Happy Mother's Day and Yoko's 18th Gotcha Day!

Yoko inspecting her Gotcha Day goodies.

Oh Mom...do I havta wear this silly hat?

I'm outta here!

It is hard to believe 18 years ago on this very weekend ( May 8) Mom and Pop took me as a tiny kitten home from the Naples Florida animal shelter.  I was supposed to be a woofie puppy but they did not have any that day so I was the lucky one to get picked.  Well, Pop picked me and couldn't put me down.

Me looking our our lanai.

Me on Pop's lap - he is the bestest!

We lived in Florida for a few years before we all moved to North Carolina.  It was just me and my grumpy older sister Chica then.  She is still my grumpy older sister all these years later. She will be 20 next month.  We had a big house and screened porch all to ourselves.  Chica was kinda mean to me so I was real good at finding safe hidy spots!

Chica picking on me again!

Can you find me?

I am having a quieter celebration this year but it will go on all weekend and you are all invited. We have treats, toys, nip and of course cake.

We are a big fan of the Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul dry cat food and will be giving away a prize package sponsored by them.  Just let me know in your comment if you want in on the give-away.  We'll  Be giving away   three sample bags of the adult cat dry  formula; a $30 gift card to PetFoodAuthority.com and a copy of the Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul book.  Some lucky cat could buy a lot of catnip with that!

And of course this being Mother's Day on Sunday, we wish all mothers in all species a very lovely Mother's Day. We are joining Misty Dawn for Camera Critters - please do stop by.  Thanks for stopping by our celebration!

Happy Cinco de Mayo and Garden Thursday

Chica celebrating!

We will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo today with lots of hat dances, margaritas and even a pinata or two!  Hope you all have a fun day.


Our organic garden is coming along.  Pop planted some fingerling potatoes this week.  Our tomatoes are getting big in their pots but it is too early to put them out yet.  Lots of flowers blooming - yellow and purple irises, and pink rhododendrons!  Enjoy the garden pics and do stop by Jonsie's Society of Feline Gardeners for more cat gardens.

Rhododendron

Fingerling potatoes

 We would like you to please help find a home for a very sweet loving calico cat named Daphne who is FIV positive.  Chrystal's private shelter is not able to keep her in the long term and is asking all of us to help out.  If you have not seen her post , please visit Daily Dose of Dogs for more info on Daphne.

Sweet Daphne needs a home.

Last but not least our own Yoko is celebrating her 18th Gotcha Day all weekend Saturday and Sunday.  Please do stop by to join in on the party!

Weekend of Remembrance

This year has been one of loss.  So many of the icons of Cat Blogosphere have gone to the Rainbow Bridge.  Mother Earth has shaken us all up with catastrophic earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires and tornadoes which caused even more losses worldwide, of humans and animals.  We are joining in on a Weekend of Remembrance with Three Tabby Cats in Vienna  and Momo at Floof and Fur.

For those in harm's way by Zoolatry.

We would like to remember some of the cats who have come before in our home...Clarence was a stray who wandered into our yard and hearts, skinny, hungry and matted.  He only was with us for 18 months when he passed of cardiomyopathy in 2004 but he took a large part of our hearts with him.

Clarence in better days.

Nick lived outside for most of his short life, a sweet but shy boy.  When he lost weight, we brought him inside only to discover he had an intestinal tumor which took his life at age 6 in 2006.  He loved being loved and cuddled right to the end.

Nick on the left with Big Guy.

Dear Manny left us very suddenly in 2007 when he was only two of a blocked urethra.  Such sweet memories of him - he loved to play with the laser toy and that was the only time he ever growled  - he was very possessive of  his favorite toy.  He loved to eat and was so excited he would run in circles instead of eating when  Mom put the food plate down.

Manny

Mom lost many of the ferals who never came inside but lived in our outdoor shelter in the yard - Big Guy our calm peace keeping head male cowcat, sweet Momcat who probably was the mother to most of them until her spaying in her later years, and last but not least, little black Bob and Leroy who both disappeared suddenly at age 6 months.

We love them and miss them still but know we will see them again one day.  Here is a lovely poem in memory of all the wonderful animals who have passed from our lives and yours.  Thank you for sharing a short time with us on Earth.

I Will Always Remember

I will always remember

the olive-eyed tabby who

taught me that not all

relationships are meant to

last a lifetime.  Sometimes

just an hour is enough to

touch your heart.

Barbara L. Diamond

Gardening on Thursday

Pop bought some broccoli plants to put in our garden and left them in the bathtub overnight- this is what they looked like the next morning!!!!!  Guess who the nibbler was....Tabitha!  She is not admitting anything at this point ...but we have witnesses!!!

Tabitha looking very guilty.

 

Our yard is just lovely with color - pink and white azaleas, dogwoods and our irises are coming up. Pop did plant lettuces, herbs and some new broccoli (ahemm...., Tabitha clearing her throat)) plants too. He is putting in potatoes and more veggies later this week.

Irises

Lettuces under the cover.

Chives, thyme and broccoli

Hope you enjoyed the garden tour today - we are not officially part of the Thursday Garden Club but will post now and then on how things are going!

Looks like we have been invited to join in on the Thursday Society of Feline Gardeners hosted by Jonsie.  Even tho we can't go outside we can report on the garden thru our windows!!!  Please do visit the other gardens on the main page here.

On another note - we had a scary night again with all the storms that devastated AL and GA passing over us in the early morning hours.  Mom stayed up with us and kept an eye on the TV and computer radar.  Luckily our beloved mountains broke it all up and all we got was thunder and rain.  We are sending our prayers to all who suffered in the tornadoes last night.

Wild Wednesday

Only in his cat tree.

We will be having some wild and stormy weather today along with the eastern part of the country.  Another day of hiding from the big booms and hoping we will be safe from the winds.  We will be sending happy thoughts to all of you in the stormy areas today - be safe.

Woody in his hidy spot.