Sigh

Mom's trip to California did not go well for her. Dad broke up with her yesterday morning, and she took the next plane home. We're glad she's home with us, but we are all sad too.

~J&B

It's Not a Banana Slug, but . . .

It looks like my dad is going to settle down in the Santa Cruz Mountains just outside the city of Santa Cruz, California. Mom plans to go out to visit him again in late October.

As Grr, Midnight, and Cocoa pointed out to us recently, the University of California at Santa Cruz has the most unusual of school mascots: the banana slug.

Here I have one of our common Virginia slugs out on my deck. Mom cruelly poured salt on him and he shriveled up. It was fascinating to watch. When Mom was a girl, her first cat Tony loved to eat bugs including slugs. Unfortunately, it would get his chin and neck all slimy, and Mom would have to help clean him up. I don't care to eat slugs.

Here's to you, Dad!

Your son,

~Jake

P.S. Our hearts go out to our cat friends as we end a very sad week in the Cat Blogosphere. For a little cheer, visit the adorable kittens staying with Grr, Midnight, and Cocoa.

Love,

~J&B

Five Things Meme

Adan tagged Jake for the five things meme, and Luxor tagged both of us.

Five Things that Changed Our Lives:

Jake: Mom fostering my biological teen-aged unwed cat mother. A kind woman from my mom’s office found my cat mom on the streets on a very cold winter day. She took her in temporarily, but was going on vacation to Arizona. Mom agreed to foster my biological mother and even named her Katerina Kitty. When Mom’s friend returned from vacation, they found a permanent home for Katerina—with a guy who worked for their IT department. Mom had noticed that Katerina had a voracious appetite, but she had never been around a pregnant cat before. When the new guy took her to the vet for a checkup, it was confirmed. Mom agreed to take one of the kittens so that’s how I got my home.

J&B: Having Dad move in with us in August of 1994. He worked from home so we were very fortunate to have someone home with us during the day. Plus, he believed in FREEDOM. Mom had only let us outside under CLOSE supervision until that point, but Dad let us in and out as we pleased. It was great!

J&B: Having Dad move away last month. That makes us sad and we miss him a lot. It hasn’t quite sunk in, though, that this is permanent and not just one of his long vacation trips.

J&B: Reading the interplay between Kismet and Skeezix on Kismet’s blog last summer. Mom introduced us to reading some cat blogs (actually her former political blogger brother told her about cat blogging), but we were hooked after following the witty comments on Kismet’s blog. We’ve met so many great friends on the web.

J&B: Skeezix’s valentine contest. DaisyMae Maus, my beautiful girlfriend cat found me, Jake. And that wonderful Bubbles produced the most awesome Valentine video for me with the Monkees’ song “I’m a Believer.” We both were very lucky in love. ~Bathsheba

Fierce Man Cat Monday

I am sad. Dad stayed an extra day and left early this morning, but now Mom says I have to be strong. I am the big man in the family now.
Here I am demonstrating a ferocious face that should ward off predators and evil spirits.

Thanks for your well wishes.

~Jake

Good News/Bad News

The good news is that WE are not moving. The bad news is that DAD is moving. Away. Back to California. He and Mom will try to maintain a long distance relationship, but we may never see him again. He's been with us for nearly 13 years (almost Jake's entire life), but he never liked Virginia and only moved here because of Mom. She is from Northern Virginia and has never lived outside of Virginia. Packing has been going on for weeks at our house, but the U-Haul truck finally leaves tomorrow morning. I am very sad and will miss Dad a lot, but my pesky brother will be devastated when it finally sinks in.

Jake knows that something is up, of course, but I think that he is oblivious to the truth. He and Dad share a very special relationship, but it's not enough to keep him here. It doesn't help that Jake pees on things, such as this metal percussion stand in this photo.

Now I'm getting sad and sentimental and that's not like me. Let me show you some flowers and butterflies from our jungle garden for Flower Friday:

And here is a little wren egg in a nest they made in a hanging plant on our deck. There are lots of beautiful things out in the world, and we will take solace in Mother Nature.

~Bathsheba

Tortie Tuesday with Dad

I know that Jake's his favorite, but Dad loves me too. Jake isn't the only one who gets to nap on Dad's long legs.


Happy Tortie Tuesday!


~Bathsheba