Cats, Cats, All the Cats

Well, close, anyway. Pictures of cats and barn kittens from the last month or two. It’s been quiet around here for health reasons—turns out the foot isn’t broken but they’re still sending me to a specialist to find out why it’s still double size—but at least there’s still cats.

Bella, she of the Loud Voice and the Cuddly Temper. Youngest barn cat.
Blackie, She of the Sharp Claws and the Even Sharper Tongue. Oldest barn cat.
Blackie’s kittens were explorers. Particularly the two blue boys.
We managed to find homes for all six. Five out of six are now barn kitties elsewhere.
Rumour has it, though, that the two blue boys are more living room kitties than barn kitties.
Happiness is a nest of kittens.
No, seriously.
Miv, He of the Big Tummy and the Smug Grin as he Eats Your Dinner. Not a barn cat, probably descended from a potted plant and a sofa cushion.

June’s garden pictures

This summer continues to be colder and windier than average, but nonetheless, the sun came out enough in June for me to get at least a number of good flower pictures.

I also managed to acquire a bone bruise on my left shin (at least I didn’t break it, so there’s that!), so horse pictures are in short supply this month as I sit quite still and quietly swear to myself about the pain.

Bee garden. Feed them!
We turned a patch of the lawn into bee paradise, planting wild flowers native to hedgerows and meadows and doing absolutely nothing to them but let them grow in peace. The result is beautiful and the bees love it.
Clematis flowers
Our pink clematis is singing on its last verse and will likely be replaced next year. It did manage two beautiful flowers all the same.
yellow columbine
Columbine is one of my favourite flowers, wild or domesticated. The plant as a whole is not much to look at, but the flowers are little pieces of intricate art.
blue columbine
Of course, blue is my favourite colour so blue columbine is even better.
hay harvest
June is also the month of the first hay harvest. When I was a kid we’d all help out and it still works that way today. Of course, all I’m capable of doing is sitting on the first bale and shouting encouraging things to the workers, but it all counts, right?
bee garden
The bee garden quietly turned itself into an ocean of cornflowers.
cornflower
Blue is my favourite colour. Guess my favourite flower?
bee garden
It just keeps getting more and more colourful.
black kitten
In the barn, Blacky’s kittens are growing up and will be leaving home soon. This one’s still up for grabs, incidentally. She’s adorbs and playful, and loves people.
stripy kitten
This little girl is also still unspoken for. She’s a bit more cautious but loves licking faces.
grey kitten
This girl was the first to be claimed. She was only a few days old when one of the barn girls adopted her.
stripy kitten
Look at my pretty little face. You know you want me.
blue kitten, stripy kitten
The two blue boys are spoken for as well. They’re going to be barn cats!
grey kitten
First to get picked, first to the top. She’s insanely active, this one.
bright night clouds
June gave us the curious nightly phenomenon of glowing skies. This photo was taken at 1 am. The sky was really that bright.
bee garden
Pink is bee friendly.
rose
For those bees of a more sophisticated taste we have roses in bright orange and bright yellow. Sitting outside is like being steeped in rose perfume at this time.
Morning glories
These are wild morning glories that we brought the seeds home from Malta for, years ago. They don’t look much like the morning glories we’re used to, but they’re pretty!

 

Day Two, the Kittening

If you haven’t already, meet Miv and Piv (which translates, very roughly, to Pip and Squeak, or Shriek and Howl) who earned their names for their voices. They have a lot of voice between them. Miv is a tuxedo boy and Piv is a calico girl. They are four and a half weeks old, and we have adopted them because their mother abandoned them.

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Never too young to pose for photos.
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They’re not so great at eating from a plate yet but refuse to suck on a fake teat. Messiness ensues.
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Best. Babysitter. Ever.
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Piv is the braver kitty. Miv still prefers to watch while she beats up the dog for him.
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She does this four or fime times a day so far. He loves it.
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But in the end, even the fiercest little warrior princess must sleep.