TRIBUTE TO FELIX

FELIX

December 24, 2014

This is the day Felix crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

A sad day, indeed.

He was very sociable

He was very affectionate

He loved to be on my shoulder and then hug my neck

He greeted me every morning, about the only time he would talk

He thought his purpose in life was to take care of me, which he did

He made sure I found the bathroom during the night as he would lead me there, and rub every corner on the way, then would not move until I flushed

He lived with me for 10 of his 15 years

About two years ago he started losing weight, drinking a lot of water, and peeing a lot

We are sure he developed diabetes as he soon began to walk like a cat having diabetic neuropathy

But he did quite well up until the last month

Felix, you are greatly missed!

Look at those long legs! He was a long cat - long body, long tail and long legs. He could stand on his back legs and able to look over the top of the dining room table.

CATTAILS

Cattails? 

OR

CAT TALES?

When I posted the previous story about cat ear notching, I was reminded of a story about one of the stray tomcats that adopted us several years ago.

One Sunday evening as my husband and I walked home from church we saw a beautiful grey point Siamese looking cat walking down the sidewalk, and he followed us to our front door. My husband was an animal lover, as I am, but he was the one that took a saucer of milk out to him because he was hanging out by our door. Naturally, that cat decided this was a good place to stay! Eventually, you guessed it, he came into the house and became our pet (or did we become his?)

He was a really good cat, behaved well inside the house, never clawing furniture, and took immediately to the litter box. He staying in the house quite a bit during the day, but demanded to be let out to roam all night long. This cat was  a very beautiful cat, and I am partial to Siamese. I would doubt that he was purebred, or he would have had a collar and tags, and if he were purebred or not, must have had a family that was missing him. I did advertise he was here since, if he had been my pet, I would want him back. He was just too beautiful and well-behaved to not be someones pet. But no one came forth to claim him, and he became ours.

Now, I wanted to take him to be neutered, as males make better house cats if neutered. But my husband refused to let me. I guess that is a male thing? (grin)

Soon there was a white/black spotted female walking through the yard, and sometimes stopping by. Then she had some kittens with her. I would see her around now and then, and with a litter every year. She was semi-friendly and would come up on the back porch and take food from us. She would allow us to pet her, but she refused to be picked up. And her kittens were also very wary and not let us get close enough to touch them, but they knew where there could be food.

It didn't take too long and our Duffy and this female became friendly, and soon she had a litter of kittens again. There were two charcoal grey twins, and some white/black ones. The mama cat and her babies often came to our yard, and they would sit between the house and garage and wait, looking at our back door the whole time. Pretty soon, Duffy would demand to go outside. When he came out the door the little ones would rush to greet him, as if to say, "Hi, Daddy!" He would barely acknowledge them (I know a few men who do the same) and they would all walk off as a family! It was so cute, the aloof father and the adoring wife and kids. I am fairly certain these were his children.

Unfortunately, since my husband would not have him neutered, he would get into fights and come home with some wounds in the morning. As bad as they were a time or two, I am wondering if he grappled with an animal other than another cat, but we will never know. And some time later, he went out one night and never returned. We will never know what happened to him, if he was lying dead along a road or curb somewhere, or been so injured in a fight that he couldn't get back home and never recovered. We were both very sad that he was gone.

One of Duffy's favorite spots to keep an eye on who and what came through the yard. I wish I had more and better pictures of him.

As the kittens became adults, some quit coming to our yard, but the mother would still come around and want a little attention. I guess she missed him too. But she never fully 'adopted' us. The two charcoal grey ones were here more often, especially one of them. That one was such a Mommy's boy! He kept wanting to nurse even though he was long past being weaned. And he would tag along with her most of the time. He was more affectionate with us as well. His twin brother would come and eat but he kept his distance. The affectionate one eventually became our house cat because that winter he developed pneumonia from the cold weather and I ended up taking him to the vet. And of course, you can't allow a cat with pneumonia go back out into the frigid weather, so it was back to having a litter box in the basement, which he took to immediately. He was ours for awhile, and eventually he did not come home again. After that my husband said no more cats. I think he had a harder time letting go when they didn't come home than I did. But I agreed.

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ANIMAL LOVERS

I didn't know this, did you?

This is something that is going around on Facebook right now.

I do know that cats have their territories, one female per territory, but a male has a much larger territory and services several females in his territory. And that is why you will see more stray males wandering around, as the young ones are trying to find a territory for themselves.

