Everything's a toy!

To Ruse and Audace, everything is a potential toy! Ruse especially enjoys the box that my new wireless mouse and keyboard came in! It's shaped just right. (Audace has tried it out, but he's a bit too big ... funny boy!)


I've stayed away from crocheting anything because of these guys. A couple of years ago, I started to make a new afghan, but the battle with the yarn-chasers was just too much, so I put it all away. Then recently, I was asked to start crocheting little hats for elementary school kids. I thought, "Why not? These are smaller projects and surely the cats wouldn't have much access to too much yarn." Well ... that went OK for a couple of weeks, but today, after I had been gone for about two hours, I came home to find the following!!




See the culprit - Audace! - posing as innocent as you please, in the doorway, as if he had just been a spectator! I laughed and laughed ... and then took photos!

Happy New Year to everyone!

Happy New Year

to

all of you

from

all of us!

Grace is demonstrating

how we are spending our day ...

... snoozing and resting

after all our vigilance last night

as neighbors all around us

shot off fireworks until after midnight.

Whew! We are tired!!

Happy 2010!

Grace sez...

I had to endure 8 days without my bean. =( Audace and Ruse slept a lot, as did I, but they also got a great kick out of chasing me ... and I hate that. I screamed a lot to let them know I don't like that game.

The grandbeans came over several times, thank heaven. Austen fed us and took care of our other daily needs; Parker and Kira came to share their lunches and to play. We liked that!

Our bean was visiting somewhere way up north where the weather must have really been cold and wet. When she returned, she had some very unusual smells on her and those big black rolling things she brought back into the house. Our noses were working overtime, trying to figure it all out. Here are photos of two critters whom she visited:

Charlotte

Ollie

Now we're gearing up to tolerate all the fireworks that will be shot off by neighbors up and down the street and in the houses behind us. It'll be noisy, but we'll all huddle up with our bean, and eventually, all will be fine again. Also, our bean promises new photos and videos soon. I'll believe that when I see them!!

Precious little snow for us!! Sniff, sniff!

Snow was predicted for the whole area around Houston, and we were all excited. But, as it turned out, we got little flurries once in a while and NOTHING stuck to the ground! Nothing!! Our bean's blog (<~~click here) has a couple of photos and videos -- and you can see the almost nothingness of snow in this area! We, however, stayed toasty warm -- and never really noticed!

This morning, though, EVERYTHING outside is covered with white stuff! Our bean says it's frost (24 degrees right now), not snow, but we think it's pretty anyway!

UPDATE: Photos of frost!! ~~> click here

Hugging?

These two are something else! Most of the time, they are in their separate corners or chasing their mom or snoozing on my bed. Here, however, they look as if they're hugging! Well, they must be. Pals for life, right?

Recent "portraits"!!

I took these with my phone's camera the other evening. I decided I need recent photos of my darlin's that can always be with me. These turned out cute!

Ruse is practicing being cute and adorable!


Audace is sitting up very straight!


Grace seems to be winking at me, funny girl!

Congratulations to Little Bitsy! Cutest Dog!!

Little Bitsy won the cutest dog competition in Week 12 of this competition! Congratulations, Little Bitsy!! We love you! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Cooler weather

The a/c has been off for a while now, and no need for the furnace yet. I guess Grace is OK with snuggling up to her pillow ...


... but Audace and Ruse are moving toward their wintertime mode of snoozing -- with, on, and smack up next to each other!

Princess's Special Day!

I've posted before about this little one -- Princess Meow Meow! Such a little beauty! Anyway, today is her lady-garden-ectomy -- actually it's over, and we'll be going to pick her up after 4 pm this afternoon. She will then spend the next week or so in grandbean Austen's room. Now we'll find out if she can be an indoor kitty, an indoor/outdoor kitty, or solely an outdoor kitty. It'll be her call. She's had complete freedom up to now, and I'll bet she won't give that up. We'll see.

