Cat Tales ~ Vote ME!

Me over heard Mommy & Daddy talking about the 'new face' of money. Me wondered what theys was talking about, so when Mommy & Daddy were gone over the weekend, Me got on Mommy's 'puter & did some research.

Seems there's no women on U.S. currency. And there's a movement to get a woman's face on the $20 bill. There's a preliminary vote now to narrow the field. After that will be the final vote. Mommy & Daddy are hoping that Wilma Mankiller is chosen. Wilma was the first woman to be Chief of the Cherokee tribe. Daddy is Cherokee so Me is hoping she wins. Plus it would be good to see Andrew Jackson, who was guilty of BAD, BAD behavior towards the Native Indians of the U.S., replaced by a Native Indian Woman! {{snicker!}}

Click Here to Read the whole story!

Now, Me was thinking. There should be a Cat on a piece of money. After all, that's who really runs the show! The Power on the Lap, Me calls it. And Me can be the first! See how good Me looks on the $1000 bill?

I had to enlist the help of Sylvester to get that image. Sylvester has thumbs and can do all sorts of fancy stuff on the 'puter. 

Me thinks Me will write a few posts about the Power on the Lap of some famous peoples. Might prove enlightening.

Purz and Catnip Dreams.......Gomez

Watercolor & Ink

The art of Endre Penovac

Roadtrip ~ Grand Canyon of the Arkansas

An impromptu roadtrip took us to uncharted territory. It was a beautiful Sunday and we wanted to get out and enjoy it. So off we headed to see the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas.

We headed south and were soon in the town of Penrose where we stopped to see the World's Largest Rocking Chair!

World's Largest Rocking Chair - built in 1990 from hand-hewn Douglas Fir logs,
weighs 9100lbs. 21 ft tall & 14 ft wide

This chair is located next to a really neat old building that may have a unique future in store for it.

From there we continued on to the quaint little burb of Canon City. We decided to stop for lunch and when we found a place named after hubby, we knew we had to stop! Boy, we were not disappointed! We had a lunch that reminded us of a Sunday dinner at Grandma's house!

Onward we went. We slowly climbed Fremont Peak. Driving through the area which had been ravaged by wildfire less than two years ago. Stark was the landscape. But signs of life were evident. Cattle grazed on grass and the tall stalks of mullein could be seen. While mullein is on the invasive species list, it serves a very valuable purpose in these burned areas by holding down soil and preventing severe erosion.

Mullein stalks silhouetted against the sky

The 2013 fire, which burned for four days, destroyed nearly 90% of the park. Only the bridge was left standing with only minimal damage to the wooden floor planks.

Smoldering building - image source

bridge fire damage - image source

When we arrived at the summit, a vast vista opened before us. The vastness of the canyon which lay before us was amazing. And to think it was carved by a river through granite! This place was aptly named - the Royal Gorge!

The Royal Gorge or Grand Canyon of the Arkansas is only about 50 feet across at the bottom and several hundred feet across at the top. It's roughly 1,250 ft deep and the canyon is 10 miles long.

The first documented exploration of the region was by Zebulon Pike in 1806. A railway through the gorge was built in the late 1870s. 

railroad tracks at bottom of  Royal Gorge

The Royal Gorge is owned by the local town of Canon City. In 1929, the town of Canon City had the bridge across the gorge built. The bridge is 955 feet above the river and held the title of the highest bridge in the world from 1929 to 2001. It is still America's highest suspension bridge.

To read more about the Royal Gorge, Click Here!  

Animals and a Sense of Self

Do animals have a sense of Self?

Many people, usually highly educated people, say they don't. {{could these people feel that their intelligence is being threatened?}} These educated people believe that only a few animals -Great Apes, Dolphins/Whales, Elephants, Birds such as Crows, Ravens, Magpies and the like - are capable of recognizing their self and have any sense of empathy.

I disagree with that hypothesis. Having been owned by several Cats and observing animals of various species, I believe that most animals have a sense of who they are, understand the consequences of their actions and feel empathy for another animal, even if that animal isn't of their species. 