I would hope that this ear-tipping or notching is done all over the country. If you are interested, you may want to call a local veterinarian and ask if it is being done in your area.

February 2 - Groundhog Day

If you are from America, you know what Groundhog Day is. I know I have at least one Australian reader, and there may be others from other countries, who may not know about our American tradition every February 2.

We depend on a groundhog to come out of his burrow and predict if we will have 6 more weeks of winter or if spring is right around the corner. He has been named Punxsutawney Phil and the event makes national news.

Here is what I found about the day ~ ~

The legend of Groundhog Day is based on an old Scottish couplet: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year."

Every February 2, people gather at Gobbler's Knob, a wooded knoll just outside of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Residents contend that the groundhog has never been wrong.

The ceremony in Punxsutawney was held in secret until 1966, and only Phil's prediction was revealed to the public. Since then, Phil's fearless forecast has been a national media event.

The groundhog comes out of his electrically heated burrow, looks for his shadow and utters his prediction to a Groundhog Club representative in "groundhogese." The representative then translates the prediction for the general public.

If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, it means spring is just around the corner.

Approximately 90% of the time, Phil sees his shadow.

Phil started making predictions in 1887 and has become an American institution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We, who are very tired of winter by this time, always hope that P. Phil does NOT  see his shadow! I just read in a local newspaper that this winter is in the running for one of the coldest winters on record, so we are so very ready for spring and warmer temperatures. Unfortunately, today is sunny here so any groundhog in this area WILL see his shadow.

This always reminds me of an old tongue twister because a groundhog is also called a woodchuck.

How much wood

would a woodchuck chuck, 

if a woodchuck

could chuck wood?

As much wood

as a woodchuck would, 

if a woodchuck 

could chuck wood.

The groundhog/woodchuck is a large rodent. I had never seen one until I was visiting my son in Virginia a few years ago. We took a drive along part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway and happened to see one among the trees. My son and wife had seen one before but did not know what it was and I didn't either since we are all Iowan born and raised. Later they found out it was a groundhog, so I can add that to my list of animals seen in the 'wild'.

This 'n' That - Latest Book Read

I recently finished reading this book that a friend loaned to me. If you love cats, this is one to read. I have not read Vicki Myron's first book -



but now that I read Dewey's Nine Lives, I really want to read the first story. Dewey and Vicki are from Spencer, Iowa, a town about 50 miles from here and a town I have been to many times. Vicki tells such good stories about Dewey and the other cats that people have loved and lost. Cats (and dogs) are awesome creatures that God has given us to share our lives. They have a variety of personalities, they love unconditionally, they can be aloof, and/or intuitive to our emotions and health.

They have an inner clock that tells them what time it is. My Felix would usually jump on my bed around 6 am to get me up so I could feed him. I often get up around 3 to go to the bathroom, so he would come in, wake me up and lead me to the bathroom, doing his cheek rubs on every corner along the way so that I wouldn't get lost (LOL), refusing to leave the room until I flushed, and then he went back to bed and so did I. Maybe he realizes that my night vision is not good compared to his?

Felix used to live with my daughter and family and when I would visit, I noticed that when it was almost time for my daughter to get home from work, he would situate himself so he could watch the door and wait for her!

When my Bible study group meets at 5:45 on Friday mornings, my alarm clock goes off at 5:00. Felix then knows that I have to get up and he makes sure that I do. Once I am dressed and ready I have some time to sit and watch the news and drink a cup of coffee until the gals arrive. Felix will sit where he can look out the window in the direction the gals will be coming from, and as soon as he sees the car lights he knows it is them, and often would go and greet them at the door. At least he did this when he was healthy. It has been very interesting to see him 'know' what is going to happen next.

Life would be so boring without our pets, don't you agree?

Faith Friday - Shrek the sheep

FAITH FRIDAY

Here is something that is making the rounds on Facebook, and probably forwarded in emails. I think this has a great message.

This is Shrek the sheep. He became famous

 several years ago when he was found after 

hiding out in caves for six years. Of course, 

during this time his fleece grew without anyone

 there to shorn (shave) it. When he was finally

 found and shaved, his fleece weighed an

 amazing sixty pounds. Most sheep have a

 fleece weighing just under ten pounds, with

 the exception usually reaching fifteen pound

s,

 maximum. For six years, Shrek carried six times

 the regular weight of his fleece. Simply

 because he was away from his shepherd.

