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.

Juniper comes for a visit, gets together with Wry

I looked out my front window and was surprised to see that there was a tiny cow out in the yard, grazing on the grass. A really tiny cow. The tiniest cow that I had ever seen. I went out to investigate.

Why, it was not a cow at all! It was Juniper! That must mean that Nabysko was nearby.

Little Wry spotter Juniper, too, and skedadeled over. He was surprised. Wry does not see Juniper often.

"H'mmm," Wry contemplated. He seemed to wonder if she was safe to pet.

Nabysko appeared and gave Juniper a pet. This gave Wry confidence. He reached out to do the same.

Wry gives Juniper a pet.

Juniper escapes to the Escape.

Juniper poses by Nabysko's Cavalier.

From inside the front room, Martigne looks out the window. She is jealous. She wants to be out there, too.

Soon, the action moves to the back yard.

Juniper spots a bumble bee.

Juniper does some more grazing.

Toast Ed made this pile after the snow melted. We are waiting until the snow falls again and then we will burn it. Juniper decides to climb it.

Wry discovers that Juniper has climbed up the rubbish pile.

His dad gives Wry a boost so that he can better see. Juniper decides to leave.

Down Juniper goes.

But soon, she climbs right back up. That's because she can see the entire world from up there. Juniper believes that the entire world belongs to her.

And so it does.

Jimmy helps me edit pictures

I hate to remove the picture of Wry pointing to the clouds as he rests his head upon Royce from the big picture spot, but this blog needs to move on.

As usual, I spent most of today sitting right here in front of my computer, editing the the pictures that I took on my recent Arctic Slope trip for the special issue of Uiñiq Magazine that I am putting together. I am way behind, due to Margie's injury, but I will get it done.

Jimmy spent the day with me, helping out, offering pointers. Here, he looks right into my eye, because the picture that you see on the screen, of Iñupiat Eskimo caribou hunters swarmed by mosquitoes, is reflected there. Using this method, Jimmy studies the picture so that he can tell me how it should be cropped.

This is how Jimmy thinks that I should crop the picture. I disagree. Jimmy is a lousy picture editor.

The love story between toddler Wry and Old Man Orange Cat Royce reaches the clouds

Tryskuit and Charlie came to visit Sunday. Late in the evening, they went out to pick blueberries. A bit later, I went looking for them. This is how I found them.

Tryskuit got bit by a mosquito.

There really weren't that many berries. This is because little Wry and Toast Ed had already made a few trips through here, picking and eating all the berries they could.

Speaking of Toast Ed and Wry - here they come, with that giant, strange looking cat, Muzzy!

Now it's Wry, Royce and Muzzy! I wonder if they will find more berries?

No, but Wry finds grass, going to seed.

Royce gets up and heads to a spot where he thinks the grass will be taller.

Wry follows, then sits down beside him.

Sure enough, the grass is taller.

Wry reaches for the grass.

Wry studies the grass.

Wry uses Royce for a pillow.

Wry suddenly notices a beautiful cloud, passing overhead in the deep, blue, sky. He points it out to Royce, who does not care. But Royce does care about the boy. Royce loves the boy.

Ah, yes. A magic moment, one that will last forever.

A time of high ambition and roaring energy in the Kracker house

As you can see, Pistol is full of energy, vigor, and vim.

So is Jim.

And Martigny, too.

Chicago can hardly be constrained. This is how we all are around here, right now. Give us some time. Rest will come, energy will be restored, Sunflower will heak and we will all be back as we were.

I just need about a 20 year nap, that's all.

So it shouldn't be too long.