This week’s Caturday is brought to you by Clara, our cat-in-law. She’s a pretty thing, a bit round these days, but not as pear shaped as our own gray Stella. She has gorgeous eyes, loves chasing a laser pointer bug, and has her people firmly wrapped around her paw. She likes to sit in the kitchen sink.
I had meant to get a post up yesterday, but the pertinent photos are still in the camera, so…how about an adorable picture of a sleepy kitty? This bed, positioned near our dining room table, is one of the places Griffin likes to hang out so he can keep an eye on us. We spend a lot of time at our dining room table, so he spends a lot of time in bed. He takes his job seriously.
Look at that face. Is that the face of a cat who would ever misbehave? Of course not. She would never steal bread off the counters, hurk all over the house, or bite someone trying to turn over in bed. Not her. She’s a GOOD cat. Mostly.
Have I mentioned that one of the first things this cat did as a baby was to steal an entire piece of pizza off of my plate? Her manners have not improved noticeably. Good thing she’s so cute.
Instead of Caturday today, how about Doggie Day? This is Bruni, my dog-in-law. We’ve been in Kansas City this week (barbecue reports forthcoming), which involves a lot of watching the dog decide whose lap she’s going to go comatose on next. She was rescued from a puppy mill, poor thing, and she’s definitely earned her current lifestyle. She’s a good dog.
A couple of days ago I was feeling cruddy, so I stayed home and turned on the fireplace. Mickey immediately climbed into the big armchair, curled up in the wool blanket, and stayed there for something like ten hours. Oh, the life of a housecat.
I had to sit on the couch. I know my place in this household.
We both had Wednesday off for Veteran’s Day, so we celebrated by taking the cats to the vet. It’s really hard work for them, since they have to hide under the furniture and be dragged out, then wail continuously on the drive across town, then shiver with fear in their carriers, then be manhandled in embarrassing ways by the vet. By the time we all make it home, they’re just exhausted. Everyone found a sunny spot and slept the day away. I would have liked to do the same thing.
The good news, after all that fun, is that all the cats are healthy (even Stella of the plump tummy and palpable thyroid) and their teeth are in good shape, thanks to the rather pricy tartar-control food we give them. Fortunately for us, they adore it and consider it a great treat every time they get it. Beats paying for teeth cleaning.
After a solid week of posting, I’m feeling a little entitled to digress. How about some kitty pictures? This one (as you’ll know if you’ve examined my cat page) is Griffin. He’s a well-meaning cat, and incredibly beautiful (we bought this carpet partly because he looked so good on it) but rather stunningly clueless. Fortunately his life doesn’t really require keen wit or insight.
Griffin is our primary cooking assistant: he likes to sit on a stool by the kitchen island and watch us closely. He also likes to sniff whatever is on the island, and we once caught him licking the butter dish. Good thing we aren’t subject to health inspections.
Six wineries, one brewpub, four espresso milkshakes, one musical performance, and a lot of dogs: we’re back from our trip! This was our annual trip to the Tri-Cities, ostensibly to play at an outdoor music festival, but mostly an excuse to go wine tasting.
Our first (very important) stop was in Ellensburg. The rodeo parade was going on, but it didn’t stop us from getting our usual round of espresso milkshakes at Winegar’s Dairy drive-thru. Who needs lunch when you can get a milkshake like that?
Our first stop, and one of our favorites, was Two Mountain Winery in Zillah. The wine was good (the Tribute was especially fabuliferous), and the dogs were adorable – especially Bentley the Basset hound (I love Basset hound ears, they’re so soft). The winery was having “Dinner and a Movie” that night, with hamburgers and fresh local corn. If it hadn’t been such a drive back from Richland that night, we would’ve been there!
