Thank you, Zoey an' the Furballs an' Cha-Ching!

Before the witching hour passes on another Hallowe'en, we'd like to say "thank you" to Zoey an' the Furballs an' Cha-Ching's momma for makin' us this beautiful pumpkin quilt. It's been on the back of the recliner chair since Mom came back from her vacation. It's done in little squares an' it's furry excellent!

I Won! I Won! I ACTUALLY WON!

I wanna thank efurryone who voted for me in Skeezix's Second Annual Hallowe'en Costume Contest! I cannot believe that I was selected as a first place winner! Amazing ... I'm so surprised that this could ALMOST be a Wordless Wednesday post!

Thank you!

A Full Moon from a Real Halloweenie!

We'd like to wish EFURRYONE an especially spooky Hallowe'en ... an' give a shout-out an' a thank you to Maggy an' Zoey from Zoolatry for making this really cool graphic for my bloggie! Thanks, ladies! You ROCK!

Our Contest Winner: The Pretty Witch of the West!

For our category in Skeezix the Cat's Second Annual Hallowe'en Costume Contest ... Best Costume (real or Photoshopped) Worn By A Geezer Cat (ten or more years old) ... we have selected a WINNER!


Miz Allie the Cat dressed at the Pretty Witch of the West an' looked absolutely adorable. She will be receiving a handmade hammock-style cat bed as soon as she sends us her snail mail address an' we release the package to the man in the bloo shorts.

Thanks to efurryone who participated in Skeezix's wonderful contest! An' especially to those who sponsored categories so that we could have a wider range of winners! Yay!

Sleepy Sunday ... October Edition

It's been a "Sleepy Sunday" in every extent of the words ... Mom FINALLY got up at a few minutes before noon after a very long night of watching junk on television that she'd been recording on the DVR since bein' on vacation. She'd stored up so much stuff that the DVR was issuin' warnings about not being able to record other stuff until some of the current stuff was watched and/or deleted. Bah.

Anyway ... Mom's been taking photos of me sleepin' this last week ... I even got in a good "Grandad" nap (check out the festive Hallowe'en blanky!).



So Mom's going out to lunch with Grandma ... an' I think that I'll just curl up her on the couch with my pillows an' a blanky to resume my "Sleepy Sunday" ...

Zzzzzzzzzzzz ...

There's still time: Howl-o-Weenie Contest!

We're sponsorin' a prize in Skeezix's Second Annual Halloween Costoom Contest!

Our category is Best Costume ("real" or Photoshopped) worn by a GEEZER CAT of ten years of age or older!

The prize is THIS handmade cat hammock bed that Lucky Charmz is modeling. Mom finished constructing it yesterday. She even made a catnip pillow for the winner to rest his/her head upon.

Don't tell Charmee, but HE can't win the prize ... Besides, we already have a hammock.

Check out the contest at Skeezix's Halloween Contest Page!

Saturday Photo Hunt #40: PINK!!!!

PINK!

The Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme for this week is PINK! Pink is one of the most favorite colors in the Cat Blogosphere. Charmee LOVES things that are pink (I, myself, prefer purple).

This is a photo of our favorite new toy: The Star Chaser. Mom saw this toy for the first time when she was visitin' Zoey an' the Furballs back in September. She was interested in the light-up track ball that spins when someone hits it with his/her paw.


She went to Petco an' bought two: One green one with a PINK ball for Lucy Fur an' a PINK one with a green ball for us.

But then she went to visit her Aunt Donna an' found out 'bout Gunner an' Maverick. They didn't have any good toys, so Mom gave them OUR Star Chaser (along with a laserbeam pen an' a bunch of treats).

While Mom was in the Tri-Cities, she stopped by another Petco to get us a PINK one. She also found out that the cardboard circle that sits in the middle (an' is furry excellent for scratchin') is sold at Wal*Mart for less than $3.00 (they're much more 'spensive if you get 'em at Petco).

Here's a photo of our Star Chaser ... an' Sparky Fuzzypants (who's got a mean left-hook an' can REALLY make that ball spin!


If you're interested in this toy an' don't have a Petco near to your house, you can get one CHEAPER at Amazon.com.

