My Everything Corner

Anyone who loves animals and has one or several of their own understands how remarkable a relationship can be with these furry beings.  Each of these critters has their own special story and their own unique personality.  Not unlike children, what works for one will not work for the other.  We get to know them so intimately that we can tell from the slightest sound or motion they make if something is not quite right. Animals have always been in my life, particularly black cats.  Sooty is my third black kitty.  He follows in the footsteps of Zeke, the first that was given to me as a newborn.  I had Zeke until I was 17 years old.  A few years went by before I adopted a 3 year old black cat that I renamed Zeke Junior.  Junior was with me from the time I was 20 until I was 37 years old, another 17 years.  It took me a little while to get over the loss of that one, but then one day my sister invited me over to see her litter of 8 kittens. One...

My handsome kitty Crush was feeling playful in front of the camera recently.  He looks more goofy than handsome here, but he really is a very masculine cat in all ways.  There is no mistaking this fellow for a female.  My daughter is obsessed with cats, and of our three, this guy is her favourite, simply because he is so calm and will pretty much let her do whatever she likes.  She loves to sit him on her lap like a baby and snuggle him.  I processed the photo in two ways. What do you think? Shared this with Saturday's Critters . Thank-you Eileen!

I've been working on two things as of late, jewelry and photography.  I put together a quick collage of some of my favourite pieces.  The lovely leftover light from last night's sunset didn't leave me much to work with and I probably should have taken the time to set up my tripod, but I wanted to be quick as I was pulled over on the side of a road.  On my way home from the first session of a photography workshop, I couldn't resist pulling over, but I did wait until I was off the main highway where there was little to no traffic. Unfortunately I missed the best the part of this gorgeous sunset, but a small price to pay for safety.   I have a very difficult time taking a sharp photo without a flash, but I am practicing, and what better candidates than the fur babies.  Here is a close-up of each of their cute, little faces. Crush Sooty Georgia Winifred

This little, black cat is about 8 months old now, and as you can expect, he is a ball of energy.  And a bundle of snuggles.  And a truck load of laughs.  There is no one in our home he doesn't like, including our 120 pound dog, who is friendly, but let's face it, at that size, has a hard time to be gentle when feeling playful.  Nonetheless, Sooty always gives Bear a chance to sniff and lick him, and I'm sure if Bear would settle down, the cat would snuggle right up and go to sleep with him.  I cannot tell you how happy I am with this cat's personality!  And can't you just see it in this photo?!!  

If you are looking for the 'Grow Your Blog', and you may want to, as it contains a giveaway, you will find it here .   It has been cold outside, and although Bear finds the interior of our house more than boring, that is where we have been doing the majority of our visiting during this nip off your nose weather.     It is very hard to get this gorgeous animal to sit still long enough outdoors to get a set of nice snapshots of him.  Especially close-ups, because if you are at his level outdoors, that means it is serious playtime.  You are going to get licked and pawed and maybe even turned over if you allow it.   He is 120 pounds big, and in my tiny house, Bear has learned that he has to be calm.  He is a 2 year old, and calm equals dull or an opportunity for a nap.  For me, it means I can sit next to him, lay my head on his chest, pet him calmly, or grab the camera and play around.   ...

  It is very hard to believe that nearly 2 weeks has gone by since I lost my best fur friend, Junior.  A cat of 20 years, 17 of which belonged to me. When I went to the Saskatoon SPCA 17 years ago to adopt a kitten, I walked out instead with a 3 year old cat that everyone there could only describe as 'special'.  That particular shelter never kept animals for more than 3 months, and if by then they were not adopted out, euthanasia made room for the constant inflow of animals in need of a home.  But for Winnie, (his name at the time) they felt they needed to wait, and made an exception.  They even had him in a special display cage at the front desk so he could meet and greet everyone.  It wasn't long before I had him moved into my little apartment and had renamed him Zeke Jr.. I named him after the black cat I was given when I was born and whom I had until I was 17 years old. My new cats' name was quickly shortened to Junior, an...

The kids, Bear and I were out playing on the bales last night (again),  when Kaitlynn announced loudly that she had to go to the bathroom, but didn't think she would make it to the house.  She ran off behind some tall grass, but I could still see enough to realize she was taking off everything from the waist down, including her boots.  Jared was sitting next to me, and I said, "I need to teach that farm girl a thing or two about emergency 'field trips'".  Bear decided to join Kaitlynn out of curiousity, and I tried to call him back, without success.  After a moment, Kaitlynn starts yelling at Bear, and is starting to sound quite frantic.  I asked her if she needed some help, and she literally screamed "YES!".  So off I went, telling Jared to stay on the bales in hopes of saving what little dignity my daughter had left.  There was quite a surprise.  Kaitlynn's little 'field trip' turned out to be quite the episode.  'Numbe...

