Buffet

It's a cool, windy day today.  A good day to stay inside and have a snuggle in a warm bed!  

I found out what a buffet is and I like buffets!  About a week ago, I threw up so Jean gave me a little canned cat food with some extra water and some raw steak chopped up real fine.  I was in her studio where my bowl of dry food always has been so she brought the other two bowls and put them in a row beside my dry food, so it was dry food, raw beef, then canned food, then water glass.  I was amazed at the choices!  I wanted to enjoy and take it all in because this was special to a cat who only has one thing at a time!  I sat in front of the bowls, looking back and forth for a minute just savoring the concept of "buffet".  Then, I walked around the dishes deciding how and where I wanted to start.  Then, I sat for a while again just enjoying.  My tummy was more than ready for me to eat so I started.  One bite of dry food, one bite of beef, one bite of canned food and repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat and just because it was so fun I couldn't help myself........repeat!  I finished off with a nice drink of water.  WOW!  That was fun!  Since then, I've been looking sadly to the right where the other two bowls sat when Jean gives me food, but she just ignores me!  I'm trying to be a really good kitty since I can't just throw up when I want to, well not always anyway.  I hope if I'm really good, I'll get to have a buffet again!

Wizard Willie

You might not know this about me but I'm a wizard.  I'm the cat behind all the animals at Hogwarts. I had to stay behind the scenes or in the shadows because I would have stolen the show and since I'm the one with the real powers, I didn't want to make the others look bad.  Being a wizard is a serious job, takes a lot of thought and planning.  Here I am all exhausted, writing spells is hard!

Happy Days!

They are finally back home.  It was a rough week!  One good thing about Jean getting back from a trip is that she gives me more attention and I act pitiful so I get as much as I can.  I'm hanging over her knee which is my favorite place in the whole wide world and getting my neck scratched.  I also had a tad of fresh catnip.  I am told that tomorrow is a work day......that means I may have to model!  I'm hoping they'll be painting fruit or something, anything besides cat!  

I just can't believe it!

They are leaving again!  This time Tom's going because his bag is packed.  I keep up with all this since nobody tells me anything!  I know how many bags and who they belong to.  I also know when the big cooler on rollers gets loaded up they are only going for a day to get a lot of groceries.  
There is a rabbit living behind a bush by the back door.  I went out late yesterday afternoon and the rabbit wouldn't get away from the door.  I was afraid it was going to try to come in the house or maybe it was going to bite me when I tried to come in, it was very annoying!  I couldn't concentrate and have much fun for that pesky rabbit so I had to catch it not looking and make a dash for the door.  It sits outside the door and stares at me when I'm looking out.  I thought rabbits were afraid of cats, I just don't get these rabbits!  I think they are mean and devious and may not even be real rabbits, there's just no telling!  
Steve will be here to stay with me some of the time, I'll be alone a lot more than I want to be!  I sure hope Steve doesn't let the rabbit come in the house!
I'll tell you how my week went when Jean gets back so I can use the computer......sigh.

You just never know!

I was minding my own business taking a nap.  Tom did another painting of me today, thankfully he did it from a photograph but he needed me to model for a few minutes to get some detail right so I was dragged up out of my nice warm bed to work........On Sunday!  I should join a union!

Some people!

You just can't trust some people!  I know Tom is going to sneak in here and take Bunny if I go to sleep.  I have to find a good hiding place or Tom will be dangling Bunny in my face saying, "She's Mine now!" and I'll have to wrestle him.  

Big Brave Kitty Kitty!

Yesterday I went outside all by myself.  I wasn't afraid!  Jean usually goes out with me but she didn't want to go so she just left the sun room door open in case I had to make a run for it.  I stayed where I could see that the door was really open but I wasn't afraid, really!  I ate some grass and wondered around.  Saw a couple of those rabbits and I kept my eye on them too in case they decided to chase me since I was out there by myself but I wasn't afraid, I was just being careful.  I got to go all around the back yard.  I kept my eyes open in case a boogiebear came close to the fence but I wasn't afraid.  I also watched out for the owls, the ants and those black bugs that make me gag.  Those pesky grasshoppers make so much noise that after I made a turn about the yard I decided to just come inside so Jean wouldn't be worried about me.

Taking my job seriously!

