Snakes are not sticks

 "Lynn, you must warn folks that this is a sneaky snaky post. Some hoomans do not like 'em.  Me, I don't know what you are tryin' to show off.  They look like sticks."

"I know you just have to show off these crazy things furom yer

bike rides but I just don't see the point.  After all you got 

me to show off!"

I know Precious but I really do get excited about these 

critters and all the rest I see of fur and feather too.

Look close and you will see I got a twofer in this top photo. 

These top two photos are close ups of the 5 foot long

black snake.  From one direction it looked as if she was 

a white spotted zigzag. And from the other angle

she just looks black.

The small snake above is about a 20 inch long brown

garter snake, which is pretty big for it.

They were both sunning on a rather chilly morn on the

section of Amish shared path.  As usual I am afraid of the

snakes getting killed by traffic on the bike path so I always

move them along.  The large black snake was so cold still

I had to pet it a bit to wake it up.  I'm good with them coiling

and striking as I am always ready to jump back.  Non poisonous and

not too toothy.  The garter was warmer and by the time I

bent over it, she said "adios and good bye".

Now this tree stump is actually a 200 year old

headstone in a Catholic cemetery.

I come across some unusual things as I enjoy my

rides. The paths go through small villages and

I try to tool around the streets if there are no hills.

The Virgin Mary alcove was built in 1932 but the

church was built in 1830 out of local quarried

stone.

Unfortunately for the congregation, the church closed in October

2023 due to lack of priests.  Nearly 200 years of Masses.

"Well, you've bored me out of my gourd.  I bet most hoomans have

nodded off if not run off screaming to their graves.  First killer snakes and then

cemeteries.  Java Bean, I am furry sorry fur this post. I hope

you do not have to go back into therapy fur this."

Java Bean at The Oceanside Animals was bitten by a 

rattler earlier this year.  

https://dennisthevizsla.com

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It is much appreciated.

Witchy Woman, she got the moon in her eye

 "Lynn, no one wants to watch the bouncing ball and sing along with you.  They are here to help me keep an eye on you."

"I nevfurr know when you are going to git up

and maybe give me a scrap of food.  I feel

like I must always watch out so you do not furgit 

about feeding me."

Precious, like you are going to let that happen!

"Well, maybe I can relax a bit and do some 

sun bathing 'til later."

This would be me if I had two cats, I am sure.

Thankfully with just a lap full of Precious, I get

to sit in the chair instead of on the top of it.

Pink lilies for Seney.  But with 98 degrees here

in north central Ohio, I do not expect them to last long.

What weather!

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Nutty Squirrels

 "Lynn, what are those crazy skweerls doin' in my catio! I must git

out there and defend my property!"

Back in late February we realized that there was a 

nursing female gray squirrel trying to supplement her

food intake with any and all dropped bird food.

We soon realize what tree she was nesting inside of

and watched for her all the time.

She ended up with 3 babies that now have learned 

that bird food found is easy pickin's.

Precious was sound asleep about 6 PM in her usual

state of the evening.  All of a sudden we both heard 

this clawing on the patio door glass and other odd 

noise.  The vertical blind was closed already as she

and I were spending a long weekend alone and I have

to get the house closed up before we sit together.

This 15 pound girl with all her sharp claws launched off

my lap and flew to the back door.  I ran with her

and we managed to open the blinds just in time to see

one of the baby squirrels run up and down the screen door.

Then it ran around all the patio flower pots trying to figure

out how to escape.  It finally found the place where it's

head would fit under the wood fence frame and ran like

it's tail was on fire.

I scooped Precious up and we got back in our usual

position until 8:30 PM

"I will have no introoders in my catio.  It's bad enough

when those deer hang their heads over the fence."

One of my 3 astilbe.  I have an all pink perennial flower bed

for Angel Seney, and things come on one at a time.

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Restin' my brain

 "I am goin' to take a nap. Unusual fur me, you say, as I dictate and Lynn uses the thumbs fur typing.  I will let her show off some photos fur-om her biking lately."

Hi everyone.  I have had a few rides each week between

rain storms and high wind.  The picture above is so beautiful

looking, however it is the evil dreaded multiflora rose that

was introduced into Ohio by Louis Bromfield.  He 

brought it over from Europe after WW I when he started

his farm Malabar in Ohio in the 1930's.

He was an author and a screen writer in the 30's and 40's.

Lauren Bacall and Humphery Bogart were married

at the farm.  Which is now a state park.

He was the first to introduce terrace farming and used the

rose for fencing.  It is now so wide spread it is unreal.

The female snapping turtle had traveled no less than

200 yards from the creek bed to try to find a place in

the bike path berm to lay her eggs.  She was here on 

May 20.  I have never seen them out laying so early.

I usually see them in June.

The two above are of Giant Angelica.  I love these plants. 

They grow to 6 feet tall, the flowers are the size of 

cauliflower heads and the leaves are just gigantic.

They only bloom for a few days as so many of the native

plants in the Spring.