Friday's Feast #43

Appetizer
Name a great website you would recommend to others.

Hmmm ... I tend to bee-bop around the internet not payin' a whole lot of attention to the different sites. I enjoy using the brain teasers from the Houghton Mifflin Company's Eduplace. The puzzles aren't too difficult for my ninth graders and they're a good review for just before standardized testing when kids need a refresher of the problem-solving skills.

My favorite sites are blogs, though. They have great entertainment value. I especially like Miles and Sammy Meezer's blog ... Meezertails and all four blogs featuring Skeezix the Cat, Rocky the Gutter Cat, Mao, and Tripper.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how often do you dream at night?

When I fall asleep, I dream ... The operative word in that statement is "when" ... I'm not a good sleeper. I require Tylenol Simply Sleep, an oscillating fan, and total darkness. I don't always get optimal sleeping conditions.

Salad
Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what kind and what was its name?

I was fortunate to have the ideal dog as a child. My mother chose her for the family when I was about five years old. Her name was originally "Deana," but my best friend at the time had the same name, so her name was changed to "Peaches." She was about twenty-five pounds of Cockapoo. She was curly furred (cream with wiry apricot threads) and infinitely loyal. She was used a number of times to train other dogs to walk on leashes. She liked the neighbor's mentally retarded ginger cat "Red Kitty" and was patient with little kids, too. She lived to be eighteen years old. I miss her every day.

Main Course
If you had the chance to star in a commercial, what would you choose to advertise?

I'd star in a public service announcement about spaying/neutering pets, and how that simple act greatly enriches their lives.

Dessert
What is your favorite kind of hard candy?

I like rootbeer barrels and those old fashioned candy sticks in blueberry.

Super scary Hallowe'en Movie Starring the Feline Americans!

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

I GOT AN AWARD! Yay for me!

Rocky the Gutter Cat nominated me for the "I Love Your Blog" award. I am so verklempt. Thank you, Rocky.

I'd like to nominate:

Tara an' Kavan, Puff, Spot, an' Jake, and my cousins, Zoey, Cha-Ching, and the Furballs

Thursday Thirteen #41: Facts about Firestorm 2007 in San Diego County

Since the wildfires scorching San Diego County are the utmost on my mind this week, I thought that I'd do my Thursday Thirteen on this topic:

Thirteen Facts About the San Diego County Wildfires of 2007

1. Property damage from this week's devastating Southern California wildfires has reached at least $1 billion.

2. The fires destroyed at least 1,500 homes.

3. Firestorm 2007 has triggered the largest evacuation in state history.

4. All schools have been closed for the remainder of the week. The San Diego Chargers have relocated to Phoenix, AZ, for practice. The fate of their game scheduled for Sunday is still uncertain.

5. President Bush signed a major disaster declaration for California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has pledged his support.

6. Wildfires that have now charred at least 427,000 acres. The largest "containment" percentage is 15 percent. Many other blazes are at 10 percent containment.

7. At least 500,000 people have been forced from their homes in San Diego County. Countless horses and other livestock have been relocated around the county.

8. One person was killed by the flames, and the San Diego medical examiner's office listed five other deaths as connected to the blazes. The deaths are primarily among the very elderly who were overcome during the evacuation effort.

9. Sixteen fires are currently burning from Malibu to the Mexican border. A couple of the fires have combined.

10. Winds decreased to between 21 and 36 mph, but fierce gusts of up to 100 mph whipped fire zones earlier in the week.

11. Planes and helicopters couldn’t fly because of the Santa Ana winds. By Wednesday, planes and helicopters were able to dump massive amounts of water and chemical retardants from the air to help combat the blazes.

12. Evacuation orders for parts of San Diego County were rescinded and residents were allowed to return to parts of Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Del Mar, Encinitas and Solana Beach. Still others await news of the conditions of their homes.

13. The Camp Pendleton fire is burning near the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. As a result, it’s shuttered for the immediate future, but the Nuclear Regulatory commission hasn’t declared any type of emergency at the station.


If you're interested in helping by making a financial contribution to the relief effort, you can contact the American Red Cross.

