"I'm feeling much better now..."

I'm grateful that I don't work with Sabre-toothed cats...

... because the domestic variety is sufficiently sharp-toothed as it is.

(she slipped out of her muzzle to give me this bite, which actually had prettier colours the day before this photo was taken. I still have the marks from seven teeth, as well as the scratches from the week before from a different cat. If my reflexes get slower with age, I'm in trouble.) 

Kids 'n' Critters, from home and away

• It's gooood to be home. 
  
• Rob and I have seen a counsellor to help us normalize life in a blended family.
  
• Even work is okay.
  
• I haven't actually talked to my mother since being home.
  
• The kids are getting along beautifully these days.
  
• We are over-run with eight-legged brethren.
  
• Back to school is good; morning "rush" hour, not so much.
  
• Life is good.
  

Rob and Oliver on the shore of Lake Ontario

Linus and a good-looking sandwich in Ottawa

Oliver and Sam at the War Museum in Hamilton

Sam and his cousin applying mud "masques" at the cottage

Sydney, thrilled beyond words with a pony ride at the "Ex"

It rained so much in the month before our arrival 

that my swimming hole was a rushing torrent

Loving her first roller coaster at the CNE

Egyptian artefact at the ROM

Pentax chillin' to tunes at home

Date night at the Lagoon- heron and geese

Not sure I love ALL creatures- 

this one is now safely outside instead of in the kids' bathroom sink

(several of his cousins have been rehomed, too)

Six Quirks

I’ve been tagged!

Stella threw this meme my way, which is marvelous and flattering. But. I’ve had a very difficult time identifying 6 quirks. My beloved husband, who tells me that I am participating in a quirk pyramid scheme, suggested a few of my “bad” habits, some of which are not really all that bad (he just doesn’t like them), and many of which are unfit for public consumption. I should know better than to consult with him about blogging.

The Rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag six fellow bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the six blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.


My Quirks:

1. For several weeks, if not months, I have been showering while sitting down or crouching. I guess I’m closer to the soap and shampoo that way, and don’t have to stretch my aching back so much. Maybe it’s time for a shower caddy.
   
2. I like eating. I’m not fussy, and I enjoy the flavours, textures and colours of food, often too much. I have trained myself to refrain from licking the plate after meals, but I still lick my fingers- some would say that I even suck them clean. Oh yeah, by the way, I prefer to eat with my hands whenever I can get away with it. (But I manage to do okay in public settings, I think.)
   
3. I have allergies. This shows up on the skin of my hands, in my asthma, and with frequent bouts of sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes. I’ve had allergies a long time, since puberty, and one of the big culprits is cats. But I LOVE cats. And I keep cats, and work at a cat clinic. Thing is, I sneeze lots. And I have to blow my nose lots. Which I do- loudly. Another personal habit in which I show no restraint. Sigh
   
4. I like going barefoot. I have for a very long time. This often disturbs other people, which seems so silly to me. I wear sandals year round, except for the two days in wintertime when it snows in Victoria- then I wear boots, generally without socks. I like to have slip-off footwear- I might need to pick something up with my feet, which I couldn’t do if I had to contend with laces or socks. And I wouldn’t want to bend over to pick something up- see quirk #1 for a continuing theme.
   
5. All of these quirks seem to underline my refusal to grow-up. My religious preference echoes that, in a way. Douglas Adams said in an introduction to Hitchhiker’s Guide something about a guy getting nailed to a cross 2000 years ago for suggesting that it might be nice if we could all just get along for a change. I like his approach. My actual religious affiliation, such as it is, also comes from SciFi. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, created a series called Andromeda, which references a religion called Wayism, the point of which is inclusion, pacifism and “getting along”. This is right up my alley- a fictional religion, espousing the concepts we drill into pre-schoolers, which ensures my ability to keep up.
   
6. I am more than a little attached to my computer. It goes everywhere with me- on dates, to counselling, to the bathroom, to bed, occasionally to meals (if I can get away with it). I use it at work as well as at home, which is one of the reasons it looks so beat up. What did I use for a security blanket before I had a computer?
   

