The beauty of the Blue Mountains

bbrrr  bbrr!! It was 9° when I left the house at 8 am. Cannot get this office warm today! However... It sure was a pretty sight the other evening. We are surely setting some records cold temperatures for December! I am worried that some the plants that I have kept in pots, for years, may not survive, as there is no snow to cover them, here in the valley.

Callie & her 3 month old kittens

I've been asked to get some updated pictures of the kittens. They are 3 months old now & getting so big!

Callie is all fluffed up.... it's cold outside!

Little Joker, still the smallest.

So, Garfield, still on the couch.

Yes, mom ... we'll share my bed.  (Elvira really isn't sure about this.)

Garfield & Maverick, on the couch again.

Smokie & Maverick, enjoying some play time.

Kittens at 9 Weeks Old

Garfield - one of the Polydactyl's

Maverik - also Polydactyl.

Look at all those sharp, little claws!

Garden Spider - White Crab Spider

As I reflect back on summers past it's the little wonders that come to mind. I’ve always enjoyed watching these little spiders as they are so unique, even pretty, as they help keep my garden pest free but I wasn't sure what kind they were. Low and behold they are Crab spiders, which belong to the family Thomisidae. They get their name because they move sideways, like crabs. The body is not as hairy as in most spiders. The color of the spider is adapted to the hunting terrain they use and is mostly extravagant. They live in flowers and plants and are sometimes called Flower Spiders because they are often found inside a flower waiting for an unsuspecting insect to come along. 

Kittens

Well, the kittens are 7 weeks old. Almost time to wean them and get their first shots. We have been working on getting them forever homes of the best quality which is hard to do. Wish us luck! As soon as the kittens cooperate, there will be pictures of all 4 of them.

Smokie, is checking out my husband's work boots.

Garfield likes to play with the plants.

Callie K. Cat and Family

We brought Elvira's large travel crate in and cleaned it all up, added a litter box and some towels, set the bottom of the little cat crate in for a nest and added more towels to that, on Sunday the 8th and Callie presented us with 4 kittens on Monday, Sept. 9th. Elvira seems to accepted Callie and will lay in front of the crate door and peer in at the Callie and the kittens. We are calling it Cat TV. Elvira watches and watches. The babies are growing fast and at 4 weeks they want out to play! When we let Callie out of the kennel they rush the door. Our house isn't kitten proof though so they have to stay in the kennel a bit longer. Two of the kittens are Polydactyl, which means they have extra toes. 

Callie Kinsington Cat

Well, it has been quite the hot and dry summer here but it has been made more interesting by the addition to our family, Callie. While we didn't plan to have a cat this one came to us one day, sweet as can be. She walked right into the house and jumped up on the counter as if she belonged... Obviously she had been a people cat. I keep saying cat when actually she was a kitten that was so thin she was just skin stretched over bone. Poor little thing was almost starved to death. You could see that her fur around her neck had been roughed up as if she had had a collar on for a long time and it took several weeks for the fur to lie properly. We can only suppose that she had a collar on and got trapped someplace until she got so thin she was able to extract herself. Only Callie knows what really happened and she isn't talking... well except to complain when her food dish is empty! It's been a little over a month since Callie made her appearance and she is looking so much better! However... Elvira (our dog) isn't so sure she belongs here and makes sure she doesn't come into the house. So, Callie is an outdoor kitty for now. Oh, she also brought fleas with her, which isn't something we usually have around here. I had tried to clean and medicate an abscess that she had on her jaw, but it wasn't clearing up. So, we had to visit the veterinary and have the abscess lanced, flea control applied and a shot of antibiotics. We have tried to locate her family, however there have been no reports of a lost kitty at the animal shelter or in the paper. Guess she has found a home here, at least for now.

July 26. Callie has been with us for about a week now.

August 10th... looking so much better!