Hiding in plain sight

Marquette's hiding place is the sink in the loft bathroom.

The lump under the quilt is...

...me hiding from Builder Mike!

Marquette at the summit!

Another day at The Farm and we have our routine just about down now - sleep all day in the loft and play all night downstairs, making certain to run up and down the loft stairs every half hour or so throughout the night.

We don't have as many places to hide here as we did back at the villa. When people come to the door we (my brother and I) race up to the loft and hide. Marquette hides in the sink in the loft bathroom. He thinks no one can see him, but they can. Me? I wiggle under the quilt and make myself as small as a 15-pound Timber Lake Tiger can make himself. At first mommies thought it was one of their smaller pillows under the quilt. Then they discovered it was ME! We have done this hiding act twice now...when LeeAnn was here and Mommy wanted to show us off (our birth mommy, CTL, lives with LeeAnn), and again yesterday when Builder Mike came to show mommies how to get the air-conditioner ready for summer.

I have my bladder issue again and I am spending a lot of time in the litter box trying to pee. Dr. Stover said I might have it from time to time and it would take care of itself and all she would give me would be pain meds because I didn't have an infection. It sure is a pain...literally!

Mommy has to take some vacation at the library by the end of the year or lose weeks of vacation time. She is working with the manager to try to fit in 4 weeks. She can only carry 72 hours and she has 150. So we may see a lot of her this fall.

Mommies are planning on working outside today...Mommy Bonnie in her garden and Mommy in the vineyard. Mommy wants to buy a trimmer mower because we really need one here along the fence row and road. She has been investigating them. She stopped by at camp to see if Jonathan would be willing to mow for us this summer but she hasn't heard back from him yet. He is very busy.

Millie is doing well. She fell down the basement stairs the other day but got right back up and showed no ill effects from the fall. Her lump is gone again...for the time being. It has been Gizmo who has been getting Mommy up in the night. She thinks he wants to go exploring!

Tacumwah has learned to jump from the bar counter through the spindles on the loft stairs, right up on to the stairs. The first time she tried it she missed and scratched the wall. But now she has it mastered. But it is Marquette who has impressed mommies the most. He jumped from the floor to the top of the fridge and then up to the top of the wall cabinets where he took a nap. Tacumwah looked at him in awe!

~There is no such thing as a FREE kitten!~

Photos after the move

Marquette on the buffet.

Marquette (L) and Blogger under the futon in the loft...hiding.

Blogger in loft surveying the downstairs.

Blogger under futon after arrival at the cottage.

Mommy is posting some photos today of the first day or two after our arrival at the cottage.

There isn't much to report today because mommies have been back to work and have been very busy. We will write more later.

~There is no such thing as a FREE kitten!~

Tightrope walker!

I have rearranged the placemats on the dining room table!

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

The loft railing is 1 1/2" wide, and it is a loooong way down!

Only Tacumwah is agile enough to walk it!

Do I look stupid!?

I am NOT going to follow Tacumwah along the railing!

L to R: my brother, Marquette; me; Tacumwah.

We love the futon in the loft!

We have been here for almost a week now and we have decided that this house was designed for CATS!

Mommy is working with Rex today to get the stove, washer, and dryer up and running. They are almost done with the stove. Rex was called away because LeeAnn had the fox that had been killing their chickens in front of their barn and Rex headed home to try and put an end to the feasting. Mommy says Rex's phone rings more than anyone else's she knows! (Note: He did NOT get the fox.)

Mommy Bonnie didn't shut the front door tight the other day and Tacumwah headed on out into the yard. Mommy saw her and doesn't know how long she was out. And today, Mommy and Rex left the basement door open and then shut Tacumwah down in the basement and she was down there a long time before Mommy heard her. Marquette has been locked in the basement too! But not ME!

