StrangeRanger

Shocking!

Daisy was a naughty cat the other day.  Her collar came off and she was walking around nekkid!  Can you imagine?  She may have been inspired by the loose manners of some of our neighborhood strays, or perhaps by our newest neighbor, a woodchuck who wanders around au naturel as he nibbles at our clover.

LadyRanger was the perfect detective, however, and found the missing garment under the couch.  It was soon back on our lovely feline, who didn't seem to mind recovering her modesty.

Prude.

At least we know that she has her ID on her if she ever gets out again.

Also shocking?  I'm getting old.  But the benefit of that?  LadyRanger makes me cakes.

Chocolate raspberry with a chocolate ganache icing.  Exceptional!

Of course, the best present is another year with LadyRanger and Daisy.  They make me happy.

Have a great week ahead, all!

Daisy, to a T

I don't have any new pics of Daisy this week (because I am slack).  I will, however, display a newer pic from her birthday coupled with my interpretation of what her thoughts may have been at the time.

Please note that at the time of the photo, she was, to paraphrase a 19th century term, somewhat disguised in catnip.

Whoa, so, maybe *I'm* the toy and the pink puff is playing with *me*?!?

And then comes her response to that existential question...

WHO CARES?!?  WHEEEE!!!!!!!

And that, I think, is Daisy to a T.

Have a great week ahead, everyone!

Brave Daisy

Daisy is a brave kitty.  While apprehensive in the face of strangers, she warms up quickly, as her curiosity overcomes her caution.  When we went through the Great Bathroom Do-over, Daisy was initially skeptical about Josh, the tile guy.  By the end of the first day, though, Josh was calling her "The Boss", due to her expert snoopervising.  The two of them made an excellent team and the bathroom project turned out perfectly.

Daisy is also brave in the face of imminent danger.  She took down a bat!  Without hesitation!  If I'da know about the bat's presence before Daisy had put it on the floor, I would have run like a coward...

Daisy courageously ventured into the great outdoors several times last November (completely without our knowing.....)(still gives me shivers...) but she always came back unscathed, thank goodness.

One area, though, where Daisy's fearlessness does not do her any favors is her bravery in the face of imminent consequence.  I'm used to being randomly attacked and chewed on.  Mostly, it's okay, if a wee bit bleedy.  I love my cat and it's a sacrifice I am willing to make.  Sometimes Daisy pushes it a bit far.  I can hold a loaded spray bottle and give her unmistakable signs of displeasure (that's right...I growl at my cat) but she'll still jump me.  Gets a bit damp, but I make my point.  

Daisy also braves aqueous consequence when she jumps on the dining table or the kitchen butcher block.  She knows (KNOWS!) she will get sprayed, but up she hops.  I do not know why.  

Daisy likes to show off her courage in obvious ways, some times.  Like this:

mmm hmm, that's right!  I do NOT care that that big ol' nuclear, industrial sized, monster of a spray bottle is right behind me.  Do not care at all.  I know I'm within my rights to be up here and there's nothing you can do about it!  HAH!  Nothing you can do about me getting on the dining table either, for that matter...

Don't worry, Daisy is allowed to be up there and that bottle is destined for garden use. Our girl is safe as houses up there.  But it's a good illustration of her nonchalance in the face of misty danger.

Have a great week, all!

'Appy Boifday!

A Happy Day!  Daisy is 5 years old!  We don't know much about Daisy's early life, but we do know that she was a bottle baby.  I think May 25th was the day she was rescued, but her advent could not have preceded the rescue by more than a day or two so it seems that we're close enough.  We adopted her when she was about 5 months old.  Here's a reminder:

What a cutie!  And that is still one of her favorite windows.

I took a lot of pics those first couple of days.  Here's one of the best:

It's one of the few that is not hopelessly blurry.  Y'see... Daisy moves around a lot.  She's grown, but she hasn't slowed down.  The pics from today are blurry (despite a nice camera) because Daisy is just that fast!

We went out the other day and got her some new toys.  Here she is in action with one.  I'd been wondering if she'd like it.

And then I realized that she liked it.

She can be quite intent on her combat training.

And even when her target hides underneath a chair, it isn't safe from Daisy!

And after an epic play?  A little bit of a rest, up high.

Well, that was fun!  I'ma nap now.  But I think I'll stick around for another year.....

Yes, please!  We do love our Daisy.  We're happy she was born!

'Tis a gray, rainy day here....

I'm going to hit y'all with a lovely pic of a gray cat enjoying a sunny window.

