Jackie the Photobomber

The BabyGirl has lots of collectible stuff that she doesn’t want any more, so she’s enlisted me to help sell them online.

Her grandmother, always the planner and organizer, gave her collectible stuff with a theme.  There are stuffed animals from Beatrix Potter stories, and china dolls with stands.

It is a great big pain in my buttons to get these things photographed.  I like to photograph things outside against the foliage of the wax myrtles when possible, preferably in the sunny daylight, which there hasn’t been a lot of lately.  Plus it’s cold out, and I’m a sissy.

I enlisted the picnic table again, and while photographing Benjamin Bunny, I saw Jackie strategically place herself in the background, ever so nonchalantly.

(Click on the photo to enlarge.)

 

Jackie: “To quote Elmer Fudd: ‘Be vewwy, vewwy quiet. We’re hunting wabbits’.”

 

Jackie Lends A Paw

You know how cats love all things wool?  There’s nothing like sleeping under a wooly blanket, and then waking up to a cat sucking and kneading on the bedcovers.

Well, I don’t have a wool blanket in this hot climate, but I have been knitting some woolen articles, and that started me to thinking about cats and wool.

I started a new design last week.  It’s called a “Cat Mat”, and it’s knitted of 100% wool with a novelty “eyelash” yarn added in for textural interest.

I used a size 13 circular needle, cast on 40 stitches, purlwise, with 2 strands held as one, changed the colors as needed, and added the eyelash yarn when knitting the borders.  Then I put the item in a pillowcase, tied it shut, and washed it for a full cycle in the washing machine.  This results in a felted item.  Normally the instructions for felting an item in this fashion call for using hot water, but I don’t have any hot water for the washing machine (because the water supply for the washing machine comes directly from the well hook-up), and the first time I tried my cold-water method and it worked, I felt like I had created cold fusion, whatever that is.

Jackie helped with a little photo session.  I draped a fitted sheet over the doghouse for a backdrop, and Jackie was quality control.

Step 1: Start with woolly article. If you do not have a mammoth lying around, a knitted-and-felted item is acceptable.

Step 2: Add cat.

Step 3: Adjust brightness.

Step 4: Stand guard protecting your woollies from the dogs while trying to look nonchalant.

And here’s the uncropped photos…

Then Step 5:  Bribing The Inspector takes place.

Jackie Loves the Telephone

Jackie: “Strangely, I feel an affection for this inanimate object.”

Jackie: “Meanwhile, will someone please pull Big Fatty out from under the furniture and tell him the storm has passed over?”

Tying Up Loose Ends

Last year I took in 3 cats from the local shelter.  Dennis, Carrie, and Ozzier were their names.  You can read more about them here: left-click-thingy here and here.

A little bit of follow-up is in order.  There’s been a lot that’s happened in the last year.  Jopty the gerbil had a stroke and died.  Alice the indoor cat’s leukemia took its toll, she started to fail, and she was euthanized.  Daisy the Doodle Poodle reached the end of her life, and she was euthanized.   Gladys the Guinea Pig had recurring urinary tract infections, which most probably indicated cancer, which these little rodent types can get if they live long enough, and she was euthanized.  Precious Paisley the Problem Cat was failing, and she was euthanized.  Shenobie’s (Sugar’s dog) bladder cancer was ending his life, and he was euthanized.  And the best sister-in-law in the world was diagnosed with aggressive bone marrow cancer, and in spite of remission, the cancer reared its ugly head and took over.  She went to hospice, and was gone in one week.  One.  Week.  I get a lump in my throat just rereading all this.

SIL was a hospice nurse.  Ironic, no?  One of her patient’s had several cats, and she was worried about what would happen to the cats when she was gone.  The largest one was a black cat, and for some strange reason, black cats and dogs are the last to be adopted.  So SIL took in Big Bubba, who is still living a happy life with SIL’s husband.  This makes me reconsider the old saying that cats have nine lives.  I always thought that meant that a cat can survive a life-threatening injury and recover.  I now think it means, to me in this particular circumstance, that a cat can have a new life with a new situation, like Big Bubba having one owner that died from cancer, then having another owner that died from cancer, then living with my BIL.  Hope my BIL takes good care of himself.

All of this which leads us back to Dennis, Carrie, and Ozzie.

After the initial release, I didn’t see Carrie for three weeks, and I didn’t know that Carrie had made her way down Resurrection Road to a double-wide.  The neighbor sent me a text that there was a cat under her trailer.  When I went to investigate, I was delighted to see that it was Carrie, even though she was emaciated.  I scooped her into a crate and took her back with me.  The next day she was back at the neighbor’s trailer.  While the neighbor agreed that Carrie was a nice cat, she didn’t want a cat, and was worried that Carrie might do some damage under the trailer, like pulling out some insulation, and the landlord would be mighty unhappy.  Plus somehow during the night, Carrie had managed to injure her skin, and had an opening the size of a quarter on her flank.  I opted to take her back to the shelter.  At that time, I had Alice the leukemia positive cat indoors with me, and I couldn’t wouldn’t take Carrie indoors with me.  After all, this is a 31′ RV.  Two cats inside.  I’m a little nuts, but that was even too much for me, exposing an injured cat to a leukemia positive cat, which is probably the subject for another post in greater detail.  Carrie was most probably euthanized, for I didn’t see her posted on www.petfinder.com after I relinquished her, damaged and unhealthily thin.  Time and care would heal her, but I don’t know if she was afforded that option.