The brand new microwave is dead and mommies are NOT happy because the stove wasn't working yet and they had nothing to cook in or on. The stove is almost ready except there was a small gas leak outside the house and Rex has to get that stopped before turning the gas back on to the stove. Mommy got a crock pot out this morning and is cooking in it and it smells really good.

Most of the leaks are fixed now. There is still one under the kitchen sink. And Mommy and Rex were so busy working on the stove that they did not get the washer and dryer hooked up. Rex said he would be back in a couple hours to work on it. Mommy needs to do laundry because she is out of clean undies and will have to hand wash some or borrow some from Mommy Bonnie who always seems to have enough for 3 people. And Miss Millie needs her bedding washed.

Mommy tried the reverse osmosis water today and she said it is excellent. Rex needs some tubing in order to run it to the fridge for drinking water and ice.

Mommy brought our scratching post from the The Fort and we were glad to see it. We use it a lot even though we don't have any front claws. She brought our mousies too and lots of our other toys.

Mommy Bonnie planted her garden and Mommy started tilling around the grapevines. It rained today, so that kept Mommy out of the vineyard.

~There is no such thing as a FREE kitten!~

Snakes and snails and kitty cat tails!

An extra-wide ledge for a husky-sized Timber Lake Tiger!

I heard there are cave dwellers living on the other side of the fence!

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Marquette prefers the top of the buffet...

...even though he got stuck under it!

We cats were very busy exploring all night. We raced up and down the stairs to the sleeping loft and knocked things around on the main floor.

The dogs keep getting ticks on them which makes Mommy Bonnie very unhappy. Millie isn't feeling good again and Mommy is NOT happy since she just had her at the vet's Monday.

Tacumwah is into everything and already knows every inch of the cottage. Marquette and I have done some exploring too. Our favorite place so far is the loft. None of us cats ate well tonight. We have dry food and water, so we won't starve. Gennie and Little Bear are eating ok. Millie is holding out for some expensive roast beef she gets whenever she gets really sick. Gizmo is still picking at his food.

Mommies don't have their stove hooked up so can't cook yet. They also can't wash clothes. Rex told them he would have those things done this weekend, so Mommies are hoping he stops by tomorrow or Monday to hook those appliances up.

We had our litter box and food upstairs in the loft. But one of us tried to drown a catnip mouse in the water bowl and spilled water all over the cork flooring. Luckily Mommy caught it right away and got it cleaned up. Now all of our things are in the front porch/living room on the tile floor. I wonder if Mommies are playing musical litter boxes???

On Wednesday Mommy almost stepped on a snake when she was taking something to the basement. She ran into the snake twice. Then she didn't see it again until this morning when Gizmo found its dead body (the neighbor mowed it) and rolled in it! Yuck!

~There is no such thing as a FREE kitten!~

The Magnificent Seven!

Tacumwah was the first to go exploring!

Marquette hid under the buffet...where he got stuck!

I will go down the stairs...tomorrow!

Today was moving day and it was so unbelievably traumatic! I would NOT cooperate to go into a kennel for the trip. I fought as hard as I could and it took both of my mommies to get me packed for the trip. Then I screamed all the way to the farm! When Mommy let me out on her futon in the sleeping loft I hid under the bed for hours! I refused to eat my dinner. Tacumwah ate. Marquette ate. Everyone ate except me.

Tacumwah immediately went exploring. Millie and Gennie settled in without any problem. Gizmo wanted to go outside and explore. Little Bear whined. Marquette went down the stairs and hid under the buffet where he got STUCK! Mommy had to pull him out and his fat belly didn't want to cooperate. Me? Well, I just stayed in the loft and did all of my exploring there. I have yet to come downstairs. Maybe tomorrow.

Mommies have so much to do, they say. There is so much still in The Fort, but most of it is not coming here.

Mommy is wiped out so this will be short.

~There is no such thing as a FREE kitten!~

You can take the cat out of the country....

Her regal highness, Tacumwah.

Helping mommies pack! Where's the cat treats?