As you know by now, I am a working cat.  I live with two artists.  I have to pose for paintings sometimes and that is really really hard!  Other times, I have to pose for photos and that's hard enough, believe me!  When someone clicks their fingers, I have to look at those fingers and stay that way until they say OK.  I would rather pose for pictures than for paintings because I can't take naps or even go pee until the timer goes off.  When that happens, it's a welcome relief and I hope it's over but it's usually not!  I do take my job seriously and do my best to please.  You can see how hard I'm concentrating in this picture of me with the peach blossoms.  I got to smell all the peach blossoms before work began, I have to smell all the flowers that come into the house.  I sure was glad there wasn't a bee or an ant on there, I really don't like bees, I'll tell you why one day.

Now, here is the painting that was done from the photograph.  A person in Texas bought it because she loved that my nose is exactly the color of peach blossoms, who knew!  

Playing catch up

I haven't posted anything in a while because nobody would let me use the computer!  I'm pretty sure I could do it on my own.  Jean was gone for a week, I was sure she had gone off and a coyote or some other big boogiebear got her but she came back.  I was so happy to see her that I couldn't act mad, I missed her but Tom and I had a good time.  He's awesome and gave me lots of attention.  
Here's a picture of me getting my neck scratched and hanging over Jean's knee, one of my favorite places to hang out!  Yeah, I have no pride, I was one happy cat to get her back!
They say I have to dress up and get some new photos for my blog so I will have to be a good kitty kitty and do what they say.  I always get something yummy when I do good.

She's going!

Jean is going on a trip and I'm sad.  The good thing is Tom will be here with me so no telling what we'll do.  I just wish they would both be here, it's not the same!  I'm not allowed to use the computer on my own so there will be no posts until she comes back on the 18th and I have time to tell her what all we did while she was gone.  I don't think I'll go outside because Tom is scary out there but I might change my mind if he will leave the door open so I can get back in if he starts making a lot of noise.

Happy Labor Day!

No labor for me today, I'm just taking it easy.  I'm groomed and fed so it's time for a nap.  A new favorite thing of mine since it's summer is shaved frozen steak, yum yum!  I eat it while it's so cold, it's like kitty snow cone.  As soon as I eat it, I either go lay in the sun or get in my cubby hole and take a nice nap.  Naps are fun, I don't know why people don't take more of them.  

Tarantula

I like tarantulas, I think they are cute and would be fun to toss in the air but Jean watches me like a hawk when I'm outside and she won't let me play with them.  You should hear her screaming and jumping around when I get close to one, then she grabs me and takes me inside.  When we first moved here I found one.  I patted it on the back and it felt nice so similar to one of the pom pom balls that I like.  A tarantula was living in a hole in front of the house, I had been watching it.  One day it was out of the hole, sitting on the water hose when Jean came along and picked up the hose.  The tarantula got off the hose and headed toward it's house when she saw it and had one of her fits, of course!  She put a rock on the hole but in a few days the tarantula had made an escape route beside the rock, they are smart, another thing I like about them.  I thought I was eventually going to get to play with it but then here comes Steve over!  They got a jar and Steve brought his video camera, you can see what happened next if you watch this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtoZnzgjc6U  Jean held the camera and missed the part where it came up out of that hole, I think she got busy having one of her fits.  I wanted to grab it but I was told to stay out of the way!  They took the poor tarantula way over on the other side of the road, I've been watching the hole area in case he comes back but so far there has been no activity.  I put my eye over the hole and looked but he's not home!

Ignorance is bliss

You want me to do what?  I don’t understand that command.  No, I still don’t get it.  Can’t hear you!

Worried

I'm a little worried and trying to figure out what is going on.  At first I thought they were going on a trip which means I have to stay home with Steve.  Steve works so he's not here as much as he should be and that means I'm alone too much!  Jean was packing up her art supplies and clothing so I was sure they were leaving but she didn't pack the usual bags and nobody got the French easels so now, I'm just worried and don't know what's going on!  They left with the boxes and then they came back without the boxes.  If they go on a trip, they call it teaching a workshop, I don't get to go outside and I miss them!  I won't sleep with Steve unless he turns that loud fan off and he says he can't sleep without it.  I miss my usual people and having things done the way I'm used to having them!  I'm keeping my eyes and ears open!  

Today

Today was a good day, the people stayed home with me most of the day.  Then, I got to go outside.  Jean doesn't like for me to stick my nose down in holes but I do when I'm fast enough to do it before she says NO or when she's not looking.  It's fun, sometimes if the hole smells interesting I put one eye over the hole and look down in there.  After awhile I saw a cute little yellow butterfly.  I played in the grass with it for awhile, then it decided to rest and wouldn't play anymore.  I looked at one of those hard shelled black bugs that make me gag, then I saw an ant on the sidewalk and decided it was time to come in, it was getting late.  