Woofie Wednesday w/ Off-color joke!

Mom's friend Darleen sent the contents of this post as a funny email.

Sometimes we just have to look at the things woofies do an' shake our heads ... Woofies are awfully amusing!

Ten Peeves that Dogs Have About Humans

'1' Blaming your farts on me... not funny... not funny at all !!!


'2' Yelling at me for barking. I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG, YOU IDIOT!
 

'3' Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway?
 

'4' Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose. Stop it!
 

'5' Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home.
 

'6' The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whoooo Hoooooooo! What a proud moment for the top of the food chain.
 

'7' Taking me to the vet for "the big snip", then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back!
 

'8' Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet.
 

'9' Dog sweaters. Hello ??? Haven't you noticed the fur?


'10' How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth. You're just jealous.

FIRE News: UPDATE

As of this posting, the winds have died down a little bit allowing helicopters to be sent into the affected zones.

One of the fires has moved near to the EastLake area that is about fifteen miles northeast of us. We are still totally safe where we are and won't likely be evacuated ... The air is still horrible an' the black masheen is covered in ashes.

Mom's school district has several schools in the EastLake area, so Chula Vista High School (where Mom worked as a student teacher) has become a shelter. More schools in her district ... including hers ... are likely to become shelters, so her superintendent closed the district schools for the rest of the week as a precaution.

We're happy to have Mom home for the week for cuddles an' stuff, but would prefer having her at work if it would mean that people wouldn't have lost their homes ...

As mentioned in the previous post, this is the worst fire disaster that San Diego has experienced ... ever.

The 2003 Cedar Fire closed schools for a week countywide. It is entirely possible that schools could be closed longer if the fires continue burning at their current rate.

Most of the fires are ZERO PERCENT CONTAINED and continue to engulf everything in their paths. The winds have taken sparks and embers across freeways and from mountain to mountain ...

Please continue to keep San Diego in your purrayers ...
DMM

San Diego Firestorm 2007

Photo taken from NBC 7/39 San Diego webpage ... Find up-to-date information by visiting NBC 7/39 San Diego
Hi efurryone ...

I know that a number of you have expressed interest in our health and safety in light of the horrible fires (EIGHT at this posting!) that have overtaken San Diego County in the past thirty-six hours.

Please don't worry for us as we are perfectly safe at home. The fires are to the northeast and southeast of us, and are quite a distance away. We live furry close to a beach called Imperial Beach near the southwestern-most tip of the United States. It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that anything other than polluted and ash-filled air will reach us.

Mom's school was in session today, but ninety percent of the kids were picked up by their parents before lunchtime. Schools in her district will be closed tomorrow (Tuesday) due to unhealthy levels of pollutants in the air. It's likely that schools will be closed on Wednesday also (but not the whole week like happened in October 2003 with the Cedar Fire).

Since the weather is unseasonably hot (81 degrees at 4:00 PM), we're experiencing Santa Ana winds of unpredictable strength and direction, and the air is so thick that you could cut it with your claws, Mom shut efurrything tightly and turned on the a/c for our comfort.

If it hasn't happened already, our "governator" will declare San Diego County a "disaster area" and call out the National Guard to help to fight the fires.

Please pray for the people who've been evacuated and who've lost their homes. Also, please keep the horsies an' other livestock in your purrayers 'cuz lots of 'em have been evacuated an' I'm sure that they're furry scared.

The Feline Americans and I would like to thank you for your care and concern while we ride this out. It has been said already that this season's fire outbreak has been the worst in San Diego history ... an' it's only been thirty-six hours. Sigh ...

DMM

Vote for US ... pleeeeezzzzzze!

All five of us are entered in Skeezix the Cat's Second Annual Hallowe'en Costume Contest.

Here is the link so that you can look at the costumes of this year's contestants.

These are our costumes for this year ...

Lucky Charmz is Ariel, the Little Mermaid (even though he looks a whole lot like that red-haired girl from the Wendy's Hamburgers commercials.

Pumpkin is a Pirate of the Caribbean ... He's wearin' a hat like Cap'n Jack Sparrow's with a bandanna, vest, an' pirate pants. Arrrrggggg.

