Whisper Gets Comfortable

Our cat, Whisper, or affectionately known by the kids as "Devil Cat" is becoming more and more mellow around us. Of course she still likes to nip at my hands when I'm petting or my toes when I'm teasing. She likes to be where we are and if only one of us is home she likes to lay right where we are working. More than once I've had to clean a space off of my work area so she could lay down - usually right in the middle of where I need to work. I know, we could pick her up and move her, but she doesn't usually stay long. However when she falls asleep, it can be a while. Last evening I was working at the computer desk in JoAnn's quilt room when Whisper waltzed in, jumped up on the printer and promptly got comfortable. Thankfully I didn't need to print anything. When I was done I just left her there asleep.

Whisper's Water Fountain

Our cat, Whisper, is always looking for water everywhere but her water bowl. Every morning she jumps up on the bathroom counter in anticipation that I will fill the basin with water (I figure at least 1.5 gallons) so she can lap up (You know, I've never thought of the term "lap up" and cat in the same sentence. Maybe a dog, like Strider, who could empty a water bowl in 4 laps, but a cat?). If I wash my hands she knows right away there is no water to be had in the bathroom. She casually waits until the next bathroom is operational -

usually during my shower. She lounges outside the shower acting as if getting in the shower would be the best thing that could happen to her. Unfortunately she never takes me up on it, but when I get out of the shower she is on the counter either waiting for me to fill up the sink, or if she has given up, sitting in the sink so no one else can use it. We have 2 sinks so it never quite works for her.

She has finally topped herself in her quest for non-bowl water. Just off the back patio we have a number of plants. One of them I took out with the idea we wouldn't replace it, but I never got around to plugging the drip line head, or apparently digging up the root of the plant. The plant has started to grow again and last week Whisper discovered she can drink out of the water line that feeds it.

The drip head is facing up at about a 45 degree angle and the water flow comes out ever so gently. I guess, I would say, it comes out "just right" for a cat water fountain. Now she will go outside and stare at it in the morning waiting for it to come on. If I come outside she moves away, as if to say, "I'm not doing anything." But, I have watched her through the door. She is good for a full 5 minutes before she has had enough. I think the ratio of staring and waiting if about 10 to 1. I have to admire her perseverance in looking for the "perfect water." We both agree, we are thankful she is not a telephone eating cat, like an unmentioned family dog many of us know.

Spring is in the air...

In Las Vegas spring has been in the air for almost 3 months now and we have had some great weather, but it is finally sitting on the back patio on Sunday afternoon weather. That's when you know spring has really arrived. If we measure it by spring flowers we are 2 months into spring. If we measure it be temperature we are 6 weeks into spring. If we measure it by patio weather, we are right on target.

After a light lunch JoAnn and I adjourned to the back patio to relax. I had a paper to edit and she had a book she is committed to finish before sisters' weekend. I realized this was a great photo opportunity, so I went in pulled out my trusty tripod, set it up, made sure it was level, attached the camera, and then said, "How do I set the timer?" I do it so often! I looked at the multitude of buttons, screen options, and the like and finally found a button on the front side of the camera body that looked like a timer button. I pushed it and on the screen came up "self-timer shooting." Good, I have it, but nothing happened. Maybe I need to push the shutter button (okay, shutter button definitely relates to my age). I tried the shutter button, a beeping started and I figured I had 10 seconds to make it to my chair, sit down, and look natural. Of course I forgot, I also had to smile. A few photos and sprints to the chair later we had a couple of good photos (or marginally so).

I call this the reluctant guest - very teenish, if you have teens you know what I mean.

Then I went and got the cat. She had been roaming around the edges of the shooting. Put her in my lap, next to JoAnn and made a shot. Try holding a cat and setting the camera for a time shoot at the same time. We were good for 1 shot only. She climbed up on the table wandered around and then plopped herself down right in front of the camera and stared at it. Well, if that isn't a natural shot, I don't know what is. I rush over to the camera, start the timer and then rush back. She looks at the camera, listens to the beeps, and then, just before the camera shoots, she turns her head, or stretches out, or changes position. I tried this about 5 times and the same result each time. As long as the camera was quiet or beeping she would look at it, but the moment the beeping stopped and it was ready to shoot, she turned away. I finally gave up and just took a couple of shots before she realized what I did. She is our teenager and almost as obnoxious as a real teen.

Who do you think is in charge?

It's great to have a spring day and a Sunday afternoon to enjoy it. We hope your spring days are all bright and beautiful.