I tag:

1. Andrea
   
2. Kathi
   
3. Michelle
   
4. Noelle
   
5. Tanja
   
6. Todd
   

Big Cat Rescue in Florida

What else do you think a bunch of cat vet types would see in Florida? We were enthralled; bet you will be, too.

Big Cat Rescue



There were cows on the other side of the sanctuary fence...









Cougars may be my favourite animal ever.








All white tigers are inbred- this one has a cleft palate, but she's beautiful anyway.








This very handsome fellow spoke to me. We were able to have a feline non-verbal conversation; apparently my verbal feline is a different dialect, but the eye kisses and soft voice are the same across species lines.










Mrowr.










I so don't "get" the hunting thing- how could anyone stand to see such a beast stretched out like this, but bloodied and dead?











Yeah, sleeping is much preferable to dead.










Apparently, sleeping on your back, just begging for a belly rub, isn't just for domestic cats...









He was thirsty at just the right time- the water dish is sooo close to the barrier- we were within splashing range...









Tiger Conversation: This retired circus guy loves the tour groups- we had to leave him so he could rest, because as long as we were at his cage, he wanted to be social. The keepers at the sanctuary were so careful to ensure the well-being of these cats by monitoring their response to tour groups- it was great to see truly compassionate care for these big guys.



As a clinic, we decided to sponsor an ocelot from the sanctuary; like I said, we were enthralled. I hope to get a link up later, but here she is: Amazing Grace.

Back door pets

We have 10 pets- that should be more than any family needs or can manage. So, why is it that we have an invisible sign somewhere outside our back door that says animals welcome here? Did these animals come before we lived in this house, or did we bring the sign with us?

Here is Pikachu. Admittedly, Persian cats are an acquired taste, but I think he's cute. His name truly IS Pikachu- I traced his ear tattoo, but can't find a current "owner". When he first arrived at our door, he was thickly matted and covered in fleas. I took him into work and cleaned him up. His fur is growing back nicely, and I still think he's cute:




















When Rob was taking out garbage recently, a rabbit came up to him and greeted him- he thought it was Chase, but Chase was safely inside his cage when Rob came back in. A couple of weeks back, on a Saturday morning, Rob told us that "that rabbit" was sitting outside the back door. The kids and I piled outside, and spent the day playing with our new friend, who we call "Rabbity Roo" or Roo for short. I haven't been able to determine gender, or figure out why an apparently wild rabbit enjoys the company of people so much, but we all think it's really neat to have these "wild" creatures come to the back door, more or less when called.





























We haven't taken them inside and integrated them into our family for a couple of reasons: Rob doesn't want more pets (!), and neither animal really enjoys being contained or confined. Well, actually maybe Roo would be happy to live inside, but that really would be a bit much, don't you think?

Dancing with Rabbits

We had so much fun today. The sun was shining and it fell like Spring was around the corner. We took 8 of our pets into the back yard for some sun, air and grass. In fact, only two of our pets did not get to enjoy the opportunity, but they wouldn’t have enjoyed feeling like fish out of water...

Here are some of the pictures I took of us having fun.






Sam, "dancing" with Snowball and Chase.







Chase is our newest family member.







Isn't Sparkles beautiful? She thinks so!






















Snowball relished the opportunity to dig.










Syd, with blankets.










Pentax, who just turned 16. He’s my soulmate. (Don’t tell Rob.)









Claudia, looking inscrutable. She’ll be 16 in a couple of months, and her whiskers are white now.










Salt’n’Pepper- he’d run amok if he was loose.








Snowball and Teddy.










Sparkles and Teddy enjoy an inter-species moment.








Sometimes Jet looks less goofy, but not often...











The kids were making animal "nests" in the alcove by the rocks.










Oliver, one of my step-sons.











Looking east at Mt. Baker, across the strait. We enjoy this view from our sun room/guest room and living room (whenever it stops raining).












We went inside when this Bald Eagle showed up overhead.