Mr. Boo

We have inherited a cat.  This does not particularly thrill me as we already have a cat.  Ms. Put does not always take too kindly to stray cats, visiting cats or "throwaway" cats that meander into her territory.  This one, however, she seems to like.  I have written before about the Maine Coon Cat that ventured onto the hillside and how Ms. Put seems to tolerate it.  She ignores it most of the time but occasionally will actually be rather nice.  We have been trying for most of the summer to befriend the cat and I do believe the time has come that we can say he is a part of the family now.  Michael is much more patient than I am when it comes to sitting for hours to coax a critter to the food bowl.  He has made great progress with the cat that I have dubbed "Boo".  The name came about because the cat was so scary that just a calm "boo" would have scared the bejeebies out of him.  Mr. Boo, being a part of the family now, has laid claim to the lumber pile.  The lumber pile needs to be moved but with Mr. Boo making it his abode, we shall have to wait.

This afternoon, I was out rambling the hillside when I came upon Mr. Boo snoozing happily on the lumber pile.  Either he did not hear me approach or he has grown use to my shuffling about, because he never moved.  He just slept.  When I was just a few feet from him, I saw one eye open.  He stared at me through that one slit but never moved an inch.  I cooed to him in a nice sing-songy voice.."Yay, sweet Boo.  Are you sleeping?  You are a pretty cat!"  He opened the other eye...and stared.  I continued "You sure are a nice cat!"...he stared. After a few minutes..both eyes closed!  I assumed that he was going back to sleep!  Awww...the cat is beginning to trust me!  I was about to reach out and try to pet him when the one eye opened again.  His tail gave a slight twitch and he made the motion of a hiss..no noise just sort of mimed the act.   It was then that I realized that although he was not making a physical effort to scurry away, he was trying to block me out by closing his eyes!  That rascal was hoping that I would just disappear! I thought..for just a second..to reach out again but decided instead to just let him have his space.  He was just not ready to be cuddled.

I backed away and found Ms. Put snoozing on the back porch.  She had no qualms about my petting her!  Have you ever noticed how calming it is to pet a cat?  Well...at least how calming it is to pet one that actually does not mind you being near her!  Ms. Put is a good cat!  I am sure, eventually, Mr. Boo will be just as nice.  Hopefully.....

Frankie makes an appearance!

Each year at Halloween, I try to send a "happy" box to my kids that live away from here. Several years ago, there was a suggestion on a candy website of how to "Boo" your neighbors so I "Booed" my kids. Now it has stuck and each year I try to think of some different way to do this. The original idea (for those who have not been "Booed") was to make a ghost from an orange juice jug, fill it with goodies and leave it at a neighbor's house. There was a cute little Halloween poem attached that instructed the recipient on how to construct the ghost and pass it on to another person. The ghost or "Boo" was to make its way around the neighborhood bringing cheer to all. I try to change the idea a bit each year so I am sending something different and not repeating myself. This year was hard. I seemed to have a brain block..I am not sure if that is a real thing but it describes my predicament well! I needed a new brain! If only I could get a new brain then I could... Ohhh! That was the answer! New brain.. a few body parts.. I could do Frankenstein's monster! Now, how do I make a monster. When I create these things, I try to use items that can be recycled. Actually this falls into that category of "upcycling"! (Making something out of things that are normally discarded.) I wandered around the house peering at possible materials. Body parts..I needed body parts! Ahhh! This could make a head..oh, and this might be good for the eyes.. great!.. here are some "bolts"! I was like a mad doctor hunting for body parts to create my monster! Then a thought hit me..isn't it funny how the monster is now known as Frankenstein and not Dr. Frankenstein's monster. In Mary Shelley's novel the monster has no name..the mad doctor is named Frankenstein. So I suppose in this instance, I was being "Dr. Frankenstein" creating my "monster". An oatmeal box, green and black paper, a bit of white "fun foam",thread spools, glue, and paint was transformed into a cute "Frankenstein's Monster". The box was filled with candy and sent on its way to my kids houses. Frankie will make his appearance at their houses very soon carrying a cute poem and lots of love. Hopefully, he will bring a smile to their faces.

We had a great "Halloween" moon this week! Every evening when I would make my way up the hill from the pier, the pathway gleamed in the moonlight. There was no need for a flashlight. Ezzy and I would always stop for a few moments just to appreciate the beauty. Then again, maybe I paused to do this and she just was being an obedient dog staying by my side. Either way, it was nice to share it with someone even if that someone was an dog! I could not help but take a few photos of the moon with my favorite old dead tree in the foreground. It just seemed fitting for the season!