Sparky Fuzzypants, who loves superheroes, is cartoon legend Super Chicken.

Cocoa Puff is disguised as one of his favorite foods: LOBSTER!

An' I didn't wanna be scary like I was last year when I dressed up as a witch from "The Wizard of OZ," so I begged Mom to let me be a pretty princess or a fairy. This year ... I, DaisyMae Maus ... am the Mouse Fairy. Aren't I pretty?

Saturday Photo Hunt #39: PRACTICAL

PRACTICAL!

The Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme for this week is PRACTICAL!

Mom took this photo of our cousin, Lucy Fur, when she was stayin' at her Aunt Toni's condo in the Pacific Northwest last month. If you look furry carefully past the beautiful Tuxie girl in the foreground, you'll see a most PRACTICAL piece of furniture. Yep, it's a Miles Meezer favorite: The FUTON!



Futons are furry practical if you've got limited space in your house, but wanna be a good host/hostess to your guests. Guests need somewhere to sit when they visit, so a futon makes a handy couch. An' if the guests stay the night, you don't wanna have to give up your bed, so it's good to have a futon that unfolds into a comfy bed.

Whaddya call yourself?

I found this at Millie's bloggie an' it looked like fun (I liked her answers ... visit her bloggie to see what she said!) ...

YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (favorite stuffie + tail characteristic)
Binky Short

YOUR GANGSTER NAME: (favorite kong-filler + favorite cookie)
Cheez Grasshopper

YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color + favorite animal species)
Purple Feline

YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name + first 2 letters of your first name)
Mau Da

SUPERHERO NAME: (“The” + 2nd favorite color + favorite drink)
The Magenta Virgin Margarita

NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Orland Jens

STRIPPER NAME: (your favorite scent + favorite treat)
Night-Blooming Jasmine Catnip

WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names)
Lynne Martin

SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday + favorite flower)
Autumn Honeysuckle ... Gosh, this makes me sound more like a second-rate stripper!

CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit + article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Pomegranate Sweatpanty (Makes more sense than "SpongeBob Squarepants," huh?)

HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast + your favorite plant)
Tomato Soup Basil

YOUR ROCK STAR TOUR NAME: (“The” + Your favorite hobby + favorite weather element + “Tour”)
The Scratching Post Fog Tour

Friday's Feast #42

Appetizer
If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why?

I'd likely be a Boston Terrier. They are my favorite kind of dog. They've got the same color combination as my favorite kind of cat: Tuxedo. Boston Terriers are smart and loyal. They don't bark all that much and they're not terribly large.

Soup
What does the color purple make you think of?

Purple is my favorite color. It makes me think of grape soda, luxury, and Elizabeth Taylor's "Passion" perfume that I used to wear in college. Purple looks good on everyone. The Sterling Silver rose is light purple (lavender) and it smells like heaven.

Salad
Approximately how long does it take you to get ready each morning?

I take about ninety minutes although I could be ready much quicker if I had to ... I get up at six o'clock and shower in less than ten minutes. I comb out my hair and put on make-up. Then, I take a forty minute cat nap with Lucky Charmz. I drink a glass of juice, dry my hair, brush my teeth, and dress for work.

Main Course
How many cousins do you have, and are you close to them?

Wow. I have very few first cousins of my own generation. I have four on my mom's side and I'm not that close to them. I have four on my dad's side; I'm close to two of them (Michele and Kirsten). The rest of my cousins are more distant (first cousins twice removed and so on) and most are MUCH older. The oldest of my cousins is 91.

Dessert
Take your initials (first, middle, last) and come up with something else those letters could stand for. (Example: SFO = Sweet Funny Otter)

JLJ: Just LOVE Jaguars!

Meet Maverick!

This is my cousin. His name is Maverick an' he lives in Kennewick. He's Gunner's brother.

When Mom went to visit, she brought toys an' snacks for the boys an' their woofie housemates. Mom brought Pit'R'Pats, Temptations (seafood medley ... my favorite), a laserbeam pen for playin' chase, an' a Star Chaser.

Aside from the treats ... they love Temptations (of course!) an' had never had them before ... Maverick an' Gunner really liked the Star Chaser.