Tomorrow is the day. The Timber Lake Tigers of Blossom Ridge will return to the land of their birth! Mommies have been moving for two days. Yesterday they packed up a huge truck full of furniture and things and then unloaded it at the farm. Guess what? They didn't get home until after 10 o'clock at night! We didn't get our dinner until 10:30, and Mommy didn't eat until after 11! Well!

Today Rex came from Timber Lake and packed up all the appliances and a few other things and then he helped mommies unload them at the cottage. So mommies are very tired and tomorrow they will take it easy and move ALL 7 of us "pets" to the cottage and get us settled in. They won't have to be back to work until Tuesday, so maybe we will be over the trauma of the move by then. All of our things will be there so there will be some familiar smells.

Mommies say there is still so much to do at both the cottage and the villa and Mommy doesn't think they will ever be done!

~There is no such thing as a FREE kitten!~

The calm before the storm!

Chair will not be going to the cottage with us.

9-pound Bengal will be going.

Likewise, this chair will not be making the trip;

however, the 15-pound Timber Lake Tiger will be going.

No one could ever accuse Mommy of being Lazy. But the last two days she hasn't done much except read and take naps, performing only the most minimal of household chores. She is gearing up for the move to the cottage. She says that, beginning tomorrow, her days will be very hectic and she doesn't know when she will again have a day she can completely call her own. She will either be working or moving every day for the foreseeable future.

Mommy is an introvert, which very few people know. She has no problem being alone and needs time to relax and regenerate, which she is able to do in the company of a good book or movie. Her best friends have 4 legs and provide her with unconditional love. She loves sharing her life with Mommy Bonnie, though she (Mommy), on a regular basis, needs complete solace.

So the last two days before the frenzy begins, Mommy opted to lose herself in a novel, watch a movie, and do only what is necessary to make certain that her 4-legged friends are cared for. Since we don't have to assist with the move, we do not understand the trepidation Mommy feels. She told us that we can help best by making a rapid adjustment to the cottage and using our litter box and not having any accidents while we make that adjustment.

Of course the price of gasoline is going up since Mommies will be commuting after Memorial Day. Not happy news.

KJ is doing his yard training this week for Hiner and then will be with a driving trainer for 6 weeks before getting his own truck. Mommy is very happy for him.

Mommy is enjoying March. Right now Mr. March is in Concord conversing with Henry Thoreau while wooing his future wife who will be the mother of Alcott's Little Women. Though well-written, Mommy isn't convinced this book should have received the Pulitzer. She will have to wait and see as she is only a little over a third through it.

Mommy Bonnie and Little Bear head for the farm after dinner tonight so that Mommy Bonnie can get an early start tomorrow on the floors. She will be spending a couple of nights there. Mommy won't be spending the night until the cottage is ready for the dogs.

~There is not such thing as a FREE kitten!~

Moving day is fast approaching!

I may be almost twice her size,

but Tacumwah still intimidates me!

Stalking...

...the Indian Ring Neck Parakeet!
(You can just make her out on the back of the chair.)

I guess we are getting closer to moving day. I am nervous. Tacumwah said not to worry, that it is a great adventure and she made the last move just fine. Millie, who has made so many moves she has lost count, also says it is not a big deal...that Mommies will take all of our familiar bedding and furniture and our litter boxes and we will feel comfy in no time. I hope she is right because, right now, I am really concerned. I think Mommy plans to transport us in pet carriers and take us straight up to the loft and put us on her futon with the old comforter on it. There has still been no decision about where the litter boxes will go. There really is no good place for them except the basement and they can't go down there for now because Gizmo might kill us or we might kill Gennie.

The appliances will be moved on the 21st, so we may also move to the farm that day. Mommy Bonnie still has painting to do on the basement floor. I guess it is coming along but still needs two more coats. She is also going to clean the bamboo and cork and seal the cork.