Home alone!

Tom and Jean went to Tucson yesterday so I was home alone, well except of Lulu and Lari and they can't get out of their room.  I'm not saying what I did!  The kitchen door was left open so I could have gone in the kitchen, jumped on the counter and visited through the window with the L's but I'm not saying I did.  I could have gone through the kitchen into the mud room, the little bathroom or into Tom's cubbyhole and snooped, I'm not saying I did but I could have and nobody would know.  When I'm home alone I'm in charge so I could do anything I wanted to but I'm a good kitty kitty and of course I would never do any of those things........but I could if I wanted to.  

Art day!

Today was art day, I hate art day!  It messes up my routine.  I don't even come out and say hello unless it's a direct order and then I have to be nice  and let everyone pet me if they want to.  Sometimes they want to see my belly (I have a really pretty belly, Jean tells me all the time) and feel the soft fur there, I really don't want strangers touching me there, what if they are dirty or what if they put something on me that doesn't smell good or what if they have fleas!  Yikes!  Most of the time they stay out in Studio 3 and paint and if they have to be here, that 's the best place for them.  They left a little while ago and I'm so happy!  I get in my chair and take out the days' frustration by sharpening my claws and making a lot of noise.  Then I talk about how awful it was and tell them not to ever invite those people over here ever again but they will because they like to have the people.  I have to stay on guard when they are here because one of them might come in and want to pet me or heaven forbid pick me up and who knows one of them might try to take me home with them!  One woman said she could just eat me up, well I can tell you that didn't make me like her any better!  I'm too well mannered to be rude but I was thinking, "lady, you just try it and I'll show you what I'm made of!".  One good thing is they haven't made me model for the group yet but there is that possibility because I've heard them talk about how much fun it would be to paint me............oh my, another thing to worry about on art day! 

Brave or stupid

Last night we had a big thunder storm.  I was determined to stay on the bed and be brave, then there was a big clap of thunder, the TV and lights went out with a crack making Jean jump and I was under the bed.  I don't even know how it happened, I was just under there and since I was under there I decided to use a little common sense and stay under there.  

Mop day!

Today is one of my favorite days, mop day!  I got up early from my long afternoon nap so I could walk all over the wet floors.  It feels good on my paws and it makes nice designs, then after it dries I can see where I've been!  I used to run and slide but after banging my head on things a few times I decide walking was better.   Fun fun fun!   Now the floors are dry so I'm going back for another nap.

In and out of the closet

We have these big heavy wooden doors on some of the closets that hang from runners above.  That's all that holds them.  Humans slide them, one goes behind the other but I can't slide them unless someone leaves a crack big enough for me to get my paws in.  I learned a long time ago that if I sit beside a regular door, turn my paw upside down under the door and pull that sometimes I can open a door.  Other doors I have to push with my head and shoulder.  Other doors are a problem because they latch but I give them my best shot.  From trial and error, I learned how to get in the closets with the big sliding doors.  I start pulling on the one in front and I push on the one behind, this is done in the middle, the big banging noise is fun to make.  As soon as there is a space big enough I wedge my head and shoulders in real fast, it hurts when they try to bang back together but I don't let that stop me.  Once my head and shoulders are in, I just squeeze on in and I'm in the closet!  I have to repeat the process to get out and sometimes that can be a problem because there is limited space in there.  It makes a lot of noise and I only like to do it at night when it's dark...........that's when I get in trouble because it sounds like someone is breaking in and would wake the dead.  If I get in without waking anyone, I sometimes take a nap or just snoop.  Then, I try to get out and run so I can pretend I didn't have a thing to do with making that noise.  To help me pass the time when I'm modeling I think of all the things I want to do and make plans, that helps me be still and hold the pose.

In Trouble!

She says she's going to keep me awake all day because I banged the closet doors last night!  It's so hard to be good!  Yeah, I know, I've got a big mouth and there's a big sound that comes out of it too.

My Morning

My first job of the day is to make rounds.  I check everywhere to make sure a sneaky rabbit, bird or other critter from outside hasn't invaded my space during the night.  I look in all the rooms, under things and behind things and I open all doors that I can! The humans don't know it but I check perimeters a couple of times during the night too but I have to be very quiet for a lot of reasons.  Usually everything is fine.  The next order of business since Tom has opened the front and back doors this time of year is to guard the doors.  I stand guard and show the rabbits that I'm fit and ready for battle if they try coming in.  There are these birds that fly up and land on the screen pretending to get a bug off it but I know they are casing the joint and I slap the screen which makes them go away for a little while. Jean and Tom don't seem to realize the danger, they just sit around drinking tea and coffee while I keep us all safe.  

