Melon the -- um, well....

For the third time in two years, I've been stung by yellow jackets while mowing in the back yard.  Little devils nest in small holes in the ground where I don't see them until all at once I feel their stings.  The last two times they've ringed my ankles with stings.  This time I had small blisters around the stings as well as painful, itchy and badly swollen ankles.  I try to be a tolerant person but dagnabit, that hurts!!! And for a long time!  It takes about a week before all is near normal and the swelling goes down.  

So-- if a scarecrow will keep birds away, perhaps this will work for yellow jackets:

 Melon-crow?  Scare-melon?  The Melonbee?

Happy (belated) Father's Day!

"I may not be a dad, but I'll wear a tie if it gets me treats!"

In Loving Memory

Mom & Rupert

My mother loved cats for as long as she could remember, but at that time and place cats weren't considered house pets.  Mom said she vowed that when she was grown, she would have cats in her house.  I'm not sure she envisioned the ten we had at one time. . . .

Mom & Melon

That's a skinny young Melon on her lap.  Note her beloved Freddie watching at the door. I think that may be one reason Fred doesn't care for Melon.

Mom died June 3, 2007.  Rupert died May 16, 2008. 

Happy Birthday, Uncle Scotty!

I'M READY FOR CAKE!!

A rose by any other name. . .

"Is this all you get for winning the Kentucky Derby?  I was expecting caviar. . .  or at least tuna."

Signs of Spring

"I can't believe my eyes...."

"It's a catterfly!"

Happy Spring!

"Take time to eat the tulips!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Be sure you have all the Valentine's Day treats: roses, wine, chocolate, and tuna.

New Trick!

Who says you can't teach old humans new tricks?  The MomPerson has been walking on the treadmill every morning, complaining about gaining six pounds.  I don't blame her.  That's a LOT, like almost a whole Bonnie Kate. So when she heads for the treadmill, I do this until she gives me a treat to move:

"Hi, MomPerson! Me?  Oh, I'm just hanging out here. No special reason."

She's gotten lots better and just giving in and handing over the treats instead of coaxing, begging and fussing for five minutes first. Good girl, MomPerson, good girl!  Who's a good human, hmmm?

They survived!

"Ashley sits here and pets me.  I like Ashley!"

Yes, the cats managed to survive while I was on vacation with Scotty & Lou.  Kay came twice a day to feed and Ashley came once a day to sit and read and pet.  Ashley reports Melon was very impressed by her ability to sit quietly and not move for long periods of time.  He likes that in a person.  The kittens _-they're now five years old, I suppose I should stop referring to them as "kittens"-- were skittish as I expected.  What I did not expect was that Ellen and Flora would indeed take up with Ashley. She reported that she was in the kitchen and decided she'd give Fred a treat:  deli turkey.  As soon as she opened the fridge door, it was as if Ellen and Flora had a revelation:  "SHE can produce turkey too!  What a human!!" They were devoted to her after that, as was Nuit.

"Yeah, you're swell.  Can I go out now??!"

Kay had a Sally Field moment when Fred suddenly did his Fred thing and leaped on her shoulders.  Her thought was, "He likes me!  He really likes me!"

Thank you, ladies, for taking such fabulous care of my fur-kids!!

Three Bags Full.

I belong to DorothyL, a mystery listserv where folks discuss, among other things, mystery novels.  Recently some have read Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, a sheep mystery.  I'm not kidding.  The sheep try to solve the mystery.  Of course, they don't quite understand the mystery--they're sheep, after all, and therein lies the delight.  Their shepherd has met with foul play and they really aren't sure what will become of them but he was a rather nice shepherd who read aloud to the sheep, which is why they had some grasp of human doings.  One sheep, the cleverest, was Miss Maple and while there was an explanation of how she got her name (involving syrup) I am fairly sure the resemblance to Miss Marple was not unintentional.  My favorite sheep was Mopple the Whale, who was very large and while he was not terribly bright, he never forgot anything.  He reminded me of someone.  I can't think who.

Anyway, if you like offbleat--er, offbeat-- mysteries, give this one a try.

This one's for the ladies. . .

... the Red Beanbag Ladies, that is.

We call this his Sports Illustrated  centerfold pose.
(Note strategically placed football.)

 Yep, here's the Mel in all his Gator glory.  The shirt is for a medium size dog, BTW.  I had intended to do a card with Melon in a University of Tennessee shirt and have him try to crash a tail-gating party by claiming to be Phil Fulmer, but then Tennessee got this skinny little coach and the jig was up.

 I have to say the shirt fit better a couple of years ago.

Alternately, we thought we could pass him off as Uga, the University of Georgia's bulldog mascot.  My vet volunteered that she had a UGA shirt for her dog Melon could borrow.  
Then she remembered that her dog is a dachshund. 

Introducing . . . Melon.

The cat.  The model.  The legend.

Never shaken, rarely stirred.