Then there was Ozzie.  He was a tease to the other cats.  It started off mildly enough, but Sylvia was stalked and injured by Ozzie, RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, I knew that Ozzie’s days were numbered here at the Swamped! Plantation and Cat-Cussing Facility.  He went to be a barn cat for a vet tech.

And lastly, we have Dennis.  With Ozzie out of the way, Dennis took over the position as head stalker.  He didn’t care who he stalked.  He was the only male in the group of five, and I wonder if he were trying to overthrow the regime.  Needless to say, it didn’t work, and I took him back to the shelter.  The girls were here first, and I needed to preserve their safety.

Occasionally the local shelter can shift animals to other shelters that have room and resources for them.  Today I was looking at petfinder.com to see if Black and Yellow had been listed at the local shelter, then I looked at some of the outlying shelters.  I didn’t find Black and Yellow, but I did find Dennis.

I think Dennis is on Life #5 now.  Good luck in finding Life #6.

The New Security System

There have been more robberies in the area.  One business was broken into twice in one week.  Another business had their air conditioning unit stolen.  Then Friday, November 19, 2010, a bomb threat was called in to the post office.  Every law enforcement official converged at the post office, while the robbers robbed a local bank three blocks away by the interstate and got away scot free.  Pretty slick.  It’s hard to have faith in law enforcement in this county. 

In the meantime, I have installed a security system on the roof of the RV.

Jackie: "Seven o'clock and all's well!"

 

Jackie: "What's that you say? My shift is over already? Why, the time just flew by!"

 

"This is the best job ever!"

 

"Why, no, I DON'T know how those new rips got into the awning."

 

Man's work is from sun to sun. Woman's work is never done.

 

Jackie: "If this gig doesn't work out, I'm joining the circus."

 

Jackie: "I can hear the applause now. Ladies & gentlemen, children of all ages, I present to you... the fabulous... JACKIE the MAGNIFICIENT, who has just returned from an engagement with the Royal Swamped! Plantation and Awning Repair Service!"

 

No applause, please, just throw money.

Cat on a Hot RV Roof

Lately, at night I hear someone walking on the roof.  It’s a little disconcerting, it’s late at night, and someone is right over my head.  If I were a different temperament, I could really get worked up and hysterical over it, since I live here in the wooded ‘hood where the sheriff’s department doesn’t want to come on a 911 call.  But anyway…

This morning when I walked outside the RV to go to work, I heard a meow somewhere above me.  It appears that Jackie the One-Eyed Gambler has taken up residence in the penthouse since the weather has gotten cooler.  It must make for nice sleeping in the penthouse in the trees. 

Jackie: "Why is everyone up so early?"

 

Jackie: "Did I miss breakfast again?"

 

Jackie: "Alright, alright, alright, I'm up. But just wait til tonight. I'm having friends over."

The Tree Inspector

Jackie inspects a tree.

Here’s our girl Jackie, the one-eyed gambler.  Apparently the lack of one eye does not deter her from her job as tree inspector.  She is getting bolder and bolder about leaving the safety of the shed, and she prowls out and about enjoying the day.

Left to her own devices, she harms nothing and enjoys everything.  It’s been an interesting development to watch her explore her surroundings, like a tourist on vacation, seeing the local sights, enjoying the local cuisine, and absorbing the local flavor.

That we all should enjoy our lives like a tourist.  That’s the best wish that I can send on this Easter morning!

Jackie, the One-Eyed Gambler

JackieInTheBox

I’ve mentioned Jackie before.  She comes to me from Maranatha Farm, an awesome rescue organization in my crappy little county.  Jackie was found as a kitten in a trash can in the park in Savannah.  She appeared to have been tortured from the puncture wounds on her body, and one ear was cut off, and one eye was damaged to the point that it had to be removed surgically.  She was brought back to life and health by Karen at Maranatha, where she has lived for about four years.  Maranatha mostly serves rescue dogs in need of a home, and Jackie was getting bolder and bolder around some of the dogs.  Karen’s fear was that they have several dogs with “prey drive” and Jackie might someday stroll into the wrong place at the wrong time.  She asked if I knew anyone who could foster Jackie, and I volunteered (I’m from Tennessee) the Swamped! Plantation and Cat House. 

Jackie has settled into the shed where she has been for the last month or so.  She likes to get out and about and sit on the perches located in the trees around the shed.  Her latest accomplishment has been to climb onto some shelving units in the shed and get into the loft.  The loss of an eye is not an impediment to most cats, like we humans think it might be.  There are lots of one-eyed cats out there who lead good lives.  Anyway, Jackie doesn’t know any different, and she has learned that the loft in a nice place to have a special can of food away from the others.  I can climb up the ladder and leave this treat for her.

Left ear. Gone.

Right eye. Gone.

Spunk. Not gone.

The above picture was taken at dusk.  This shows the kind of eye effect that you get with cats or other animals in the dusk and dark when light hits their eyes.  I can shine the flashlight over the fence at the cat station and see the reflections of the eyes.  I saw the play “Cats” a few years ago, and now I understand the opening scene much better. 

So Jackie is here to stay until something better comes along.  As if.

Georgia: "Why don't you ever write about me anymore? What do I look like, chopped liver?"

For those of you who don’t know, Georgia and Cali are from upstate New York.  Their former owner says things like, “What about me?  What am I, chopped liver?”  I suppose that could be a regional saying, but I don’t get it.  Maybe someone can fill me in.