unc put one foot in a shoe, tightened the laces, put the other foot into the shoe, and quickly pulled it out wearing a wee teensy kitten on his toes. Yep, he found Mr. McSnooper 😉

As I was his primary staff, he often slept with me. As winter came, I would go to bed, and curl as tight as possible. (There was no heat in my room) Snoop would stay up late and keep Mom company, but when she went to bed, he’d come in and crawl under the blankets and go down to the bottom of the bed and curl up. As he warmed, he’d stretch across my bed. As I warmed, I’d stretch out the length of my bed. 

Yep. You guessed it. I’d poke my toes into his soft, furry belly and I’d wear two pair of cat toes around my people toes! It took me exactly two times with many nights in between, before I learned that when I stretched in my sleep, to stretch gently, and to move my feet off to one side or the other.

Mom liked to have parties. For adults. I was allowed to visit for a bit, then I was sent out to the kitchen and eventually bed. Snoopy thought he was the man of the house and helped entertain the guests. They’d be drinking cocktails and if they set a drink down, and Snoop found it, he finished it. Everyone thought it was so funny, being entertained by an alcoholic and drunk cat. They should have spent the night and seen him the next morning. Ever seen a cat with a hangover? A hungover cat walking on eggshells? A big buff cat barely walking, barely moving, and cringing when there was any noise? Even if he made the noise slurping his water? I was not nice staff. I laughed. But I did do it in my room, not in front of him.

If we were gone for the weekend, or on vacation, the neighbors took care of him while we were gone. They thought he was a delight. They were either teetotalers, or at least not willing to share their booze with a cat. At any rate, they were always so pleased that he acted the perfect gentleman. 

Photo of the Week:

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads

I actually finished three books this week, one novel, Stars Like Cold Fire by Brent Nichols & Jake Elwood. A swashbuckling space opera. A lot of fun. Not great literature, for that try William Shakespeare. But for fun, try Stars.

Also so two poetry chapbooks, In the Shadow of Twilight, Love Poems by MM Williams. A most delightful book of love poems that will appeal to anyone who has ever been in love, or might try at some future date. 

I read a third book, smiling in an old photograph by Kim Ki-taek, translated by Ed Bok Lee and Yang Eun-Mi. Rain Taxi, Inc published it, and when I was getting some information from their site, I discovered they accept (some) reviews of their books, so though it’s written I can’t publish it until I know whether they will accept it, and then I’ll just publish a hot link to it on their site. But trust me, the poetry is well crafted and perfectly translated. Or, at least it reads like it’s perfectly translated.

Earworm of the week: Cougar Purring. Leopard & Rottweiler—best buds.

Quotes of the week from: Woman’s Day

“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” —Terry Pratchett

“Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.” —James Herriot

“One cat just leads to another.” Ernest Hemingway

Please, keep these quotes to yourself. If Sammy knew I was doing a whole post about a cat and then putting quotes up about them, well, he might decide to nibble on my ankles—and his little teeth hurt! 

And, while you’re at it, send a virtual pet to him. I left him with a neighbor while on my mini vacation. I’m pleased to report they both survived, and still like each other.