I have no idea what this fungi is except beautiful

I found it May 1 when I had my first long bike ride.

I have never seen one like this before.  What color.

"I didn't want to leave y'all without showing myself

just a bit.  I am sleeping in the living area on our chair

this afternoon. See my water glass and my brush

near by?  Gotta have my essentials."

Precious and I thank for your help and interest in

allergy relief for Precious.  If she eats the Greenies

Chicken pill pocket, broken in 1/2, and then 1/2

again with 1/8 piece of pill in each, then her

itching stops for 24 hours.  But some days she

just knows the bitter taste is in the middle and will not eat.

I have gotten her to eat out of my hand a few times.

"I had Lynn add the popup comment window, and

hope that makes it easier if you wish to purr to us.

If it interfurrs with anythin' make sure you purr it 

to us."  

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It is much appreciated.

Vishus Deers

 "Lynn,  did you see how big I blew up my grey onesie!  I shoulda looked like a panther on my pink rug. That vishus

deer came right up to me and stuck his button buck head over my

catio fence.  Then he snorted!  And he stomped his front hooves!"

"I told him off immediately.  I growled my git-away-furom

me growl.  Like I use on Blackie when he is in

a bad mood."

"And the growl I use fur the mailman, and fur

the delivery hoomans.  It scares them all off evfurr

so quickly.

Yes, Precious you did a fine job on that poor deer.

His mom is now busy thinking on delivering her

next pair of twins and he is just trying to act like

he is a big buck.

On a different subject, has anyone used Zyrtec allergy

pills for their pets?  I had seen by a competent CB person,

who has 6 or more cats, say it is safe to use for cats with

itchy ears and runny noses.  I did research it and am

now giving 1/2 pill a day to Precious.  The vet confirmed

she has allergies and her ears drive her crazy.  I feel so bad

about the itching and the scratching.  

She is doing much less scratching now.  She mostly is 

just twitching her ears now and then.

 The vet wants to use

steroids and I have a personal issue with prednisone so I

really don't want her to have that.

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It is much appreciated.

Sometimes just messy days

 "Lynn,  I do not think any of this stuff is really my fault.  Or that I should have to put up with getting my claws clipped!"

I beg to differ, Precious.  Just look at my ugly and

disgusting (any and all the time, by the way) leg.

Full of whole punches!  And whose needle sharp

claws sink into it every eve for our leg time?

I have not seen any other kitty in this house of ours!

"And I thought gittin' my brushies ev-furry day

many times over, should have kept the fur ball

out of my tummy.  I think you must have been doing it

wrong."

There is good news and bad news about the fur ball

yak up.  The good news,  it was not on the carpet.

The bad news, it was on the lovely turquoise blanket.

The good news,  it was folded in 1/2 for extra sleeping

comfort and therefore caught all the spit with it.

The bad news,  I found the mess 10 minutes after I

had started a load of laundry!

And then I have this blooming, so it makes up for

the messes.  

Thankfully deer do not eat iris!

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Time to move the cat tree

"I haven't been climbing as much as I used to. Not on the tree, just up into the closet.  So let's move the tree Lynn.  After all you do not have to dig it up!"

Precious's tree has sat in front of our smaller north facing

window for our dining table.  She used to love to race up it

and get to the top.  Especially after a trip to the litter box!

But she had not been on it for more than a year I reckon.

I decided when we were home alone that I would move it

and see is she even noticed.  I put those flat slick plastic

furniture movers under it and just slid it right across the

vinyl flooring onto the carpet.  We just have one large open

living area. 

"I'm a smart kitty,  I found it as soon as I awoke fur-om a 

long morning nap and got right on it.  I did go to the top but

it does not give me a view and Lynn did not get her camera out

quick enough."

This cat tree is 30 years old.  We bought it at a cat show

for Peepers and Seney to use.  And boy did they both while

Peepers was still with us.  She always let Seney know that Seney

was just a whipper snapper and would not let her have top self.

This is very well made and heavy.  A vendor made them himself out

of wood for the shelves and heavy carpet cardboard covered in

good quality carpet.  At the time this 6 foot tree was $100 and

I had a hard time convincing my husband to buy it.  Now if

Precious will keep using it we will keep it in front of the living

room window.  If she gives it up soon, I may dismantle it

and decide what is to become of it next.  It is a part of our 

family history now.

"You just can't out think a kitty, Lynn.  Who knows how

long I'll use this now."

 

It has been an early Spring as predicted by the groundhog

on Feb. 2.  What he forgot to pass on was how much wind

and rain and even tornados would come in this way.

I have been able to ride my bike a couple days a week in

May.  April was mostly a washout.  I even have done two

32 mile rides.  The first one 2 weeks ago actually surprised

myself as I had not been out as much as I wanted and did

not think I would be up to it.  But by myself at my pace

and all was well.  Packed a lunch and enjoyed the day.

Got home early afternoon just in time for Precious 

brunch and lots of brushies.

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It is much appreciated.