Mommy has a lot of work to do in the vineyard but the weather isn't cooperating.

We got weighed today. In spite of eating twice a day, Tacumwah still weighs 9 lbs. My brother and I have not gained any weight, so we still tip the scales and 13 and 15 pounds respectively.

Mommy put a dog collar on me today! She had an extra dog collar, and since I chew on leather and break out of my break-away collar, she put a new nylon dog collar on me. I HATE it! She says I am bigger than two of the dogs here and I WILL wear a collar. We will see how long that lasts!

Book Review: The 8th Confession by James Patterson.

It is no secret that Mommy likes The Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. It was on TV as a series but it didn't last more than a few months. This book was the 8th in the series and Mommy enjoyed it. It was not an unforgettable read; but readers who like The Women's Murder Club, like Mommy, will find it a "must" read.

Mommy's current read is the Pulitzer Prize Winner, March, by Geraldine Brooks. The setting is the Civil War, and our hero is none other than the father of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. Mommy expects to really like this book though she is only a couple of chapters into it.

Movie Review: Fireproof.

This Christian movie stars Kirk Cameron who plays a fireman whose marriage is a shambles and whose wife is filing for divorce. His father challenges him to the Love Dare for 40 days to try to save his marriage. His wife is unaware of what he is doing and thinks he is trying to be nice to her in order to make out better at settlement time.

About Day 20, Cameron's character is ready to give up because his wife has not responded positively to anything he has done the previous 20 days. His father encourages him to stick with it, which he does, and it is Day 43 before he finally gets his wife to understand that he is truly sincere in his actions and in trying to save their marriage.

There are lots of nice minor characters and Mommy is giving this movie an enthusiastic thumbs up in spite of what other critics might say. Mommy found this movie very personal and a little too familiar. She cried most of the two hours it played. Marquette was the only one who could stay in the room with her for the entire movie.

Mommy gives this movie 3 stars and recommends it for ages 12 and up and for everyone even thinking about getting married!

~There is no such thing as a FREE kitten!~

Let me entertain you....

Lucy listening to Charlie play.

Charlie the entertainer!

Mommy took off for Grandma's on Wednesday morning for another sleepover. She said it was one of the best yet!

When Mommy arrived at Grandma's, her brother, Charlie was there. He played some classical selections for her and Grandma and then did some Billy Joel and Elton John numbers. Mommy says she could listen to him play and sing all day long. She thinks he should audition for American Idol or America's Got Talent. But he says he is happy doing what he is doing. He plays with a country band and also does solo piano gigs. Some of his band members are getting old so the days of the band are numbered.

Stephanie called and caught Mommy and Grandma up on what is going on with her family. Mommy always enjoys talking with her.

The dinner menu included - what else? - scallops, spicy fries, homemade slaw and walleye. Mommy has a friend who gave her some walleye he caught in Canada and she said it was very yummy.

Movie review: Frozen River. Mommy and Grandma watched Frozen River. It isn't a movie that, after watching it, you would say, "Wow! That was a GREAT movie!" Instead, it sneaks up on you and, after a few days of thinking about it, you realize what a very good movie it is.

The movie involves the smuggling of illegal aliens across the border from Canada into the US, driving over a frozen river and onto a Mohawk Indian Reservation. Yet the movie isn't so much about the smuggling as it is about the economic survival of the two main characters (Melissa Leo received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the film's main character) and, ultimately, the bond that they form. You can almost forgive them for breaking the law when you understand why they did it.

The performances of the minor characters; i.e., the two sons, is very good. This is not a feel-good movie, but neither is it a total downer. It is just about life and, particularly, what Leo's character will do to provide for her sons. Neither of these women is a bad woman. Circumstances just put them in a position where they made bad choices.

Two thumbs up for Frozen River, 3 1/2 stars, and recommended for ages 12 and up.