Case in point - Gomez enjoys having his hair brushed every morning. He will sit on the edge of the bathroom sink, with his back to the mirror, in the mornings to get his hair brushed. After I brush it, he will turn around to look at himself in the mirror. No doubt to admire his ravishing good looks.

It is said that most Cats will not respond to their reflection in a mirror. This is believed to be a trait of an animal who has no sense of self or any sense of empathy. I don't respond to my reflection. I was never a child to stand in front of a mirror and play or make faces or do any of those things that most kids do. Does that make me as 'dumb' as an animal? 

{{I've known many people who would fall into that category!}}

A few months back, Hubby & I watched a program on PBS about a biologist who immersed himself into a Mule Deer herd in Wyoming. Now most people will think that a Deer is a rather 'dumb' animal because they are a herd animal. Herd animals are usually thought to only act as a collective - that there is no individualism or individual thinking. But I feel that train of thought is wrong. Especially after watching this PBS show. 

Click here! It's a MUST-SEE!

Last Autumn I had an experience that haunted me for days - even now as I write this post, my heart aches. I was driving up into the mountains to make a trip to the gift shop that handles some of my artistic creations. In the Autumn, Deer are seen everywhere - in people's yards, on the highway, sometimes even in the city. I wasn't very far up into the mountains when I came around a bend and saw three young bucks standing by the side of the road. As I got closer, I saw a buck laying on the shoulder of the road with a broken neck. He had evidently been hit by a car. The three bucks were milling around their dead companion, nuzzling him and prodding him. They didn't want to leave their friend. Now, if those deer really were as 'stupid' as most people think, wouldn't they have run off and left their dead companion?

Let's not underestimate our furry friends. They understand more than we know. Let us treat them with dignity and respect, but then we Humans seem to have a problem even with treating each other with dignity and respect. So, let us be the change we wish to see in the world.

To read a good article on animals and kids who fail a mirror test, Click Here!

To read a blog about Cats and their behavior, Click Here!

A Girl and A Cat

The art of Andy Prokh

Welcome Back!

Today is the Vernal Equinox! 

Welcome Back to Spring!

Don't forget to check out the Ostara edition of Imramma magazine!

And this coming Sunday, the Sunday Stew will return! Be sure to add that to your Sunday reading material! (the Sunday Stew can be found at the Imramma link)

Cat Tales ~ Mes Wild Guess

Mommy read Me all the Wild A$$ Guesses that were made by everyone about the odd pictures found on the TrailCam. I would like to address those guesses before Me reveals Mes deduction.

Miss Debra - Me wishes it was Mes up there in the mountains 'cause Mommy said the birds are quite abundant and friendly. But alas it is not Mes tail in front of the camera. Me will have to wait to make friends with all the little birdys. 

Mrs. Dog's Mommy - While Me thinks that Abby made a very good guess, Me thinks only part of her answer is correct. Mommy said that the squirrels are somewhat scarce when there is Peoples at the Cabin. But the chipmunks on the other hand are thick as fleas! Hhhmmm...... Me wonders if a Chippy would like a new friend....

Miss Robin - Yes, me was under the same assumption when Me first saw that photo! Me thought it might be E.T. flashing a peace sign.

But after much research, Me discovered this is what an E.T. would look like in the camera lens

Miss Justine - Me believes you have guessed correctly. The last mystery photo is the give-away. It looks like feathers on the left side of the photo.

Till next time, stay clever Me Friends!

Purz and Catnip Dreams.......Gomez

Melted Cassettes

The art of Brian Dettmer

Wild @$$ Guesses Welcome!

These are some odd photos we found on the trail camera. I am showing the before and after shots along with the actual odd photos. Your guesses are welcome. Hubby & I have our suspicions as to the culprit but we're open to other Wild A$$ suggestions!

The date and time is on the photos so please keep that in mind when making the guesses.

The trail camera we use is activated by motion. There were no branches low enough to produce the shadow.

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