Zed - the latest addition to the Kracker Cats

Here is Nabysko with Zed - the latest addition to the Kracker Cats. You will recall that Bryce, Nabysko's boyrfriend, is allergic to cats. That's why they went so long without a cat. But finally they got Juniper and, despite a bit of extra suffering, Bryce wanted them to have two cats.

Bryce liked Jim so much that he wanted that cat to be black. So, recently, they were down in Homer and they came up with this black kitten, Zed.

They bought a big, fancy, air cleaner that is going all the time. It has air-quality indicator lights - blue being best, red being worst. If the cats are a distance aways, the light is usually blue. If a cat come close, it turns red.

And here is Zed.

It is very dark in Nabysko's apartment, and I complained about how hard this made it for me to take a picture. (Oh yes, I know, I could have used flash - but I HATE flash.)

Tryskuit inserted a little light into the picture.

Tryskuit lights up Juniper.

Zed sees the light. I can't help but wonder if he saw anything, afterward.

Nabysko and Zed, in silhouette.

I call him, "Zederick."

I should note that I originally prepared five additional pictures for this post, of Diamond and Slick. However, Bill Hess needs to make a post on his blog in the parallel universe and both he and I are very tired, so we agreed that he would post the other five there, which you can find here.

However, if you click on the link and do not find the cats, that is because you have gone there before 4:00 AM AKDT, Sunday, October 25, 2009, when the Wasilla blog post is scheduled to go up. That would be 8:00 AM East Coast DT.

Royce grows old

I hate to say it, but Royce is growing very old and ever more feeble. I don't know how much time we have left with him. Yesterday, Sunflower wondered if we should dig a hole in the backyard before freezeup. That could be any day now. Last year, it had happened by now.

It is very hard to dig a grave back there, once the ground has frozen.

Still, I don't think we will dig that hole now. Perhaps Royce can make it through another winter. I hope so. I think so. I'm not sure.

Of course, we are never sure, about any of us.

We are going to lose Martigne and Muzzy very soon - but for a better reason. Toast Ed and Sunflower are in the process of closing on a house in Anchorage. Once they do, they will move these two and little Wry into that house with them.

What will we do out here then?

A warm gathering between toddler, dad and cat ends in a high note

Little Wry, Royce and Toast Ed were all snug and warm on the couch, enjoying each other's company.

Little Wry was overcome with an innocent, sweet, expression. This is when a toddler is at his most dangerous.

Suddenly, little Wry jumps up and kicks Dad... well, you know. Dad screams.

Now little Wry drops down with his knee. Royce is worried, but holds his ground.

Wry is very pleased. Royce ponders his own safety. Toast Ed squeaks out a few high notes.

I see a white cat as I walk past the house where the chicken crossed the road and the rooster got shot and the little dog nearly killed the rabbit

Yes, many things involving animals seem to happen at this house. And today, I walked by and saw this cat chatting with these goats.

The goats are a little hard to see, but they are there, on the deck, peeking out from behind the fence.

For you, Heidi: Pistol-Yero

Heidi, I took these pictures of Pistol-Yero just for you. Here he is, on the bed where he sleeps with Jim and me (and when Sunflower heals, her, too).

He ponders my lens.

He reaches out to touch it. I pull it away before he can.

Jimmy grooms Pistol-Yero, Pistol-Yero grooms Jimmy.

Pistol-Yero and I, in my office.

To anyone else who may stop by, I did this for Heidi because she made a special request in a comment that she made on my last post.

The negligent cat blogger

I have been most negligent concerning this blog recently. It is not because I want to be or have lost interest, it is just simply that I have become spread altogether too thin. Furthermore, I have become exhausted. I am exhausted when I go to bed at night, I am exhausted when I get up, I am exhausted at every point during the day.

But still I do quite a few things. The other day, as I walked, I saw this black cat ahead.

Funny. More than eight years have now passed since I lost my original black cat, Little Guy. I searched relentlessly for Little Guy. I made posters and put them up everywhere.

I drove to the pound, 12 miles away, again and again and again in the hope that he would show up there, even though I knew he would not.

And when I saw this black cat, eight-and-a-half years later, my heart leaped to my throat.

And then the cat saw me and ran off into trees.

And here is my shadow, hanging over Varmit, who lives with Dan, the camera shy man.

Varmit.

And here is a calico that I spotted yesterday as I pedaled my bike about Wasilla.

And here is my own calico buddy, Chicago, with Royce, today. They are enjoying a wild, raucous, time, chasing grizzly bears through their dreams.

One of these days, I will get caught up, rested up and I will steam forward on this blog once again. Don't give up on me.