Bugs, Bees and Ants

When I lived in Alabama, I learned why Tom doesn't like bees and I learned not to mess around with bees, bugs and ants or any of their cousins.  They look innocent enough, something fun that a cat could play with......not so!  This picture was taken right before the hornet stung me on the nose.  I went to a lot of trouble climbing up on the deck railing, getting balanced so I could see the hornet.  Then, I decided I should smell it and that's when it got me! I fell off the railing and my nose swelled up so big I thought my face would explode.  No amount of rubbing it or licking it helped, I thought I would die!  I have been careful since then not to have anything to do with those hateful things!  

A good night's sleep

I slept so good my eyes don't want to open! 

Rainy Sunday Afternoon

What do you do on a rainy Sunday afternoon?  Read the sports section and take a nice cat nap.  
Later on in the day it stopped raining and I went outside.  I chased a lizard, then I think it chased me and I had to do another ballet move to keep it from getting me!  No pictures this time, sorry.  Speaking of rain, just this year I've decided that I like being in the rain as long as it's not thundering and it's only drizzling.  The good thing about being in the rain is the ants and bugs don't like the rain so I don't have to worry about those pesky ants and the black bugs that make me gag when I look at them, I know I shouldn't look but I just can't stop myself!  

The mole hunter

My Chair

I have my own chair.  My nails get clipped so they are blunt on the ends and I have to work hard to get them sharp again, I wonder why because they just get clipped again!  I love my chair, it is My chair but every time I get it looking good just like I like, it gets traded out for another one or a cover put over it.  In this picture, I'm balanced up on the back of it and you can see some of the work I've done making it look like a tough cat's hangout.  I'm a mighty warrior cat sitting on top of my chair.  I get in the seat, put my back feet on the lower part of the chair back to brace myself and go to work with my front claws.  I make lots of noise ripping and shredding the chair.  It makes me strong in case I have to protect myself from those sneaky mean rabbits in the yard!   

Me and my big mouth!

Here's one that I didn't have to model for, I got sleepy trying to hold a pose sitting there on that nice clean soft quilt, who wouldn't!  Tom snapped the picture while my mouth was wide open.  I can open really wide.  The painting on the right was done by Jean from the photograph.  

A favorite thing

One of my favorite things about summer is eating grass, it's so yummy and particularly nice when someone feeds it to me.   I ate a bunch yesterday when I was outside, then I laid down in it while the rain sprinkled on me.  Just a good time to enjoy life until of course Someone came along and made me go inside.  I like getting wet on my own terms not by a bath!  Cool cats like me should not have to take baths!  

Feeling Old!

I woke up this morning at 5, well actually I didn't wake up but I decided it might be safe to get up and look out the window.  It's OK for me to wander around as a cat should at night as long as I am quiet!  If I meet Tom in the hall, I pretend I don't see him because I'm not sure I'm even supposed to be there.  I could hear the birds outside and I wanted to look out the window but that chest looked further away than it used to and I just wasn't sure I could make that jump.  I sat there, looking and looking and I just felt old so I laid my head down like an old cat and just listened to the birds thinking how nice it would be if I could just know I could make that jump.  Everyone got up and we went about our daily routine.  I got fed, brushed, combed, scratched, petted and vibrated which is a real treat and makes me feel awesome.  Then, wonder of wonders!  Here comes Tom with a nice carpeted ramp that goes from the bed to the chest!  Now, I can take the ramp up to the bed, run straight across the bed and up the new ramp to the window!  I really am a good boy, life is good!

Willie the wonder cat

My name is Willie.  I am 14 years old.  Born in Alabama in a hay cave under the big round bales of hay in the wee hours of July 4th.  I soon moved into the house and have only spent one night outside since, that's when the boogiebear chased me to the woods, I barely made it up into a big tree.  I'm really glad that boogiebears can't climb trees!

I have been working since I was a baby.  It's hard work sitting still for artists to paint me but I've learned to "stay", "sit", and look at the camera, plus a lot of other things that get me treats.  I've been painted many times and people say I'm very handsome.

Here's a picture from a modeling session.  I really had to pee, I was glad when the timer dinged, that means I can take 5.  

This one was taken on my birthday, what's a birthday?  Anyway, I got this yummy catnip and a doll but I don't play with dolls......really, I don't!