Here is a series of photos I took of my dog, Bear, as he is running up to greet meet me. I was just going out to check on my kids, take a few photos and call them in for supper.  Bear was playing on the bales with them, and when he noticed me, launched himself off the bales and started running toward me. I just love watching him run!  In the last few years of my last dog, Ginger's life, there was no more running and bouncing.  The arthritis had taken that freedom away, and watching her was often filled with more pain than joy. Bear is just over 6 months old and weighs in at over 60 pounds.  He is a force to be reckoned with.  At this point I am already starting to brace myself for the impact! I'm loving the one ear up, one ear down look.  He has big floppy ears that will often turn inside out when he shakes his head. Just look at that face!  He has not started to slow down yet, so I know if he hits me, it's going to knock m...

My house is turning into a zoo.  I will soon be able to charge money to anyone entering my home.  A gecko, several cats, a puppy, a fish, and who knows what will show up next. This little orange guy is Georgie's (the kitten he's hugging) big brother.  It took quite awhile to gain his trust, but he is now the friendliest cat in the house, and he does not show a desire to go outdoors, although that is where he was raised.  His momma is still around, but we rarely see her now that our new puppy has taken over the deck.  But she is showing up at her cat house everyday for food and was chased under the truck today by that puppy who has yet to learn what kitty claws can do. These kittens are a fun pair, going at it like gladiators one minute, and then curling up into a tight ball the next.  Their personalities are like night and day.  Georgie, the female, being far more uptight, aloof and chosey about when and how she will be handled.  Crush is far mo...

After losing our German Sheperd, Ginger after Christmas, we started to think about giving another pup a good home.  We found this guy at the SPCA in Saskatoon. His name was Mega Bear, but we have since shortened his name to Bear.  We were told he is a Rotweiller, German Sheperd cross, but his history is unknown, so it is anyone's guess.  He is between 4 and 5 months old, and is very large for his age.  Hence the name Mega Bear. He is very lovable, a big teddy bear and he does not like to be separated from his new family.  I've been doing some training with him everyday, and he is a very quick learner.  A pleasure to work with. I needed a dog in my life again.  I have several other pets including cats, a lizard and a fish, but nothing compares to the love of a dog.  The enjoyment I get from spending time with this critter is immeasurable.  Whether I'm playing fetch with him, going for a walk, grooming, or just having him lie on my fe...

Our beautiful German Shepard, Husky cross passed away just before New Year's.  Ginger was 14 years old, and was, everyone agreed, the best dog anyone could ask for.  While living in Rainbow Lake, before we had children, we had two cats when this adorable little pup came onto our radar.  Neither of could refuse, and for the next year or so, I spent a great deal of my time learning how to train, and training my dog.  It paid off.  She was extremely well behaved, and while remaining instinctive about people, treated everyone with due respect.  She travelled with us, camped with us, slept under our feet during movies, went for long walks, and generally impressed anyone we met.  I especially loved combing her fur, playing frisbee with her, and kissing the wee black spots on her white muzzle. A few years after we adopted Ginger, we moved to a very busy corner in the city of Lloydminster, and decided it would be best if she went to live on the family far...

The little kitten we rescued from the wild has taken to her new home so well, you would never know she was brought up wild.  She loves to play with Junior, my 18 year black male, and he has accepted her into the family without question.  Here he is giving her a bath, and she only complains when he pays too much attention to her nether regions.  It took quite a bit of debating on a name for our new, little kitty, but we finally settled on 'Georgia Winifred', and we've been calling her Georgie for short.  No one escapes a nickname in this house, and I'm sure, with her strong character, she will earn many. JuJu (Junior-the black one), has been having to put up with being chased continuously.  Anytime he decides to  go for a walk, she is relentlessly at his heals, playfully nipping at his paws and backside and jumping for his tail.   If JJ gets tired of it, he jumps on a windowsill, and she looks up at him with eyes that say, "Now...

On September 1st, while doing some yard clean-up, we came across a Mama kitty and here litter of 3.  We promptly set up a proper shelter for them and brought Mama some food and water.  By the next morning she had moved herself and the week or so old kittens to a place we couldn't find. We just kept taking food out, and it kept disappearing.  Curious as to who I was feeding, I put the food on the deck, and sure enough, Mama showed up.  Twice a day, everyday, she enjoys her meals on the deck under the picture window in my dining room.  But, we can not get close to her.  She will sit about 5 feet away, and if you take one step nearer, she bolts.  Hopefully, in time, this will change. After about a month, I really started looking for the place she was hiding her litter.  For feral cats, 6 to 7 weeks is not too early to intervene.  But I had no luck.  Then, yesterday morning, while blogging actually, I heard a terrible cry from outs...