Mommy stopped at The Farm both on Wed. and Thurs. and the blog has been updated. There is a photo of some little baby robins. They look like blobs. One day they will look like birds, I suppose.

~There is no such thing as a FREE kitten!~

No clever title today....

Photos not accepted by...

...the CFA.

Wasn't Friday's post a hoot? Mommy and I really enjoyed writing it!

Mommies went to the farm yesterday. Little Bear went along. Mommy Bonnie and Little Bear spent the night but Mommy came home because Millie has been sick and she didn't think it was time to take Millie and Gizmo for weekends yet. She felt they would just be in the way and she wouldn't be able to give them any attention. So Mommy came home and spent the night with us. We ate very late last night.

Movie review: Mommy watched Iron Man last night and this morning (she fell asleep last night before it was over). The movie starred Robert Downey, Jr.; Gwyneth Paltrow; Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard.

Mommy likes to rate movies before going to the IMDb to see how the public and critics rate them. She gave this movie 4 stars and a big thumbs up and was gratified to see that viewers and Roger Ebert agreed with her.

This movie was a delight in every way. The acting was very good, the writing clever and witty, the special effects were...well...special, and the editing excellent. Treat yourself to some fun. Mommy recommends this movie for all audiences...even though there is some violence.

Mommy has to go back to the farm today. She and Mommy Bonnie are working on getting the basement ready for the dogs and Gennie. They are cleaning and painting the concrete floor and it is a lot of work! Today they will be working in the vineyard. I am sure Mommy will be updating the farm blog soon to reflect this effort.

~There is no such thing as a FREE kitten!~

CFA recognizes Timber Lake Tiger!

Breaking News:

The CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association) has recently recognized a new and very rare breed of cat. While traveling through the Midwest, several members of this organization happened upon an exceptional cat and voted unanimously to approve its inclusion on their list of recognized cat breeds. Because of the location where this animal was first discovered, the CFA has named it the Timber Lake Tiger. Please read the notes below for the official description of this incredible cat.

Breed Profile:

The origin of the Timber Lake Tiger is thought to be the area surrounding Timber Lake in Huntington County Indiana. Mature cats breed in the surrounding woods in the winter. The females retreat under the campers that surround the lake in mid to late March to give birth to their young.

The original female was captured, named CTL (Camp Timber Lake), and given a good home, but not before she gave birth to two sturdy males who exemplify the perfect standard for this breed.

Breed Standard

General: The general appearance of this breed is one of a large, soft and stocky cat.

Head: Large and round.

Ears: Alert and medium-sized.

Eyes: Large, round and golden-yellow.

Body: The body must be large with the belly hanging well beneath it. Males must weigh a minimum of 13 pounds with a 15 pound male scoring higher during judging. A Timber Lake Tiger without a large belly that jiggles when it walks will be disqualified.

Legs and feet: Legs must be in proportion to body, but feet must be large.

Tail: Thick at base, long, and must have the ability to puff out as large as a dusting brush.

Coat: Soft and thick. Comes in two colors only – brown with darker striping and gray with darker striping.

Additional information: Timber Lake Tigers are unique in that the CFA will not allow them to be sold or commercially bred. All Timber Lake Tigers are certified by the adoption agency as being first-generation and having been born in the wild at Timber Lake. They come with a guarantee to arrive at your home with a combination of worms and fleas. When adopted at 6-8 weeks of age, Timber Lake Tigers are easily domesticated and make life-long, loving companions.

For maximum enjoyment, people considering adopting Timber Lake Tiger cats or kittens are encouraged to adopt them in pairs.

Adopting families must agree to have their Timber Lake Tiger cat or kitten neutered.

This new cat breed must be seen to be appreciated!

For more information about adopting your very own Timber Lake Tiger, call 1-800-555-TIGER!

Timber Lake Tiger, gray variety, 15-pound male.

Timber Lake Tiger purrfection. 13-pound male, brown variety.

~There is no such thing as a FREE kitten!~