Boom.

Can't get grayer, prettier or sunnier than that, now, can you?

I will now enjoy a gray rainy day by enjoying my time with my gray furry cat.

Have a great, safe, week ahead, all!

Vintage Pic

I'm sleepy and lazy.  Have a lightly used vintage pic.

I may have more oomph next week.

Have a great week ahead, all!

On the Inside, Looking Out

We've been having beautiful spring weather down here in Rangerville.  Aside from having to worry about tender young plantings and cooler nighttime temps, we've been having a lovely go of it this spring.  We've had windows open, braving the annual pollen invasion.  Daisy has enjoyed being able to sniff the air and feel the breeze on her gray, whiskered cheeks. 

All our cats have enjoyed that.  Maddie certainly did.

Ivy surely did, too.

We always wondered if she was looking out the window to see if her original people were coming to get her.  In any event, she knew she was loved and safe here.

I plan to spend some time, after putting in eye drops, sniffing nose-steroids and taking my anti-histamines, sitting near Daisy and looking out the window, surveying my domain, and feeling the breeze on my gray whiskered cheeks.

Have a great week ahead, all!

The crop is coming ripe

It looks like this year's cat crop is coming ripe!  We should all grab ladders and go pick us a passel o' cats!

I have never before, in all my life, seen an actual, live cat in a tree.  Ever.

I'd seen this beauty on one of my walking routes.  A small, quiet street near one of our parks.  Lovely place.  I'd only seen her on the ground, or on the porch of her human's house (or the house of one of her humans...)  She'd sauntered by me as I puffed up the hill. 

The other day, I actually saw her in her tree.  She watched me as I came up.  

Well, what have we here?

Once she realized that I was harmless, she went back to her bird-watching.

My, but they look tasty!

I'm sure Daisy would agree!

Have a great, safe week ahead, all!

Hoping for a calm, quiet day

We've been busy this week.  Gardening supplies have been purchased and hauled up the front steps.  The garden has been partially put in, some new block and board plant stands have been added to the north 40.  In a new move for us, we've got a small raised bed in the nearby community garden and have put some plants in there.  Got some of the back wildflower shade-garden cleaned up, too, but there is still a long ways to go back there. 

LadyRanger and I have both done harder duties, but it's somewhat tiring.  We're happy about the way it's gone, but it's been tiring.

We're hoping to have a peaceful, calm, restful sort of day before we have to finish setting things up this coming week.

As you may have guessed, peaceful, calm and restful are not adjectives that often apply to our little, gray force of nature.

I haven't knocked priceless stuff off the mantle in months, now....hmmmm......

In truth, sometimes Daisy can be quite relaxed.  

I need a new book.  These were all boring....

I hope you find good books for yourselves!  Have a great week!

Helpful

Daisy is a very interested cat.  Most of the time, if the humans are actively engaged in something, Daisy has to come and see what it is.  Often times, once she figures out the intricacies of the task, appreciates the established work-flow and thoroughly understands the desired outcome, she scarpers off to more important and productive feline pursuits.

Sometimes, though, she joins us in our tasks and sees it through to the bitter end.  Case is point, LadyRanger's sewing projects.  Daisy knows, as soon as the big cardboard workboard gets laid out, that there is a job to do!  And does Daisy sit on the sidelines and kibbitz?  No!  We're talking all-paws-on-deck and active participation!!  In the middle of the action!!!

My, this is comfy!  <ahem> Right!  Let's get going!  That fabric isn't going to get marked by itself, y'know!!  Drape it over me and I'll work on the bottom while you take care of the top!

You don't even have to look especially closely to see the needle sharp fang with which Daisy proposes to hole and pick the fabric.

Looks like you'll need about thiiiissssss much fabric......

Yep, once this board comes out, it is almost impossible to keep Daisy from just running off with the project by herself.

Right.  I figure that if we run a seam up this-a-way, we can put in a couple of darts over there.  Then we can run insert the junction box and run some 4 strand 24 gauge cat-5e wire to the main power source, put a couple of slash pockets on the  sides, a patch pocket on the butt for the catalytic converter, slap on a little bias tape to finish the seams, get some nice embroidery floss, embroider "Daisy made this", and Bob's your uncle!

What?

I don't know why the cardboard is so much more appealing than the hardwood floor, but it apparently is. 

It's a cat thing.  You wouldn't understand.

Really sometimes she's just so pretty we put the fabric away and just let her do what she wants.

You all be safe and have a great week!