Anyway, isn't she pretty? And lots of fun ... and very vocal!

She likes to claim the car in the garage as her own territory!

And she likes to explore everything else that's in the garage, too, including whatever's up in the rafters!

Grace - on a cleaning binge!

Ruse's fur looked pretty funny the other day after he and Grace had been snoozing together. Apparently, Grace decided to give about a 1" x 4" patch of Ruse's fur a thorough cleaning. It's quite obvious when you see that little patch of fur standing straight up, while the rest of his fur is smooth in the normal direction!

See the little patch of fur standing straight up!

Then Grace came back and decided to work on him in other spots. Her head was moving so fast as she cleaned his neck, the camera lens couldn't keep up! She's just a blur!!

Ruse doesn't seem to mind, though! Just lets his mommy clean him whenever and wherever she pleases!

Cousins!!

I've posted about Grigio before (fka Garage Kitty). He's in the first three photos below, showing off the fact that he's an inside kitty now, and he doesn't have to associate with anyone outside anymore!! My grandbeans call him the guardian of the shoe pile!




Now a new kitty has adopted my grandbeans' back yard. They have been calling her Princess Meow Meow! She's about 1½ years old, according to the v-e-t, and she's very zippy and playful. It's hard to get photos of her because she's always on the move. These aren't very good photos, but they'll do for now. She is very tiny (under 9#), and with her unusually floofy tail for a shorthaired cat, she reminds us of a squirrel sometimes!

Overdue!

I know, I know! I need to get some new pix posted here!

Today, Austen and I took Audace and Ruse to the v-e-t (Grace went in June) for their vaccinations. Since they're indoors all the time, I don't worry if a year (or even a year and a half) slips by between trips for shots! This morning, though, we also took along the little guest who has adopted Austen's back yard! I need to get some photos of her, too. They are calling her Princess Meow Meow, but I'm sure that'll get shortened at some point.

Photos will be up soon ... I promise!!

=)

Wordless Wednesday

Tummy Tuesday

Audace, Ruse, and Grace are very happy that I'm back home after 8 days away. They were all very brave and guarded our house perfectly!

Audace is so comfy, knowing that they did their jobs well while I was gone.


Ruse is just happy to have someone nearby to make him feel safe!

Sad time

Grace, Audace, and Ruse are guarding our house in TX while I'm in CA. My dad passed away last Thursday afternoon, and his memorial service will be held this Thursday at the National Cemetery near Riverside. Photos and a few memories are posted on my Facebook page and on~~> Writeacher's blog.

Next week, we should all be back to normal ... whatever that is!

Like babies!

These guys are just like babies in some ways. Here's Ruse - he seems to be either completely conked out with his face upside down ...


... or concentrating on something out the window! Funny boy!!


And Audace is showing off his tummy, letting us know how safe and secure he feels in this house!

More summer laziness!

Here's a normal gathering in the evenings. Grace is usually zonked out, though, not glaring at Ruse! Who knows what she's thinking?! I sure don't!


And here's Audace's latest snoozing spot. Does he think he's invisible?? =)

Audace, the inspector =)

Audace and Ruse love boxes, and Audace seems to especially love this one that hasn't been unpacked yet! Funny boy!!

The plastic packing straps are great fun, too. Terrific for chasing and biting!

And I love THIS WEBPAGE in the Catster website. It lets me know that I must be doing all the right things for my little jewels!

Ahhhhh, the Cat Days of Summer!

Such a nice lazy time of year ... except for cats, who are lazy all year long, it seems!!

Audace, practicing his lion look ...


Ruse, so relaxed he even allows his tummy to show and be tickled!

Still the mommy!

Every so often (at least once a week!), Grace asserts her mommy-status. Here she is giving Ruse's head a bath!


And here she is holding him down so she can finish her job!! What a good mommy-cat!


I took these photos with my cell phone's camera - lower resolution than my Olympus has, but catching these two "in the moment" was important!!