This reminds me of John 10 when Jesus

 compares Himself to a shepherd, and His

 followers are His sheep. Maybe it’s a stretch,

 but I think Shrek is much like a person who

 knows Jesus Christ but has wandered. If we

 avoid Christ’s constant refining of our

 character, we’re going to accumulate extra

 weight in this world—a weight we don’t have to

 bear.

When Shrek was found, a professional sheep

 shearer took care of Shrek’s fleece in twenty-

eight minutes. Shrek’s sixty pound fleece was

 finally removed. All it took was coming home to

 his shepherd.

I believe Christ can lift the burdens we carry, if

 only we stop hiding. He can shave off our

 ‘fleece’—that is, our self-imposed burdens

 brought about by wandering from our Good

 Shepherd.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and

 burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My

 yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am

 gentle and humble in heart, and you will find

 rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my

 burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

This is perfect

Down Memory Lane - Snow!

I thought you might like to see something cold on these hot summer days.

 

 

The snow was deep in March 1951
 

I was 8 years old. It is a little hard to see in the lower photo, but there is a path from the back door, where Mom was standing to take the picture, out to the gate posts. That is Dad scooping the driveway. All snow removal was done by hand scooping. Tedious work. Not only did the driveway have to be cleared, but paths to each building - barn, hog house, chicken house, feed house, garage. Look close and you see me riding one of the work horses. Behind me, the white building is the brooder house for baby chicks, and to the right is the hog house. Far right, outside the picture is the highway.

A better picture of me riding the horse down the driveway. Look how high the snow piles are. Some are higher than the top of my head as I sit on the horse. It was a lot of work to sling that snow so high. And by thelooks of the slush on the driveway, it must have been heavy, wet snow too. Isn't that horse a beauty? I think both of them were roans. I love horses and I always begged for a regular riding horse, and not one of the old work horses. But I never got my wish.

Faith Friday - Obedience

FAITH FRIDAY

 



Obedience

 

I wonder if this is the kind of obedience God would like to see from us.



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(I thought the video would be here. If it isn't please click on the link and I hope you can see it.)

No asking "Why?" No procrastinating. No whining. No debating if it is really God speaking. No ignoring the commands. No refusing to act. Instead, there is adoration, obeying with a smile on the face, doing what you are told and eagerly waiting for the next command.

It took a lot of patience and perseverance to teach that dog to do all those things. Think of the patience and perseverance that God has in teaching us that His way is the best way, and the right way. When we don't learn the lesson He is trying to teach us, He does not raise His voice, does not curse at us, but very patiently gives us another lesson, and another, until we finally get it.

Thank you Lord, for being so patient with us, and not giving up on us. Amen

Pay Attention to Me!

This is the reason I don't get much done on the computer lately. He has never done this before, but now it has happened at least twice. I think I give him plenty of attention but now I think he is jealous of the computer. If I try to use the mouse, he will snap at my hand, and he won't let me pick him up to take him off the desk. Sometimes he just wants me to go in the kitchen and give him food, and does this to make sure I notice because I have to stop what I am doing.

View From My Window

Peter Cottontail was here for a visit.

Felix watching Peter.

 

I noticed Felix was looking at something very intently below the window, so naturally curiosity also got me and had to get up and look. Peter did not move so much as a whisker or blink an eye for many minutes. Then Felix climbed into the window and lay there to watch at leisure. I finally saw Peter chew a time or two, but the head never moved, nor eye blinked, nor a twitch of an ear. Amazing how long they can sit there frozen in place.

 

This is one of two bunnies that I saw playing together earlier. It seems to me that they both have lighter fur than the usual cottontail. I wonder if they get lighter fur for winter and since we had such a cold spring, they haven't gotten their summer fur yet?

 

By the looks of that tape on the hole in the screen, I think I better get a new piece when I wash windows. This one is pretty dirty. You aren't able to see it in the picture but there are several small holes in the screen, and that is because last year a cat outside decided to jump up on the screen in the middle of the night, and then climbed up the screen with his/her sharp claws. Felix was sitting in the window watching him at the time, so maybe he didn't realize there was a screen there? Felix never flinched or said a word the whole time.

God's Little Gifts

God has been giving me little gifts recently. These are things He knows I take delight in and am so very thankful for them.

The past few days I have been hearing a beautiful bird song very close to the front of the house. It has many pretty notes and phrases. I had heard it before and didn't know what kind of bird was doing the singing since I could never see it when it was singing. Since I keep hearing it close to the house I happened to think that maybe it is building a nest atop the front door porch light since robins have built there in the past. I very quietly opened the front door and looked through the storm door, looking to the right of the door where the light is, and there was a purple finch! I am about 2 feet away from it. It didn't notice me and kept right on singing for a bit. I hear it usually first thing in the morning and again in the early evening so I am almost sure there is a nest there but I have not gone outside yet. It has been too cold! Such a pretty bird with a pretty song.

