StrangeRanger

A Memorial Day Weekend

It's a long weekend for us, here at ChezRanger.  The weather is lovely, we're in modestly good health and the cat is, as always, magnificent.

Thank you!

We are spending some time thinking about friends and family in the military who have given their time, their efforts and their blood (and, in one case, the hearing in one ear) to our nation.  For what it is worth, we are humbly grateful for your sacrifices.  

Since the weather has been so nice, our neighbor Ed has been out with Matilda, letting her roam about.  Matilda likes to have her walkabouts and often ends up on our porch.  If our door is open, she checks out what we're doing and asks to come in.

Hi Guys!  Open the door whydoncha?!?  Looks like you're having fun!  Can I come in and play?!?

Poor girl doesn't understand that we're doing her a favor by keeping her out.

Damn Skippy you are!  

Seriously.  Once when I was a bit careless at the front door, Maddie got out and chased Matilda off our porch, off our property and off our neighbor's property.  I think it's for the best that these two never meet face to face again.

Oh poo.

We hope you all have a good week.  Think kindly, if you will, of those out there doing their duty in the military.  

Lazy. Again.

Lazy rears its ugly head.  Enjoy a couple of pictures you've already seen.

A Tummy-Palooza!  With wee feets thrown in!  WooHoo!

Have a good week, all.

Mothers Day

Happy Day to all Mothers!  Especially mine!  And LadyRangers Mom, too!   And Mom, for you, I'm going to vary my use of apostophes in this post.  S'ome will be correct and s'ome won't.  Just for you!  ;)

I never had the pleasure of meeting Maddie's Momma or Ivys. (note apostrophes Mom!)  I'm sure both of them were lovely cats.  

Dunno, guy...she was a cat who's not me!  How lovely could she be?

We do have *such* a hardcore only cat here, don't we....<sigh>

We did find a story of a cat who now has a Human Mom and Dad, despite being found before his eyes even opened.  This is Moses:

Go visit.  It'll make this Mothers Day special.  I'm sure Moses's's's's mom rests easy know that such caring people are taking care of her kitten.

Hap'py M'other's's D'ay to you all.  

Especially M'y M'o'm, who is writing me out of the will even as you read this!

6 years

Yep.  It's been six years since this:

6 years since Ivy came to live with us.  We had her for three years.  She went from a skinny, malnourished, flea covered cat:

to a righteously plump lady with her choice of treats:

 

She enjoyed her naps, legs aloft

and even, every once in a while, got along with Maddie.

I've been thinking of Ivy a lot recently, given the recent deaths of our blog-friends cats Scooby, Meowza and Nardo.  I miss the old girl, but I find joy in remembering.  Her pictures make me smile.  I'm about as metaphysically oriented as your average concrete birdbath, but somewhere, somehow, I hope she's doing good.

I'm doing good!

Nonplussed

From the first of our relationship LadyRanger has had a coffee table that was given to her by her parents.  It was one of the first pieces they bought as newlyweds back in the 1950s.  It's a lovely, simple piece of birch, plainly finished and, I think, quite elegant.  It's been the centerpiece of a working living room for over 50 years and had absorbed a moderate amount of punishment, as well as the usual wear and tear.  I believe there's a story about it almost claiming the life of my future bride when she was a wee beast, but it's been on its best behavior since.

We decided to refinish the old thing.  It was looking pretty rough, as I'm sure you've seen in my pictures if you've looked past the very lovely Maine Coon cat. 

Stripped the old finish, sanded a bit and applied Tung Oil.  Easy peasy.  The result?  Lovely, I think. Though no professional would claim the job, I think we did quite well.

Of course, there's been one problem.

Aw, jeez guys!  I'd just gotten it smelling right.  Had it all set up just the way I like it, too.

Maddie's been avoiding the table since we put it back in its spot.  I'm sure she'll ge used to it pretty soon.  Maybe.

I'm going to have to think about this, you know.  Initial indications are not good, either.

Update:  she sat on it.  It has been accepted.  All is well.

Ah, Spring...

