Not that long ago, I got a weird lumpy envelope from Honda which I summarily dismissed into the “crap” pile to deal with at a later stage. I’ve never had any dealings with Honda so I wasn’t sure why they would be sending me mail in the first place. Anyway, today I finally got round to sorting through the crap mail and to my surprise, Honda has kindly sent me two cat toys. Well actually, they are drum sticks but in the absence of a drum kit to use them on, what other purpose could they serve around here?

Mojo is suitably unimpressed and given the lack of teeth marks, Rosie won’t even use them as a chew toy. Obviously, Honda is making WAY too much money from their car sales and can think of no better way to waste it than to send it to householders who haven’t even expressed interest in their product.

So representatives of Honda, should you ever read this, the moggies would request that some liver treats or toy mice should be included in the next selection of propaganda mailed out. They would definitely be more useful in this house than a pair of drum sticks – even if they are printed with a catchy slogan on the handles. What can I say? The moggies are hard to please.

April 30th, 2008 | Category: Cats |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

Each year, 25 April marks a special day on the Australian calender – ANZAC day. It is a day where we remember those who served in WWI at Gallipoli to protect our country. The original ANZACs are dwindling in numbers, however the spirit lives on in those who remember them. My own grandfather was not an ANZAC, being only a toddler at the time of WWI. It wasn’t until WWII that he was conscripted to serve his country. He returned from the war safely, although what happened and what he had seen, we will never know as he never spoke of it to us. He and my grandmother have since passed and I have happy memories of them both.

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”

LEST WE FORGET

April 27th, 2008 | Category: Ramblings |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

This is possibly the cutest LOLcat I’ve seen this year. Meet the latest actress to play Goldilocks – isn’t she sweet?

see more crazy cat pics

April 21st, 2008 | Category: Cats |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (3)

Up until this morning, I really didn’t have an idea for this week’s photo at all. I thought I would go for another wander in the bush for some inspiration. So water bottle, trusty dog and my other half in tow, out we headed into a patch of bush called Karawatha Forest. I’ll admit right here that I have never been there before, well not inside the forest itself. I have driven past plenty of times on Illaweena Street, Compton Road, Wembley Road and of course roaring past on the Gateway Motorway. I thought it would be nice to get to know this little patch of bush on a closer level.

It’s not as small as it appears. That’s the thing about travelling on foot, you gain a much greater appreciation for the actual size of things. And the thing about going somewhere new that is much bigger than you give it credit for, you gain a very good appreciation of having a reliable track map – something which I did not think to obtain before setting out. Of course, had I looked at the track map before going out, I would have taken notice of the disclaimer that states that not all tracks are finalised. Fortunately, my trusty dog has better sense of direction than I do and quite often would refuse to go down a signposted path which I would have preferred to take. Having looked at the map, now that I’m home, I’m glad she has a bit of a stubborn streak in her or else I would have been headed into the middle of nowhere – albeit in spectacularly good company.

To cut a long story short, we did get a little misdirected. I refuse to say lost because I knew where I was – on a well-maintained track in the Karawatha Forest that had to lead somewhere. LOL But boy were we eternally grateful to see the grassy picnic area, the bridge over the creek and above all – the car park. We were back to where we started….we just took the extremely scenic route.

Having said that, it is a really lovely area and I’d like to spend a little more time there to get to know it better. If you decide to go yourself, it’d be a good idea if you take this map with you.

April 20th, 2008 | Category: Ramblings |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

…..is there unfailing ability to entertain themselves with random household objects for hours on end. I’ve known about Rosie’s fascination with hair bands for a while now….really it’s quite funny to see her pick them up in her teeth and flick them with a claw, chase after them and do it all over again. But it doesn’t end there.

Mojo is fascinated with all forms of computer wiring, even the old stuff that is no longer in the computer. An ordinary wooden spoon becomes an interesting play toy. Or how about coat hangers? Staplers too have some kind of fascination although I’m not sure why as he just taps his paw on the top off and on. Oh and of course, coloured pencils are great chew toys for Rosie. Thankfully kids have the same odd fascination with chewing them so they are non-toxic.

Most of the stuff they play with is fairly innocuous but I’m sure the saying “curiosity killed the cat” exists for a reason. One of these days, I’m pretty sure I will be extremely grateful our house has a safety switch enabled.

Ahh, the humble household duster. Best cat toy money can buy.

April 19th, 2008 | Category: Cats |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (2)

Thursday started off as such a brilliant morning. It was slightly overcast and just a little on the cool side – so for me, that’s perfect weather to go for a short hike in the bush. I checked the weather radar and while there was a band of rain hanging off the coast, nothing on the scopes for where I planned to go for my little walk. Being school holidays, the picnic areas at JC Slaughter Falls at Mt Coot-tha were pretty popular. In a time when Nintendos and XBoxes seem more popular than the beauty of nature, it was refreshing to see so many kids out with their folks enjoying a day in the bush. It’s a short hike up to the summit lookout on Mt Coot-tha – around 4km round trip I think – and steep in places but the view is worth the walk. It’s probably a good idea that I did head up to the summit since I could see the rain clouds fast approaching, signally a timely descent to the bottom. I had a rain jacket in any case, but fortunately I didn’t need it.

April 13th, 2008 | Category: Photography |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (1)

Who would have thought that one photo a week could be so incredibly difficult? It’s not taking photos that’s the challenge, but fitting them to the theme of 52 Blessings. There is always something to be grateful for, I realise, but sometimes it is hard to take a photo that represents a particular concept. Take cold weather for example….we don’t have snow in my area or even frosts so how should I go about representing it in a photo? The cooler weather is on the way, for which I am very grateful for, as it makes working outside a lot more pleasant. One particular thing I notice is the tendencies of the cats to choose a snuggly blanket to sleep on – it’s a sure fire sign that cooler weather is on the way.

There’s nothing quite like snuggling into a warm blanket on a cool morning, is there?

April 6th, 2008 | Category: Cats |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (2)

Do you ever get the feeling you interrupted something? They might have just been watching the sunset, who knows.

April 5th, 2008 | Category: Cats |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (1)

What’s the solution to a cat who turns its nose up at most varieties of tinned cat food?? You could try feeding them exclusively on dry food and some cats are quite happy with kibble alone. But sometimes it’s nice to be able to give them something moist, preferably a chunky kind of meat so their teeth and jaws get a bit of a workout while eating. Rosie is not very fussy at all but the vet suspects she has an allergy to some preservatives used in tinned foods so we have to be very careful with what we feed her. And as for Mojo, he’s the original aristocrat and is extremely difficult to please.

I had been feeding both of them commercially prepared pet meats for a some time now. While they both seem to enjoy it, I’ve noticed that the meat has gone from being chunky to this pulverised, mashed looking substance. I really don’t think that this kind of sloppy meat is in any way good for their teeth so I decided to make my own. It’s relatively simple and so far the cats are really taking to it.

I’ve found the cheapest way to make your own pet food is to get a whole sliced rump from the butchers. You can then either dice it or mince it, depending on your cats preference. Then just bulk it out with some cooked rice, egg and mashed vegies – like broccoli, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower and beans. Let the vegies, egg and rice cool to the temperature of the meat and mix it up well. If your cat hasn’t been eating many vegies previously, then it’s a good idea to start off with just a small amount of rice and vegies and gradually increase to about 1:4. You can cook the meat as well if you wish but as my cats do not venture outdoors unescorted, I’m not worried about them getting baited so they have theirs raw. After you’ve mixed it all up, bag it up into little portions and store in your freezer until you are ready to use it.

Enjoy!

April 3rd, 2008 | Category: Cats |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Comments (1)