Yesterday I kept seeing another bird that I had not seen before. It was hanging around my patio quite a bit so am wondering if it is or has built a nest nearby. At first I thought it was a slate junco but we usually only see them in the winter here, although with all the snow we have been getting this month, it is still winter. Since it was around so much and so close I got a better look at it and decided it was not a slate junco but had no idea what it was. Out comes my bird book. The junco has a yellow beak, this one had a black one. The junco has a black throat, this one had white. The only thing I could find in my book that looked similar was an Eastern phoebe. That is it! I didn't know they were in this area at all.

In this second picture you can see it looks a little like a slate junco only the gray isn't quite as dark.

I the last week or so I have seen another bird that I had never seen before, and as far as I can tell by my book it is a brown creeper. It kept climbing up the trunk of the tree right outside my living room window so I got to watch it for awhile, too. It is a small bird, and luckily I was able to get a good look at its beak. I found it on the same page as woodpeckers, but acts similar to nuthatches. I have also seen nuthatches on my trees recently, and they are another pretty bird.

About 2 years ago God showed me three birds that I rarely get to see here, all in one day! There was a pair of goldfinch first. I know they are around here but rarely get to see them. I should put a feeder out for them, then I would see them more regularly. Then a cardinal landed in a tree very close to me. It didn't stick around very long, but I was able to watch it for a minute or two. And then. . . . a bird that I had no idea was in this area at all . . . an Eastern bluebird!! So in one day I saw red, yellow and blue beautiful birds. PTL

I have seen some other very small brown birds that I have not been able to find in my book. They are very quick birds and I have not seen them up close, and only for a few seconds at a time. They don't stay in one spot long. Maybe some day I will be able to find out what they are. I could look online but I have no idea what they might be so would be looking at lots of bird pictures.

I do so enjoy watching the birds in their natural habitat, but don't really want any in cages, though I have had parakeets in the past. I am hearing the purple finch right this minute! I wish I could record the song.

When I lived at the other house with my husband, we did feed the birds there. We mostly saw house sparrows by the dozens, which I barely see here. And we had turtle  doves, starlings, blackbirds, robins, bluejays and the squirrel that liked to climb up on the feeder and break it. I did see a nuthatch when we still had the big pine tree on the yard. And there was a nighthawk that nested on the top of the business next door. They are cool to watch in the evenings and hear their cry. And we did sometimes see purple finches and chipping sparrows. What is odd about the last two. . . the finch is the size of a sparrow and the chipping sparrows are the size of other finches like you find in cages for pets.

Almost forgot but there is another bird I saw up close for the first time. A chicken hawk! It flew right past my bedroom window as I sat here at the computer. I just saw this brown blob zip by right next to the window and had no idea what I saw. So got up from the chair and looked out and this hawk was chasing a rabbit in and around my big maple tree! I don't know if the hawk was successful or not as the squirrel finally left the tree and ran toward the garage and out of my sight. I suspect he was heading for the evergreen tree several feet from the garage. That might have been his downfall as it left him wide open to the hawk.

I know God is giving me these little glimpses of different birds as gifts and reminders that  He loves me. We just need to sit still, watch and listen for them.

Aaaahhhh. . . . .

My type of day

 

Relaxed

 

Lazy

 

Do nothing

 

 

At least that  is the way I have been feeling this week. I don't know if it is because I was so busy last week and got worn out, or what? Spring fever? Cabin fever? All I know is that I don't feel like doing anything that takes energy. Not sick either except for feeling tired. . . . blah. . . . blech.

 

I do have low thyroid and take meds for that, so when I feel this way I often wonder if the generic Synthroid is not giving me a consistent dose every day. Or it could be that I am not eating the right food (which I am not), or drinking enough water (am not), or a whole lot of other things. All I know is that I am tired, the brain is tired, and I don't feel like talking or doing the things that I should. Therefore I have been a bit quiet here and in my groups lately. But I will be back! Just give me a little time to regroup. See you later!



Second Bedroom

This is my second bedroom. The closet. He decided this was a good place to sleep for a few days. Why do cats change their choice of sleeping areas? This one can sleep in the same place for weeks, and then decide to try another spot or room, and then rotating them often.

I really do need a second bedroom but would prefer one a lot larger where a human can sleep.