...a perfect 81 sunny degrees with a light breeze yesterday.  A darkly overcast windy, misty-with-a prediction-of-rain 55 degrees today.  And what does a cat do on such a day?

She naps. 

Unfortunately, Typepad has decided to not upload my pics.  I am somewhat put out.  I'll get 'em up as soon as TP gets it's attitude adjusted.

I hope your sprig day is lovely.

 

Imagine, if you will...

... a chainsaw will all safeguards removed PLUS a circular saw, ditto safeguards, moving at 200 times recommended speeds PLUS about 20 industrial sewing machines going full-out.  Now, in your fertile imagination, wrap these in fur and jack up the volume on the furious caterwauling to 11.

Yes, we took Maddie to the vet recently for her regularly scheduled blood tests.

Not my fault.  What would *you* do if you were attacked by vampires.  I noticed, by the way, that you did nothing to help.  I'll remember that.

We got the results back and it sems to be good news.  Maddie's blood looks pretty spiffy.  The calcium level is normal.  Her B.U.N. is ever so slightly elevated, but her Creatinine (the more important measure of kidney function) is aggressively normal.  All in all, a great test. 

Now we just have to calm Maddie down and restore her trust in humanity.

Yeah.  That's gonna happen soon.  I'm just going to stay in my bunker here for a while.  It's really quite comfy now that I've shredded the nice boots that were taking up so much room.  Yeah, I've got space here to hang out and pull the lid closed.  Be off with you, you traitorous wretch!

<sigh>  Seems that the old "for your own good" excuse cuts no ice here.

Easter Sunday

I wish you all a Happy Easter Sunday.

Oddly, the suggestion of an early morning easter-egg hunt was not greeted with enthusiasm here.

Nah.  I'm good.  Thanks though.

Really?  Don't want to wander through the nice, cool, dew-ey grass?

Do I look like I want that?  Look...when there's eggs stuffed with turkey and Laughing Cow cheese, come get me. Otherwise?  Not so much.  K?

In the face of such indifference, what could I do?  I did happen to glance out over the sunny yard, though, and what do you think I saw?  Matilda (otherwise known as Puddin') the neighbor cat!  Some of you might remember that Matilda is the local relative of the Cheshire Cat, given to appearing and disappearing via tesseract.  I barely managed to catch a pic of her popping into this reality, obviously looking to score an easter egg!

(please note:  I'm pretty sure that the space/time distortions evident in this remarkable photo are due to the "cheshire effect" oft commented upon by Professor Hawking and *not* by the 77 year-old window glass this photo was taken through)

I casually mentioned this remarkable phenomenon to Maddie, then having a wash on the bed.  Her response?

What?!?  Another CAT is bogarting MY eggs?!?  In MY yard?!?  Let's go!!!

Typical, really.

Have a joyous Easter everyone.

My mind has NOT been in the game.

The blogging game, that is.  Still isn't, really.  Ah, life, that you keep us *so bloody busy*.  Pity. really.

I'll stop whining now, as I know that everyone who visits this blog (Hi Mom!) has stuff to deal with.  Or...stuff with which to deal, if I'm trying to be all grammar-ish.

Enjoy a vintage picture of Maddie. 

This is about 10 years old, taken just after she came to live with us.  She's a bit over a year old in this one.  Hasn't changed a bit.  Especially if we ignore the knee surgery.

Now, I do have an up-to-date photo or two of the garden.  Enjoy a pic of the wood poppies and the creeping phlox.

or you could enjoy the phlox and the poppies!

It all depends on your point of view.

No it doesn't.  I'm always beautiful.

 
That's right.  Point of view doesn't matter.  Maddie's always a butt-head.

HEY!  I HEARD THAT!!!

And yes, that's a vintage picture of Ivy.  FTW!

The Waning of the SunPuddle

As the sun moves north and the trees begin to leaf out, Maddie's sunpuddle begins to close up shop.  In a week or two, Maddie will be forced to relocate to the back of the couch for her sun-fix.

 
That's a disturbing thought......

Don't worry, dear Maddie.  You'll love it.  You always do.

And now, for Fiona.......Feets!

 
Lovely, delicate little razor-sharp predator feets!