Here's Maverick gettin' ready to give the light-up ball another blast with his mini-ManCat paws.

Mom really liked holdin' Maverick 'cuz he's furry soft an' doesn't try to escape when he's bein' held an' petted. I guess that he takes after ME!

Thursday Thirteen #40: Words of Wisdom

1. I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you..


2. No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won't make you cry.


3. Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.


4. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.


5. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them.


6. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.


7. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.


8. Don't waste your time on someone, who isn't willing to waste their time on you.


9. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful.


10. Don't cry because it is over; smile because it happened.


11. There are always going to be people who hurt you so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.


12. Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.


13. Don't try so hard! The best things come when you least expect them to.

Wordless Wednesday: Cousin Gunner!

Sacajawea Park

Here are the "historical markers" that are placed around Sacajawea Park.

October 16 - 18: Celebrating Sacajawea

Over the next couple of days, I'm dedicating some blog posts to Sacajawea an' the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

On September 29th, Mom, Grandma, and Auntie Donna visited a park in Kennewick/Pasco/Richland, Washington called "Sacajawea Park." They were having a celebration of the expedition of the early nineteenth century with costumed "historical figures," native tools and ephemera, and some period foods (although Mom is kinda skeptical about the funnelcake's place in history) prepared by the boy scout an' cub scouts.



As you can see from the historical marker shown in the photo above, Lewis and Clark's party camped in the area that became the Sacajawea Park from October 16th through 18th in 1805. The little spit of land is bordered by the Snake and Columbia Rivers.



The park was FORMALLY dedicated to the people of the Tri-Cities area in 1927 by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Carstens. Prior to 1870, a women's organization called the Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington had set aside the acreage as a memorial.

When the park was dedicated eighty years ago, the trees were tiny and didn't provide much shade. Now, the trees are ginormous and cast their shade over much of the grassy areas of the park. There are areas with docks for mooring recreational boats, and while Mom was watching, a tugboat moved swiftly past pushing a large barge. She wasn't aware of how crucial that waterway is to commerce in the Pacific Northwest.

In the park, there was a museum with some cool artifacts and stuff to read. Check out everything about that historical event and how the Lewis and Clark Expedition was impacted by the introduction of salmon, the influence of the local tribes, and the conditions brought about by the Columbia River Gorge region.

Blog Action Day: October 15, 2007

Oh, crud. I had fully intended to participate in the Blogblast for Action event ... that occurred yesterday. Blast!

The whole point was to write posts about the environment: What's wrong? What can be done? What kinds of GOOD things are happening?

I was going to write about the things that I'm doing in conjunction with the Feline Americans and Mom.

1. We recycle the plastic jugs that hold our litter.
2. Plastic bags from shopping are used to hold our "used" litter for transport and disposal.
3. Mom bought some cloth bags to take to the grocery stores (and on other shopping excursions) because the bags are reusable and much more comfortable to carry than plastic.
4. The Fancy Feast containers that hold our stinky goodness are cleaned and added to our recycling.

As responsible custodians of our planet, we felines have an obligation to leave the smallest carbon footprint that we can. Considering our very small paws (except for the occasional big-pawed ManCat), this task shouldn't be too difficult.

I challenge each of you to do your part for the environment ... Even if it means fewer farts!

DMM
E.R.F.A. (Environmentally Responsible Feline American)

ManCat Monday: Cousin Benjamin Fuzz!

Here are a couple of photos of our cousin ... He's a good-lookin' ManCat an an' all-around good guy.

Mom says that he was very appreciative of the toys an' goodies that she brought when she came to visit back in September. Benjamin Fuzz (Mom nicknamed him "Benja-Mini Bike" 'cuz he purrs really loudly!) cuddled with Mom when she was sleepin' on the couch. He would lean over from his perch on the coffee table an' put his front paws on Mom's arm. Then he'd push off usin' his back legs an' land on Mom's tummy makin' her say, "Oooffff."

He also REALLY liked gettin' brushed ... Mom says that he's got nice fur for brushin' ...

You can find Ben's bloggie (the one that he shares with his little sister, Lucy Fur) here.