Tolerant Tortie on Toesday

I was napping peacefully on the bed when Mom rudely starting snapping my photograph.
It's hard to sleep when there's a flash going off in my face. But I endured.

She found me irresistible and had to pick me up and hug me. I DON'T like to be picked up, but I do try to be a tolerant cat sometimes. I know that Mom needs lots of comforting lately so I put up with more than my usual limit for hugging. My annoying brother doesn't mind hugs at all, so I realize that I need to step out of my comfort zone, so to speak, to compete with him. He's been trying very hard to charm himself into first place in her heart. At least I have history on my side because I've known Mom longer.

~Bathsheba

Spring is Coming!

Last Sunday our yard looked like this:

But today our first daffodil bloomed:

Parts of the garden still look rather desolate, but next month this area will be full of color with the blue of Virginia bluebells and the yellow of wood poppies.

Let's see what's going on out front.



The miniature iris (I. reticulata) are in bloom! They smell great when the air is warm, but it was barely 60 degrees today and Mom could not detect a scent.

Mom told me that I should go outside and explore a little while she gardened, so I did. I especially like to walk along these landscape timbers as well as the rocks that line many of the flower beds.

Mom is a lazy gardener who doesn't cut back all of the stalks of last year's plants until about now. She says that the stalks and seedheads are great for wildlife. For example, the goldfinches like to eat the seedheads of purple conflower (Echinacea purpurea).

We're glad to see that spring seems to be near because we had a brutal February after a springlike January.

Tonight we tried to visit as many of our friends as we could to participate in the Hug-a-thon that MuShue started. We've met so many great cats through blogging.

~J&B