"Man, Lynn, can a caterpillar be more boring?"

"I've been watching this one all day, and it only moves it's

head back and forth as it eats. I'm not even that hungry or

food greedy, mostly."

"Give me a butterfly to watch any time!"

Not a good year for butterflies here.  I only had 6 that have

stayed alive and turned into chrysalis. So far 2 of those have

flown and I am keeping an eye on the other 4.  Last year

I had 28 fly.  The Monarchs did better than the Swallowtails.

I have had a couple dozen Monarchs fly off this year out of

my flower beds.

 

 "Lynn, this isn't big enough for my tiny tushy. No way it

will work for the orphans."

I know, Precious.  I'm just getting started. If you would stay awake

long enough to see me work on it, you'd understand the process.

I'm using your puny 17 pound hiney for the measurement of this.

I figure if we can get you on it properly, then it will be big enough

for the orphans. Then I have to crochet the boaster and stuff it with

fiber fill to make a nest. With enough yarn to make 3 of these, I'll

be busy as Fall moves in and I have to stop riding my bike.

I got the idea to crochet these from timmytomcat.blogspot.com 

Timmy received a purple and white crochet bed for his birthday.

I rode 40 miles a few days ago on the trail that starts close to home.

Goldenrod blooming.

Ohio native sunflowers. As you can see they are

a magnificent gold color, but not near the size of

the domesticated version used for people and bird food.

Yellow seems to be the herald of Spring and Fall.

In the Spring, it is dandelions and coltsfoot and of course,

daffodils. Here in the Fall it is these 2 above and yellow

jewel weed.  The jewel weed (native impatient) are starting

to be less showy, and as they dwindle the humming birds

know to start moving South.  I still have rose of Sharon

blooming and the hummers are still here, or they may not

be the ones I have had all summer. They may be from as

far north as Canada.

"Lynn, I have to give it the sniff test. And if you ever

get one finished, I'll have to try it out and make it smell

cat like so the orphans will know what it is for."

More Murals, for Precious.

"Lynn, show people my favorite 2 pictures.  I only like these 'cause of

the kitties and birdie."

These are taken of the Masonic Hall building in our big-little city.

They have painted pictures onto the old windows. There are more

that have people in them, and one with a blue jay landing.

Precious likes the first one, as she thinks it is of herself. One cat is

gray and the other a marmalade. The lower cat is a tuxedo with

a vase of flowers. Just in case you can't tell, the large bush next

to the man/window, is really live.  It is a hydrangea.

Above, we have the larger wall of the building showing some remarkable

pictation of the Masons.

And lastly, these 3 are just part of a very long low building mural. 

You can't do it justice with one shot and I didn't try to take every

part. It just shows the importance of the train through this city years

ago, and some of the industry that thrived at one time.

"Lynn, I just wish I had a window at the top to myself. I really am 

not a sharing kitty. But the ones there are really lucky they are inside

the painting and not on the outside. See if you think I do look like

the model they used."

I often wonder what kind of life Precious had the first year of her life.  I know
someone must have seen the best in her to give her such a fitting name.  One name used
often since I quickly found out that she answers to it.  But I also realize that there are
issues Precious has.

She hates to be picked up, and once I do and she is on my legs, she

appears to be content as she quickly falls asleep.  Just don't let me

try to carry her for any length of time! And she hides from every

odd sound made in the house. I mean, runs and really hides for

hours.  Then there is her crooked left hind leg.  Now how was

that broken?  The 2 different vets we have used in 7 years both

agrees it is from a fracture not properly taken care of when she was

younger.  And eating, oh yes, she loves her food.  But she does not

want to eat out of a bowl.  The first year I did just let her eat off a 

plastic place mat.  But I finally found a plastic tan color picnic plate

that I insisted she use.  I have finally gotten her a small very short

sided dish and she eats from it, but would rather have her food on the

floor.  Did someone just throw her food down?  No care given to any

cleanliness for Precious or themselves?  And Precious really does 

not like my husband except at 6 AM when it is time for the rest of

her breakfast.  Once again she runs and hides when he gets up and 

moves about if she is not actually prepared for the movement.  Not

me though, she seems to like being with me and sometimes I wonder

just what she is trying to tell me with that look of hers.

Happy New Year!

We decided to dress for the celebration!  First time Precious has dressed up.  She did not
mind a bit until I tried to pull it up over her head for cover!  She told me in no uncertain
terms would she allow me to mess up her hair with hat-head.
  Funny thing is, I had the 1/2 knot tied loosely in front of
her legs so she could walk away whenever, no problem.  But when she came into the kitchen crawling on her belly almost, the 1/2 knot was around her chest behind her legs!  I will never
guess how she put her front legs through the loop of the scarf!
  We are glad for the comments and visits of others at this new blog!  Lynn

Precious is embarrassed by her weight, so she is hiding in the bag.  She gets
a weigh in one week from today.  She has her paws crossed the new food is
doing it's thing.